Hi GhostRealtor. Welcome to TFP!
I've used a Letro Legend pressure-side cleaner since my pool was installed in 1998. I’ve been mostly happy with it, but it would never pick up the fine dirt and silt that I could see getting swirled around when I brushed the pool floor. The Letro debris bag is just too coarse to contain this fine stuff.
The original reason I’d started looking at robot cleaners was to help me with my least favorite pool task: brushing. During my research, I found it particularly intriguing that some higher-end models have Ultra-Fine filters which claimed the ability to remove fine particles.
Last summer, I pulled the trigger on a Dolphin Explorer E70 which includes the uber-fine filters. After one pass, the fine stuff was gone. Poof! Never to be seen again. Gotta’ admit that after years of pushing that dirt around, this was pretty cool.
So I would suggest that a robot cleaner – with Ultra-Fine filters – is one way to solve your fine dirt issue.
For me, being mostly relieved of brushing duty is by far the bigger reprieve.
Robots aren't designed for heavy cleanings like after a big storm or spring opening after you closed or slacked during the colder months.
Robots will get all the crud eventually, but may need many attempts at it.
This is why I think pressure side cleaners should still be considered. My pool is surrounded by trees and gets hammered a few times a year, leaving significant post-storm debris. In the Fall, we can count on our annually intense leaf/twig drop. The E70 did fantastic with the fine-debris, floor/wall scrubbing and the usual light-duty cleaning, but it's sunken-leaf performance is overshadowed by that of my 26-year-old Letro Legend pressure-side cleaner. The Letro's debris bag is huge by comparison, so it doesn't need to be emptied nearly as often. Plus, its stronger suction and larger throat will pick up heavier debris like gravel and twigs that the E70 just rides over. Consider that the Explorer E70 is one of the most powerful electric robots currently available.
During these heavy cleaning situations, I am also glad I opted for a corded robot. It's runtime is not limited by battery duration. If I do elect to use the E70 to help with a big job, I can let it run continuously, as long as needed, until it's basket is full, then clean the basket and immediately return the robot to the pool to continue its work. I don't have to interrupt the cleaning session to place it on a charger for a few hours before I can use it for another range-limited session.
"Corded robots are inconvenient vs wireless." Perhaps. In my experience, the corded robot's unlimited runtime and superior power offsets the extra effort of spending 30 seconds to drop my E70 in the pool and the 60 seconds needed to wind the cord after taking it out.
I realize many pool owners don’t face these bigger cleaning challenges. I think both corded and cordless robots have their place depending on the job at hand.
