lisagrayva

We have a 18' round above ground pool. It gets alot of use in season; lots of kids. The junk Intex filter/pump that came with it is not adequate. We were having to change the filter at least once a week, sometimes twice. The pump is so undersized that it literally took a couple hours to vacuum the bottom. We would like to replace both the pump and filter. I notice that there are serveral manufacturers that offer a combination unit. But I also noticed that they are significantly less expensive then if we to buy a seperate pump and filter. Are these combo units junk? Also, our local pool company recommended a sand filter, but husband is leaning toward another cartridge filter system (he likes the ease of maintenance)...what are your thoughts? Thanks so much for your responses.