Pool Vacuums

[PopcornGirl]

Well, we have had 2 (two) Kreepy Krauly automatic vacuums now, and I have mixed feelings about them.
PROS:
When they are working correctly, they work AMAZINGLY WELL. It keeps our pool completely free of debris. The only thing it has trouble with is when sand gets in the pool. But sand is a pain for manual vacuuming, too.
CONS:
1) I think it's ridiculously expensive and I think the makers are basically milking their buyers because NOTHING on this contraption warrants the price tag. It's pretty cheaply made, which brings me to my next point...
2) They wear out pretty fast -- EVEN IF you take care of them meticulously! The first time I had to replace mine, I just assumed it was a hard lesson learned... Next time, don't leave it lying in the sun, keep water chemicals perfectly balanced when it's in the pool, store hose properly... yadda, yadda, yadda... But with the one I have now, I HAVE done all of those things, it's barely 2 years old and the rubber "floater wings" just broke off for no apparent reason! And every tiny replacement part is ridiculously overpriced as well, so there's no easy maintenance.
3) It gets STUCK. A lot. On the edge of my eyeball jets, on the stairs, in the corner... we're forever going out to "rescue" it and get it going. The hose gets tangled frequently, too. But it's still less time consuming than having to manually vacuum each week, so...
I guess it all depends on what you are willing to put up with.
Right now mine is working and I have 3 very active children, so I'm content to shell out some more cash to replace the wings.

[Prov35]

I've used an Aquabot Turbo for the last 3 years. Been very happy with it. Does a great job cleaning my inground 20 by 40 vinyl. Takes about 6 hours for it to really get the pool clean. I usually throw it in once a week. And I do have to check on it now and again as the robot will get tangled in the cord once in a while. When it's time to replace it, I believe I will get one with the remote control. That would be handy for spot cleaning. You can now buy robotic cleaners with a shorter cleaning cycle, maybe an hour or two.

[NWMNMom]

We use the Lil Shark on our AG and it works pretty darn good. The one thing that we did however, is place a leaf canister in between the shark hose and the intake, eliminating the extra cleaning at the skimmer. It does a very nice job getting the whole pool clean and rarely hangs on anything. I believe it only has the one moving part.

[mwsmith2]

I've got a letro legend. At first, I thought it wasn't all that good, and was thinking along the lines of an aquabot or such. However, after messing with it, I've found out that it really does a great job at taking care of the leaves, sand and grit, once it's adjusted. Only problem is when the water is cold, the hoses get stiff and it's not quite as mobile. Other than that, it works quite well!

Michael

[scottturner]

I purchased a Dolphin 3 seasons ago, when I found I was vacuuming more than enjoying the pool. I (and my family) love it. It is more expensive and this year I need to replace the drive belts, but the return on the investment has been worth it. I also understand they have some newer units that clean faster and don't have drive belts. I have seen diagnostics new for around $650, which is what I paid. They do a great job picking stuff up, and I use it at night to move my chemicals around, instead of running the pump. Just toss it in and turn it on. Mine came with 2 bags, one for spring clean up with larger particles and one that traps very fine particles. I can't recommend it enough. Thanks.

[VOLDADDY]

I have had an Aquabot Turbo for 2 years now and couldn't imagine not having it. I throw it in at night 1-2 x per week or as needed, and come out the next morning to a sparkling clean pool. If you rotate the handle on each use it really helps with the cord tangling issue. When I have to replace it I will get the one with the remote. I didn't think I would need it but there are times it will come in handy. Besides, it's another toy for me to play with!

[cnk]

We love our Dolphin. Look on ebay for good deals.

[chemicalbalance]

We have a Polaris 180 which works off of a booster pump. It works adequately well, but since it cleans to a mesh bag, it is really just driving around stirring debris. It will pick up anything larger than say 1/16" square.

The absolute BEST thing that I have found for cleaning the pool quickly is the 14" RB214 vacuum head that Ben sells for $75 at

PoolSolutions.com....http://www.poolsolutions.com/cart/clean.php

I know it sounds like I drank Ben's Kool-Aid, but this thing works great. It is heavy and steerable so you can vacuum the whole pool in about 15 minutes. Since I bought his vacuum head, I vacuum the pool on Saturday mornings for a few minutes. I actually have become obsessed with how clean it gets the pool.

I am ashamed to admit it, but now I really do just use the Polaris 180 to stir the pool when I add chemicals.

This is no joke. Don't buy any automatic cleaner till you try this head for your vacuum. Make sure the filter is clean too so you have good suction. This thing really works and works quickly. It is obviously a professional grade device that you wont find at your local store of the same quality.

[brent.roberts]

I've used a Barracuda and latest Kreepy Krawly last summer and gave up on both of them . They got stuck on their own shadows and did not get to all the areas they should have because of the return jets affecting their path.

So I upgraded to a Polaris ATV, which was an improvement but still missed areas because of water currents. Then one day it got really hung up and stripped some internal drive gears. Took it back for repairs under warranty. It still won't move.

After have read a lot of items on these auto cleaners I have come to two conclusions.

1) if the device used a 1 1/2" return or pressure line hose it will be affected by water currents and do a less than perfect job of covering the bottom



2) it seems that everyone who got a Dolphin Diagnostic or similar unit is very happy with them.

I think the writing is on the wall ( not quite on the check yet, but the pen is in hand.)

May 12 update - ordered the Dolphin Diagnostic ... fingers crossed

[mwsmith2]

Since I bought his vacuum head, I vacuum the pool on Saturday mornings for a few minutes.

There's one problem though. It's the use of the word "I".

Michael