All suction-side cleaners are about the same. They are very simple, with essentially 1 moving part and a plastic spring. This unit is no better or worse than the others.
Pros:
-decently made, I've not had issues with material degradation or anything.
-It does a nice job cleaning the pool of small to moderate sized particles, up to small soft leaves.
-It goes from the bottom all the way to the waterline. It will get at least the lower steps as well.
-No extra equipment to buy, plug it into your existing system
-simple: no extra cords pumps etc
Cons:
-Needs substantial suction. You will probably have to turn down or off the other skimmers/drains to make it work. Every pool will take some adjustment depending how your equipment is set up. If you have lo-flow VFD equipment, it will not work.
-Compromises the flow/suction to the rest of the pool. The skimmer it's plugged into will not skim. This increases the load on the pool.
-only works when the pump is running
-tends to stick to a circle around the skimmer it's placed in. If you have a central skimmer, great. If only skimmers at the ends of a long pool, it will not cover the far end.
-Most seriously: All debris goes through your piping and into the pump basket/filter. Every suction-side cleaner of this type has this issue. It is extra load on your existing system. Inline filter bags are available and are a good idea
-will not handle larger debris: leaves, small sticks, etc. It will clog the mechanism. You must still fish acorns, twigs, leaves, etc out manually
Overall, I'd say the best use of this type of cleaner is for pools that get moderate loads of small particles, with a central skimmer. Those who live in dusty climates, and have problems only with insects & sand, will probably be best served. The Dirt Devil can occasionally be found online for $150 or so, which is a screaming deal for this type of cleaner.
I gave it a 3 as it does what it does well, but what it does is limited.
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Our pool requires the unit; pool operates beautifully and is always clean and clear.My amazon review focuses on the price.The local store sells these for $55 higher than the amazon price.Even with s/h this was a much better deal than anything we could find locally in Texas. And, it came w/in days of ordering.Highly recommend and will be ordering replacement units here again.
