Intex ZX300 Review - Bargain Buy? Or Better Avoid?

Intex ZX300 Review - Bargain Buy? Or Better Avoid?

The Intex ZX300 is one of the cheapest cleaners on the market with fairly consistent reviews among consumers. Although this machine is much more budget-friendly than others on the market, is it really worth buying?

In this Intex ZX300 review, we list the pros and cons of this machine, see how it compares to other products on some main features, and answer some frequently asked questions to help you determine if this cleaner is the right choice for your pool.

Pros & Cons

Design

The Intex ZX300 is a lightweight pool cleaner intended only for above-ground pools with vinyl liners.

This cleaner is among the easiest to handle in terms of size and weight at only 3.5kg, meaning almost all users will be able to lift this machine with ease, and it also comes with a convenient handle for lifting.

This model is a pressure-side pool cleaner, meaning that it runs off of your pool’s pump output water flow rather than having its own power supply.

Visually, this cleaner is primarily an off-white colour with few teal and dark-grey accents. This design is fairly pleasing to the eye as it does not contain any bright colours that would produce high contrast with typical swimming pool surfaces.

Cleaning Performance

The Intex ZX300 has a great cleaning performance for the price point, especially when compared to robotic pool cleaners.

This machine reportedly struggles to climb walls, though some have managed to get it to do this.

The filter cartridge it is equipped with works on debris no smaller than 150 micrometres in diameter.

This machine works best with small and medium sized debris. Some customer reviews of this product mention their dissatisfaction with the machine’s ability to pick up larger debris, such as leaves, twigs, pine needles, or tree nuts.

This machine is good at getting into the corners of pools due to its size, and can be run for as long as necessary to ensure your pool receives a good quality clean.

Power Specifications

Because this machine operates by using water drawn in through your pool’s pump system, it does not have its own motor or its own power supply. For this reason, the unit itself doesn’t consume any power, but your pump will consume power while the cleaner is in operation.

Build Quality & Warranty

Intex ZX300 Problems

The biggest issue with this pool cleaner is that it can stall out during its cleaning cycle. It may stop moving in the pool completely, or it may travel only in one direction, seemingly forgetting how to turn its own wheels.

Even though this machine is designed for circular pools, it follows a straight path during its cleaning cycle, which is poorly thought out and leads to the machine stalling against the walls of the pool fairly often as it can struggle to turn corners or reverse directions.

Other reviews complain that this cleaner does not adapt well to existing Intex pools. Many customers mention having to buy an upgraded filter, along with specialised fittings in order to make this machine work with their pump.

After this amount of effort, many users end up disappointed with the quality of cleaning that they receive. Some users report finding less than a few grams of debris in the filter after allowing the machine to run for an entire hour in a dirty pool, which can be disappointing.

Intex ZX300 Warranty

This machine has a one-year manufacturer warranty. Although this is not a very long warranty, we find it is relatively sufficient when considering the price and expected functionality of the machine.

Very few customer reviews mentioning broken parts for this machine suggest that the build quality is sturdy enough and will at least last until the end of this warranty period in most cases.

Price

At approximately $200, this pool cleaner is one of the cheapest ones available on the market.

This low price is largely due to how simple the unit is, lacking many of the features that come standard with robotic pool cleaners. This price does not include extra equipment which may be needed in order to adapt your existing Intex pool or pump to this cleaner.

Intex ZX300 - FAQ

How Does The Intex ZX300 Work?

The Intex ZX300 is a pressure-side automatic cleaner with water-powered all-wheel drive.

Suction is generated in the cleaner as a result of its connection to your pool’s pump. Unlike suction-side cleaners that filter debris through your existing filter, this cleaner has its own filter system.

This means that it relies on the water flow from your pump to turn its impeller and wheels, but does not use your pool’s pre-existing filter to capture debris.

How Do I Hook Up My Intex ZX300 Pool Vacuum?

To hook your Intex ZX300 up to your pool, you will need a few specialised fittings and parts, some of which may not be included with your machine.

You will then submerge the machine and its vacuum hose until both pieces are completely filled with water and no air remains. At this point, it is safe to connect your machine to your pool’s pump intake port, although an adapter may be required depending on your model of pool.

Final Thoughts - Intex ZX300 Review

The Intex ZX300 is a very affordable pool cleaner intended for those who already operate Intex brand above-ground pools. Although this machine has varied reviews regarding its performance, with more than two thousand customer reviews in total, this machine still receives a good rating.

If you are interested in this model of cleaner, we encourage you to try it for yourself.

Most users are fairly satisfied with the quality of clean that they receive in relation to the low price point of this unit, and if you have problems with the machine or are entirely dissatisfied, many retailers will allow you to return the machine for a full refund.

Price Comparison - Intex ZX300

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