Quick Answer: A Hammerhead pool vacuum is a professional, 12-volt battery-powered vacuum made in Delray Beach, Florida, by Hammerhead Patented Performance, and you can only buy it from dealers. On November 6, 2026, the Service-21 with a 40 ft cord and truck mount cost $2,809.50 at PoolWeb and $2,344.67 at The Lifeguard Store (plus quoted freight), a $464.83 gap on the same unit. The lithium Remora kit was $1,259 at PoolWeb. Service units come without a battery or charger, and Hammerhead’s runtime rule is the battery’s amp-hours divided by 22, so a 90Ah battery runs about 4 to 4.5 hours. For one backyard pool, a $200 handheld or a robot is the cheaper tool.
Hammerhead (written HAMMER-HEAD on its own site) has made battery pool vacuums for service technicians and facility managers since 1997. The design hasn’t changed in principle: a sealed 12-volt motor sits in a wide vacuum head on a standard pool pole, a propeller pushes water through a debris bag on the back of the head, and the power comes from a marine battery on a cart by the pool. Nothing passes through the pool’s pump or filter. For this review we compared Hammerhead’s spec pages, FAQ, Remora page, 2025 warranty statement and 2026 motor repair form with the current listings at two of the online dealers Hammerhead names, PoolWeb and The Lifeguard Store, on November 6, 2026. We don’t test products ourselves, so everything below comes from the maker’s documents and the dealers’ listings.
Hammerhead lineup at a glance
| Model | Head / cord | Cart and mount | Charger included | Weight (Hammerhead) | Price, Nov 6 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service-21 (HH9130-40) | 21 in / 40 ft (60 ft option) | Aluminum cart + HH1306 hitch mount | No | 155 lb with a group 27 battery | $2,344.67 (Lifeguard Store) · $2,809.50 (PoolWeb) |
| Service-30 (HH9150) | 30 in / 60 ft | Aluminum cart + HH1306 hitch mount | No | 157 lb with a group 27 battery | $2,476.25 (Lifeguard Store) · $2,799.76 (PoolWeb) |
| Resort-21 | 21 in / 60 ft per Hammerhead (PoolWeb also lists 40 ft) | Caddy cart, no mount possible | Yes | 130 lb with a group 27 battery | $2,155.20 (Lifeguard Store) · $2,537.53 40 ft / $2,598.53 60 ft (PoolWeb) |
| Resort-30 (HH9120) | 30 in / 60 ft | Caddy cart, no mount possible | Yes | 132 lb with a group 27 battery | $2,302.57 (Lifeguard Store) · $2,735.17 (PoolWeb) |
| Remora (XR1600) | 21 in Remora head, lighter motor | No cart; wearable battery pack | Yes | 18 lb total (5 lb pack) | $1,259 (PoolWeb, was $1,320.20) |
| Remora Pro (XR1700) | 21 in Remora head, 25 ft float cable with quick-lock plug | No cart; 2 lithium batteries | Yes (10-amp lithium) | 18 lb package | $1,749.59 (PoolWeb) |
Prices checked November 6, 2026 on poolweb.com and thelifeguardstore.com. Hammerhead itself publishes no prices. Weights are Hammerhead's approximate figures with a group 27 marine battery installed. None of the cart units includes the battery or a pool pole.
Hammerhead prices: the same vacuum, $465 apart
Because Hammerhead doesn’t sell direct, its two biggest online dealers set very different prices for identical part numbers:
| Configuration | PoolWeb | The Lifeguard Store | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service-21, 40 ft cord, with hitch mount | $2,809.50 | $2,344.67 | $464.83 |
| Service-21, 60 ft cord, with hitch mount | $2,854.64 | $2,393.36 | $461.28 |
| Service-21, 40 ft, no mount (Service-21-NM) | $2,491.17 | $2,039.41 | $451.76 |
| Service-30, with hitch mount | $2,799.76 | $2,476.25 | $323.51 |
| Service-30, no mount (Service-30-NM) | $2,720.53 | $2,286.78 | $433.75 |
| Resort-30 | $2,735.17 | $2,302.57 | $432.60 |
Three things stand out:
- The cheaper dealer isn’t all-in. The Lifeguard Store says its Hammerhead units ship straight from the manufacturer with a lead time of 1 to 8 weeks, and that freight “cannot be calculated at checkout”: it contacts you after the order with the shipping charge. Hammerhead ships cart units on a pallet (30 x 34 x 52 inches, freight class 250, 110 lb for a Service unit), so get that quote before you compare totals.
