Repair Hayward Phantom cleaner or buy a new Polaris??

[txgal]

We have a Hayward Phantom pool cleaner that we are getting ready to replace about $200 in parts. I started wondering if it would be better to replace the Phantom cleaner with a Polaris 280 based on the reviews that I have read. I assume I can use the same booster pump as long as it is in working order.

Our pool is rectangular 15' by 35' and 5'5'' at the deepest point. We get lots of debris (leaves, acorns) in our pool in the fall, winter, and spring due to the number of trees around our pool. We have a Sta Rite System 3 DE filter and our pool is white gunite with 2 skimmers. This is not a Phantom Turbo and I am not sure how old it is or how it has been taken care of because it came with the pool when we bought our house about 5 months ago.

So, would you repair the Phantom or just buy a new Polaris 280?

 

[Guest]

The turbo is the same unit. They just changed the name. Get the Polaris or a Letro Legend or a Barracuda Mars HP (It seems to be back on the Zodiac website after being dropped at the beginning of the year). Personally, I have been VERY pleased with my Mars HP. Very few moving parts to go wrong or need replacing.

 

[sredish]

my phantom went out last fall and i was ******, was going to pull it then realized what it'd cost to replace it. i had it repaired by my pool builder not long ago and now it's back to cleaning pretty good. still leaves a tad bit in the corners every now and then but I think it works pretty good, now that it's working properly.

 

[cliff_s]

If you decide to replace our cleaner I would suggest a Zodiac G-4.

They look wierd, but do a great job of cleaning the pool and it will
crawl up the sides and clean them too. Since they are about as simple
of a device(one moving part) there is with little to go wrong.

Cliff s

 

[tclemmer]

We bought a Phantom three years ago. The first year was good, loved the surface skimming. The second year was worse with many parts being replaced, some for free under warranty. They also replaced the manifold in the third year for free. Something about improvement, blah, blah, blah. This year the phantom will stay in spin out mode or not spin out. I have taken it apart many times and found part of the manifold needs new rubber gaskets. They do not sell them. So I replaced with o-rings. This has worked for a few weeks and then more of the same.

To the point. I just purchased a Legend $300 after rebate on ebay. Free shipping and no sales tax. So instead of spending $100 for a new manifold, I decided to change to the Legend after reading several post hear. The polaris 280 was $355 on ebay.

Tom

 

[txgal]

Thank you all for your help! I just purchased a new Polaris 280. After looking at all of my options and the suggestions from everyone here I decided to go with the Polaris 280 or Letro Legend. After finding a great price on the Polaris I ended up ordering it.

I am trying to decide if I should also purchase an extra bag or 2. Are extra bags useful to have and what do you think about the sand/dirt or zippered bags that Polaris offers?

 

[lovingHDTV]

We bought a Phantom three years ago. The first year was good, loved the surface skimming. The second year was worse with many parts being replaced, some for free under warranty. They also replaced the manifold in the third year for free. Something about improvement, blah, blah, blah. This year the phantom will stay in spin out mode or not spin out. I have taken it apart many times and found part of the manifold needs new rubber gaskets. They do not sell them. So I replaced with o-rings. This has worked for a few weeks and then more of the same.

To the point. I just purchased a Legend $300 after rebate on ebay. Free shipping and no sales tax. So instead of spending $100 for a new manifold, I decided to change to the Legend after reading several post hear. The polaris 280 was $355 on ebay.

Tom

This is to a tee my experience with the Hayward Viper. Even down to the o-rings

 

[HarryH3]

I am trying to decide if I should also purchase an extra bag or 2. Are extra bags useful to have and what do you think about the sand/dirt or zippered bags that Polaris offers?

Having at least one extra bag makes cleaning easier. The fine grit comes out of the bag much easier if you leave it to dry out. I only use the fine mesh bag, instead of the leaf bag, as it does an awesome job of cleaning pretty much everything from the bottom of the pool.

Best price I was able to find on the bags was from an ebay seller names perryspoolpump out of Arizona. He has good prices, reasonable shipping (unlike may ebayers!), ships quickly, emails you to let you know what's going on with your purchase, etc. I've bought a few things from him in the last couple of years and have been very happy with his service.

I found a link for you: K-13 Polaris Bags 2 bags for $44.00 plus $4.60 shipping. The pool store here gets $30 per bag!

 

[halapeno]

Hayward has discontinued making some parts for the Viper, but I'm doing my best to keep it running. The manifold got to the point where I was repairing it every weekend. Finally I just plugged the ball valve to disable the manifold. In its place I installed a Phantom backup valve that cost me $40 on Ebay. It works like a charm. Also, I was flabbergasted when my pool supply store quoted me $110 to replace the bearings in the wheels. Instead I just ordered some plastic bearings off the internet. The $220 wheel replacement only cost me $20. With any luck I should be able to get another year or two out of this 20 year old Viper.