Ours lasted ten years before I had to buy another one, and it wasn't because it busted back then; my neighbor had 12 pine trees and a colossal magnolia that would fill them, so often, we emptied it four times a day.
So to lessen the impact of constricting flow, I went with a tower-vented basket eight years ago.
SkimPro Tower-Vented Skimmer Basket
Basket Dimensions: 6.125" x 8.44"
Height of the Tower: 12.95"
Not all pool skimmers can receive the tower's height, but they have a thicker wall and a bar that snaps in for even more sturdiness and a means of taking it out of the hole. I never grab the tower.
I also never bang the basket.
I put them in many pools with the same issue, especially with folk who don't or can't be bothered emptying them.
