Anybody built one of these? Do the tanks at Tractor Supply work? Wanting to do something similar for the kids to swim in. Just not sure if they are worth the hassle and cost.

Several of my neighbors around me have them and use them routinely. One neighbor bought a used tank and had to get rid of it b/c of all the leaks. YouTube has several DIY vids to give you some ideas.

Go with the large 1000-gallon poly tank you can get at tractor supply and won't have to worry about rusting out or leaking at seams. When you're tired of it in a few years just advertise it on Craigslist or Marketplace and some Farmer or Rancher will buy it for livestock.

I got a 10ft Hastings Black Label during COVID years. Works great for what we use it for. Which is mostly toddlers, cooling off after yard work, and watching football games. Would go poly if I were doing it today.

Am I being a worry wart about kids getting in and not being able to climb back out over the vertical wall? Our local NRCS sells escape ramps, inclined ramps so birds and wildlife that fall in can climb out. Seems like a good idea

CanyonAg77 said:

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Am I being a worry wart about kids getting in and not being able to climb back out over the vertical wall? Our local NRCS sells escape ramps, inclined ramps so birds and wildlife that fall in can climb out. Seems like a good idea

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They make A-Frame pool ladders. We have one on ours, and it works very easily.

I've been thinking about one of these after the summer we had last year. Pretty cheap to put together and I've already got a 12x12 concrete "hot tub" pad with power and a hose bib right there from when the house was built. Just need parts and some posts for a shade sail.

OnlyForNow said:

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I mean that thing has to get what, 98 degrees easy ?

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2 large bags of ice from Buc-ee's in it and you're golden.

And we once again have a use for shot blocks!

I'm not nearly classy enough for an above ground pool. Must be nice!

Double post

If you get one, whatever you do, don't paint it. There are people who will tell you that you can, but I wouldn't do it. We tried and it just flaked off and clogged the filter an was a massive pain.

They are fun. Ours never got hot. In fact, the water was pretty cool and we ended up putting a solar cover on it to warm the water. We are in Lubbock, so our nights are cooler, so that was probably the reason.

If you want it to be cooler you can "paint it" but you have to use an "elastomeric" coating. Think roof, bedliner, etc. Any comerical paint company has this type of coating for water tanks.

It's a great way to cool off in the summer. We have a 12' diameter one & yes the water is hot in the middle of the day but still refreshing when you're all sweaty & need to cool down.

We had one when we were kids in the mid 90's. I remember it getting hot as hell and growing some type of scale on it that would cut you up pretty good. We ditched it and started swimming in the stock tanks again.

https://yesketanksandpools.com/pool-gallery/

If you are in central Texas.

I bought one 30 years ago, the grandkids are in it now, makes sure you drain when not in use. We stand ours on its side when not in use.A lot of hours have been spent in it!

Just finished putting a pool liner in ours over the weekend. If you run chlorine in them, the chems will eat away at the galvanizing and it will rust eventually. Ours made it 4.5 years from when I bought in 2019. Best $300 I ever spent for a scratch and dent tank though as my young kids love it.

Couldn't find any consensus on the pool coatings actually working long term, so I decided the $120 plastic liner, a few hours with a wire wheel, and a can of cold galv was the easiest solution.

If you want to go wild, Cowboy Pools out of Austin sells their tanks with a plastic insulating liner now so your shell should last many years without issue. Neighbors just had one put it and it is nice but also $5k.

I ended up getting a 18' pool from Wal Mart. My girls are of the age (7 & 12) where they'll want to swim and not chill and relax in a soaking pool. Hopefully it'll last me 2-3 summers. Getting my ground level has been WAY harder than I thought it would.

https://intexcorp.com/products/above-ground-pools/ultra-xtr-frame/24ft-x-12ft-x-52in-ultra-xtr-frame-rectangular-pool-set-with-sand-filter-pump/

I keep trying to get my wife to let me build a Pila tank so I can use it as an ag write off but haven't convinced her yet. I figure I can do it myself for 1/4 the price of what a pool company charges for something of similar size.

Ours was a little less than half what an in-ground "real" pool would have cost. It's 25' diameter and 5' deep, 1-1.5' in the ground (hit bedrock). I did plumbing myself and hired the electrician to do that side of things. Southern Tank did a great job.

I priced a pila pool last fall from a guy that did them here in the RGV and it was damn near what a small in-ground (regular) pool would cost. That was turn-key, of course. 30'

I don't think this the year to do it but I'm going to remember this thread and re-visit it someday. Don't be surprised if I reach out and ask how you broke that down and did yourself vs. the contractors. I don't have any problem contracting it myself/doing a lot myself... I just need to pick a year cotton isn't worth less than sh*t.

clobby said:

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Bought one, rented a trailer, hauled it home, cut down a tree, cleared out a section of yard, bought pool pump and parts to fit it, wife came home, rented trailed, returned tank, bought new sod to fix yard. Now everytime the wife brings up having a pool, I remind her that she could have had one.

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Did you uhhhh, talk to her before doing all that?

Got 1. This is my there year having it. 5 foot wife, 2 feel deep. Perfect for wife and me. Bought a filter and some part. Drilled an intake hole low and an outflow hole higher about 2 feel apart. Use a spa chlorine floatie.

Its is on the back patio and is shaded with an umbrella.

If I can build it, anyone can. It is perfect for us. Great to sit in after mowing or gardening to cool off. Shade keep it cool. There has been a weekend or two we have dumped some ice In to cool it off. Dump all the water out and flip it over in the winner.