Intex 8ft X 30in Easy Set Above Ground Swimming Pool with Filter Pump - Perfect for Backyard Fun, Family Gatherings & Summer Relaxation

So far so good, we started opening and setting up on the grass, from there we decided the more level concrete slab would be a better & cleaner area to set the pool on so we drained the little we did fill in a few min and it went up on the patio fairly easily and in a matter of minutes. After huffing and puffing for the first 5 min. I was able to get the upper support ring at the top/rim inflated. From there I smoothed out the bottom of the heavy vinyl liner and started to fill, during the first 15 min I gently stretched out the vinyl liner gently smoothing it out as it filled, the first 10-15 min is fine, after that the weight of the water will be too much to be able to stretch out the liner bottom any further.All in all It took about 30-40 min to completely fill the pool to the top rim. While filling you will need to get those hoses in place as the water rises to the area the hose ports are it will start to drain out the hoses unless the hoses are attached with the clamps provided to the pump etc. the entire thing is fairly simple to hook up, take your time identifying the pump hose parts listed in the instructions as they are illustrated very small and a little difficult to identify, once you understand the sequence/route for the hoses it should be fairly easy to finish up.I have to say for the price this is a really nice little pool! Being someone who admires the genius of a good design I appreciated the pool probably a bit more than most, the design itself is brilliant, large stable bottom and the sides of the pool taper/are smaller in circumference traveling up toward the top or rim of the pool, which gives it a good stable side without any additional support such as a frame, rim itself is basically an inflatable doughnut which contributes significantly to the stabilization of the pool as inflatables float, the inflatable rim is constantly pulling upward ensuring the sides always return to their intended position holding in the water no matter if someone pushes the rim down allowing water to escape during getting in or out of the pool.It doesn't come with any sort of ladder or way in or out other than pushing down the upper rim/doughnut so it's nice to be able to squish down the rim and step over, yes some water spills out each time but the inflatable rim ensures the water loss is minimum as it always returns to its correct position stopping further water loss each time. Brilliant! In case you can't tell I really like this thing!It's big enough for an adult to sit in it and being 6'3" the water Lime would fall somewhere around my neck area. A 4 year old child of 37" is able to stand in the pool and have the water just below their chin or neck area, so it's nice they are mostly submersed with the option of always standing up if they have a problem. Always watch your child, NEVER leave them alone even for a second as it doesn't take long for a child to drowned. As long as you're there and your child is tall enough to stand and have the water fall below their chin, they should be fine playing inside the pool by themselves with you watching.I’ve included an updated photo, the fittings do leak a bit if the clamps are not positioned directly over the rubber o-ring as the clamps are installed. Even so the plastic clamps really aren’t able to ensure a leak proof fit. If this isn’t something you’d be able to live with, I’d recommend getting better steel clamps in place of he provided plastic ones.NOTE: If you appreciated this review please give it a “thumbs up/like” your helping me to continue to give honest/unbiased insight into products I’ve used and you may have questions about. Interested in a product but don't know enough about it and would like it reviewed? Please let me know and I'll see what I can do... Thank you ?Things to know before buying this pool.1. You absolutely must have an even surface or 98% of the way there. Period. Do not buy the pool if you do not have at least 8x8 of level ground to put it on.2. The filter that comes with this pool is worthless. Reviews said this but I chalked it up to negative nillies. Buy this same pool without the filter for slightly cheaper and then buy the larger filter for $60 or splurge for the $105 small sand filter.3. That sand filter is a great value because it'll also pump your water out of the pool if you need to drain it for any reason or take down at the end of the season. I bought a pump for this for $50 and now wish I just bought the sand filter for another $50.4. If you put the pool on a foam base (I used 4x8 foam insulation sheets) if makes it easier to stretch the bottom and make sure it is even and without wrinkles. The pool has to be on a level surface and you need to get those wrinkles out.5. Instructions for the filter suck. So here is a helpful tip. There are three holes in the pool. The highest hole is where the jet goes and that connects to the lower outlet on the filter. The other two holes are for the suction/strainer type to pull water from the pull and that plugs into the higher port on the filter. The two short tubes are for those ports, those plug into the t fitting and the longer tubes plug into the jet and filter and at the bottom of the t fitting and the filter. That's all you need to know.4 stars due to a useless filter. I have only just set the pool up and haven't used It yet but it's been up for 8 hrs and looks good.**** Update 6/15/2018 ****The pool has seen heavy use. My 8 yr old has been in it several times a wk as have I. It is still holding up well. The ring needs to be topped off with air every 2-3 days. We have a pump so that is no big deal. The filter as I mentioned before is simply not good enough for this pool. It is filtering, as I just replaced the filter and it was gross but not nearly enough. The larger filter is on sale for $35 via amazon right now and I would highly recommend getting that. Here is what I purchased with this pool.Chlorine + Stabilizer - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PZZFQKY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1I put two in and test the pool every couple of days and try to keep 2 full tablets in it at all times. Thus far it has tested great every single day.Chlorine floater - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002M40VJM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1Testing strips - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E6E9PG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Pump - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X05G1A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1I use the pump to drain water out every two weeks and re top. The added benefit is the pump is on the bottom of the pool and will clean it as well. It is a totally optional purchase but it will also allow me to drain the pool into a sewer to the street.I have nothing bad to say about the pool, it is still going strong, the leaks at the hoses are very minimal and the filter is what it is. I would recommend buying this pool to someone who has a small area, doesn't want to spend a lot of time keeping it up, and has young kids or just wants something to relax in and cool off.**** 7/5/2018**** UpdateThe large filter is on sale now for $40. This is the 1000GPH filter. This filter will also allow you to attach the intex vacuum to it to clean the bottom of the pool. I highly recommend purchasing that filter, keep the one that comes with this pool as a spare or buy this same pool without a filter included.Also we have had several days in the high 90s and low 100s. We have used this pool a lot during this time. The pool is still holding up well and doing its job.Nice size poolThe pool was easy to set up but unfortunately when I filled it with water the plug to release the water leaked like crazy. This was surprising as really there is a double plug, one from the inside and a screw on cap on the outside. Since we are on a well and it took a long time to fill it, I was not emptying to send back. I got some plumbers tape and put it on the threads on the outside cap, it helped but still dripped so I bought some stop leak tape and wrapped the plug. Hope I can get it off at end of season. Ended up costing me more than $20 for the two tapes.The pool came with a leak right below the drain. I had already filled it up so figured I’d use it a couple days before returning it. Then the inflatable ring got bloated, which meant that it folded over the bladder and let the water out. The next day the ring got punctured too! I did everything by the book and this piece of junk lasted a total of three days. Oh, and did I mention I called the manufacturer and hung up after waiting over an hour?We bought this pool just to keep cool in our hot summers. Very easy to set up and everything worked so well. Just make sure you buy a bunch of filters. We also bought the pool cover for this pool. Also a great deal!Love it, it’s the perfect size for my kids. I bought it used and it was still in awesome condition. I would suggest ordering extra filters & chemicals with it.