Best Suction Pool Cleaners Australia - Which Is #1? [2024]?
If you are in the market for a suction-powered pool cleaner, it can be tricky determining which one to buy.
With many models available, each with their own unique features, price tags, customer reviews, and build-quality issues, sorting through them all to find the best option can be a tiresome task.
In this article, we’ll discuss some key factors you should consider when purchasing a suction pool cleaner. Then, we’ll review and compare our top four choices for this type of machine in order to help you determine which model will make the best choice for you and your pool.
Our Top Pick - Kreepy Krauly Sprinta Plus
| 👍Why It's #1: | High-quality build, high-quality clean, great customer support |
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Product Comparison Table
Before we discuss each of the products in detail, let's take a look at how they compare to each other.
| Name | Zodiac MX8 | Pentair Rebel 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |
Best Price |
Key Factors To Consider When Purchasing A Suction Pool Cleaner
Cleaning Performance
Cleaning performance is potentially the most important factor to consider when buying a suction pool cleaner. It is critical that you purchase a cleaner that can tackle the quantity and types of debris that your pool accumulates.
Some pool cleaners struggle with debris such as leaves and nuts, while others handle these with relative ease. Additionally, some cleaners have vigorous scrubbing components, while others may be lacking these features.
Consider the needs of your pool. Do you have a large amount of leaves present, or perhaps other large debris such as gum nuts or sticks?
If you are seeking a cleaner that climbs walls, do you expect it to scrub all debris from the waterline without manual intervention? Keeping these factors in mind will help you choose the best machine for your pool.
Build Quality
Build quality is one of the next most important factors to consider when purchasing a suction pool cleaner.
Certain models have parts that fail to function properly, parts that experience frequent breakage, or even elements of the cleaner that may just be difficult to set up.
Ideally, you should purchase a machine with as good of build quality as possible as this will save you the headache (and time and money spent) on maintenance down the track.
However, it is important to know that some maintenance will be necessary with all machines (particularly on consumable parts), to extend their lifespan.
Ease Of Maintenance
As mentioned above, maintenance is required for all pool cleaning machines. Most of these machines contain consumable parts, which means that they wear out and will need replacement after a certain number of hours of operation.
The ease of maintenance of a machine encapsulates a few factors: the price of replacement parts, the ease of assembly/disassembly, and the frequency at which consumable parts need to be replaced.
Ideally, you should avoid purchasing machines that are known to require frequent repairs, especially if the parts in question may lead to high upkeep costs.
Warranty And Longevity
Another incredibly important factor to consider when buying a suction pool cleaner is the machine’s warranty and overall longevity.
When investigating these features of a machine, it is not always a good option to take the manufacturer’s word for it, as these claims may be exaggerated.
By investigating consumer reviews, we will let you know how long you can expect these pool cleaners to last you.
We can also inform you about caveats in the warranties offered or issues with the customer service departments of these manufacturers that may make their advertised warranties less than ideal.
Best Suction Pool Cleaner Australia
Zodiac MX8
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy repairs and maintenance
- Climbs walls and scrubs waterline
- Works well with most sizes of debris
- Very quiet operation
- Covers pool surfaces without missing areas
- Provided hose is tangle-resistance
Cons
- More expensive
- Not intended to clean steps
- Can suck air when climbing to the waterline
- Will become clogged by an abundance of leaves
- Significant upkeep costs after the first year
The Zodiac MX8 is a pool cleaner with a premium price tag, but for the most part, it lives up to our expectations and those of the customers who have purchased it.
With dual-action cyclonic scrubbers on the base, this cleaner is capable of covering a large area of your pool in a short amount of time, and can also provide some of the best waterline scrubbing capabilities among our comparison models.
Designed for pools no larger than 12 x 6 metres in size, this cleaner is compatible with both in-ground and above ground pools and almost all pool surfaces. The extra suction provided by this machine puts its cleaning performance a step above other machines on the market.
The biggest downside to this machine is it requires a fair amount of upkeep. After the first year of operation, you will need to begin replacing worn parts of the machine on a somewhat regular basis.
There are, however, no known issues with specific parts, so these investments will not be a waste of money, and will instead help your machine to reach its maximum longevity.
Despite having a standard two year warranty, many customers report having happily owned the Zodiac MX8 for up to ten years, making it a great choice.
Interested in this unit? Get more information over at our Zodiac MX8 review!
Pentair Rebel 2
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy to insert and remove from the pool
- Quality cleaning when it works
- Long-lasting when upkeep is performed
- Quiet operation compared to other models
Cons
- Gets clogged by most sizes of leaf
- Design flaw that affects the steering of the cleaner
- Stalls when clogged; debris must be removed manually
- Inadequate customer service
The Pentair Rebel 2 is one of the cheaper products that we are comparing today, making it more friendly for those on a budget. Overall, this machine has fairly good reviews about its cleaning quality.
However, this machine is notorious for getting clogged by leaves. Because of this, it is typically not recommended for those with any tree related debris in their pool.
