I have a concrete pool and the kreepy krauer that came with the pool had stopped working. It looks very old and I took it to Leslie's and they were unable to fix it. I am thinking about buying a new pool cleaner. The guy at the Leslie's said that Zodiac MX8 is new on market and it has excellent performance and it climbs on walls. Parts are less and are cheapter to replace than other pressure cleaners. He said Poolclearner has excellent performance as well but it does not clean the walls and parts are very expensivethe to replace. He also suggested Hayward Vac XL, which has excellent performance but there are many parts to it so risk of needing replacement is high. It seems like the Zodiac is the best option. Anyone has experience with ZOdiac MX8? My budget is $500 or less. Any advice is much appreciated.


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Pool size 25,000 gallons, concrete

I would stick with models that have been out for a couple of years. No matter how good the basic design, there are often extra problems in the first model year.

The PoolCleaner has gotten rave reviews from a number of people on the forum.

The MX8 is a great new pool sweep. I just installed a brand new MX8 in one of my client's pools. It has big wheels with big tracks so it doesn't get stuck on main drain covers like Navigators are famous for, and i watched it in action and it moves quickly, spins, climbs the walls all the way up to the tile, i was amazed to be honest. This new sweep is great, and after just a few days, i went back and it cleaned this pool better than any Navigator i've seen, and i have lots of Navigators, Kreepys, Barracudas, ThePoolCleaner, etc. And yes it has less moving parts so less downtown/maintenance issues. We all know how often you have to replace parts on the Navigators (feet, wingkits left and right, etc.)... I like this MX8 so much i'm gonna try to sell these to my other customers who need or want sweeps.

I'm starting to lose a little faith in The Pool Cleaner (Suction side) - I've got them in about 5 pools (including my own) and every once and a while, it gets something inside that stops the gears. Had one today that had just some minor organic debris that had somehow gotten in the gears, and the dang thing had shut-down for a week.

I only have 2 cleaners from The Pool Cleaner. So far so good (knock on wood!). They're both the lowest, standard 2 wheel models. I have the most issues with Kreepys lately.

I have been a manual pool vacuum guy for the last two years and finally gave up the tradition. Needless to say the pool was a mess with leaves, dirt, and debris from the gardner blowers and sand from the kids. On a whim I picked up the Zodiac MX8. Installation was about 15 minutes with just a couple of parts and easy instructions. It recommends that pool be vacuumed before using but I felt if this thing was worth it's price it should handle this mess otherwise it was going back the next day, restocking fee and all. I plugged it in the skimmer (I have 1.5 hp Hayward pump) and let it run for the night. I was blown away at what I saw the next morning. It was just as clean as if I did it myself! It was able to pick up the large leaves, dirt and sand. I had one worry when it was stuck on the stairs but it was able to free it's self after about three to five minutes. It does climb the walls up to the tiles and is able to easily maneuver around the drain.

It is only the next day so I have no idea about the durability, but like most readers I will be wondering how the treads and blades hold up. So far I'm quite impressed!

The poolcleaner really does not clean walls?! What good is it then?

i just saw one of these today. was thinking of getting it as the pressure ones seem too much hassle and I don't have a booster pump. I was looking at this, the polaris suction one and the poolcleaner.

I'm a die hard robotic cleaner guy but figure i'm gonna try suction because every robotic has broken on me and they aren't exactly cheap to fix.

do these scrub the pool like the robotics do or just pickup debris?

I'm in the market for a new cleaner as well, and reading every review I can find. I had a Kreepy for a few years, but it's time remodel and get a new cleaner. I converted the never used pressure cleaner plumbing to a dedicated suction line for Kreepy a while back. Now, I'm torn between getting a Robotic cleaner, or keeping the suction, and getting a Robotic (keeping dual cleaners), or converting the plumbing back to a presure cleaner and installing a booster pump.

I have an Oval 20 x 40 x 9 deep-end pool and a neighbors tree dumps a lot of leaves and small twigs into the pool. Do you think leaves and acorns will jamb the MX8?

From my experience, yes it will. The MX8 as well most suction side cleaners will get jammed by larger debris. For large debris I recommend a pressure cleaner such as the polaris brand pressure cleaners.

In its defense it does ok with small leaves. The mx8 works great as a cleaner and is really good with getting the finer debris.

a robotic will get anything, literally anything. I threw my robot in after the hurricanes we had here, it sucked up everything, probably wasn't the best thing for it, but it will suck up screws, leaves, nuts, etc.

I got the PoolCleaner and love it! It works very well and my pool is clear. Now, I got another issue. The PoolClean is unable to clean my spa. Is there a way I can clean the spa using the existing PoolCleaner hose? Is there attachment I can purchase?

I hate it... What a rip off. It worked well for the first week, and now it starves my pump of water. No matter what setting the flow valve is on, after 10 minutes it stops working as air builds up in the pump. I have had my system pressure tested, you name it I have done it including dropping it in other pools. It has cost me a fortune not to mention the stress of having a 'who cares attitude' from the supplier and manufacturer. I have to wait a month before the manufacturers can get a tech to me. Save you hard earned cash and go on a holiday. you'll need it if you buy one of these.

Dave,

Try going off this checklist. See if it helps:

1. Make sure the unit isn't sucking air. Check any part of the hose that is not suspended under water and make sure there are no leaks/cracks.
2. using the flow gauge, insure that your suction rate isn't higher than a 4 (3 is recommended). If it is set too high the cleaner may be taking itself above the water line.
3. Make sure that the hose float is installed 9" from the cleaner head.
4. Make sure pool water level isn't low.
5. Make sure that this wasn't an issue before. Completely uninstall the cleaner and check your suction line for leaks if your pump still continues to lose prime.

My poolcleaner cleans great! The only problem I have is that when it gets stuck around the main drain and in the corners the wheels have rubbed the pattern off my liner. Does the MX8 get stuck as well?

I have tried all the 5 points listed to no avail. Jan 3 and I get to see a tech, i'll keep you all posted...