- At PoolWeb, the bigger Service-30 costs less than the Service-21. The 30-inch Service-30 with a 60 ft cord and hitch mount was $2,799.76, which is $9.74 less than the 21-inch Service-21 with a 40 ft cord and mount. At The Lifeguard Store the Service-30 costs $131.58 more, as you’d expect.
- The hitch mount is worth about $300-$320. The no-mount Service-21-NM is $318.33 less at PoolWeb and $305.26 less at The Lifeguard Store. If you’ll keep the cart at one site, a Resort unit is cheaper still and includes a charger.
Service vs Resort: it’s only the cart
Hammerhead says the Service and Resort units “use the same interchangeable parts and powerful 12volt motor.” The difference is the cart, and what comes with it.
Hammerhead Service-21
- 21-inch injection-molded head with non-marking cast urethane wheels, about 1 inch of clearance over the pool floor, stainless pole swivel and hardware.
- Welded aluminum cart with 20-inch mag wheels, solid non-marking tires, a bucket with divider and an LED battery voltage meter.
- HH1306 vehicle mount for any 2-inch hitch receiver; U-bolts for a trailer are included. Ships partially assembled.
- Two debris bags (HH1506 standard and HH1508 superfine). No battery, charger or pool pole.
Hammerhead Service-30
- 30-inch head (13 lb with motor, against 11 lb for the 21-inch) on a 60 ft floating power cord, with a two-position adjustable pole swivel.
- Same cart, mount, Smart Switch, LED meter and two bags as the Service-21.
- Hammerhead offers it for techs who want the Resort-30's head and cord but need a unit that mounts on a truck.
- No battery, charger or pole included.
Hammerhead Resort-21 and Resort-30
- 21-inch or 30-inch head on a 60 ft floating cord, per Hammerhead's spec page; PoolWeb also sells a 40 ft Resort-21 (HH9111).
- Caddy cart (26 inches wide, 46 inches tall, 27 inches deep) that stores in an equipment room. It does not accept the vehicle mount.
- Includes a 12-volt automatic battery charger, unlike Service units. Ships fully assembled.
- Hammerhead lists Disney Resorts, SeaWorld, the US Army, the YMCA and cruise lines among Resort users.
Every cart unit uses Hammerhead’s patented HH1062 Smart Switch. Press it once for full power (solid green light), or on-off-on for a low “battery saver” mode at 80% power (flashing green). If the propeller jams, the motor reverses three times to try to clear it, then shuts down with a flashing red light. It also shuts the motor off after about a minute out of the water, and refuses to run if the battery wires are reversed, which on older switchless units made the motor run backwards and suck the bag into the propeller.
Hammerhead Remora and Remora Pro
The Remora is Hammerhead’s answer to the cart: a lighter motor in its own 21-inch head, a shorter cord, and a lithium battery pack you wear on a hip belt or shoulder strap.
Hammerhead Remora (XR1600)
- Kit: Remora head with motor and cord, wearable battery pack with a Dakota Lithium LiFePO4 battery and the 2-speed Smart Switch, carry handle, NOCO Genius 2 charger and one HH1508 superfine bag.
- About 50 minutes on high and 75 minutes on low per charge; about 6 hours to recharge; rated for roughly 2,000 cycles, or 5 years at one cycle a day.
- 18 lb for the whole package: 13 lb head including the cord, 5 lb battery pack. Minimum water depth 12 inches.
- Not approved for sale or shipment outside the United States. Remora cords, packs and plugs don't fit standard Hammerhead units.
