What vacuum you use is a personal choice and really depends on your budget and if it is practical for your pool size. Many people love their automatic cleaners, whether they operate from vacuum or in their own electric cord. But some are an investment. Me, I still use my standard manual vacuum that operated from the skimmer. It is really a personal choice. You have a smaller pool, and perhaps your small Intex skimmer and filter have a hard time keeping-up with the debris. If you are able to vacuum waste directly our of the pool that is fine too, as long as you keep an eye on the water level and know that depending upon how much water you lose, you may reduce CYA as well.