Embassy Pools vs Doughboy - materials & design

[jaredg]

Hello. I'm newly registered here and I'm hoping someone can shed some light on some pools that are made by the same parent company.

I'm doing some shopping for an AGP in the 27-30' range. I'm looking at a 28' Doughboy Silver Lake and a 30' Century by Embassy Pools. Here's what I know about them:
- The Silver Lake has a 35 year warranty and the Century carries a 20 year warranty.
- They both have steel top rails.
- Doughboy and Embassy are both brands owned by Hoffinger.
- The silver Lake costs about $1500 more than the Century.

Is there a significant difference in the materials and design of these two pools? Anyone have experience or knowledge of these brands?
I appreciate any help.
Thanks.

Jared

 

[jaredg]

Ok, so I took a 45 minute drive to check out the two pools in question. There is a significant difference in the Embassy Century vs. the Doughboy Silver Lake. The most noticeable difference was in the uprights. The Embassy has one-piece, roll-formed channels that are maybe 3" deep and 4' wide. They feel pretty flimsy in comparison to the much deeper, multi-piece uprights on the Silver Lake. I was also told that the DB had 16 uprights on a 24' round where the Embassy had 14.
I could also tell a difference in the stiffness of the top rail, but it was hard to tell whether the material was thicker on the DB or if it was just a stronger shape. The walls felt a little stiffer on the Doughboy as well.
How much does any of this matter? I have no idea. However, I can definitely say that there are differences in material and design.
Jared