Re: Any recommendations for a vacuum type robot cleaner
I have a 3HP pump that has enough draw on low speed to run both the skimmer and the suction port. Your pump will probably be sufficient. The Sandshark comes with a skimmer port adapter as well as a flow gauge and regulator, like this -

The spring guage tells you if there is enough flow and the Y-shaped regulator lets you adjust the flow to the the Sandshark for optimal speed. I'm not sure about other suction-side cleaners, but I would hope that they would come with similar tools.
Something to note is that fast moving vacuum cleaners DOES NOT EQUAL efficient cleaning. A lot of folks I know with automatic cleaners think that the thing has to be flying around the bottom of the pool to clean properly. It's actually the opposite. You want the cleaner to move at a speed sufficient to pick up debris and perform all necessary turns. That is not necessarily a fast speed.
Also, most suction-side and pressure side cleaners will claim that they can climb pool walls as if that's some kind of super-helpful feature. It's not. My KK can climb the walls a bit but I don't really care if it does. Wall cleaning is why pool owners have brushes. An automatic pool cleaner that is climbing the wall is probably not doing any good for your pool's overall cleanliness so don't get snookered into the cleaner that the pool store gets the most kick-back from just because the guy tells you it climbs walls.
If you don't get a lot of leaf debris in the pool, then you can probably skip using an inline leaf canister. I initially ran my vacuum without an inline canister and I eventually plugged up my suction line with mesquite debris. I had to blow out the line with pressurized air to clear the plug. That was not fun.
I know a lot of people like the Polaris product line and I might even give one a try if/when my Kreepy Krauly dies. However, the KK is pretty simple in it's construction and Pentair sells all the replacement parts for it so if anything goes on it, it is fairly easy to perform a DIY fix. I don't how Polaris is with wear & tear and replacement parts so perhaps a Polaris user might chime in on that.
And, of course, the caveat that accompanies all posts about automatic cleaners - just because you get one does not mean you will never have to manually vacuum ever again. I still manually vacuum my pool at least once every two weeks, sometimes more often. Pool cleaners do a good job at regular light to medium scale clean up. If your pool gets a heavy debris load in it, then you will definitely want to manually vacuum to get all of the nooks and crannies.
16k gal IG gunite PebbleTec (Caribbean Blue), 18' x 36' free form with raised spa/spillway and separate rock waterfall. All Pentair Equipment pad - 3HP IntelliFlo VS / 1.5HP WhisperFlo, MasterTemp 400k BTU/hr heater, QuadDE-100 filter, IC40 SWCG, IntelliTouch/EasyTouch Controls
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