This is a great swimming pool. I did a lot of research before buying this pool, and I considered the criticisms mentioned by Amazon customers who own this pool. Here's what I experienced.
The pool takes 30-60 minutes to set-up and an extra 30-60 minutes to fill the pool with water -- not the 10 minutes as advertised on the pool box! The set-up time assumes that you've already got a level place to set-up the pool -- if not, expect more time to add/remove sand or soil to prepare a flat area. To make sure your site is level, take a board and place it on the ground, then set a level on the board. Do this in a circular motion to ensure the site is level north-to-south, east-to-west.
I bought a 10mm tarp to put under the pool -- for the 10' pool, that's not strictly necessary, but the tarp provides an extra buffer between the pool floor and those small sharp rocks you didn't notice when you were preparing the site.
The pool is constructed like a bowl with an inflated air ring at the lip of the bowl. Some owners have complained that the air ring sprung a hole after short use. HERE'S A TIP: Inflate the air ring so it just barely inflates -- the ring will feel limp after filling it. THAT'S OKAY! When the sun comes out, you'll find that the air in the ring expands and the ring will be taut and pressurized. If you fill the ring with too much air, the pressure will be too great when the sun comes out and your air ring will burst.
Filling the pool with water is a cinch. Begin adding water and observe whether the water is evenly distributed on the pool floor. If not, STOP and take the trouble to empty the ground underneath the pool -- you won't be able to do anything once the pool is filled up.
Have kids step into a small bucket filled with water before entering the pool -- that helps remove debris from their feet and keeps your pool water clean.
While the pool is filling, be sure to smooth out any wrinkles on the floor. Kids LOVE jumping in the pool while the pool is filling -- let 'em! They'll have a blast and there's no harm done.
If your pool is uneven, you can still use your pool. My pool was about 4" uneven (eg, one side was filled to the brim, the opposite side had water 4" below the fill line), and yet I had no problem using the pool. My kids didn't notice or care that it was uneven.
Visit a pool shop and get chlorine (see my new tips, below), a water test kit and a hand net to keep your pool clean. Buy a pool cover -- it keeps your pool clean and the liquid chlorine lasts longer that way. Use 2 cups of chlorine to "shock" the pool once a week (don't swim in the pool for a day afterwards), and 1 cup of chlorine every other day to keep the water clean. Clean the pool filter every 1-2 weeks -- just spray it off with a garden hose to clean it, then reuse it.
Even though you'll use chlorine, plan on emptying half the pool water once a month and adding fresh water to the pool. That will help keep your pool water clean and remove impurities from the water.
I've been pleased with the pool's durability -- we've used it for a month now, and it gets heavy use from energetic children. Make sure that their pool toys have no sharp objects (no water pistols, for example). Don't allow children to wear jean shorts with rivets in them. The key to durability is caution that nothing pokes through the vinyl walls.
Use this pool to teach small children how to swim/float/hold their breath. Older children must be warned not to horseplay in such a way that they'll fall headlong into the pool.
Enjoy!
**** March 23, 2010 UPDATE
This review has had a lot of feedback over the years, so it's worth sharing a few more tips with you Amazon customers.
1) Instead of using liquid chlorine regularly, buy a chlorine float used for spas, and then buy 1.5" chlorine tablets to fill the chlorine float. This way, your pool always is chlorinated. Use liquid chlorine just to shock the pool, or buy a powder additive to do that. Your local pool supplier should have a good recommendation for you. I regret using liquid chlorine the one time it leaked in my minivan and ruined the minivan's carpet.
2) Definitely buy a pool cover -- and use it! I wondered for *years* why my pool would eventually get this brown sediment on the pool floor. Turns out, it's pollen! The filtration system won't purify the water from the pollen. So, use a pool cover to keep your pool covered when not in use -- that will keep your pool water cleaner. When removing the cover, try to keep the top of the cover from getting in the pool water. To lift the pool cover off the surface of the pool water, stick a beach ball under the cover to raise the cover up. This way, when it rains, the dirt and pollen on your pool cover will run-off the pool, rather than go into your pool.
3) Avoid wearing oily sunscreen when you use this pool. Too much sunscreen in the water makes it cloudy. Instead, wear swim shirts (surfer rash guards) to protect your upper body, and a non-oily, zinc oxide cream for just your exposed face. Use the pool in late afternoons so sun exposure isn't an issue.
4) Buy one or two spare hoses that attach to the pump and keep them handy. The hoses that come with this set won't last long with full sun exposure, and will eventually crack and leak. You may have to order the hose replacements directly from the manufacturer, as local pool shops may not carry the hose size you'll need.
5) I started using vinyl-sided pools by buying this 10'x30" Easy Set pool. I've since used other, larger pools, too (up to 15'x42"). The larger the pool, the more important it is to have a level surface. Vinyl-sided pools are easy to care for and very cost effective. And the fun they offer doesn't diminish -- my kids have already begun asking me when I'm going to setup our pool for the upcoming warm weather season.
Enjoy!