Need Warranty and Pool Selection Advice - Cost vs Benefit

[srfdntchk]

Hi All,

My wife and I are hoping to pull the trigger on an AGP around the end of the year. We're looking at doing a professionally installed partial burial and adding a SWG. I've narrowed down the selection to two models, one that warranties burial, but is a lesser known brand and more expensive, and the other that's a well-known brand that gets excellent reviews, is cheaper, but with a warranty that will be void if the pool is buried. Both warranties cover a SWG system. Here's what I'm looking at:

Pool Factory Saltwater 8000 18' x 54" - $1946
Specifications:
•Includes skimmer and blue liner. For liner upgrades or accessories click Customize this Pool
•8" Injection-molded, true curved Synflex, RESIN Top Seats resist bad weather, Saltwater, chlorinated water and constant wear
•Stainless Steel service panel for superior corrosion protection
•54" High Wall finished with Duratex 2000 anti-corrosion paint protects against humidity and chemicals
•Durable RESIN Rails with integrated connecting Resin Plates give the Saltwater 8000 strength, support and style
•Sturdy 6.5" galvanized steel uprights finished with a texturized polyester anti-corrosion coating
•Heavy-duty Resin tracks, over-sized Resin connectors and over-sized fasteners add strength to a pool that will last for summers to come
•Built to withstand the corrosion issues associated with Saltwater
•Can be used with Freshwater or Saltwater and with any sanitizer or sanitizing system, including chlorine
•Wall Color/Design: Pearl/Stella
•Warranty: Manufacturer's 60-year limited warranty. Lifetime warranty on all resin components
•Warranty covers the use of a Salt System
•Installs above ground or semi-inground (installation not included)
•Warranted for semi-inground installation up to halfway (27 inches) in the ground
•Approximate inside (water) dimensions - 18' Diameter
•Approximate outside dimensions (space required) - 19' Diameter
•Approximate Water Capacity - 7,500 Gallons

Sharkline Matrix 18' x 54" - $1370
•Hybrid Swimming Pool
•7 inch variable width injection molded resin top rails
•6 inch injection molded resin uprights
•54 inch high galvanized, corrugated steel walls
•Has 18 top rails and uprights for enhanced structural stability
•Top and bottom rails as well as uprights are injection molded resin
•Soft-touch rails are radius design and stay cooler than steel
•Round pools have resin lock-down fasteners for an excellent DIY project
•Flo-Pro II wide mouth skimmer
•Steel walls treated with Krystal Kote steel protector
•Made in the USA

I know folks out there have buried their Sharklines with success, so my question is whether I should spend almost $600 more for the lesser known pool that warranties partial burial, or save that money and go with the well-reviewed Sharkline pool and not worry about the warranty? Is there anything in the specs or descriptions of the pools that would make you go one way or the other?

Thoughts?

 

[Vickery]

The Pool Factory pools shows a liner included, the basic one from Pool Supply does not, however I know from experience there are unpublished deals. There are differences in a few areas - stainless steel reinforcing plate for the skimmer and returns (critical sources of leaks and corrosion) but are the differences worth the extra money? There may be greater discounts in a another month. I would be shopping around for your equipment as well, if they can sweeten the deal with an oversized filter and two stage pump and maybe a swcg then the difference may be even greater.

 

[srfdntchk]

Thanks for the reply Vicker.

Anyone else want to chime in about the warranty? The Saltwater 8000 vs the Sharkline Matrix as far as specs and cost?

 

[chipchip]

I like the Saltwater 8000, it would be my choice of the two.

 

[srfdntchk]

I like the Saltwater 8000, it would be my choice of the two.

Would you mind elaborating on why you'd go with the Saltwater 8000? Is it the warranty? The specs compared to the Sharkline? Combo of both?

 

[dsmith99]

I can't speak for warranty as I have not had to use it, but poolfactory.com had top notch customer service.

I had a saltwater LX top rail get damaged in shipping. I found it while inventorying all the parts over memorial weekend, so I used their email contact form to notify them, it was about 9 am on memorial day. I was surprised to receive an actual response from a real person a short time later. They asked for a couple pics of the damage so I sent them right away. A short time later they emailed to say the part would go out right away.

The following morning, Tuesday, less than 24 hours after contacting them about the damage, the part was delivered to my door in Iowa.

Seemed like a nice quality pool and went together easy. I highly recommend upgrading to the unibead liner, it made installation very easy. I carefully installed pavers under each post, leveled both directions, set to uniform height with a transit. I then packed down the 6 tons of fine masonry sand with a vibrating plate compactor, used foam cove and a shop vac to pull the liner in tight. The 25 mil liner went in very easy and I don't have a single wrinkle, but did miss a couple shallow footprints. If I were to do it again I would put high density foam panels down on the sand before installing the liner.