Two excellent above-ground pool cleaners with unique features to offer. The Hayward is styled to resemble a whale, and it comes with color options. This pool cleaner is efficient in all types of above-ground pools and quiet while it does its rounds. You don’t need any tools to put it together, and you can count on it to firmly grip the bottom of your pool without sacrificing water flow.
Intex’s Auto Pool Cleaner is also a breeze to install. This model is safe to use in vinyl pools, and its wheels can handle uneven surfaces. It even comes with a special net to keep large debris from entering the swimming pool’s circulation system. The Intex pool cleaner is also equipped with a sturdy brush, and its unique design puts a lot of force behind the cleaner’s movements.
Maneuverability
Hayward
You’ll love how quickly and efficiently this above-ground pool cleaner eliminates dirt and debris. Its SmartDrive navigation system and turbine drivetrain clean your pool in just 2 hours, and you’ll never need to vacuum behind the 900 Wanda the Whale. Plus, it comes with an easy-to-adjust regulator valve to tailor the flow rate.
Quiet operation and increased circulation are two more benefits provided by the turbine system. As the cleaner scoots along the floor of your swimming pool, water is lifted. In turn, the swimming pool’s circulation gets a boost. Thanks to a set of high-grip shoes, the Hayward 900 Wanda the Whale can traverse concave and flat-bottom pools.
Intex Auto Pool Cleaner
The Intex moves with impressive speed. On either side of the cleaner, there is a water shoot. These shoots release water, really giving the pool cleaner major momentum. No flow rate adjustments are necessary – This automatic pool cleaner is compatible with pumps with a flow-rate range of 800 to 4,000 gallons per minute.
On the underside of the Intex pool cleaner, there are four caster wheels that help it instantly reverse for full swimming pool coverage. Due to their robustness, these casters can roll over the wrinkles that plague almost every vinyl above-ground pool.
Conclusion: Both models can clean an above-ground pool fast. The Hayward’s turbine drivetrain dampens noise, and the Intex’s casters keep the cleaner moving across bumps. While the Hayward’s regulator valve isn’t difficult to adjust, the Intex Auto Pool Cleaner doesn’t require one.
Installation
Hayward 900 Wanda the Whale
Put your tool bag away. The Hayward pool cleaner requires zero tools for installation. Even better, you can get this above-ground swimming pool cleaner up and running in as few as 10 minutes.
In total, you get 10 hose pieces; one is a leader, and the other nine are connectors. To assemble the hose, simply push the pieces together and secure it to the cleaner and the suction side of the pump. Altogether, the hose stretches to 32 feet. This means you can use the Hayward 100 in above-ground pools as large as 30 feet.
Intex Auto Pool Cleaner
You won’t need a set of tools for the Intex Auto Pool Cleaner either. This hose comes in eight pieces, so you can adjust the length to fit the size of your swimming pool. With 24.7 feet’ worth of hose, this auto cleaner can accommodate 24-foot-wide pools.
If you own one of the ever-popular Intex brand of above-ground pools and pumps, you don’t have to worry about whether the hose fits the pump. If you have a different above-ground swimming pool, make sure the return side of the pump contains a 1.5-inch-wide fitting.
Conclusion: No tools equal no problems, making the installation process for both above-ground pool cleaners easy. The Hayward’s hose is about 5 feet longer than the Intex’s hose. Unlike most auto cleaners for above-ground pools, the Intex’s hose secures to the pump’s return side, not the suction side.
Style
Hayward 900 Wanda the Whale
Hayward includes a few extras with this model. One extra is a skimmer cone. With the cone installed, line-clogging debris won’t make their way to the pump. The pool cleaner also has a bumper to prevent damage to the unit and the ladder.
Intex Auto Pool Cleaner
Even though the Intex Auto Pool Cleaner relies on an above-ground pool’s water circulation to move, it somewhat resembles a robot with its white and gray coloring. If you prefer a pool cleaner with a more high-tech look, this one is for you.
With this Intex model, you get some handy features too. Intex integrated a small brush into the cleaner’s design. It has two supports, which maintain the brush’s stability. There is also a filter net on the pool cleaner; it has four latches to keep its contents secure until you empty the net.
Conclusion: As far as looks go, these two pool cleaners are polar opposites with Hayward’s whimsical design and the Intex’s all-business appearance. The Hayward has a skimmer cone, and the Hayward has a filter net. Both components offer a way to keep large debris out of the pump. The Intex has a small brush to scrape off limescale while the Hayward 900 Wanda the Whale is protected by a bumper ring.
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Hayward vs Intex Auto Pool Cleaner: Two Well-Round Above-Ground Pool Cleaners
Both above-ground pool cleaners give you excellent coverage and ultra-powerful propulsion. Each one comes with a debris-capturing apparatus. You won’t spend all day scouring the manual and calling customer support to make sense of the installation instructions. Assembly can be done in minutes, and no tools are necessary.
By far, the biggest difference between these pool cleaners is their appearance with the Hayward’s adorable whale body and the Intex’s robot-like build on wheels. The Hayward model has a quiet turbine system and a bumper ring while the Intex cleaner goes forward and backward, and it has a brush. With the Hayward 900 Wanda the Whale or the Intex Auto Pool Cleaner, you can take it easy this summer.
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Last Update: 2024-04-18 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Great comparison’s. I have both, the Hayward system is easier as there is no debris removal required all debris goes straight to the filter were as the Intex if and when it fills with debris you have to remove from water, clean and re-submerge. Downfall is I have an Intex pool which is not a simple connection as the hoses are different diameters.