I have yet to find any option that actually works for my pool.
The basic problem is that above-ground pools do not tend to have pumps large enough to create enough suction to run a mechanical vacuum that runs off the pump suction.
To explain, we travel. A lot. So, the pool has to run on auto-pilot while we are gone, and not be a chore when we return. I have an SWG, and I have a bubble-wrap solar pool cover and reel, and I bought a "Kokido Krill", which seemed to work fine, but (a) does not climb the sides, and (b) will often get stuck on corner seams or on the drain ports in opposite corners of the (vinyl, above-ground) pool. I lightened the Krill with a homebrew counterweight to make it easier for it to climb, but my success was limited to it climbing the "curve", it never went vertical. The basic plastic "foot" of the Krill with the integral flapper valve is heavy. I would think that a simply downsized circa 1980s "Kreepy Crawly" pool vac (with the rubber sheet acting as a "foot" and "flapper valve") would have a better chance on a vinyl surface.
If anyone wants my Krill, they can have it dirt cheap, just message me. I just vac the pool when I am home, and cover the pool with a tarp pool cover before leaving to keep junk out - deploying the tarp is easier than putting a "pool robot" in the pool and hooking up the hose. A vac with a bag that runs entirely on the pump's suction, even a cheap one, is a godsend. Putting similar mesh bags in the skimmer baskets or squares of the same material over the intake ports is also great when one is home, but not a good idea if you will be gone for a week, as they may clog.
The actual manual vacuum I use is this, as it requires no hose connection, runs entirely off the pool pump, and has an inline mesh bag to catch everything but the very tiny stuff. While this is "cheap low-end gear", it is very well designed, light weight, and works fine. No complaints in 3 years of use. The whole "kit" was $35, bought in winter -
Bestway USA, Inc.
