I bought this in 2018 looking for an automatic pool cleaner but one that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg. I read reviews and found this one. It works great and better as the years have passed since I now know exactly where my weights on my hose need to go and how much power to give it from the pump. I usually pick up bigger stuff as it will get caught in the wheels or the inside of the vacuum but it does a good job of cleaning the pool of leaves, dirt and debris. Would definitely recommend if looking for a bang for your buck. I haven't had any problems with it in the last couple seasons and have already used it several times this year.

I bought this to replace a Zodiac Barracuda G3 that was about 5 years old and wasn't working well anymore. This pool cleaner is much better. My Zodiac used to routinely get stuck against the pool steps, which required you to give it a push with a pool brush or something. As it would get stuck there every day, my pool would routinely get dirty on the bottom. The Zodiac didn't want to clean every part of my pool either, it just followed where the pool hose was telling it to go, and the pool hose just kept sending it to the shallow end of the pool for some reason. This pool cleaner on the other hand doesn't get stuck anywhere, because it has wheels that drive forward, then it reverses, turns, then goes forward again. So even if it were to get stuck anywhere, it will eventually back up, turn, and continue doing its work. It is also cleaning every area of the pool, no problem. I had one minor issue with it, after about 6 months, it wasn't going forward anymore, not even with maximum suction on the hose. I took the top of the unit off, it is held with 3 screws, and I found that the gear mechanism was jammed with a string that somehow got in there and wrapped around the gear assembly. I removed it and screwed the top back on, and it was back in business. It is really easy to service, if you ever need to take it apart for any reason. It seems to be of very high quality as well, and I expect that it will last a very long time.

Cleaner has been running in now for 5-months and it is by far the most efficient cleaner I have ever used. Far superior to previously owned Navigator.One day I noticed it was running a little slower than normal so I pulled it up to give it a check. Dog dropped a large flat rock into pool and cleaner grabbed it but it stuck over intake. Was still cleaning but not as fast. Removed rock and cleaner took off as usual.In our area we get Santa Winds with gusts to sometimes 100-mph! 30-mph very common. Horses on lower level and dust/debris head right for the pool. This cleaner does an excellent job b with all but the largest debris. (Like rocks). Use with the inline catch bag, then the Turbo Separator to spin out large dirt particles. Cuts down on backflushing filters.I also use one gallon paint strainers under my skimmer when not using cleaner. Catches tons of dog hair and other flying debris!Poolvergneugen was purchased by Hayward so they now own this cleaner technology. Called The Pool Cleaner (?) it is same but with fancy wheels.Final point with cleaner: The weights on hose are quite sensitive and proper balance to get cleaner to tile level but not suck air is simply trial and error and can change as filters gradually begin to clog.Very pleased with this cleaner as I no longer have to spend 40-minutes hand vacuming pool! It does it for me.Now if I can just teach it to climb into the spa by itself.....UPDATE: 9-5-2017. Still as effective as the first day! This has really simplified my pool cleaning efforts! Wheels showing no wear! Awesome pool cleaner. So awesome in fact my next door neighbor now has one after seeing mine work! Simply a feature I will never be without!

The Pool Cleaner works great. I previously had a Zodiac Barracuda G3 that would not get into the shallow end by itself . This cleaner, when the pool jets are properly angled downward, goes all over the pool and never gets stuck. Although I don't get a lot of debris in the pool currently, I've never had to clear a blockage in the over six weeks since I've had it.The limit of suction in my pool allows 11 RPM--the minimum of the range of 11 to 13 specified for proper operation, but this is sufficient for the excellent functionality I described. The limit of available suction also means that I can't increase the suction enough for the cleaner to climb the walls, especially in this "Next Generation" version which requires even more suction than previously in order to do that (and maybe an available larger inlet part if, you have enough suction to compensate for it). But climbing the walls is not necessary with my pool because they do not get very dirty--perhaps only occasionally on the shallow end, which requires only about a minute or two worth of brushing.Since my pool is about about 34 feet long with the inlet in the skimmer on the deep end near the corner, I had to add two extra segments of hose to what was supplied--no big deal because I had plenty from my previous cleaner. I also found that by adding a hose weight between the third and fourth segments away from the skimmer inlet, the tubing gets less entangled with itself in the deep end, but everyone's pool may be different in that regard.Update - mid-September 2017:After having this for three years and it working fine, a wheel came off and dispersed the ball bearings to who knows where--the other wheel bearings were not in good shape either, but I usually leave it in the pool 24 hours a day. Someone at Hayward told me that they strengthened the wheel hub when they bought the company. I ordered this again, but not before trying the Aquanaut 400 which I was told operates the same, and does look a bit snazzier, the handle is easier to grip etc. However, it did not turn in the same manner as the original and did not get consistently into the shallow end, so I returned it. I suspect it might have had the two-wheel cam in it somehow, like the special order Aquanaut 450. In any event when I got the original PoolCleaner again, the box was beat up, and besides the mailing labels with my address and Amazon's, it had 4 other labels on it, including a different address label, and all having barcodes with a vertical marker line drawn through them, including the small silvery label that includes the model and serial number. Inside, the center box was shifted to one side and the spacer was crushed on the shorter side and the manual was on top of that spacer and badly bent up--they usually reside in the box under the pool cleaner itself. There was also a little dirt on a couple of the the hoses, although the bag of assessors was sealed. Still, I feel this cleaner had been to numerous places and had been opened, even though it seems to be working, so I'm returning it, as I don't know if it actually matches the serial number on the box, or how old it is. They sent a replacement, which should arrive at the end of the week and I hope that is in good shape, not in a beat up box that has been opened with multiple crossed out labels on it. My pool guy said that major equipment manufacturers don't sell to Amazon or for online, only to authorized retailers, and they don't honor the one year warranty, only 60 days, or something, if it's sold through Amazon or online. Of course, he wants to sell through from his distributor, except they don't offer the PoolCleaner, which is why I got it on Amazon in the first place. And I'm not sure that he is correct about the warranty issue, although he has a point because Amazon takes things back, and as in the case of the one I am returning now, who knows where it's been first. I've been corresponding with someone at Hayward about the differences with the Aquanaut and I will ask him about the warranty issue.