^Gary, Autopilot is compatibe for control with Intermatic PE653 automation system, just so you know. I've heard good things about that swg.
Nor'easter, I have the same size pool as yours and I run the Aquarite T15.
For automation integration, it would make sense to go with Pentair no doubt. With that said, I've tied my own Hayward into an Intermatic PE653 automation system for scheduled on/off periods tied with my pump and at a set percentage that I know will produce the FC I need - its possible to do that by calculation when you know a cell's daily rating for production.
The reasons I chose the Hayward system instead is because I wanted incremental control, eg dialing it in at 11% if I want... (Without automation, pentairs in 20% increments, i believe.)
THe second reason was because Pentair has an unrealistic warranty clause about phosphate levels. Since I am on well and use a sequestrant, which breaks down into phosphates, I didn't ever want to be in a position to argue with them. Hayward's approach, at the moment, is that if they test the cell and its doesnt work, they will replace it, irrespective of sequestrant byproduct in the water. But this is generally a rare caveat - rarely are there problems and so rarely does it come up.
Overall I feel that it is not common for TFPers to actually HAVE any cell problems - with any brand - because the TFP guidelines make for trouble-free operation, users are more informed about how to care for their cells, and are more informed about keeping the water balance such that there is little scaling, etc.
SO..your best protection against swg problems is to stick around, use our care methods including operating parameters at [fc/cya][/FC/cya] and ensure you're tracking your water balance with a TF-100-- which you have
So I think you'll be golden! The most important part of your selection is up-sizing your cell beyond mfg specs. So with Hayward, that's the T15 cell rated for 40k gallons, and with Pentair, that's the IC40 or even IC60 for extra value.
There are members here who get 7-10 years out of a cell by upsizing, running at low percentages, and using swg to maintain FC but never to initiate FC on opening or to boost for any reason -- you support the swg in those cases with a bit of bleach.