Intex Auto Pool Cleaner

When I look to purchase items on Amazon, I read through reviews and usually seemed disappointed in some of the reviews I read due to their lack of information and honesty with the product, so I want to give an accurate honest opinion of this purchase for future buyers like I was. SO this will be lengthy, but full of honest information... I purchased this vacuum in hopes of finding an affordable vacuum option for our pool. We have a 24-foot round, 52-inch-deep above ground metal frame pool, not an INTEX pool from Wal-Mart. The pump is a Hayward 1 HP pump with a sand filter system. I read some reviews and watched a few YouTube videos on this product prior to purchasing it. Straight out of the box, this vacuum is extremely easy to assemble. The mount kit that comes with it is made for INTEX return valves and will not work on our above ground pool jets, without a simple modification. I was able to remove the eye piece from the return jet on our pool, which directs the water to re-enter the pool, I want to re-iterate this, this vacuum is for the return ports of your pools, not the skimmer suction to the pump. Once this was removed, I attached a 1-1/2 in threaded pvc pipe with hose barbs on one end for attaching vacuum hose pipe too. The hose that comes with this vacuum is obviously made to attach to the head it comes with for INTEX return valves due to the large mounting nut and hose attachment. I simply cut the manufactured hose clamp tightening area from the hose itself which allowed the larger slinky part of the hose to easily slide up onto the pvc fitting for 1-1/4 inch hoses. I connected it with a basic hose clamp and turned the pump on. I will admit, for a cheaper vacuum I was skeptical, but this thing literally amazed me at how well it worked the first time using it. We previously had a shark attachment vacuum prior to this which attached to the suction/skimmer basket of our pool. When the pool was dirty, it would slow the pump down due to the debris removed from the pool being clogged up in the skimmer basket and the sand. This vacuum with the return setting option never slows the pump down and this vacuum worked overnight like a charm. There was not a spot of dirt to be seen in the pool bottom the next morning. I removed the vacuum from the pool and opened it up to clean it out. This was a simple task with four easy clips to open and remove the debris screen. Once this was opened, I used our garden hose and simply sprayed the debris screen off and the inside of the vacuum assembly itself. Everything washed out easily onto the ground. I gave this vacuum a 4 star rating on the suction only for the reason when I first watched it, it went over a few spots in the pool and didn't pick up everything visible on the floor. But I left it running overnight and noticed it had eventually removed everything from the pool bottom. I think the areas it was skipping over at first were probably dips in the pools floor bottom and just needed an extra sweep sometime during the night. Even if you do not own an INTEX pool, I highly recommend this pool vacuum to any above ground pool owner with a little common sense to make the attachment work. Even if this vacuum only lasts one season for some reason, I will buy this vacuum each year if they continue to make it. This vacuum is well worth the money spent on it.

Worked very well for a while, it did exactly what it designed to do, until the wheel broke off! One of the 4 drive wheels snapped off at the unit frame. No one had messed with it nor was it dropped or stepped on. I found the wheel at the bottom of the pool as the unit was trying to move up the side of the pool but it was just going to the top and could not crawl down. It lasted only a few weeks. Update: I ran a stainless steel bolt through the broken wheel mount bracket and we are back in business!!! Next to the crawling out of the pool, I think it was designed for freshwater not saltwater, the two blue weight compensators (balls), located inside the unit are two buoyant so I add some stainless steel weights to each side where the OEM weights are lowering it’s static ability to float, after some trial and error and 4 ounces on each side it can crawl up to and then back down from the edge of the water without getting stuck at the top!!!! Since I had to do the R n D and the math to compensate for the amount of lift, I am only giving it 4 stars. I WOULD still buy it, and now it does work very well. If you have a saltwater pool, add the weights to it you will be much happier. Another update Now the reverse drive gear mount broke at the small bearing. Great idea great design poor production. Higher quality components in the drive system would make it one of the best units available. To the manufacturer, spend a few cents more and convert the plastic drive to stainless. Note the extra weight would not have effected the eccentric drive gear, it is isolated from the gear train. If I weren't having a good time fabricating the parts, I'd throw it away. If you're not into fabricating broken parts or don't have a machine shop, I would keep looking.