If you only get lawn related debris such as dirt, sand, and grass trimmings, this cleaner is able to cover the full surface of your pool effectively.
There is one problem with the build quality of the Pentair Rebel 2, and this involves a piece of machinery known as the camshaft. This part allows for the machine to turn and change directions, including switching from forwards to backwards motion.
This problem is widespread and can often result in the machine failing to reach certain areas of your pool. While DIY fixes are available to attempt to correct this problem, it is hard for us to recommend a fixer-upper as one of the best suction pool cleaners of the year.
The experiences that customers have when dealing with Pentair customer care professionals also do not inspire confidence in this machine.
Although it tends to function and clean well, if you were to experience issues with the machine, you may be met with unhelpful and dismissive responses from the Pentair warranty claims department.
Despite the fact that this machine has a three year warranty, which is one year longer than most cleaners, we are not impressed by the responses that Pentair customer service gives to their customers.
The nature of these responses tend to imply that the user has damaged the machine themselves; this may be an attempt by the company to avoid taking responsibility for parts that are still under warranty. Because of this, it is hard for us to recommend this cleaner specifically.
For more info, check out this full Pentair Rebel 2 review.
Onga Hammerhead
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great climbing ability
- Quiet operation that does not disturb the water
- Can handle tree debris, including leaves, small nuts, and sticks
- Allows for set-and-forget after the initial installation
- Excellent value for the money
Cons
- Can get stuck in corners or near the skimmer box
- Requires frequent adjustments to the weights during setup process
- Poor warranty claims department and service solutions
The Onga Hammerhead is a significantly more affordable model of suction-side pool cleaner than other options. Despite the affordability of this machine, it tends to have outstanding customer reviews regarding its cleaning quality.
Particularly when considering this machine’s ability to pick up larger and more dense debris such as sticks and gum nuts, the cleaning performance of this model is well above many more expensive cleaners that are available.
While some users report that the setup process for this cleaner can be difficult, most customers agree that once the machine is set up properly, it is a breeze to use.
Being the most set-and-forget friendly cleaner among our comparison today, it’s unlikely that you will ever need to ‘babysit’ the Onga Hammerhead to ensure that it is doing its job correctly without becoming stalled.
There are some small issues with the build quality of this machine, which is unsurprising when considering the affordability of the cleaner.
These issues include difficulties getting the machine to rest flat against the floor of the pool, delicate parts such as hose floaters, and the overall light weight of the machine, which allows it to be pushed around by water jets and currents very easily.
It is worth noting that none of these issues are major or require expensive repairs, but they are nuisance factors that you should keep in mind if you are considering purchasing one of these machines. It comes with a generous 3 year warranty.
See our full Onga Hammerhead review.
Kreepy Krauly Sprinta Plus
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Works great with most sizes of debris
- Top-quality customer service and warranty support
- Does not easily stall or get stuck in corners
- Near noiseless operation
Cons
- Small debris intake port (5 cm approx.)
- Can become clogged by debris larger than this
- Not designed as a wall-climbing machine
- Initial setup can be confusing and time consuming
The Kreepy Krauly Sprinta Plus is a high-quality suction powered cleaner that is best for small and medium sized pools. Coming with 10 metres of hose, this machine is compatible with both in-ground and above ground pools as well as most pool surfaces.
Overall, the Kreepy Krauly Sprinta Plus has great reviews regarding its cleaning performance, but it does not handle large or dense debris with much ease.
As the debris intake port on this machine is only 5 centimetres in diameter, all debris that is larger than this will form clogs in the machine that will have to be removed manually.
This cleaner handles most debris just fine, but if you have an abundance of tree-borne litter in your pool you may want to consider a different model.
According to a company representative, this machine works best when run regularly, as opposed to letting a large amount of debris gather at the bottom of the pool before running it.
The only notable problem with this machine is its inability to capture certain sizes of debris.
While this makes it unsuitable for those with lots of trees near their pool, it is great news for pool owners seeking a reliable cleaner that does not require lots of replacement parts or upkeep costs alongside regular maintenance.
Check out our full Kreepy Krauly Sprinta Plus review.
Final Thoughts
We consider the Kreepy Krauly Sprinta Plus to be the best suction powered pool cleaner in Australia.
This cleaner may not be suitable for those with an abundance of tree borne debris, but this is the only flaw of the machine. Other than this, you can be sure that you are investing in a quality product that will help you maintain your pool for years to come.
If you do have plenty of tree debris, we recommend the Onga Hammerhead. This model is one of the most affordable cleaners in our comparison, and it is our top-pick for those with many leaves, gum nuts, and sticks in their pools.
Although more upkeep may be required with this machine than on others, you are less likely to have to keep an eye on the machine during the cleaning process in order to remove clogged debris.
Do you have any questions about the products we have compared here today? Get in touch with us in the comments section, we would love to help!
Price Comparison - Zodiac MX8
Let's compare the top suppliers out there in Australia for the Zodiac MX8.
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