Hammerhead Remora Pro (XR1700)
- Two 18Ah LiFePO4 batteries, a 10-amp lithium charger, a 25 ft premium float cable with a quick-lock plug, and both a standard and a superfine bag.
- Hammerhead advertises "up to 4 hours of run time" across the two batteries.
- Same 21-inch Remora head and 2-speed Smart Switch as the base Remora; Hammerhead publishes no separate suction figure for the Pro.
Hammerhead is unusually candid about the Remora’s power: on high speed, it says, the Remora’s suction is “like using the HAMMER-HEAD 21” vacuum head on the low speed setting.” Since that low setting is 80% power, think of a Remora as a slower, lighter tool for the pools a cart can’t reach, not a replacement for one.
Two numbers on the Remora pages don’t line up. First, the Remora Pro’s “up to 4 hours” is more than its own per-battery figures allow: two batteries at 50 minutes each is 100 minutes on high, and at 75 minutes each is 150 minutes on low. Second, PoolWeb’s Remora listing still describes a PowerSonic lithium battery with a Bluetooth app and a NOCO G5 charger, while Hammerhead’s own Remora page now says the Power-Sonic Bluetooth battery “is no longer supplied” and lists a Dakota Lithium battery. Check which battery a dealer is shipping before you count on an app.
The $490.59 step from Remora to Remora Pro buys a second battery, a faster charger, a bag and the quick-lock cable. PoolWeb sells a bare Remora 18Ah Dakota battery for $254.02 and a complete battery pack (no charger) for $542.81, so if you mainly want a spare battery for an existing Remora, the battery alone is the cheaper route.
Battery, charger and runtime
Hammerhead says 95% of its customer-service calls are battery-related, and calls incorrect charging “the #1 problem experienced by Hammer-Head users.” The rules from its FAQ and 2025 warranty statement:
- Battery: a 12-volt deep-cycle marine battery, not included with Service or Resort units. Hammerhead recommends sealed gel batteries for the longest life, suggests a group 27, and says the cart’s box holds up to group 31. No car batteries, and no “starting” or “dual purpose” batteries with a CCA or MCA rating.
- Charger: an automatic charger that charges at a minimum of 6 amps and no more than 10 to 12 amps, every day, for at least 8 hours. Never a trickle charger. Hammerhead now ships NOCO’s 10-amp GENIUS10 under part number HH1900; PoolWeb lists it at $166.90.
- Runtime: divide the battery’s amp-hour (Ah) rating by 22 for the approximate hours of runtime.
| Battery capacity | Approximate runtime (Ah ÷ 22) |
|---|---|
| 35Ah | About 1.6 hours |
| 75Ah | About 3.4 hours |
| 90Ah | 4 to 4.5 hours (Hammerhead's own example) |
| 105Ah | About 4.8 hours |
The divide-by-22 rule implies the motor draws roughly 22 amps on full power. That’s our arithmetic on Hammerhead’s own rule of thumb, not a measurement, and real runtime drops as a lead-acid battery ages. The battery is also excluded from Hammerhead’s warranty, along with “damage resulting from battery charging and use.”
Debris bags and the micron question
| Bag | Hammerhead's micron rating | Use | Price, Nov 6 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HH1502 Coarse "Hurricane" (purple tag) | 800 | Spring openings, heavy debris | $41.44 (Lifeguard Store) · $58.12 (PoolWeb) |
| HH1506 Standard (blue tag) | 200 | Leaves, coarse sand, gravel | $41.44 · $58.12 |
| HH1508 Superfine (red tag) | 150 | Everyday bag once the pool is clean; dust, fine sand | $41.44 · $58.12 |
| HH1510 Ultrafine "Volcano" (white tag) | 75 | Fire ash and DE powder (Hammerhead says about 95%) | $41.44 · $58.12 |
| XL versions (46 in long) | Same as above | Big clean-ups | $75.39 · $79.12 |
Hammerhead’s bag page is refreshingly blunt about filtration claims: “there isn’t much truth to micron ratings because there is no standardized testing for these ratings,” and “Don’t believe every micron claim you read.” That applies to its own bags too. None of them filters algae, and Hammerhead says a Hammerhead “is not a complete substitute for the pool’s filtration system”: for algae, you still vacuum to waste through the pool pump.
