Zodiac MX8 Suction Pool Cleaner for All In-Ground Pool Surfaces, 39 ft Reach, Excellent Traction for All Surfaces

Best pool vac / sweeper ever. Proud owner of the original MX8 and now the elite. You must know what you're doing but it is VERY EASY to disassemble and reassemble. YES it does get stuck and sometimes appears to be broken upon being new or replacing tracks. My go to fix is the breakdown the new one (if it gets stuck) and rebuild to ensure working. It will be tight and sticky around the tracks...move it and get it going. Increase the vac/sweeper suction vs the skimmer for the first week and then readjust by slowly testing it while shifting back...motion is loation for first few weeks. Never fails - I have had two, helped neighbors fix several and we all input to our success. This is the best cleaner ever...and super easy to clean out bigger wax-ish leaves or palms strings. Should be able to last 3 to 4 years easy...last one over 6. Good luck and enjoy your pool without suffering it.

In the past 20 years we have had 2 homes each with an in ground pool. The pools are about 120 perimeter with a pebble tech surface. Until recently we have used Hayward/Arnison Navigator pool vacs. Living in Arizona our pools and pool cleaners get a lot of year round use. This review compares the MX8 to the Navigator.* Both the MX8 and Navigator are very good pool cleaners. They both do what they are intended to do well.* Suction - Both require similar amount of suction to operate.* Cleaning path and cleaning time - The MX8 cleans a wider path as it travels and may travel slightly faster. However the wider path does negatively effect the wall climbing of the MX8 (see next bullet). The MX8 appears to follow a totally random path, whereas the navigator has a more programmed path going in ever widening circles then moving on to another area. The net out of the two approaches is that both will clean about 80% of the pool in 2 hours. To cover 95% of the pool takes 3 or 4 hours. Due to the randomness, curves in the pool and such after 4 hours there are still a few spots missed, but both cleaners will generally get these areas next time.* Wall climbing - Both will climb the sides of the pool when there is sufficient suction, but the MX8 will climb with less suction. Our pool is a lagoon form with curved walls. Where the walls curve in the MX8 climbs, where the wall curves away the MX8 will not climb. The Navigator with its narrower path is not effected as much by the curved walls and will climb anywhere. But MX8 will often climb the wall then turn and run along the wall covering a lot of wall area in this one pass. It has even ended up on the steps after running along the wall near the water line. The navigator on the other hand tends to just go straight up the wall to the water surface then fall back down to the bottom of the pool. Bottom line is the MX8 does a much better job of climbing the walls, even with lower suction.* Getting stuck - The MX8 is more sensitive to small rocks and large vegetation debris. Pebbles larger than 1/4 inch often get stuck where the paddles rotate into the MX8. This stops the MX8 from operating. Large vegetation sometimes gets wound around the paddles stopping the MX8. The navigator can also get stuck on larger pebbles, but will generally suck up the 1/4 inch size. The navigator can also get vegetation caught but not as often as the MX8. On the other hand the MX8 is quick and easy to open with no tools to clear any object, where as the Navigator may require a screwdriver to open it up to get to the problem. Bottom line, the MX8 gets stuck more easily, but it is easier to get going again. I prefer the MX8 because I do not need to take it apart to clear out debris.* Durability - It is too soon to say how durable the MX8 is since I have only had it for 1 month. Pebble Tec surface is very rough and hard on everything that rubs on it. The navigator feet run so the Navigator waddles, the feet wear down after a few years and need to be replaced, The navigator also has "wings" which wear on the end where they rub and need to be replaced after a few years. Other parts on the Navigator wear, but more slowly. The most annoying piece on the navigator with appears to last 5 or 6 years (maybe longer) is the gear box setup which controls the path the navigator takes. Although it does not show wear eventually the navigator looses its ability to follow a programmed path and tends to go in circles in the same area. Its possible the MX8 will suffer from similar problem in the future only time will tell.* Cool factor - The MX8 looks cooler and kind of dances around the pool, going forward, backward, spinning ... I think it is having more fun than the navigator.*Overall both the MX8 and Navigator are excellent pool cleaners, but at this time the MX8 appears to do a slightly better job, with slightly less suction and although it gets stuck more frequently, it is easier to clear from debris.

This pool sweep was recommended by Pool cleaning company. Took a little bit of tweaking the water flow to get just the right pressure, but once you have it just let it do the cleaning. I does a great job with scrubbing the bottom of the walls and pool bottom, and also crawls up to scrub the waterline tiles.! Saves me lots of work!

Overall, I like it. I'm still glad I have it. The leaf canister was vital for me. Unfortunately, it can get defeated by as little as one oak leaf. It binds the internal moving parts and stops it from moving. If you have small soft leaves, it should work great. Its great at sucking dirt off the bottom and scrubbing. The random motion is not as efficient as you hope but I just leave it hooked up all day while the filer is on and take it out when we swim.

My new mx8 operated well straight from the box. But 2 weeks later began having movement issues. Opened the zodiac to investigate problem found the cleaner engine had broken. Replaced cleaner engine and continued having issues. Brought my zodiac to our local pool equipment store and had them investigate. They found that one of drive engines broke, so replaced both. Pool supply store said that the engines were NOT true zodiac equipment and were from China. Very disappointed.