I LOVE MY PRO-TUFF LEAF NET!!! AND never more so than now, after it mysteriously got broken while I was on vacation (I think someone stepped on it) - and I've had to use the old, NOT Pro-Tuff net. I LOVE it SOO much that while I'm waiting for it to be replaced/repaired, I'm going to buy ANOTHER ONE...because I never want to be without it again. I realize this sounds like sarcasm - I assure you it is NOT. The previous owner of our house put the pool directly in the drop-zone of numerous and varied fir trees. The ProTuff net made the job so much easier - and it truly is sturdy and easy to use. I am considering trying the silt net, because there are still a few of the long, skinny pine straw needles that manage to work their way through the net eventually - but regardless - this thing really is the bee's knees. And the company's customer service and information are likewise impressive - a pleasure to do business with. Looking forward to a Pro-Tuff Quick-Release Pole! UPDATE**ProTuff replaced my broken net within two days - no charge for expediting and no hassles whatsoever! The guarantee is LEGIT - this was not a product failure - we broke it - but the guarantee was good regardless. You will love this thing, and especially the wonderful customer service you will receive from this seller!!

After reading all of the reviews I thought this must really be something based on the way people talk about it. And they were right! I am very impressed with this skimmer net. At first I thought it was bent when I got it, but when I looked closer, it looked like it was like that on purpose. Then I read more info on it and learned that indeed the bend is intentional. And it really helps. I don't see this net ever going bad. It uses high grade materials for every part. The net is high quality nylon (I think its nylon) and seems very very difficult to rip or tear. And it is held in place with a plastic ring that seems impossible to get off, where my last one seemed like it was designed to be able to take off...

I've only had it for a couple weeks, but so far I really like this skimmer. With the size of the mouth and the bag, I can skim my whole pool without stopping to empty things. I use it mainly for skimming.. I find using a vacuum to still be the best way to clean the bottom of my 9' deep 20x40' pool. In terms of skimming, I think it does a great job and I can get things done much faster than with the old regular skimmer. However, I do agree with the comments here that this unit is heavy and tires you out. It's easy when skimming along the edges, but if you have to get right out to the middle, it's tough. I haven't heard from her yet, but I expect my wife will complain when she finally tries it. I got the 19~20" model. I'm curious if the smaller one would've been a better choice for me, but will probably stick with this one because I like the time savings of the bigger mouth.

The quality of the unit is amazing. I think it'll last a long, long time.

Emptying the bag at the end is a little more of a struggle, I used to just slap the old skimmer on the top of my fence and all the debris would fall off. With this bag design, it's possible to do the same thing, but usually the bag doesn't flip inside out and cooperate. I've found it easiest to just use my hand to push it inside, out, then stand back and slap it once or twice on the fence. This minor inconvenience is balanced by the fact that I only need to do it once or twice per use now compared to 17 times with the old lightweight skimmers.

I also agree with others here that the shape isn't ideal. If you're skimming right near the edge, you can get it square to the water surface and really enjoy the speedy cleaning. But if you're reaching way out sideways, the opening is angled to the water surface. I wonder if a diamond shape might be the best compromise for this?? I know the company actively reads these comments, so please consider a diamond shape as a possible new product variant! (and let me know if you need a product tester!)

I've been researching how to take over my pool maintenance and one tip was to replace my pool skimmer net with a leaf rake. My pool is surrounded by grass and palm trees so it gets a lot of debris. Removing debris from the bottom of the pool normally required vacuuming which is a pain. I just received this product and I already love it. First it makes skimming the surface easier, debris is trapped deep in the net I don't have to continually empty it. Second, this product can be used to remove large grass and leaves from the bottom of the pool without vacuuming. So now I can clean the surface and bottom of the pool in the time it used to take me just to skim the surface. Getting the debris out often keeps the pool looking nice all week and helps reducing chlorine consumption. It's especially nice to be able to quickly clean up the pool before guests come over.

I'm also very impressed by the communication provided by the company. I've received multiple emails and brochures informing me of how to use the product and how to get help if there's ever a problem. I really feel like this company is going out of their way to stand behind their product and make sure I'm happy with it.

This is definitely a good product, well made and probably with a defect free life. I tried it because the same kind of product I have used to last about 2 years. Sting Ray was the brand and it performed well. My only disappointment was that it does not pick up small items like twigs and berries and small leaves on the pool floor as good as the Sting Ray, which may be "operator error". The curved piece on the front does not seem the have enough pitch to act as a scoop. Overall, it is definitely a well made product.