Warranty, repairs and parts: the fine print
| Item | What Hammerhead's 2025 warranty and 2026 repair form say |
|---|---|
| Length | 12 months from registration if you register right after purchase; 6 months from the date of manufacture if you don't |
| Registration | Photo of the serial tag plus a sales receipt that shows the serial number; otherwise "the registration may be rejected" |
| Covered | Defects on complete units, motors, switches, mount assemblies, machined parts and cart frames |
| Not covered | Power cords, propellers, debris bags, wheels, bearings, tires, mount clamp latches, paint, batteries, transport and storage damage |
| Who handles claims | Hammerhead only; dealers "may not honor, extend, or make warranty replacements"; NOCO chargers go to NOCO |
| Transferable | No, original buyer only |
| Motor repair | Typically $35 to $200 plus shipping; assemblies older than 5 years "often not repairable"; no repairs on serial numbers below 099800; 30-day warranty on the repair |
| Head shells | Discounted replacement half shells for as long as you own the unit, case by case, with serial number and photos |
The exclusion that matters most is the power cord. Hammerhead’s own care guide says “poor power cord maintenance drastically shortens the life of the motor assembly,” yet cords are listed as wear parts, so a kinked or chewed cord isn’t a warranty claim. A replacement motor with a 40 ft cord (no propeller) was $468.08 at PoolWeb, and $560.43 with a 60 ft cord. Coil the cord in large loops, never tightly, and take the twists out after every pool.
Parts are easy to get. PoolWeb listed the 2-blade propeller at $67.76 ($77.36 as a kit), the Smart Switch kit at $215.41, a replacement battery box at $67.01, and a vinyl-pool brush attachment for the 21-inch head at $117.77.
By the numbers
- 16,000 GPH: the flow Hammerhead claims for its cart-unit motor, with “up to 50%” time savings per pool. Both are Hammerhead’s own marketing figures.
- 12 inches: minimum water depth for every Hammerhead, including the Remora. The propeller has to be underwater; the bag doesn’t.
- 1 inch: clearance between the head and the pool floor, which is why Hammerhead calls it safe on vinyl liners, with care on brand-new soft liners.
- $464.83: the price gap on the same Service-21 between PoolWeb and The Lifeguard Store on November 6, 2026, before freight.
- 95%: the share of Hammerhead’s customer-service calls it says are battery problems.
- 1997: the year Hammerhead says it began making vacuums in the USA.
Hammerhead vs Riptide vs Pool Blaster PRO
| Hammerhead Service-21 | Hammerhead Remora | Riptide SL | Pool Blaster PRO 2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,344.67-$2,809.50 (dealers) | $1,259 (PoolWeb) | $2,100 (40 ft) / $2,160 (60 ft), direct only | $629.99 sale / $1,099.99, direct |
| Head width | 21 in (30 in on Service-30) | 21 in | 24 in | 15 in + gunite head |
| Power | 12V marine battery (not included) | 18Ah lithium pack (included) | 12V deep-cycle battery (not included) | Built-in sealed battery |
| Runtime | Ah ÷ 22 (90Ah = 4-4.5 h) | 50 min high / 75 min low | 5-6 h on a group 27 (Riptide's manual) | Up to 2 h |
| Transport | Cart + 2-in hitch mount | Worn on the body | Cart + hitch rack | Shoulder strap |
| Warranty | 12 months registered / 6 months unregistered | 1 year, registration required | 1 yr parts, 10 yr plastic body | 1 year |
On paper the Riptide SL is the stronger value for a route tech: a wider 24-inch head, a 10-year warranty on the vacuum body, and a price $244.67 to $709.50 below the Service-21, depending on the Hammerhead dealer. Hammerhead’s advantages are availability and range. You can pick one up at a Pinch-A-Penny or a wholesale distributor and get parts the same way, there’s a 30-inch head for big commercial floors, and the Remora has no equivalent at Riptide. The Pool Blaster PRO 2000 is the budget alternative for deep pools, but it needs 23 inches of water and runs about 2 hours on a sealed battery you can’t swap.
