Quote Originally Posted by nater View Post
(snip)
Pressure side cleaners:
Cons: In addition to the list above, they require a booster pump to operate.
(/snip)
That's actually not very accurate - pressure side cleaners include most of the advantages of robots, and are easier to use. Cons that are NOT associated with pressure side cleaners include

1). Complex electronics and wear parts (brushes, drive belts, etc), give the potential for failure and repair expense.
- Ok, there are a handful of cheap parts that may have to be replaced every 3-8 years, but no electronics.
2). Everything goes to the filter, more frequent backwashing, etc (not a big deal unless water is very expensive where you live)
3). More setup, tear down time when you want to swim
4). Won't clean sides or waterline


Pressure side cleaners are designed to stay in the pool 24/7, and the only time you have to touch them is if you *want* to pull it out before swimming. They have their own fine mesh bags that catch everything they suck up (yes, pressure side cleaners suck - they do so using the venturi effect), and sweeper tails that promote circulation and get fine sand/grit off the floor so it can be filtered.

IMHO, a good pressure side cleaner will do almost as nice a job as a robot, and be much easier to use and more reliable... Some of the cleanest pools I've ever seen have used polaris and legend PS cleaners.