Whats your pond kit?

[uniscaper]

Hey everyone I just wanted to throw out the question.

What pond kits do you use and how do they work for you.

I have been using Aquascapes and they do work nice. A little pricey though it seems.

[Stonehenge]

We try to do as much fabrication as we can. I used Aquascapes in the past and I agree about the price. Fabricating them ourselves can sometimes be a little tricky, but it opens up options that aren't as easy with a kit.

[uniscaper]

Stone
So what do you use for components? Do you still use prefab skimmers and falls? Or do you like the in-pond filters? Do you create your own kits ahead or is each pond different?

I know a lot of questions here I'm sorry. But I am Certified Contractor and have a large dose of in your face Aquascapes and as of late (probably economy driven) I have considered cheaper alternatives without sacrificing quality.

[4seasons]

We fabricate also. I buy from a wholesaler in Viginia.
Great prices and ships usually same day.
They have a catelog and as long as you know how to create what your going fro then it works great!
If your new then better stick with kits till you understand the game better.

[Stonehenge]

@uniscaper - It depends on the pond. Some we pull the water from the bottom of the pond, meaning you don't need a skimmer box. Others we might fashion our own "biofalls", or just have a PVC manifold to disperse the water where we want it. Some we might cobble up a skimmer or even use a skimmer that's usually part of a kit. It all depends on the situation.

But yeah, when we built a big pond a few years ago and I was looking at their snorkel system, so what it was made from, and saw I could save $1,500 building it myself, the decision to start fabbing stuff ourselves became a no-brainer.

[livingwaters]

I try to avoid the kits, they only limit you to the liner size and componets in the box. We have a local pond supplier who gives a 5% 'kit discount' if you buy everything at once. Skimmer, pipe, liner, fabric, lights, pump. The pre-fab kits seem to cost more than just putting it together yourself.
I would agree on the fabrication of as much as possible. I just finished a pondless and bought a 'Cascade Canyon' pondless pump vault instead of using my normal 10 inch perf PIP.
What I did like about the pre-fab vault is the lid. But at a $160 more, I can figure out a lid.

[Keith N]

I started off like everyone else using a kit, but now I put my own kit together. I fab everything but the skimmer which usually is an ADI signature series skimmer depending on the budget. I have to say though the ADI SS is making me hate it lately the lower threads just suck! The kits have thier place as does the fabricated designs.

[uniscaper]

4 seasons

Who is your supplier?

I've been installing ponds for almost 10 years so I've got a pretty good understanding on how things work.

[WaterWerks Design]

I've found that the best pond kits are made by EASY PRO out of michigan...I've used all the other ones...aquascapes products are garbage,so are savio..I've been in the business for the past 10 years and have switched over to Easy Pro couple years ago and haven't looked back...