Repair/Replace Polaris 260 or Get New Robotic?

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M

Michael1

0
May 3, 2015
206
Moorpark, CA
Hi,

I have a Polaris 260 with the following issues:

1) Drive wheels need tread replacement
2) Right drive wheel mounting loose inside the unit, so does not engage drive gear.
3) Right drive wheel gears stripped on wheel side.
4) Intermediate wheel on right (between two large wheels) has loose internal mounting.
5) Bag has holes.

Given this, it would appear it would need a complete rebuild, perhaps even a replacement if the mountings are broken inside.

My pool gets a lot of leaves, twigs, acorns, which the 260 seems to pick up most (but not all) of it. I've heard many robotic cleaners do not do well with larger items. My pool is kidney shaped, about 30 by 18 feet, and about 550 square feet.

I've heard the robotic cleaners are constantly brushing. My pool has a thin blue top layer (almost see through). Could that worn off by too much brushing?

I also want something low maintenance, and easy to clean. If I could just leave it in the water, and it turned itself on automatically, that would be great. I've heard most cleaners you have to insert in the water, and remove when done. I'm not home on a regular schedule, so that could be an issue.

Saving on electricity would be nice with the robotic cleaner. We get gouged on electricity in California ($.25/kWh).

If robotic, I would like to get something lower priced with repair parts available at a reasonable price. I think $1000 is out.

I'm a first time pool owner (three weeks) so sorry for the lack of knowledge on pool cleaners. I appreciate any recommendations you may have.

Michael
 
Michael1 said:
Hi,

I have a Polaris 260 with the following issues:

1) Drive wheels need tread replacement
2) Right drive wheel mounting loose inside the unit, so does not engage drive gear.
3) Right drive wheel gears stripped on wheel side.
4) Intermediate wheel on right (between two large wheels) has loose internal mounting.
5) Bag has holes.

Given this, it would appear it would need a complete rebuild, perhaps even a replacement if the mountings are broken inside.

My pool gets a lot of leaves, twigs, acorns, which the 260 seems to pick up most (but not all) of it. I've heard many robotic cleaners do not do well with larger items. My pool is kidney shaped, about 30 by 18 feet, and about 550 square feet.

I've heard the robotic cleaners are constantly brushing. My pool has a thin blue top layer (almost see through). Could that worn off by too much brushing?

I also want something low maintenance, and easy to clean. If I could just leave it in the water, and it turned itself on automatically, that would be great. I've heard most cleaners you have to insert in the water, and remove when done. I'm not home on a regular schedule, so that could be an issue.

Saving on electricity would be nice with the robotic cleaner. We get gouged on electricity in California ($.25/kWh).

If robotic, I would like to get something lower priced with repair parts available at a reasonable price. I think $1000 is out.

I'm a first time pool owner (three weeks) so sorry for the lack of knowledge on pool cleaners. I appreciate any recommendations you may have.

Michael
Click to expand...

I'm sort of faced as the same problem as you... trying to figure out if I should replace a Polaris 380 with a robotic unit since my booster pump is dead. At this point, I'm still not too sure what's a better option.
 
Welcome to TFP! I have no robot experience, but lots of people seem to like them.

There are a ton of threads discussing robots. Give a search, upper right, and read through some for pros and cons.
 
I went from a robot cleaner to a polaris 260 (pressure cleaner). Totally happy with it. We have a lot of trees in our yard, but I only need to run the cleaner a half hour daily. Run via a timer. When trees arent very messy in the summer, I only need to clean the bag about 1x/week.

OTOH, robot cleaners require more oversight. You need to drop them in and remove them every time they clean (at least the one I had wasnt supposed to be left in the pool). Depending on the model the cords can get tangled. Taking the cartridges out is more of a PIA. Not sure if you can put them on a timer.

Robots do a good job cleaning, but I like that the polaris cleaners clean every day, even if its a little. Its kind of a set and forget vs. a "is the pool getting messy enough where I need to drop the robot in and run it?" mindset.
 
I am doing the same research and will be reading more threads as suggested above. A Polaris runs and runs and just keeps on going, with minor replacement issue over time. Great for lots of leaves.
It does usually require a booster pump so more costly to run...I would think. We have had to replace the bag that catches debris and we rotate out with the fine mesh bag to a coarse sturdy bag to catch twigs and lots of leaves. Both bags do get holes over time...we run daily. I hate leaves...may consider trimming trees, that will require someone climbing the trees with a chainsaw, costly too.
Robotic cleaners I am learning are intelligent and will cover entire surface of pool including walls, which is not always the case with a Polaris. If the line gets a kink or twist in it, only a certain area may get clean and it just randomly moves along the bottom of the pool. New models come out all the time, so a yearly review is needed. There are other website that show reviews, if you can't find your answers here. I am comparing robotic cleaners and am leaning towards that....have not pulled the trigger yet! Would love to hear from someone who has owned both to read real comparison??
 
Well, I've had both (see my thread before yours) so ask away if you have any questions!

Regarding cleaning the sides, I agree that robots do a better job as they tend to be more methodical...**depending on the model**. But its a moot point since the small debris and leaves fall to the bottom. With a swg my chlorine is stable, so no algae outbreaks on the pool walls.

Concerning price, the cost of a Polaris cleaner and booster pump can probably be less than a robot. In terms of electricity costs for the pump, I run mine a half hour a day, at $.10/kwh that equates to $.07 a day or $2 a month.
 

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kevreh said:
OTOH, robot cleaners require more oversight. You need to drop them in and remove them every time they clean (at least the one I had wasnt supposed to be left in the pool).
Click to expand...

This could be a deal breaker for me. I would want the leaves removed daily, and I'm not around enough to put the cleaner in, and then take it out some hours later when it finishes. I'm surprised its seems many people have time for this.

Michael
 
Do you turn your polaris on manually, or is it on a timer? Highly recommend a timer. The cheapest route is an Intermatic timer. This is what most people have. If you have an automation controller they can be run this way too.
 
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