aquacritter is awesome - so far

[rastoma]

After getting a deal on the Aquacritter ($89 shipped if I remember correctly), I received it about 3 weeks ago. But I just opened it today. From box opening to time it starting roving around and spotlessly cleaning the bottom was about 15 minutes and that was me just taking my time and stopping and yelling at the dogs to quit bothering the neighbors new dog.

I didn't realize how good a machine this is. I used to think these were one of those pulsating suction vacuums that kind of bounce up and down... which basically... well I had one and used it one time because it did not do even a moderate job.

But just in 10 minutes, this Aquacritter has really impressed me thus far.

 

[fsteve65]

Just what i wanted to here we have been considering getting one.

 

[Patrick_B]

Keep us posted...Ive been looking at these too, so it is good to hear.

 

[Suziqzer]

I bought a Diver Dave, which is the same cleaner w/a different look, this year because I wanted something more automatic to clean the bottom of my pool.

I would have to say my experience has not been as good. Mine has trouble getting caught on the steps and our center drain and when it goes anywhere near the return jet, I've re-directed it every direction possible w/no solution, it's hose gets caught up in the current from the return as he tries to continue to move he will get suspending up in the water current.

When he's on the bottom and not caught on something he does a good, albeit slow job of cleaning the bottom of the pool.

Keep in mind he doesn't like anything of any size to pick up. Some leaves are a problem for me and will cause him to stop cleaning. The fine silt, pollen and debris that falls to the bottom is pulled up quickly.

So far we are keeping him because so long as we are running around outside and we can occasionally unhook him from his obstacles, he does a good job for the money and I can work on something else besides running the manual vacuum.

 

[rastoma]

I don't have a center drain on my AGP so I can't comment about that issue. But I steps (not just a ladder) and it had no problem going around them. It did not get tangled up and stuck in one place during the entire 8 hours or so I left it going. It cleaned the bottom a lot quicker than that but I had other things to do around the house and had to leave a couple of times for a few minutes so I didn't get time to mess with the pool again till later yesterday evening. I just glanced every now and then to see if it was still indeed roving around.

I had a skimmer's basket worth at least of leaves and bugs in the bottom of the pool after some heavy rains and not manually cleaning the pool for several days.

I'd guess in about 3 hours my 24' round was spotless on the bottom. And even more impressive it cleaned the bottom 'curve' of the pool where the wall meets the floor. Many of the leaves were maple leaves which were fairly large. Others were small. In my case it had no problem with any of them.

Suziqzer - I don't know how it can get stuck on the steps unless the steps are near the intake which would allow a lot of extra hose to get 'huddle' up when near the steps. Are your steps open on the side? My steps have sides on both sides of the steps and under the bottom step so the critter just rolls around it like it does the walls.