Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Believe me when I say I was a little hesitant to purchase this vacuum. We have a 36' round (yep, I said 36' round...it's huge!) above ground pool. We used the automatic vacuum that came with the pool...useless. Then we bought the little, yellow bug vacuum. Super cute, worked a few weeks and never again. Made our own out of PVC pipe; it did OK. I figured I didn't have much to lose so I bought it. Upon delivery, I was surprised how small it was. It looked and felt like a toy. Read the instructions and charged it up as directed; a minimum of four hours. Another reviewer mentioned that he had prepared a space with the hose nearby so he could clean it out frequenty because it IS small so I followed his advice and did just that. This little thing works like magic! It has suprisingly good suction and cleans everything! Since the first time using it, I have developed a method because the pool is so large. I sweep the entire pool with a brush to stir everything up; then I walk circles to gather all the trash into the center of the pool. I scoop anything large with the net and then I employee the Catfish which finishes the job beautifully. I did run the battery down the first time I used it because I was just testing and playing with it but since creating a routine, the entire pool is cleaned in about 30 to 45 minutes. Tips to remember - there is a mesh bag that comes with the Catfish that always has to go in to catch your gunk. The box comes with two more, finer bags for the itty bitty stuff. Don't bother with them - while they work, they are thick and make it difficult to attach the vacuum head once in place. Use cheap ladies knee high hose. They work great and are much thinner. Buy extra silicone lube and use it on the rubber seal (you'll see what I mean when you get one) before EVERY use. Always ensure to turn the Catfish on BEFORE putting it in the water and turn it off AFTER taking it out of the water. Do NOT leave the Catfish outside. Dry it off when you're done and keep it indoors someplace and not in the sun or even in an outdoor cabinet. We bring ours in the house. Charge until the light turns green and then UNPLUG it. Do not leave it plugged in indefinitely or you'll kill the battery by overcharging it. Bottom line? It might look like a toy and it might be small, but this thing does what it supposed to do and it does it well. Very impressed.