OAI Gator AutoSkim - Automatic Pool Cleaner, Skimmer & Clarifier - Suction Skimmer for Pools

First, my robot vacuum is connected 100% of the time on my skimmer. The main issue is that pollen and bugs accumulate at the surface. This skimmer completely solved my issues.Some Notes (My experience):1) Go at least 2 hose section minimum (about 7-8 ft) away from your existing skimmer... if not it will get dragged down or tilt.1) You might have to cut one of the hose section on your robot hose line since the male part of the hose (on mine) was not big enough to fit on the skimmer (my problem... maybe not yours)2) Use the little test "jig"/included, to calibrate the water flow (Works great)3) I had to adjust my filter valve to increase the flow since this device requires a little more suction because it taps on your vacuum line... Took me a couple days to find the "perfect" positioning on my pool filter valve. (Too much you will hear a suction air vortex... too little your robot might go too slow or else)

Difficult to set suction at effective level. Intermittent effectiveness. Debris spends a lot of time circling the vortex before heading out into the pool again! I have had my pool guy try to set it. No better! Would not buy again.

I tried out this skimmer for an entire season with lots of tweaks and experimentation before I rated it. I am now very confident to say this product was a big disappointment. I have an older pool with no side port, so I wanted to use this in tandem with my automatic pool cleaner from my skimmer port. If the skimmer was sitting absolutely flat in the water, perfectly still, with the exact amount of flow rate, it might function somewhat...but as we all know, perfect conditions never occur in the real world. For example: if there was any torque in the line at all from the cleaner, the unit will tip slightly and no longer skim the surface. I am an engineer and good at troubleshooting, and I couldn't make it work effectively 99% of the time. I cannot recommend it.

I’m not sure why this gets bad reviews because it keeps my pool surface perfect. Before, when I had just the pool vac, I would occasionally get a scum line on my tile. When it would rain, it would wash dust and small gnats into the pool and you would see them floating because the vac is using the skimmer line. As soon as I added this floating skimmer in-line with my pool vac, it’s been sparkling clean ever since. The directions are pretty easy and very straight forward. Not sure what the issue is that others have with setting it up. Hopefully the foam floats hold up to the Florida sun as it’s in use year round. Time will tell.

It definitely helps keep the surface cleaner once you tweak with the setup of it etc. I ended up having to put a swivel on the vacuum side of it and putting the flow regulator that came w/ my pool vacuum right on the inlet of the vacuum but it works. The worst part about it is that the foam pads started discoloring and disintegrating pretty quickly. I'd be surprised if they lasted more than 1.5 years before I need to find replacements.

This has been the best thing I have ever done for my pool!! I have a screen enclosure so my pool surface would only have small bugs or pollen. This is idea for my situation. I am not sure how it would work on larger debris, but for those that have screened pools..... it works great. ALSO.. be sure you have good filter pressure, that is a must.

This is not the whirling vortex of leaf collection I expected. The included flow gauge gave my pump a "B" rating, and according to the guide, no adjustments should have been necessary. Yet I have tried every combination of settings and the best I get is minor stuff --like tiny flower petals and seeds-- randomly wandering into the bucket. Then all that stuff wanders right back out when the underwater vacuum changes course and tugs the bucket along with it.

Does not suck in the leaves without cloging