Your pool cleaner's tracks and filter bag die first—budget for them around year two.

The unit itself lasts 3–5 years, but the tracks and filter bag will wear out much sooner—usually within 1–2 seasons depending on how often you run the cleaner.

If you’re budgeting, expect to replace the tracks and filter bag around the same time. They’re both friction-and-debris parts, so they degrade in parallel. Heavy use, a dirty pool, or a rough plaster surface will speed both up. Track rubber gets stiff, cracks, or stretches; the filter bag gets holes or just stops catching fine dirt.

After those, the next parts to watch are the brushes (they wear down and affect cleaning efficiency long before the unit dies), the cable (if it’s a robotic cleaner, the swivel gets abused), and the bearings or impeller seals. Replacement parts for most brands are cheap relative to a new unit—maybe $30–$80 for tracks, $20–$60 for a filter bag. If the motor or main board goes, that’s usually when you just buy a new cleaner.

The honest rule: if you’re replacing more than two major components in one year, a new cleaner costs about the same and comes with fresh everything.

Future You will thank you when the bag doesn’t tear mid-cycle.