HydroTools Swimline Standard Thru Wall Skimmer Reviews Summary

Installation

Pros:

• "It was easy to install, holds well to my soft side pool without drooping, and has more than enough fittings and adapters to connect to my pool filtration system."
• "was an ease to install and works great!"
• "It took me about 1 1/2 hours to install, taking my time."
• "Setup is breeze, install and adjustment is very straightforward."
• "Came with more parts than I thought easy to assemble looks very sharp."
• "Installed on intex 20ft pool without a problem."
• "Installed easily and works great!"

Cons:

• "The screws make their own threads, I assume for water tightness purposes. It made them very hard for me to screw in."
• "Had great difficulty getting all the screws in and water tight."
• "Very hard to screw in from inside the pool."
• "Even after pre-drilling the holes, these screws fell apart so easily that I gave up after getting the first one mounted."
• "The only problem and recommendation when installing the unit are the included screws are blunt instead of pointed."
• "The screw holes did not match up with the faceplate, but they were close enough to get screws in without too much fuss."
• "The provided screws fit very tightly and the screwdriver grooves strip out easily."

Quality and Durability

Pros:

• "It’s built very well and has very good gaskets and hardware to install."
• "The Swimline Skimmer made a huge difference and is much, much easier."
• "Great skimmer for price even came with return fitting!"
• "The harder plastic and skimmer basket are both pluses."
• "The plastic does seem a bit cheaper than our older one but it's working and our pool is again operational so we're pleased."
• "The plastic was actually a better grade than what we had."
• "Seems to be made of pretty durable plastic."

Cons:

• "Junk dont buy this one its a waste of money! Only lasted one season!"
• "What a piece of trash! Lasted thru the summer fine. We heard a loud amount of water flowing out of our pool last night. No frost, no issues. 70 degrees and crack! What a mess."
• "Piece of junk! The holes don’t line up at all not worth the money."
• "The plastic molding quality is not as nice as the previous Hydro Tool grey version."
• "The interior basket is not well made and cracked and broke within a week. They will not replace."
• "I was very disappointed to see the way this was manufactured."
• "The only problem is that the new skimmer basket I received was crap."

Functionality and Performance

Pros:

• "Seems to make the pump and filter more efficient."
• "Certainly better than the skimmer that hangs from the side, much less hassle!"
• "Filters swimming pool very well. My family is very pleased with this filter."
• "Once installed and pump running this really gets the job done."
• "It works like a regular skimmer. It skims debris floating on surface."
• "This skimmer is much more substantial and the connectors and components fit well and move smoothly."
• "It feels like the pump has more pressure now as well!"

Cons:

• "The holes in the basket are way too large & the small stuff like flies & gnats got past it & went to the lower basket next to the pump."
• "The basket doesn't have a handle which forces you to stick you hand into all manner of accumulated stuff, including stinging insects to empty."
• "The top lid to gain access to the basket has been very hard to get off."
• "The only downside is when the pump is off, the flap is out into the pool area."
• "After one month of use, the foam that holds the flapper up came off."
• "Another slight issue is if you are in the pool it is pretty much useless because any wake overflows the basket and debris comes out so it needs emptied beforehand!"
• "If you have a pool cover that floats on the surface, this can suck that in and halt circulation, potentially burning out your pump."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "I was really happy to get a skimmer of this quality for such a low price."
• "Leak free on first attempt."
• "Amazing price could not be beat."
• "This is the best skimmer I ever purchased."
• "I bought at just under $28 so how could I go wrong? Whoops! The price has gone up."
• "I was looking for replacement gaskets for my Hydro Tool Skimmer and found them for approx. $20. When I found this whole skimmer for $25, it was a no brainer!!!"
• "It was a 1/3 of the price and was exactly what I needed."

Cons:

• "This is strikingly similar to the Intex 28000 skimmer, but (currently 03/26/24) $10 more expensive."
• "The only problem is that the new skimmer basket I received was crap."
• "The basket broke today on 10/3/2012 and they will not replace it."
• "The 'Return Jet' leaked from the internal threads so bad that it was spraying through them."
• "When I bought this 2 years ago it was only $15. Now I am writing this review its $50. Thats a crazy price hike."
• "The skimmer I received IS NOT the same as the one in the picture."
• "It’s a very good skimmer I installed it on my intex pool the screws were to long had to get smaller ones it leaked a littel but so I used cilicone which worked perfectly over all great product for the price just have other screws and cilicone."