Another vote for the ProTuff skimmer here. And a long story about why, if you're interested.
With my previous pool, I tried a couple of cheap (<$10) skimmers that broke or tore within a few months, then I found this made-in-China US Pool Supply skimmer that worked great and lasted almost a year:
U.S. Pool Supply Professional Heavy Duty Large 15" x 16" Swimming Pool Leaf Skimmer Net - Fine Mesh Netting, Easy Scoop Edge - Fast Cleaning, Debris Pickup Removal - Fits Standard Swimming Pool Poles
After it broke, I bought another. And a year later when that one broke, I bought a third.
Meanwhile, I'd had a great ProTuff rake the whole time, but I never bought the matching ProTuff skimmer because in the photos it looked like it had a blunt front edge, and I like a sharper edge for scooping up debris from the bottom of the pool. So after the third US Pool Supply skimmer broke, I tried this Poolmaster skimmer instead, because Poolmaster is nearby in Sacramento and has been manufacturing pool products for like 60 years. I figured that they'd surely have figured out how to make a skimmer last more than 12 months:
Poolmaster 21160 Swimming Pool Molded Leaf Skimmer, Premier Collection,Neutral,Medium
That one wasn't as nice to use as the US Pool Supply skimmer; it wanted to dive more than skim across the surface. But that didn't matter, because it broke after only 10 days.
So I bought the ProTuff skimmer -- and as it turns out, it DOES have a scoop front edge. I've only had it for a little while, but it's obvious that it will last basically forever. It's made totally differently from the others: It has an aluminum frame, and the net is captured between front and back frame halves rather than hot-glued to the back of a single-piece frame like all the cheap ones. It looks as though the net can be replaced without replacing the whole assembly, but I'll never have to try that myself because ProTuff offers lifetime warranty replacement.
The mesh is very fine, and there's a little slack in the net so it droops just a bit-- which not only lets it hold more leaves before emptying, but also holds them more securely. It's a tiny bit heavier than a plastic skimmer, but I don't find it any more difficult or fatiguing to use. It's really a nice design.
Anyway, here's the link to it on Amazon:
ProTuff Flat Pool Skimmer Net - Unlimited Free Replacements - Pro Grade Durability for Leaf, Pollen & Small Debris Surface Cleaning - Nearly 14” Fine Mesh Silt Net Skimmer
www.oreqcorp.com
