Pentair Rebel 2 Review - Our Honest Opinion + Best Prices
| 👍The Good: | Cleans small debris well, when it works properly |
|---|---|
| 👎The Bad: | Major design flaws, cannot suck up leaves, poor customer service |
| ⭐Rating: | |
| 🔍Verdict: | Not recommended |
Product Comparison Table - Pentair Rebel 2
Before we dive into the review, let's take a look at the main specs for this product, and how it compares to other similar models.
| Name | Pentair Rebel 2 | Onga Hammerhead |
|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |
Best Price |
Pentair Rebel 2 Review - Our Honest Opinion + Best Prices
The Pentair Rebel 2 is a mid-priced, suction-side powered pool cleaner that is the new and upgraded model of the discontinued Pentair Rebel.
Although this is an upgraded model, it does come at a more premium price point than other suction cleaners so you may be wondering: is the Pentair Rebel 2 worth the price?
In our Pentair Rebel 2 review, we will discuss pros and cons of this machine while reviewing its design, cleaning performance, build quality, warranty guarantee, and quality of customer service support in order to help you determine if this cleaner is actually worth your money.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Fairly long lasting
- Easy to insert and remove from pool
- Quiet operation
- Quality cleaning when it works
Cons
- Gets clogged instantly by leaves
- Stalls when clogged by debris
- Design flaw affects ability to change direction
- Can get stuck spinning in one spot
- Poor customer service
Design
The Pentair Rebel 2 is a suction-side powered pool cleaner that runs off of your pool’s pump.
This cleaner is designed for pools of all sizes, but as it comes with only 10.5 meters of hose, this may limit the range that it can cover if your pool is larger across than this in any dimension from the hose attachment point.
This cleaner is designed for both inground and above ground pools, and is compatible with a variety of pool linings including trickier surfaces like vinyl liners, glass beads, and tiled pools.
Overall, this cleaner is compatible with most pool types and sizes, and does not require adaptive parts be purchased in order to work with certain pool linings.
This machine has two large, outer wheels that transport the machine around and up the walls of the pool while the suction ports on the bottom of the cleaner suck up debris.
The colors of this cleaner are blue, black, and grey, which allows the machine to blend in with most pool types without being too much of an eyesore.
Cleaning Performance
The Pentair Rebel 2 has great cleaning performance when it is working correctly. Consumer reviews state that this machine works well for small and medium sized debris, but is practically incapable of handling tree-borne debris, such as sticks, nuts, and even leaves.
Many reviews state that this cleaner becomes clogged immediately after it reaches leaves and must be manually cleared in order to continue its process.
Unfortunately, leaves blow into many Australian pools, so this cleaner is best suited for those without trees near their pool.
Reviews of this product agree that it typically picks up smaller debris just fine, making it more suitable for those with small gardens or lawns around their pool.
Power Specifications
The Pentair Rebel 2 is a suction-side powered cleaner, meaning that it uses the suction provided by your pool’s pump in order to power it.
Because of this, the power used by this cleaner is directly equivalent to the amount of electricity used by your pool’s pump system while the cleaner is operating.
Build Quality & Warranty
Pentair Rebel 2 Problems
There are a few problems with the build quality of the Pentair Rebel 2. The biggest problem with the build of the Pentair Rebel 2 is that there are issues with the camshaft: a piece of the cleaner that allows for the wheels to switch from driving forwards or backwards to changing directions.
This problem is so pervasive that there are DIY guides online to assist more mechanic-savvy owners with fixing this problem themselves.
Although this is a widely reported problem that frequently causes the cleaner to stall out or become stuck in corners, when reporting this issue to the manufacturer, most customers are given a stock response, suggesting that the company is unwilling to acknowledge this problem or provide adequate restitution for it.
We also consider the fact that the machine fails to handle leaves of most sizes to be a design flaw.
Simply put, virtually all swimming pool owners deal with leaves in their pool at least sometimes, so it is not practical to have a pool cleaner that cannot suck up leaves and requires users to remove them manually.
Pentair Rebel 2 Warranty
The warranty of the Pentair Rebel 2 is valid for three years, which is longer than many other warranties in the industry.
Despite the length of this warranty period, the coverage offered by the company and their subsequent quality of customer service in regards to repairs and replacement of parts is inadequate at best.
While there are some reports of highly satisfied customers, most users who have had to deal with warranty claims related to this product do not receive adequate responses or empathy from support staff, even when their brand new cleaner fails to function straight out of the box.
Their customer service and repairs team also fails to acknowledge that there are widespread issues with the camshaft, and therefore will not offer adequate solutions to this problem.
Aggravatingly, many customers report that their interactions with customer service and warranty claims involved the company blaming the consumers for problems with the machine.
In doing so they suggest that the consumer’s pool pump, water chemistry, or hose set-up is to blame. We find these types of responses completely unhelpful, especially when they advertise a warranty period of three years.
Pentair Rebel 2 Price
The Pentair Rebel 2 is approximately $500, making it about middle of the road when compared to other suction-side cleaners on the market today. Despite this premium price point, the overall function and longevity of this cleaner does not make it worth the money in our opinion.
Pentair Rebel 2 - FAQ
What Is The Difference Between The Pentair Rebel And The Pentair Rebel 2?
The Pentair Rebel 2 is the upgraded and improved model of the now discontinued Pentair Rebel. The Pentair Rebel was discontinued due to issues with the machine stalling, spinning, and sucking air, among other issues.
The Pentair Rebel 2 was supposed to improve upon these features, but still experiences comparable issues of its own, therefore there is not much of a difference between these two models of cleaner.
Can The Pentair Rebel 2 Be Left In The Pool?
The Pentair Rebel 2 can be left in your pool while not in use. Occasionally, you may want to disconnect it from your pump intake so that your pool’s skimmer boxes can function as intended.
Otherwise, this machine can be kept in the pool water and powered on as needed. Typically, it is recommended that you remove automated pool cleaners while swimmers are present, or while performing chemical treatments.
Final Thoughts - Pentair Rebel 2 Review
The Pentair Rebel 2 is a fairly pricey cleaner compared to other suction-side powered models. Although we wish we could say this cleaner is worth the price, the amount of problems that this machine experiences makes us wonder why it has not yet been discontinued itself.
The build-quality issue with the camshaft is widely reported among those who have purchased this product, which confirms that this is a manufacturer error.
Because of this, combined with the poor attitude received from many customer service representatives, we discourage you from purchasing this machine. Look at alternatives like the Zodiac AX20 or Kreepy Krauly Sprinta Plus instead.
Price Comparison - Pentair Rebel 2
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