The pool itself is great as always. No problems with leakage and the directions are fairly straightforward. We have been buying Intex pools for about 8 years and have been pleased overall. They each last a few years with the expectation that you get a few seasons of fun per pool, you need to patch now and then, grass will eventually start to grow through when it ages out and you will need to replace it at some point. For the money, however - a few summers of full family fun - it is well worth any of the annoyances. That said, I can compare this one to those of the past. This one has a few things that need work...This pool jostles much more than any we've ever had before despite being the same brand and size. When the kids play, it does not stay still but actually shakes the water right out - we aren't quite sure why because we actually set this one up more level than our past ones. The cover is silly - it simply does not stay in place. The ladder, unlike those in the past, is now so light that it moves around a lot when there is movement in the pool so we have to reposition it a lot. And the pump tubing is a slightly different size than those in the past, rendering our Intex hydroelectric fountain unusable for the time being. (We've tried a converter for the fountain, but the converter leaks too badly to use.) Lastly, and somewhat less important, is the look. The bright blue pool never quite blended with the yard, of course, and you know that before you buy. You would think the new gray would be more easy to blend with an attractive yard... not so much because of the gigantic white "INTEX" print on the pool. The new interior faux tile is lovely and a great improvement, but the old blue pool actually turned out to look nicer than the ugly gray with all of the white print all over it - and all of the print is everywhere! Intex, please make something that looks attractive in the yard!

Easy to set up and a great deal! We bought it with the sand/salt water filter system. It took about an hour to assemble with two people. We were enjoying the pool within 2 days. The instructions that came with the pool aren't the greatest, YouTube was a huge help!

Like another poster, my parcel arrived in a completely annihilated box. My husband and I, along with the delivery man took our time going through each item to make sure it was intact. We ultimately decided to set it up and see if it would hold water rather than go another month + waiting on a replacement. Luckily, several days later, it seems to be okay.

Set-up was a breeze! My ten year old son and I were able to assemble the frame and bladder in a couple hours, begin filling it, and smooth the wrinkles on the floor. The next day, I set up the filter/pump. It is very easy to do solo.

So far, there are no leaks, air or water, which I had experienced with our previous Summer Escapes pool/Intex pump setup. They really make it a pain to use any two brands work with each other. All the hoses and fittings are always different sizes. That's why this time I opted for the all-in-one.

Note that pool sand is much more difficult to find at a big box store these days, as more and more people are switching to a saltwater setup. Your local pool supply store should carry it, however, and you're looking at buying a 50 lb. bag for $10-$12.

I also purchased a standard vacuum and hose, which does not fit any of the hoses that came with this pool, so I'm currently looking for a coupling of some sort. Don't bother with the type that attaches to a garden hose. Trust me. You'll be wasting a ton of water and the sediment will flow right through the mesh bag. Invest in a weighted vacuum head.

Overall, I am super happy with this purchase. It seems to be much better quality than the Summer Escapes brand that survived three years and three hundred patches before I couldn't even detect where the holes were anymore and it no longer held water.

Also, I agree with whomever posted that the ladder is crap. I'm 5'3, 115, and my shoulders don't even fit through the handles to sit on the top of it. It twists and shakes under even my forty pound daughter's weight.

Proudly say that two 5' women put this pool up, if we can do it you can too. We took breaks to go instead and watch the DVDs then came out to tackle each stage, it was all very easy and straightforward. This is a HUGE pool that takes awhile to fill up.
Please note
1) Even though it is 18x9, make sure you add at least 3 feet to each side when laying out your area.
2) I put mine on a fairly level concrete patio, the holes for the plumbing are a little high, make sure that the filter holes are on the lower side if you have a little uneven leveling
3) Lay the liner out in the sun, unfold it in the sun and let it sit for a little bit. This softens it up a little to be able to move around.
4) Look at filter hole placement, we layed it out and was so focused on the next setups we nearly forgot to turn the pool around.
5) There is this extra little piece that has a small screw end and a black cap, it goes on at the larger filter ring on the outside opening, we couldn't find in the instructions.
If the hoses that connect to the Y leaks put a couple of layers of plumbers tape on it.
6) Watch youtube videos of the sand filters
7) Sand for the sand filters can be found at home depot or pool stores
8) You can call to have water delivered to your pool, if you are on city water and fill with the hose call the city after you get your bill to have the sewer water portion removed from your bill.

Looking forward to putting up our INTEX pool. Summer is just around the corner and we are ready. Our last Inex pool lasted 10 years and was worth every penny. Since we moved, we purchased a bigger pool & looking forward to the days of relaxation!! Best of all we changed from using chemicals to the Salt Water & Sand Filter pump"”it literally pays for the pool with what we save. Bag of salt $9.87 "” 2 bags of sand $19.99 "”- relaxing in water that is crystal clear year after year"”PRICELESS!!