I always envied people who have those $1000 robotic pool vaccuums but I always thought they were way too expensive for what they did. I came across this one and I couldn't believe how cheap it was, I was convinced it must be a cheap P.O.S. So I rolled the dice and bought one. I was SHOCKED at how NOT "cheap" this thing actually was once I got it out the box and ready to use! I hooked it up to my aftermarket sand filter, dropped it into my 16' above ground Intex pool and it went to work right away zooming back and forth across the bottom of the pool! Within a couple hours, I came back and the entire bottom of the pool was clean and debris free! I extracted my new little buddy, popped the clasps, opened his belly, and revealed it was FULL of dirt, leaves, sand, and debris that I didn't even know was IN there! Now I hook it up and run it for a couple hours, once a week, and my pool is cleaner than it's ever been! And I'm MORE shocked than ever at how LITTLE I paid to have this luxury. I can't imagine why people pay $600+ for pool cleaning robots. Granted this one doesn't have any active brushed that spin or anything like that, it's a very simple jet powered vacuum cleaner that uses the outlet pressure from your existing pool filter to propel it around the pool floor and it uses Bernoulli's principle to create a surprizingly strong vacuum to suck debris up from under it. the debris get's trapped inside the unit by the removable filter screen which allows the water which get's sucked up into the opening on the underside to pass through it, and the trapped dirt stays inside until you empty it. The clean, filtered water then get's ejected out the one of the nozzles on either side of the unit like jet ski, causing the entire unit be thrusted forward. After about 10-15 seconds (enough time for it to travel from one end of the pool floor to the other) the internal mechanism automatically switches the output direction of the water from the back, to the nozzle in the front, and the unit starts to move in the opposite direction. It repeats this back and forth movement indefinitely, and because of the slight resistance of the hose pulling on the unit as it travels, it causes it to make a slight "arc" as it moves, this ensures that it covers the entire bottom of the pool in a period of time and it doesn't just move back and fourth over the same area. Think of it as "organized chaos", sort of how a Roomba can vacuum your entire carpet while seemingly moving in a random pattern. Bottom line is, I LOVE this thing, and I can't BELIEVE I paid less than $80 (with shipping). It works GREAT. does exactly what it claims, and it feel like it's built so well that it should last at LEAST 5 years (or more) without a problem. Definitely a GREAT purchase.

