Welcome to TFP. Hopefully you've had a chance to read thru
Pool School and are ready to enjoy your pool.
As for brands of pools I can't say that I have ever seen a bad word written about a doughboy pool and there certainly seem to be a lot of them that are still going strong after many years of use. The same can be said for Sharkline. The other two brands I haven't heard of but that doesn't mean they are bad pools I've just never heard of them. With above ground pools there tends to be a you get what you pay for relationship between the cost of the pool and the quality of the pool. You have to try and remove any pool builder bundle and labor costs when trying to compare pools from different local shops.
The biggest thing that will impact the longevity of your pool regardless of premium brand name or cheapo name is how well your site has been leveled and prepared prior to any of the pool parts coming out of the box. Take a good look at the land where you plan to put the pool and try to anticipate if there are any standing water issues, slopes to be corrected, rocks/trees to be moved ect. Once the pool is set up it is impossible to correct any site issues without draining and taking the pool apart. Extra money on a good builder that does proper site prep is worth 10 times more than the money spent on a more expensive model of pool.
With a TFP maintained pool and properly sized sand filter (read bigger than the one that is part of the builders pool bundle) your need to backwash the filter will be very low. Your main driver of makeup water to refill the pool will be evaporation to the air. If you want to keep the need to add makeup water to a pool to a minimum keep the pool covered with a solar cover when not in use.
There is nothing wrong with cartridge filters many people love theirs and would never own anything else. They do a great job but are more time consuming to clean. They are also more expensive than sand filters and you will need a Large cartridge filter for a pool your size if you don't want to be cleaning it every month. The builders likely shy away from them because people don't maintain them properly and then in turn blame the builder for selling them a filter that doesn't work.
Its your pool and your filter tho and no matter which one you get be it DE, sand, or cartridge remember one thing with filter bigger is better. There is no such thing as a filter that is "too big" for a pool.
If you don't plan on adding anything fancy to your pool like solar panels or other water features you absolutely don't need a pump any bigger then 1hp. Ideally you should get a 2-spd pump or if you can get a find a deal on one a small Variable speed pump to keep your electrical running cost to a minimum.
A Salt Water generator is a great thing and don't let a builder talk out of one unless they won't honor a warranty if you have one. If a builder refuses a salt water generator then that might be a sign you shouldn't be doing business with that builder.
Never for any reason let a builder include a mineral system with your pool, such as a "Frog" system.
Plan ahead as to how you will get in and out of the pool. Adding a access deck to an above ground pool makes using and enjoying the pool considerably easier and better. The ladders and steps to get in and out the of pool are also another area where spending extra money now goes a long way.
As a final thought go with the 32' if you can. You never here anybody with an above ground pool say they wish they had gotten a smaller one.
