Auto cleaners..I just don't get it...

[tenax]

it's kind of like kids and chores.."neato" to do the first few times..then it becomes another damn chore on the list i thought it was fun and cool the first couple of seasons..by startup of season 3 and having to empty my basket from the winter crap about 25 times while vacuuming..fun was not the word on my mind. now, i've got a leaf net and can say that the amount of setup has reduced considerably..but i'm still not having fun..ok, maybe it was fun for 5 minutes..maybe i'm a good candidate for an auto vac

[aquarium]

If your pool is already set up with a pressure port, it doesn't have to cost a lot to install a cleaner:

http://cgi.ebay.com/POLARIS-VAC-SWEE...QQcmdZViewItem

I have ours set to run a couple of hours each evening and it keeps the bottom clean of debris. I wouldn't ever want to go manual.

[nater]

Benefits for me:
1). Time saver/multitasker. I can mow, sleep, work, cook, drink, etc while the robot cleans the pool.
2). Super clean water. If I throw the robot into my pool when its "clean", the filter bag will still make a cloudy mess of the 5 gallon rinse bucket at the end of the cycle.
3). Completeness of job. I get tired, bored, rushed, etc and miss spots with the vacuum. The robot doesn't. He lives to clean the pool

Are you missing out on any great zen experience by not having one? No. Are you saving some money by not having one? Yes.
Would I buy another one? Absolutely!

[NWMNMom]

I do not want my pool to become a chore and there IS a difference between maintanance and a chore. We also live in the woods, and even with the cover on we still have debri that needs to be cleaned up. I have too much to do and so little time, plain and simple, it saves me time that I can be doing something else.

[SLS]

It's sorta like a cell phone. You don't think you need one until you have one and then you can't live without one.