I used this for an inground pool. What attracted me to this is how it was made and the ability to climb the walls. It claims it is 4-wheel drive. This should be using the Jet water coming from your pump to your pool return for Above Ground pool. But, I figured the design is using the pressure of water going to the robot; I can attach this to a Pond pump and set the pond pump on a timer. So it will automatically turn on when I set up the outlet timer. And it was interesting if it could also climb walls; from the users with above-ground pool videos, it worked for them, so I gave it a try. It needs to have a GPH rating of about 3500 to get this to move. The white hose that came with it is about 1 1/4 OD/ID. So it fits the attachments that usually come with a pond pump. So, I purchased the first saltwater pond pump (the same one used for large koi ponds) with a rating of about 3500 GPH. I have a Saltwater pool. not to large, just normal shape, about 16,000 gals, and the deep end is 7 feet. Attached is the white hose to it with a stainless steel hose clamp. Using the pond pump screw-on adapters, it fits pretty snugly. I used a large pond pump fine mesh bag, I actually purchased a few of them to make sure it would fit. It should be a Fine Mesh since I did not want particles to go to the pump and slow down its GPH to the vacuum. I attached it to a weight and used a bungee cord to do a test. Well, it WORKED! good enough anyway. Confirmed, it works with a pond pump, and it does climb the walls of my pool, not up to the water line. The brushes and 4-wheel drive mechanism work to do a light scrub on the floor and about 80% up the wall before it comes down in reverse. It will also go sideways on the wall. So the benefit of this are: +Cheap for a scrubbing pool vacuum, it keeps the slime buildup to the floor and to the walls. Cost of this vacuum + salt water pond pump from amazon is about 200 bucks since I purchase this with my prime membership discount. + I purchased a Salt Water Pond Pump that is made to stay on for a large pond. So I can just keep it on the side in the pool. I picked those that gave it great reviews and ran for 2+ years continues, the cost was like 80 Bucks. + Put on a Timer, I used an outlet timer that I can set when it will turn on and how long. I have this one every few hours, like 2 hours straight. This keeps the pool water moving and scrubs the pool floor and 80% up the walls. VS. and $800+ robotic pool vacuum that does climb walls, and 4 whee-drives most in this price range don't have a schedule set, you need to turn it on and let it run. Come back and turn it on each day. Because of all the above, I didn't need to keep running my poop pump during peak energy times 1pm- 7 pm, costing so much. I also had a separate DIY water aerator fountain running during the hot days in Texas also to keep water moving and keep the water 10 degrees cooler. And early mornings and late nights is when my actual pool pumps runs to filter the water, cost less not during peak hours. Negative. Does not pick up large items. like leaves more than 3 inches wide or long. The brushes on both ends, though are made of fine nylon paint brushes type, I am not sure how long it will last, but the manufacturer has replacement parts. Vacuum is not the best at vacuuming like the $800 true robotic vacuums, but this isn't $800 bucks. Adn those Vacuums cost more when parts go out since it is very complicated. So I have two other robotic pool vacuums as back up that can pick up large leaves, but these are not scrubbers and wall climbers, but good enough without costing 800-1500 each. I have had 5 homes with pools and have used them all. Name brands cost up to $1500, and less costly ones in a range of 300-400. And they do a very good job on the vacuum. But I keep my vacuum in the pool and want it to be on a schedule on its own. They all eventually need parts to be replaced or the whole thing to be replaced in 3 years or so. PLUS, NOT USE THE Pool pump that costs more to use energy cost during peak hours during the day. It is best to have a Separate pool cleaner vacuum which you can schedule a time for it to Start and stop, plus brushes for you when you are not using the pool, and keep the water moving. This has solved my needs plus it cost so much less. When your pool pump is not running, your water is not moving thus, it is faster for algae to stick to the walls and grow. But with pool vacuums that rely on a pool pump to run, you are forced to run it to clean it. This method works in all areas, keeps it clean, water moving, and separate from the pool pump, so it can run on its own schedule.

I have an Intex Ultra Frame pool with an upgraded Intex Krystal Clear 16” 3000GPH filter/pump so my comment is based on having a stronger pump than the ones that come with these types of pools. This little guy is pretty cool! Comes with lots of hoses to accommodate different pool sizes and it definitely works getting small debris out of the bottom of our pool. Here are some pros and cons so I don’t write an entire novel lol: PROS - Great value for the money! Other pool vacuums on here are way more expensive (although some are much cuter looking lol) and reviews seem neck and neck with this one. - If you have an INTEX brand pool, no adapters needed. Very easy to assemble and use. - Looks really cool and moves fast! I will update this review with photos next time I vacuum the pool. - It works. Not super fancy but it does its job IF YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. Also very easy to clean! CONS - Isn’t the greatest with larger leaves. Be sure to get a net skimmer with a long pole to skim those out before running. - Ours gets stuck and the hoses get tangled up around the cheapo ladder that came with the pool so we have to take the ladder out. Can’t speak for the upgraded, nicer ladders, but if there’s a decent amount of space between the pool wall and the ladder, chances are it’s going to get stuck so I’d keep an eye every so often. - MOST IMPORTANT: If you have too weak of a pump/filter THIS PRODUCT WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. Intex and the same type of pools (Summer Waves, Coleman, Bestway) all come with way undersized pumps that will not work with this! Upgrade your filter pump (you really should do so regardless to keep your pool clean)! My sand filter pump is .75 horsepower and it works well, but I bought it separately. The one that came with my pool would have a different result, lol. That is where you are seeing most of the negative reviews. - If your pool is not an Intex, you will most likely need an adapter to hook up the vacuum to the pool. Brands like the ones I mentioned above (Summer Waves, Bestway, Coleman, etc.) need adapters, I believe. I give it 3 out of 5 stars because it is a great value for the money but can be a bit temperamental and will miss certain areas. SEE VIDEO AND PHOTOS WHILE IT IS IN ACTION! :)

