MX8 - I give up!

I have really tried to like this product as it looks very inventive and when new cleans the pool is record time however after a couple months it is always the same thing, starts with the tracks coming partially off and then jamming the machine, then after replacing tracks the machine just doesn't run well and will start behaving badly in the gearbox (stuttering with associated clicking noise). This necessitates replacing the gear boxes on both sides to the tune of about 400 each side. Then it just starts running slower and slower eventually stopping for the smallest of leaves (my pool has only one tree nearby with leaves around 1-2cm in size). At this point the zodiac reps tell me that a new "engine" is needed at around R600.

At this point I decided that since the pipes are starting to show signs of cracking and they are damn expensive too (R1000 to replace them all) it is cheaper to just buy another MX8 which comes with new everything and a new set of pipes. The above all happened in a 2 year period. I am now almost one year into my new MX8 and I have already replaced one set of tracks and both gearboxes (warranty replacement this time) and the engine is starting to play up again.

I finally have given up on this product, while it cleans well when it works, that time frame is getting smaller and smaller, this week alone I have had to attend to it 5 times already. I cannot justify a pool cleaner that costs almost R3000 to purchase and then needs minimum R1000 a year to maintain (R2000 when you eventually need to replace these overpriced pipes). Zodiac must be making a ****ing from spare part on these machines!