Buying a New Above Ground Pool

by New pool owner
(wi)

I am considering buying an Out Back 33" Brisbane above ground swimming pool. Do you have any comments on that brand or pool buying in general?

Hi.

There are so many different brands of pools on the market now it is very hard to compare them. Out Back makes a good pool and the Brisbane is one of my favorite models. It follows my basic believe that a pool should not be over designed or get too fancy. I also do not like the overuse of resin. This pool has resin caps that are fine but has resin coated uprights and top rails. I strongly prefer these over all resin parts. It looks like a good strong pool without overdoing it.

I feel you should start with a basic pool like this and then add to it the best filter and cleaning equipment you can buy. The fanciest pool money can buy will not be enjoyed if you can not keep it clean.

This may sound a little strange, but if money played a factor in my buying decisions, I would go with a cheaper liner and spend the extra on cleaning equipment. I find it rather sad the number of expensive liners I replace in the first year or two of a new pool. There are so many different mistakes new pool owners can make that will ruin a liner. Why not start out with a plain blue, inexpensive liner, and use it as a practice. If it has to be replaced in the first year, you have not lost so much. If you are still using the same liner after five years, you have done everything right, and it would be safe to splurge on your next liner.

Garden Leisure Pool

by Jo
(Athens, GA)

What is the difference in a Doughboy above ground pool and a Garden Leisure pool? I am debating a copper canyon Doughboy or an Oracle Garden Leisure pool. The oracle is cheaper so wondering the difference. thanks.

Hi Jo.

The biggest difference between the two is how they go together. The Oracle by Garden Leisure is much harder to install. Doughboy has always built user friendly pools, those that are easy to install. By easy to install I mean all the parts are in the boxes and they all fit together correctly, the first time. The Oracle is one of the over designed pools with too many parts and new ways of attaching things that make installing harder, not easier.

If you plan to do the install yourself I would definitely go with the Doughboy. If you are going to have it installed talk to your installer before you order the pool, not after. Ask your installer the pros and cons of the two pools and which one he prefers installing. You will get a better job if your installer is comfortable working with the pool you are asking him to build.

Doughboy Tuscany

I have the opportunity to buy a used Doughboy Tuscany. Can you tell me the pros and cons with this pool?

It looks like the top rail, bottom track and uprights are all some kind of hard plastic.

Anything you can tell me would be helpful.

Hi.

It looks like an awesome pool. Doughboy has never, that I know of, made a bad pool. If you have read many of my pages you know I am a big Doughboy fan

I'm also not a big fan of over designed pools, which this looks to be. I just do not normally go for all of this fancy stuff, because, most of the time they are a nightmare to install. The fancier a pool gets, the more difficult it is to install. Some manufacturers are so bad it's crazy, like, there is just know way all of these parts will ever possibly fit together. Why use ten parts to do what five have done very well in the past?

But it is a Doughboy, and Doughboy pools have always been installer friendly. So my guess is this pool is no exception. I do not recall ever having installed one, but I have installed similar models, just not quite this fancy.

The newer Doughboy resin pools, like the Tuscany, have all been of top quality, everything you would expect from a Doughboy.

If the price were right I would have no problem recommending this pool as a great buy. You just can't go wrong buying a used Doughboy pool at a good price.

Aquarian 200 Pool

by James
(South Georgia)

I am thinking about ordering the Aquarian 200 pool from InTheSwim. I have ordered from them before buying an Intex pool. I am ready to step up to a real pool and was wanting to get your opinion on this pool. I have a 10% off coupon from them and I can save some money. I have been reading your articles and value your opinion. Thank you very much. James

Hi James.

Thank you. I like the pool for several reasons.

7 in. Steel Ledge-Pewter Polyester Base Paint plus Clear Krystal Kote

6 in. steel Top Track

6 in. Steel Top Connector

2-Piece Injection Molded High Impact Resin Cap

6 in. Steel Post-Pewter Polyester Base Paint plus Clear Krystal Kote

52 in. Tilestone Wall/Widemouth Skimmer Cut Out

Weather Resistant Polyester Base Paint plus Clear Krystal Kote on outside wall

Corrosion Resistant Primer plus Polyester Protective Top Coat on inside wall

1-Piece Injection Molded Resin Foot Collar/Bottom Connector Combination

Includes liner coping strips

25 Year Warranty, 3 Years Full on Hot Dipped Galvanized steel Components

It looks like this pool has it all. It has large uprights and top rails, and that means you will get a large bottom rail and foot plates. This makes assembly and leveling easier. The warranty looks good. I can't see how you could go wrong.

Buying a Used Dougboy, Steel or Resin?

by Kristin
(Jackson, GA)

We are on a tight budget to install a pool. We found a highly rated local pool installer who has 2 used 24ft round 52 inch Doughboy pools only a few years old. One is 100% steel walls & rails Silver Lake model & the other is steel wall with resin rails Autumn Breeze model. He has offered to sell us the structure used, provide all new Hayward pump, filter, Doughboy liner, throw in hard piping the pool, grade, sand & install for $4900.
Also providing a 1 year install warranty & manufacturer's warranty on all new equipment. I have seen pictures of the pools. They look to be in good shape. We plan to partially bury it & recess it into a sloped yard.
1. Is that a fair price compared to a brand new Doughboy (chlorinated system\not salt)
2. Which material will last longer in an area with 8 to 10 hours of sun being partially buried\backfilled?
3. We also have estimates for the mirage resin saltwater pool (15x30 oval)for $3000 more. Should we go this route instead of Doughboy?
Thanks, KH

Hi I would go with the 24' round steel pool and the price seems fair.