Spec-sheet inconsistencies worth knowing
Hammerhead’s site is detailed, but a few numbers disagree with each other:
- Motor thrust: the cleaner overview says a “30-pound thrust motor,” while the complete-vacuum-head spec lists “35# thrust.”
- Repair cut-off: the Learn page says motors with serial numbers below 095000 won’t be repaired; the Quick Start page and the January 2026 repair form say 099800. The 2026 form is the current document.
- Remora weight: Hammerhead says the Remora head is “8 pounds lighter than a standard HAMMER-HEAD 21” vacuum head,” but lists the Remora head at 13 lb including the cord and the standard 21-inch head with motor at 11 lb. The comparison probably includes the full-size cord, but the page doesn’t say.
None of these changes what you’d buy, but they’re a reason to ask your dealer for the current part number and spec sheet before ordering a replacement motor or switch.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Debris goes into a bag on the head, not into the pool’s filter, and there’s no hose to prime or valves to set.
- Made in the USA, with a patented Smart Switch that protects the motor from jams, dry running and reversed wiring.
- Sold through dozens of distributors and retail stores, so parts and bags are easy to find.
- Four bag grades from 800 down to 75 microns, plus XL bags for spring clean-ups.
- The Remora covers pools a 130-157 lb cart can’t reach.
Cons
- Expensive: $2,039 to $2,855 for a cart unit at the two dealers we checked, before a battery, and Service units don’t include a charger.
- Dealer prices vary by up to $465 for the same unit, and the cheaper listing adds freight after you order.
- Short warranty (6 to 12 months) that excludes the power cord, propeller and battery.
- Needs at least 12 inches of water, so no steps or shallow sun shelves.
- The Remora’s high setting only matches a standard unit on low.
Who should buy a Hammerhead?
- Pool service techs with a route: Service-21 for most residential pools, Service-30 for big open floors. Compare the Riptide SL first.
- Hotels, HOAs, gyms and water parks: Resort-21 or Resort-30, which include a charger and stay on site.
- Gated, rooftop or upstairs pools, fountains and spas: Remora, or Remora Pro if it runs all day.
- Homeowners with one pool: probably not. A robot cleans the floor, walls and waterline on its own; see our best robotic pool cleaner guide. For spot-cleaning leaves and sand with a pole, a cordless handheld from our best cordless pool vacuum guide costs about $109 to $330.
The bottom line
A Hammerhead is a well-supported professional tool with a clear purpose: getting heavy debris out of many pools quickly without loading anyone’s filter. The Service-21 is the route standard, the Resort units suit facilities, and the Remora trades suction for portability. What you pay depends on the dealer more than the model. On November 6, 2026, the same Service-21 cost $2,344.67 at The Lifeguard Store and $2,809.50 at PoolWeb, so get a freight quote and compare at least two authorized dealers. Budget for a 12-volt deep-cycle battery and, on Service units, a 10-amp charger, and register the serial number on day one, because an unregistered unit only gets 6 months of coverage from its manufacture date.
Sources (checked November 6, 2026): hammerheadvac.com cleaner spec pages (Service, Resort, complete vacuum heads), Remora page, Learn FAQ, Quick Start page, Where to Buy dealer list, 2025 Limited Warranty statement (HH_LTD_WARRANTY_25.pdf) and January 2026 Motor Repair Form; poolweb.com and thelifeguardstore.com product listings and Shopify catalog data for Hammerhead Service, Resort and Remora units, debris bags and parts; CPSC recall database (no Hammerhead or Remora pool vacuum recall found). Riptide and Pool Blaster figures come from our Riptide and Pool Blaster reviews. We compare published specs, prices and documentation and don't test products ourselves.