If this vacuum isn't working well for you, then there is something wrong that needs attention. The flow of water is likely the culprit for one reason or another. My vacuum didn't work at all when I first got it. I have a rather large filter pump with plenty of flow, so I was a bit confused. Finally, I took the hose off the top of the unit and looked down into the gear box. Well, some of the extra filter brushes that were sent with the unit had gotten into the hoses during shipment and I didn't notice. They were forced down into the gear box and were stopping the flow of water. Once I removed them, the unit has run like a champ. So add this to the list of things you will need to check if the unit is not functioning as it should. If this vacuum is receiving the correct flow of water with no obstructions, it works great. It's well worth the money. In fact, I can't find anything else for the price that works this well for removing dirt and debris. I would say it's not the best at scrubbing, but for debris removal, it works excellent. Update: Fourth time using the vacuum. Still just great!! Understanding how the vacuum works may also help with getting it to work for you. Water is forced into the unit from your pool filter pump, rather than sucked out of the vacuum like other cleaning machines. The force of water into this vacuum is jetted sideways out of the vacuum, which causes a suction from the bottom of the unit. That bottom suction draws debris from the pool floor into a screen filter inside the vacuum. A gear box inside the vacuum causes the sideways jet of water to constantly change flow direction, pushing the vacuum back and forth throughout the pool. If the vacuum becomes trapped on something, wait a few seconds. When the gearbox causes the sideways jet of water to change direction, the vacuum begins moving again the opposite way. The constant jetting of water sideways also kicks up silt and other fine material, making it easier for your pool filter to filter it out. If you have a lot of debris on the bottom of the pool that needs cleaning, the screen in the vacuum may need cleaning often. Keep that up periodically and you will definitely have the cleanest pool in the neighborhood. So glad I bought this vacuum. Oh, and another tip. Go with a saltwater chlorine generator system with a sand filter if you don't have one. Best investment you'll ever make for a pool. Get the largest sand pot you can get, and fill it nearly to the top with sand. I use just play sand. Rinse it well first. You will be amazed at how well it filters, especially with saltwater. No more adding chlorine either with a good generator. We use potassium chloride salt. (water softener salt). Wow, that works well, I think much better than sodium chloride salt (pool salt). The water is so soft, and stays sparkling clean much longer. Now go swimming!

Just got this today and I was surprised that it was pretty huge for the price. It even includes a quality hose that is much better than my Bestway pool. The assembly was pretty simple and I barely read it. When I hooked it up and it didn't run at all. I thought my 1600GMH pump was weak and planned to return it. Then, I looked at the manual again and it was my fault. I was supposed to hook to the return, not the inlet. Then, I realized that I didn't have the adapter to fit the hose. But I gave it a try by holding the regular 1.25 hose adapter to the vacumm hose. So glad it finally moved back and forth so I know it worked. But then, the pressure was so strong that I couldn't even hold them anymore. I guess it's designed like that so it's strong enough for the vacumm to move. So, I was a little bit sad as I had to wait if I ordered the adapter online now. After an hour, I remembered that my Intex sand filter and saltwater systemn also includes a returned adapter that was still in the box. I didn't have to use it as my Bestway already has a smaller returned hub. Anyway, I gave it a try and was so happy that they were made for each other. After I changed my pump to hook to this adapter and the vacumm hose, it works like a champ. It's so cool and it's so cheap for the price of $55! The most amazing thing is that my filter still works as normal to pickup the top and this vacumm to do the bottom. My pool includes a cheap vacumm and adapter for the skimmer. If I use it, it would stop pickup the top anymore. My pool is only 18x9x52 so it works pretty well. At first, it only moved on mostly one side but after I fixed the tangled hose, it moved everywhere. I don't have any leaf in my pool so I can't see if it works. Some people here said it didn't pick them up. It's understandable and I think it's designed like that. Otherwise, it would block the air so quickly that we have to take it out so often. I think it was designed to pick up smaller peaces and that's exactly what I needed. Anyway, it's an awesome device with not battery to install and hope it'll work for a long time. I was so sad it was only reviewed as 3.5. That's the main reason I reviewed it for the first time although I've spent tons of money on Amazon for a long time.

