Has anyone ever bought one of these pools? What do you like about it? Dislike?
http://www.wards.com/wards/prod_display1.asp?product=69684&PID=556&CMB=580-556&partner=29
I am thinking about purchasing either one of these or one of the more permanent kind with metal sides.
I have one. They’re great for the money (I bought a 15’ x 36" last April at Wal-Mart for around $250). It’s big enough for the kids to have a blast in, it warms up quickly, holds the heat, and is perfect for adults who just want to get wet for a bit and come out or float around on a mat. Fits me (6’3" 250+), my wife (5’10" and a very ladylike 125), and my boy (5 yrs old)easily. Not a lap swimming pool. It’s a splash around and cool off pool.
However, I can’t stress this enough, you really need to be on level, steady ground. I put my first one in a specially built 16’ x 16’ box filled with sand on top of gravel. I was slightly off level, and the first big rainstorm we got washed out some of the sand, making it even more off level. The stress of the weight shift caused an entire side seam to give out and destroy the pool.
I returned it for credit at Wal-Mart and bought a larger one and some tarps to aid in erosion control. Had no problems the rest of the year.
I put it up again this year, but bought one of the metal sided ones similar to this one (but $1300 cheaper!!) at K-Mart for next year.
Maintenance is easy, and the filter is OK. I don’t like the ladder (too narrow) and the POS ground cloth rots out quickly (buy yourself a tarp, it’ll last longer). Took about a day to fill and about a 3-4 days to drain (10 seconds when it decided to drain itself :D).
Definately worth the money, though.
Got one just like it but different name. We set ours on a patch of concrete in the back. Great place for the kids to cool off. I think they’re well made and worth the money. Far better than those with metal walls and a vinyl liner.
Bob,
I was specifically told not to set it on concrete. I really wanted to, for fear of erosion (which happened). You figure it’s safe? How long have you had yours up? I want to concrete the box over, and put foam tiles down. I have the tiles down now, on top of sand, and it feels great.
So how would I make sure the ground is level? I’ve looked around at my yard. The sod is a bit bumpy. What can I do to smooth the ground out?
Thanks.
My backyard is on a steep uphill slope. Both directions it seems like when I’m pushing a lawnmower.
My brother in law built a 16’ x 16’ box out of 4 x 4 posts. He used 5 in the front, 1 in the back, and dug trenches to build up the side walls. We filled it with several inches of gravel, and several more inches of sand. After that, we raked it smooth, let the rain pack it, I rolled it with a water-filled roller, and used a level to check ourselves. That was a project in itself, and it turned out we were just a bit off.
I don’t think bumpy is so much of an issue as level. The box that the pool came in implied that anything less than a 2 or 3 degree slope would be fine. I think my sand just sifted beyond that. Doing it on grass is probably better, as it won’t shift so much, but that’s a complete guess. I don’t know about that for sure.
This year, I did some touchup levelling, put tarps over the sand, and those foam pads over the tarp. The pool went on top of all of that, and so far so good. I think we just rushed it last year since getting the box built was such a chore and we just wanted to get it over with.
When I opened the link, I started laughing out loud. The best way I can explain it to you is to copy a yahoo message board entry of mine from last July 4th.
In the wake of that disaster, Stonebow swore he would never buy another, and save his money for something more permanent. YMMV, hopefully.
My neighbor was on her back porch when mine went. I was out of town. She said the rush of water was breathtaking. She was also impressed by the fact that said wall of water missed her flower garden by inches, turned right before it got to the basement window, and flowed harmlessly down her sidewalk into the street.
You should have better luck, though. I hope. 
Funny stuff.
I’ll probably call the company and double check.
In our previous house we had an above ground pool. My husband’s contribution to the running of said pool was to fiddle with all the nifty chemicals. After much prompting he would wade into the pool once a year, ask plaintively, “Can I come out now?” and then leave. He does not like summer.
I, on the other hand, practically lived in the big blue oval hole. I have fond memories of slipping outside right before bed for a quick skinny dip.
We have agreed that the new pool will be solely my responsibilty so I want to make sure running it is at easy as possible.
We had one. It lasted about a month. The dogs ate it.
You will never get 17 people in it like the picture in the link. Mine lasted 3 months, a cat apparently tried to climb up the side and poked some holes in it. Despite my best efforts, the side gave out 2 days later right where the claw holes were.
As has been pointed out, it IS a vinyl sided pool. Vinyl and animal teeth/claws do not get along. Neither does vinyl and sharp objects underneath it, such as rocks, pieces of glass, branches, etc. You cannot push off on the edges or make “whirlpools” in it. The pool is not invincible. If you take reasonable care of it, it will last you at least two seasons. I am not a representative of any pool company. I wanted a pool, but couldn’t afford a fancy one. The one you’re looking at fit the bill perfectly and has provided many, many hours of fun for the family and the kids.
My dog peed on the side (the outside 
) of the pool once. Once. Then something hit the dog in the side (I ain’t saying what it was), and he has not peed on it since. 
My brother has one of those, for a ten-year-old and a six-year-old. They’ve used it for two years, I think, and expect to use it again this year. The kids really enjoy it. It’s not for real swimming and it’s probably too small for adults to do anything other than get wet, but it’s worthwhile for the children. I think the design is pretty clever in the way you inflate the upper portion and then that part raises as the pool is filled with water, so that the whole thing is self-supporting. I think the biggest problem is making sure the thing is emptied and cleaned properly before packing it away for the winter. If you don’t do that, it will be covered in mildew next year.
My aunt and uncle had one for their two young kids, who really seemed to love it. They got rid of it (for reasons unrelated to the actual pool) after a year, so I guess they didn’t really have time to experience the way they can break down, but still, I think they would have seen it as a good investment if they got two or three seasons out of it.
