POOL BLASTER Catfish Ultra Rechargeable, Battery-Powered, Pool-Cleaner, Ideal for In-Ground Pools and Above Ground Pools for Cleaning Leaves, Dirt and Sand & Silt.

The media could not be loaded. Water Tech CATFISHPPV Pool Blaster, Catfish*** Updated August 23, 2014 ***My first vacuum finally went dead a few days ago. I then ordered the replacement - I was expecting the same stuff. The new one arrived with some much needed improvements, i.e.,It has push button to turn ON/OFF. Although, this is not an issue for me (see my older review below) but for most users, it is. This is a good improvement.Other noted improvements (minor point - in my opinion):It has a few drain channel on both sides, thus when pulling out of the water, it has less water splashing (since motor is still running). Also, AC/DC adapter has a replaceable pin type, i.e., flat for US and round for Europe.This last one, I am not sure if it is an improvement though, i.e., the bag material has been changed from meshed nylon to coffee filter paper like !!In my opinion (also I use this to clean KOI pond), this is more of a backward step. Because, paper filter is a very fine filter not suitable for filtering dirt and sand from the pool/pond. Dirt and small sand will be difficult to rinse clean and won't last as long as the previous meshed nylon bag. There is only one bag in the box. Replacement is $15 - $20 a pop (per Amazon search). This may end up more expensive for many users.In my case, I continue to use old bag with new machine.I also have comments for the manufacture (if they ever read this review). I would like that you consider(1) making the rechargeable battery to be replaceable. You can make money selling battery module (this is better than the poor bag design)(2) design the DC motor and battery compartment to be "water tight". This way, it will prolong the life of your product (mine went dead from corrosion - even though I used it in KOI pond - no chlorine).(3) protect electronic component from corrosion (perhaps applied grease to each pin)*** Below is the original review of my first unit *** since July 2013Like many of buyers, I was quite nervous after I ordered this Pool Vacuum. But on the other hand, I do not want to spend > $100 for pool vacuum for my experimental 300 gallon KOI pond either !!First of all, the shipment arrived quickly. Everything is well packaged. Initial inspection shows no sign of damage what so ever. In the box, I have the following items:- vacuum machine (that blue machine in the picture)- dirt trap with rubber o-ring, 2 microfiber dirt bags- nozzle head (the transparent plastic part at the top)- vacuum head with brush and roller (that blue triangular shape)- 1 small package of silicone grease- the vacuum handle extension (4 pieces) - mine come in white (plastic) and not aluminum as shown- instruction manuals- Power adapterHere are the steps taken:1. Read (scan quickly) through all instructions. I give it a 7 (out of 10) in terms of clarity of what was written.It is important to understand that "you need to ensure proper grease on the inside cap of your machine at all time"This will (a) prevent water to get to the battery and (2) smooth out when you twist it to ON or OFFI must admit it is not the best design idea for On-OFF switch. But this thing is cheap, so this is not a complain.I check the grease and found that mine came properly greased.2. Charge the vacuum. The charger has LED that will turn green when it is fully charge. Mine took about 2 hours.3. Assemble the pieces together (I need to remove some residual sand. So, I user the micro-fiber bag). As my KOI pond is only 3-4 feet tall, I only need 2 sticks of the extension handle.Feedback after using it:- First use, I did not use the vacuum head (triangular piece) as there were lots of gravel- It does the job very well. The suction is quite good, suck up pea gravels, sand, leaves, pine straw and fish drops.I notice the suction drop off after a few mins. but this is due to the debris that clog inside the bag. After unload and rinse the dirt bag - - all is good.- I don't remember if this is written in the manual. But I will NEVER OPEN THE CAP until I finish the use. This is my own precaution to ensure no water will get to the battery chamber.- I used it several timed now. Each time for about 15-20 mins. I never turned it OFF, even when I change the dirt bag. So far, it runs ok- when done, I let the water drip off (takes about 30 sec), open the cap. Leave the extension handle as a stick to hold it up and let water drip down. dried it out- I will not recharge unless I am sure it is completely dry !!- so far, the grease on the cap are quite ok. But I will apply more soon.NOTE: one pack of silicone grease probably last just 1 summer. You will need to buy more.I have not check the price, but I will just use the normal grease I have in the garage as it seems to be the same just different color.Overall, I am quite happy with it. The quality of the machine is quite ok (all plastic of average quality - - it matches well with the price). Use it properly with proper care (apply more grease as needed. Do not leave it in full sun all the time). I believe this thing will last 2-3 years.*** Updated April 8 2014 ***I used it sparingly during the winter months. Each time always follow the same routine as explained above. So far, it still works great. Noticed that during cold weather, a fully charged batt did not last as long - - I guess this is normal for any batt anyway. Just re-greased it and now ready for spring + summer heavy dose of usage.*** Updated August 3 2014 // applied simple DIY and it can last longer ***well, just slightly over a year, of heavy usage, it will not recharged anymore. To test that only the battery is bad and not the DC motor, I plug in the AC/DC charger to the unit and use paper clip to short-circuit the 2 metal points (where the metal plate on the cap would have done the job)... and motor is running again. So, it is clear that the rechargeable battery is dead. Disconnect the connector, unscrew the 2 screws to see the battery looking for part# to order the replacement. Well, Water Tech does not sell this item nor that I can find it from anywhere.This means, this unit is useless and I may need to spend another $100+ for a new one. At that point, I had a eureka moment.I try the MacGyver approach. I cut the wire (red & black) as close as possible to the battery. Drop the battery in recycle bin. I have a long spool of 2-wire (the left over from sensors of garage door opener). I thread the external wire through one of the holes and connect it to the red&black ones (make sure to remember which wire connect to red), tape it nice, screw the cover plate back on. Drill a tiny hole on the white cap and thread the other end of the external wire through, use silicone to seal it. I make sure I have a this external wire long enough for use with the pond. Then connect the other end to the AC/DC adapter (the wire connected to red should connect to the inside wire of the adapter).Here it is, the unit has been modified and can be used directly with AC/DC adapter (be careful to seal and insulate all electrical wires properly to avoid any electrocute). And it works great, in fact better than with battery since it is driven directly from AC/DC adapter. Motor spins at max rate at all time without slowing down due to the loss charge. Anyhow, I don't think this will last forever, most likely the adapter will get overload at some point.NOTE: Do not try this if you do not have basic electrical knowledge.

