Intex 18ft X 52in Ultra Frame Pool Set with Sand Filter Pump

I had doubts the day the pool arrived via motor freight as there was damage to the box (bottom had large holes, box flaps loose) even though it was strapped to a pallet. Due to the size and weight of this product, Amazon should require an outer shipping carton for additional protection. That being said, the contents inside were undamaged and I was able to set up the pool with the help of two teenagers in about 2 hours. The key to a trouble free set up is to read through the two main instruction manuals completely and have proper ground preparation. It can get a bit confusing because the owner's manuals refer to various Intex models and there is just a lot to read so take your time and you will do fine. This is my third Intex pool, last two were the 16' diameter 48" high versions with the inflatable ring. After years of trying to fix holes and leaks in the ring I decided to take the plunge with the metal frame and I am so happy I did. The frame went together easily with only one issue, the owner's manual says to slide each leg into a sleeve that slides on the belt circling the pool. It's not clear from the illustrations if the leg itself is inside or outside the belt but I placed mine outside which was in my mind the logical position. You must have a level, smooth surface to begin with. I spend several hours each year preparing the surface, leveling dirt and sand, removing weeds and stones, etc which makes a huge difference in how the pool sits on my site. If the ground is not level, the pool is not level and it could have serious issues.You will also need 175 lbs of pool salt or water softener salt, pool sand for the sand filter and a drainage hose for the sand filter. I spent time looking for plumbing parts that would connect to the sand filter discharge outlet (Intex part is not common plumbing size) and finally found pvc parts at my local Menard's in the sewer parts department not plumbing as you might think. Also, the hose I have pictured is for hot tubs and glues into the pvc parts with pvc solvent. Expensive hose, I paid about $35 for 6 feet. It took about 15 hours to fill the pool, another 20 minutes to add salt and brush the bottom to dissolve. Programming the pump took a few minutes.All I can say is the water stays clear and clean. Only a very slight saltiness to it but not as salty as the ocean. For anyone that has struggled to keep these pools clean and stable by adding chlorine, changing filters, adding conditioners and balancers you will love this system. You will save hundred's of dollars over the lifetime of this pool by only buying salt.One thing I found is that I have to clean the electrodes every 3 weeks or so due to mineral build up. I live in southeastern Wisconsin which has very hard water in most areas. No big deal, just remove both and soak in white vinegar for an hour.Buy this pool you won't regret it!

So far so good had it up for 3weeks. Went through two rain storms never turned green. All I had to buy for my 6,968 gallon salt water pool was pool sand which I didn't know there was such thing or the difference but there is for the sand filter, so easy you just pour it in the big grey barrel filter It was $18 but I got from expensive pool store Walmart it cheaper. Also I needed 4 - 40lbs. Of pool salt. I got that from Walmart only $4 a bag order online pick up in store the cheapest other wise it was about 80$ to have it delivered from Walmart. That was it! just watch the video it tells you step by step how to set it up. It took about 8 hours to fill. But other than that you don't have to do anything to the pool. I keep testing with the stripes it came with and all levels are perfect. I just threw the salt in the pool after it was filled. It comes with everything this pool. I was so nervous setting it up and my husband didn't want it. He said it was gonna be too much work and he didn't wanna deal with it. But Its no work at all!!! Just let filter run everyday and pool is clear and ready to swim. Changed my summer life everyone comes over now and hangs out to go in the pool. Best investment I ever made.

This is a lot of money for a lesser pool system but it is working for us. Has been in use only a few days now.The reason I am not giving it five stars is a) the ladder is a flimsy joke and b) the paper thin ground cloth is virtually useless.We initially had 4 surprises when it was time to assemble and use the pool (lack of knowledge on our part).1) There is real work involved preparing the ground for a pool - please ensure you are self-educated here, it was a lot of work but will pay off!2) The ladder is so poor - we feel it is unsafe to even use. Flimsy, wobbly and the type of plastic rungs that hold or shatter (we won't be waiting for the latter to occur).3) Of course we should have thought about it, but you will need to go buy a 50lb bag of #20 silica Sand for pool sand-filters!!4) The small plastic feet that attach to the bottom of the legs to provide surface area for weight is simply not enough unless you are placing your pool on concrete or otherwise a seriously solid surface. We had to stop filling and place 12"x12" stones under every leg to prevent sinking into the grass.Setup time? OK - this is just amateur season - we simply did not know what we were getting into. A bit of research, a few discussions, 6 videos and we began work to PREPARE to have a pool. The ground work is way more important than anything else. The idea to just throw this thing up in a seemingly flat area is not reality if you expect to also put water in it. We leveled the ground, put sand down (an important step if you don't want to hurt your feet on the bottom of the pool because your feet will feel every tiny imperfection there is, especially any sharp objects like a small rock, etc.), purchased 12"x12" concrete stones for all 18 legs of the pool. So - it was quite a bit more involved than we thought. Roughly 5.5 hours with 2 people working on it non-stop (this includes ground work). You will need a level to check the pool rails and legs during installation. You will want to double and triple check the legs as you add water because they do tend to shift as things settle.Assembly of the pool itself was relatively easy. Was a little tough getting started and a little challenging connecting the last "T" connector but other than that, a breeze. Everything is working as advertised and the kids are loving it.You may want to invest in your own ground cloth. We purchased the Gorilla ground cloth which feels like a very thick felt pad and that really softened the bottom of the pool for your feet.Since we are on a private well system with low water availability, we paid a pool delivery truck to bring 6k gallons of water and we filled the rest over week between water hose and heavy rain.Looks nice, is working good for now. We WILL have to replace that ridiculous excuse for a ladder!