Replacing a suction or pressure pool cleaner with a robot
Suction and pressure cleaners run on the pool's plumbing. A suction cleaner pulls water through the skimmer; a Polaris pressure cleaner pushes it through a return, and most need a second pump, the booster, running alongside the filter pump. A robot has its own motor and filter and needs neither, only an outlet or a charger.
What changes when a robot takes over
The pool equipment does less, and the cleaning moves to the robot.
Pumps
The filter pump's schedule
A suction cleaner only moves while the filter pump runs at a speed high enough for it. With a robot, the pump can run at the speed and hours the water needs.
Pumps
The booster goes idle
A Polaris 280, 380 or 3900 needs its booster pump running. A robot makes it unnecessary, along with the booster's seals and motor.
Filter
Debris in the robot
Suction cleaners send debris to the skimmer basket and pump strainer. A robot keeps it in its own filter, which you empty after each cycle.
Power
An outlet on the deck
A corded robot's power supply needs a GFCI-protected outlet near the pool. A cordless robot needs a place to charge.
Matched to the pool
Common pools and the model that fits each. The name jumps to its card further down.
Still sold and still worth comparing if a like-for-like swap fits better than a robot. Figures are from Zodiac, Polaris and Hayward manuals, catalogs and sell sheets; the Polaris 380 hose length is from its listing.
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A tracked suction cleaner that runs off the skimmer or a 1.5 in vacuum line. Zodiac built it as a low-flow design for two-speed and variable-speed pumps.
Type
Suction, track drive
Connects to
Skimmer or 1.5 in vacuum line
Hose
10 × 1 m twist-lock sections
Pool
Inground or above ground; floor, walls, tile line
Warranty
1 year (maker)
Suits: Smaller pools, inground or above ground, on a pump that can hold the flow it needs while it runs.
Weigh: Zodiac gives no pump size. The check is the yellow wheel-speed indicator: 10 turns in 20 to 25 seconds. A FlowKeeper valve is required on a single-skimmer pool.
The larger MX: a 15 in footprint, 39 ft of hose, and as little as 20 GPM of flow according to Zodiac. An inlet adapter switches between small and large debris.
Type
Suction, track drive
Flow
As little as 20 GPM (maker)
Hose
12 × 1 m, 39 ft
Pool
Inground; floor, walls, tile line
Warranty
1 year (maker)
Suits: Inground pools of any size or shape, on a pump that can hold at least 20 GPM through the cleaner.
Weigh: Zodiac's 2026 catalog marks the plain MX8 discontinued while its product page stays up; the MX8 Elite is current. Parts are the same tracks and turbine.
A diaphragm cleaner with one moving part, a 36-fin disc and 39 ft of hose. It runs off any single, two-speed or variable-speed pump and is set with the flow gauge on its hose.
Type
Suction, diaphragm
Setting
Flow gauge indicator at 3
Hose
12 × 1 m, 39 ft
Pool
Inground; floor, walls, steps
Warranty
90 days (maker)
Suits: Inground pools with an existing skimmer or vacuum line, and an owner willing to replace a diaphragm now and then.
Weigh: The G3 carries 90 days of warranty; the G3 PRO carries a year. The diaphragm W69698 is the part that wears, and Amazon has no genuine listing for it.
The cleaner sold for years as the Poolvergnuegen: a turbine-driven suction cleaner with programmed steering and three interchangeable throats for low, medium and high flow.
Type
Suction, turbine, 2 wheels
Pump
At least 1 hp (Hayward Support)
Hose
33 ft
Pool
Inground, up to 16 × 32 ft
Warranty
1 year parts (Open Line)
Suits: Inground pools up to 16 by 32 ft with a pump of at least 1 hp.
Weigh: Hayward Support says a 0.5 hp pump may be inadequate. The flow check is wheel speed: 11 to 14 RPM on the right front wheel. Below about 8 RPM it cleans the floor but will not climb.
A suction cleaner on shoes with wings and flaps, set with an in-line flow gauge. The concrete version is W3925ADC; vinyl pools take W3925ADV, which differs in its shoes.
Type
Suction, turbine, shoes
Setting
Flow gauge disk between MIN and MAX
Hose
10 × 4 ft, 40 ft
Pool
Inground, up to 20 × 40 ft
Warranty
See Hayward's current terms
Suits: Inground pools up to 20 by 40 ft with a floor-to-wall radius of 7 in or more.
Weigh: Hayward gives the warranty as 1, 2 or 3 years depending on the page. The regulator valve can lower suction but cannot raise a low reading.
A pressure-side cleaner with two venturi jets, a single-chamber bag and 31 ft of feed hose. It needs a booster pump running alongside the filter pump.
Type
Pressure, 2 jets, shaft drive
Pump
Booster pump required
Setting
Wheel speed 28–32 RPM
Hose
31 ft feed hose
Bag
Single chamber, ships with K13
Suits: Pools that already have a booster pump and a dedicated pressure line.
Weigh: Polaris tunes it by wheel speed, 28 to 32 RPM, using the restrictor disks and the pressure relief valve. Bags, tires, sweep hoses and scrubbers are wear items outside the warranty.
The Polaris that runs off the filter pump's return, with no booster. Three jets, an all-wheel belt drive and a single-chamber bag, on a dedicated 1.5 in pressure line.
Type
Pressure, 3 jets, belt drive
Pump
Filter pump; no booster
Flow
At least 150 L/min, about 40 gpm (Zodiac AU)
Setting
Wheel speed 28–32 RPM
Bag
Single chamber, ships with 9-100-1014
Suits: Pools with a dedicated pressure-cleaner line and no booster pump.
Weigh: Zodiac Australia gives a minimum flow of 150 L/min, about 40 gpm. The hose length reads 31 ft in the catalog and adds up to 25 ft in the manual's parts list.
The largest Polaris pressure cleaner: a chain-driven PosiDrive, WideTrax tires, a dual-chamber 5 L SuperBag and a TailSweep PRO in the box. It runs from a dedicated booster pump.
Type
Pressure, 3 jets, chain drive
Pump
Dedicated booster pump
Setting
Wheel speed 30–36 RPM
Hose
31 ft
Bag
Dual-chamber SuperBag, 5 L
Suits: Pools with a booster pump and heavy leaf fall.
Weigh: Wheel speed is 30 to 36 RPM in the US manual. No 3900 manual found carries warranty terms.
None of the Zodiac or Hayward manuals gives a minimum pump size. Each has its own flow check, and a cleaner that crawls, stalls or won't climb usually fails it.
The parts that wear on a pressure or suction cleaner are known: bags, tires, sweep hoses, scrubbers, diaphragms, tracks and shoes. Polaris and Zodiac sell tune-up kits that replace most of them at once. Put the tune-up kit's price, plus a season or two of bags and tires, next to a robot's price and its warranty, and add the booster pump's electricity if there is one. The parts pages list the kits by maker number.
The Polaris PB4-60 is a 3/4 hp booster. Its manual gives a minimum outlet pressure of 45 psi to protect the motor; that is a pump figure, and Polaris sets its cleaners by wheel speed instead. The 360 is the one Polaris pressure cleaner here that runs without a booster.
