Honestly, Kath, I like it too. It only gets hard to vac at opening. After that, maybe 1-2x a week. I find it a meditative process. The worst part is getting the hose free of air and into the wall vac line. And that is only a few minutes of slightly decreased suction.

Doing it myself takes so little time 0 I just can't justify springing for a $1200 robot just yet. Maybe once I have kids I'll feel differently. I may spring for a PoolBuster if I find a deal - that way I can get the stuff off the top stair and top rung of the ladder and do spot cleaning.

Happy Sunday, all - stay cool.