July 2021 Update An apparent redesign has me not loving this vacuum any more. I just received a new one to replace my 5 year old model, the big change is the hose. It used to be a very heavy 1.5" heavy duty series of connections separated by swivels to keep the hose from kinking (well, reduce the kinking). The new one I got is a single 25' hose that is VERY thin walled and the only swivel is on the top of the vac. It now kinks up in a matter of 10-15 minutes and stops working. Will be returning this one and I'll nurse my old one along. June 2017 Review This thing is great. It's hit and miss of course because it just randomly runs around the bottom of the pool switching directions back and forth. Several key points: 1. This hooks up to the water PRESSURE side of the pump, ie the water coming FROM the pump back to the pool. I don't have an Intex pool so I have to hook the hose up to my salt processor and it works fine. 2. The hoses are designed to leak. The reason being if something goes wrong and something jams up in the robot your pump won't burn out. 3. I've found out (just tonight actually) that it works pretty well with the pump in filtration mode but it works AMAZING in Recirculate mode (bypassing the pump filtration). You only run this occasionally anyway so you're just trading some intake water filtration for the filtration happening in the bot. Just remember to switch back when you unhook the bot. I wish all the negative reviewers would note these points. Not everyone will love this but most of the negatives seem to be because of missing points 1 and 2 above. *** 1 month update *** This is the best money I've spent on this pool. We had a good amount of cherry tree leaves get in there from the cover, so the bottom had leaves all over it. We let the Intex loose on it, switched to recirculate on the pump to give it good horsepower, and the next morning the filter was full and most of the leaves were vacuumed up. I sure hope it lasts. *** 12 month update *** Still works great. Highly recommend. Only caveat is it tends to twist the hose over time so to make sure it's getting the far reaches of the pool you need to go out every few hours and straighten the hose. Also I find it tends to push the finer debris to the edges which is actually good if you've got a method of sucking the debris from the floor. Still recommend highly.

I don’t know how I bought this for $69, it was used, very good. The box had been opened but everything was there I guess. I had this assembled and running in about fifteen minutes. I didn’t have very high expectations because $69 is not much for a pool vacuum!!! But this thing got to work yall!!! In about an hour it had the pool debri free, dust free. And I’m dealing with spring pollen, two live oaks shedding leaves, and two pecan trees dropping their little catapillar buds!!! Now… I am running it off a 2500 gph type “b” cartridge pump. I also have a 2500 gph sand filter running a skimmer. It’s also a 15’x48” round above ground pool(roughly 5300 gallons). I had gotten rid of my regular intex style return jet/fitting and replaced it with a 3/4” pvc pipe with an elbow to help direct the water flow BACK into the pool. So the way I set it up was to just use a regular hose clamp and clamp the hose around a 3/4” pvc straight pipe as the RETURN jet. I’m also super impressed that it could climb the walls so well. I mean it gets out of the water and the brush scrubs that little water line where fine debri tries to find a home. Overall, super little vacuum for the price. I ordered another one, even though they’re $100 now!

This was the best thing I have purchased for the pool. I got it about a year ago and it worked fantastic. Couldn't be happier with the price too. But now I have noticed that the brushes have bent so it's not working great and one of the clips that holds the filter on the bottom has broken. I can't complain too much because I got some good use out of it, but it's disappointing that these little things broke and it's cheaper to replace the whole thing than it is to replace just wat broke. I will be replacing it because when it worked it worked great so it's still worth the purchase...just wish it lasted longer.