SWIMLINE HYDROTOOLS 54000 Pool Solar Reel 3" Tube Kit For Up To 21' Pools | Durable | Easy-Install | Solar Reel Tube Upgrade | Weather Resistant | Non-Corrosive | Solar Reel Base Sold Separately

I paired this pole set with the Hydro Tools 5100 reel system, and I have to say I could not be more pleased with the product. Great price, and great product! Even my kids (13 & 15) have no problems operating it.The pole set itself is very sturdy - and at the same time not heavy or cumbersome. Very efficient design allows for maximum strength. And the fact that it is aluminum is a plus since it is outside and exposed to the elements 24/7.The assembly was easy - with easy-to-follow instructions. One thing that made me hesitant to order this product was the fact that you have to order two different items - separately - to get one product. BUT, that's because there are different options based on different sized pools.UPDATE: It has been over a year now, and the pole and reel system have held up well in the south Florida heat. However I can't say the same about the nylon straps used to attach the solar blanket. I imagine that is to be expected with the exposure to chlorine and intense Florida heat, but unfortunately those little straps are an integral part of the system!

When you order, if you only order the 5100 cross pool pole set that's what you'll get. You have also got to order the 5100 reel set. Picture is fine so you know what reel set to order, but the web site needs to add some text to clear it up. Could upset patrons when they get only a pole that does no good without the reel set. However I have a darn nice 3" pool cross pole. Ordered the reel set. This could have been worded differently, but it may have been offensive to some, so my only recommendation is "just order both items". I only have a 3" pool cross pole so I can't comment on the whole system at this time. Hopefully it does a good job for its intended purpose so I want be forced into descriptive adjectives in the back yard trying to get the cover off.

This is a very sturdy item, but is not very easy to assemble. The hardware packet includes 10 bolts and cap nuts. Two of them are a couple of millimeters shorter than the others. The longer ones are used to assemble the tube; the shorter attach the tube to the reel mechanism. Assembly requires a drill motor, an 11 millimeter wrench, a 10 millimeter wrench, and an 8 millimeter nut driver or wrench. An alignment punch is also a handy thing to have to get the bolts through the holes you drill on each side. It comes with a drill bit, but it's not a very good one; it has a hard time cutting through the aluminum of the inner tubes. The instructions say nothing about those two inserts you see in the picture. These are used to attach the pole to the reel mechanism. Again this is a fiddly operation. I found it best to assemble the reel assemble first, then place the insert on the axles of the reel assembly, then insert them into the tube. It took a bit of negotiation to get the holes in the tube, the insert, and the axle to line up. Once you are done with that, you then have to install the straps. There are "self-drilling" screws included; you are supposed to screw them into the tube without drilling a hole. I tried that and twisted the head off of one: it cut through the outer tube, but stalled on the inner. I switched to drilling a 9/64 inch hole and screwing the screws into them. That worked well.

I purchased the Hydro Tools 58001 reel system and the Hydro Tools 51204, 20 ft. long X 4" diameter cross-pool cover pole for my 16ft. X 32ft. solar cover. The instructions were easy to follow and the finished assembly is very stable and the pole does not sag under the weight of the cover. The adjustable height reel system is very well constructed and stable when the cover is rolled up.I was able to roll up the cover with the crank handle furnished. I should note that a second crank handle is obtainable.I initially looked at a different Hydro Tools model and a 3" diameter pole but felt that the combination would not be sufficient for my application.I would highly recommend the Hydro Tools 58001 and 51204 reel system w/ pole for any 16 X 32 pool application.

Our box with the poles was delivered with both ends of the box opened, the poles wrapped in plastic practically sliding out. There was no manual or any other parts such as screws and hooks that are shown in the pictures on Amazon, just the poles…In addition, with needing to buy the HydroTools reels separately, the manual that came with them mentioned that there would be holes in the poles in order to insert screws that would allow for the reels to turn the poles. There were not markings or holes on the poles whatsoever, we had to use a ruler and power drill to create our own holes and buy screws and bolts that would hold the poles in place.Be warned, it was a ton of extra work in order to make it work for us, but we struggled to find something long enough to fit the width of our pool. For the price, you may want to look elsewhere if you can.

We purchased the Hydro Tools 55000 15-inch Fixed Height Commercial In-Ground Pool Solar Reel kit and LUV it!!! Works perfectly right out of the box. Which.....was the only downfall of the product. It came to us from UPS ripped open with the drill bit and package of 10 screws missing. Impossible to get those replaced it seemed without returning the entire thing through Amazon. Tooooo much hassle so we spent another $25.00 at the home supply store getting the parts that fell out because of SUPER POOR packaging. However, that doesn't effect the quality of the product and it works GREAT!! We followed the advice from others who had reviewed the product on Amazon.com and got the 20 foot-long pole set for a 16 x 32 in-ground pool which was FANTASTIC ADVICE!!!! Fits perfectly...Yeah!!!