Sta-Rite Great White GW9500 automatic pool cleaner, $10

Automatic swimming pool cleaners like Hayward, Kreepy Krauly and this Great White represent outstanding opportunity for you because they cost a fortune new and sell for small fortunes used. You're advised to take a little time to explore this profitable area!

Anyone who has ever had to buy one of these units for their own pool knows all too well how costly they are, but few people are really aware of just why they cost so much. But when you know at least a bit about what goes on inside one of these automatic pool cleaners, it becomes a little more understandable how companies can charge so much money for what looks, to the uninformed, like nothing more than a brush on the end of a hose.

The automatic pool cleaner is connected at the end of the swimming pool’s vacuum hose, which is continually sucking in water. The cleaner’s job is to cruise along the bottom and sides of the pool, scrubbing the surfaces as it goes. Of course, if the cleaner had nothing else going for it besides a brush on the bottom, it would simply sit in one place as the water flowed through it. Not a very efficient way to get your pool clean!

If you check out the schematic in the photo below, you’ll see that this little Great White pool cleaner, just like many others you’ll run across, is chock full of little gears, wheels, impellers and other parts and pieces that help the cleaner do its job. The automatic pool cleaner extracts the power it needs to operate from the incoming water as it is sucked up through the unit, much like a windmill gets its power from the wind. It then uses that power to move the little feet and brushes that shuffle it along the bottom of the pool.  

The two main types of swimming pools are the concrete in-ground, which are made from cement, and above-ground, which are usually vinyl. Although the Great White is intended to work with both types of pools, certain cleaners, like the Hayward 925CS Navigator discussed in another Gallery entry, are differnt, depending on the type of pool. Since the two types look very similar, most cleaners will usually say on them something like ‘FOR ABOVE-GROUND (or CONCRETE, if it applies) pool use only’. 

The first thing I always look for are signs of exposure to chlorine and sunlight, which usually appear as a white, chalky coating on the plastic surfaces. Some of this chalky coating is fine, but when the exterior surfaces have degraded to the point where you can dig your thumb nail in, you’re probably looking at a unit that has seen lots of use.

Another common sign of use shows up as wear on the lower surfaces of the unit. Remember that the inside surface of a swimming pool is not smooth; it’s rough like sandpaper. And long periods of running across this rough surface will literally grind off the bottom of the vacuum. As a matter of fact, the manufacturer will often sell replacement parts for the pieces that have work out or broken from extended use. The Great White is at a bit of an advantage here, because it rides on brushes, which are more resistant to wearing down.

 So, what’s the strategy here? Well, as far as I’m concerned, you shouldn’t pay more than a few dollars for any of these automatic pool cleaners unless the darn thing is brand new in the box. Sure, you’re going to find those sellers whose love affair with their cleaner unit is still going strong, as in, ‘they can still feel the sting in their wallet from when they bought it’ strong. You’ll wonder how these folks can bear to part with their precious baby, even for the $75 or more they’re asking for it.

Look, it’s unlikely enough that anyone who shows up at a yard sale will know what the heck one of these pool cleaners even is, much less how much they cost new or sell for used on eBay. So a seller who really wants to unload his used automatic pool cleaner is going to have to unload it at a bargain price unless he's so in love with it that he doesn't mind owning it at the end of the day. As we all know, those sellers do exist, but so do those who want that stuff out of their hair, which are the ones we're looking for!

Unless you can personally hook up the cleaner, or have seen it in action, specify that you're selling it as-is. All those parts and pieces inside can, and do, break and fail. And unless you're reall familiar with them, it's darn near impossible to tell of something isn't right inside. Don't worry, though, many buyers are willing to take the risk and save lots of money. Another thing to keep in mind that even broken units will be of interest to businesses that repair and sell these machines, as they represent treasure troves of expensive parts and pieces that can be used to fix up other units!

This Sta-Rite 'Great White' GW9500 automatic pool cleaner sold on eBay for $109.