Works great for quick pool cleanups! It’s lightweight, easy to use, and no hoses to mess with. Picks up sand and leaves like a champ. Battery lasts long enough for the job. Definitely makes pool maintenance easier!

I was reluctant to buy this based on the bad reviews. At the time of my purchase the product had 20% of the buyers/reviewers rating it one star.. i took a chance as i knew if it didn't meet my expectations, I would pack it up and send it back.. After a week, I'm really happy with this but read on because you may not be.. if this is your only pool vacuum, buy something else.Well first let me clear up some bad information posted in other reviews.."you need to buy an extra silt bag." You don't, it comes with 2 extra bags including the screen bag."You need to buy a pole". If you own a pool, you likely own a scimmer pole. It fits on your regular pole"After a few uses it doesn't have good suction" Yeah, any pool cleaner needs constant cleaning. Use it/ clean itI purchased this product for two primary reasons1) I have a large in ground pool and an expensive robot that randomly zigzags around my pool for 6 hours and misses spots. I also have a regular vacuum that is a chore to take out and setup so getting those few missed spots is a pain..2) my pool gets dirty in the same spots.. I get collections of "stuff" in the same corners/areas of my pool. I wanted a way to hit just those areas quickly for quick cleanups without dragging out the robot cleaner.So I was looking around and found this pool blaster catfish vacuum. It seemed to fit the bill for the two problems I was trying to solve. In un boxing the vacuum the first thing I noticed was it's "toy like" appearance. It doesn't give you the impression it's going to hold up/ function well. I followed the instructions and started out of the gate using the fine silt bag. . After charging for about 45 mins it was fully charged and I was anxious to try it so out I go vacuuming the pool at 11:30 at night. As usual I had a collection of dirt along the back seams of the pool and on the deep end and some small spots in the shallow end. I mounted the vacuum on my skimmer pole push the button on the back of the vacuum to turn it on. The sound of the vacuum also doesn't make you feel this is a well built device. After submerging the vacuum the noise quieted and the device was working well .. I started in the shallow end so I can see if device had sufficient suction and not just pushing around dirt. i cleaned up the obvious areas in the shallow end which took about 5 minutes. It worked well on the deep pool steps but when the motor comes out of the water the suction stops, on shallow steps it didnt work at all. So plan on using this in at least 10 inches of water or at an angle to keep it submerged. On to the deep end! In another review, it mentioned it was hard to keep the vacuum on the bottom it wanted to float up and I kinda agree. The areas I wanted to hit, the outline of the deep end basin and closer to the edges, I could easily get to with no issues and it picked up everything . As I reached out to the center of the pool it was harder to keep the vacuum on the floor consistently as the angle of the skimmer pole went more horizontal. It had a tendency to float up. Still it did what I needed it to do.. First time out, it ran for about 25 minutes and performed "ok". I've since used it 3 more times doing spot cleaning about 8-10 minutes and I haven't charged it up yet and each time feeling a little better about the vacuum.I view this device as a "dust-buster" for your pool, great for quick spot cleanups. You wouldn't want to vacuum your whole pool with it, while you could probably do a larger section if needed. Hope this helps in your decision. I'll post some updates after living with this for a while.Update- after two seasons I continue to be impressed with this little vac... So getting ready for Memorial Day pool opening a worked a few days in getting open and blue, I’ve got the yard setup for the weekend and all the pool supplies away and we get a quick rain shower on Saturday night, which drops a bunch of crap, including worms into the pool.. I was able to clean up in 15mins and back to prepping for the party.. i’ve just started season 3 with this little guy and used it 3 times for 15mins each time.. I can’t stress enough, works great a spot cleaner in conjunction with your regular pool vac..Final update 2019 -after three season it finally died. I buying a replacement 3 years for $90 bucks it’s worth it -One last update 6/2020 - So after great success with the first vac the next 2 units didn’t last a full season.. poor quality control not sure if I would try it again..

Best little vacuum I ever purchased. Good power, super easy to use and very simple to maintain. Great for spot pick ups, and leaf catches in a moment rather than hooking up the vacuum system, great addition to my pool maintenance closet