bob81

I also think its odd that no one has done an independent test to see which super model is the best in bed. I propose that each of the supermodels schedules an appointment and comes by my house as part of an independat study to determine which is the best lover.... Would be nice if either of these would happen, but i don't think either is very realistic. The dealers are not going to pay you and donate hot tubs for you to use for 12 months so you can prove a point on a message board. Even if you did compare two models it wouldn't prove anything conclusive. All you would know is that either the hotspring or strong spa are better than the other. (i'll save you the trouble, hotspring should perform marginally better) The reason an independant study has never been done is there are too many variables. Climate, usage, quality of cover, insulation types, accessories (stereo, lights, waterfall) and too many other things can affect the outcomes. The only true way to compare would be to meter a large sample of hot tub brands in the same climate and then attempt to come up with an average value. Even then you would have to operate on the assumption that across the sample, usage stays the same.

You also list no 24/7 circ as a negative. The Strong spas have a 24 hour continous filtration setting I believe. My advice is dependant on how much of a do it yourselfer you are. I went with a Strong spa, because i was able to do the wiring and install myself and was willing to pay the $200 to have it moved around to the back of the house. I am technically savy enough that i can make minor repairs, and get the thing running with mimimal effort. If you aren't able to do these things, then it would be better to go with a dealer spa and pay the premiums to have them install it, and have local support. I went with a strong spa and feel I got more for my money, because the dealer services you pay a premium for were not an value added proposition for me.

Hey Roger, thanks for the third party opinion on the tub. Its good to hear that you feel the tub is good value based on the price point. I am still very happy with mine so far. I kind of liken it to some of the car brands. We'd all like to go buy a mercedes, but sometimes we end up with a hyundai because of our budget. I'd have liked to get a HS Grandee or a Limelight, but paying twice what I paid for with the Strong Spa wasn't a financially sound decision for me. I couldn't be happier with my spa so far though, and I went in knowing I bought a $5,000 spa for $5,000. Not a $12,000 spa for $5,000.

Just a gross oversimplification, but.... If you buy a spa from a dealer, you are going to pay anywhere from 1k-3k more than you would from a mass retailer. For this dealer margin, you get the added values listed in bold above. Things like local support after the sale, knowledgable sales staff, etc etc. It basically comes down to a personal decision on whether the added money is worth it to you as a consumer. Of if you are comfortable enough without having a local safety net. I installed the electrical for my spa myself, and I feel secure that barring a disaster, I will be able to handle any minor repairs or replace a pump that goes out after my warranty ends. Combine that with the return policies of some mass retailers, and the dealer margin was no longer enough of a "value added" proposition for me. Now I do share in the deisre for more readily availale information for hot tubs. This is a big purchase. Some spend upwards of 15k for their spas. A car in the same price range has all kinds of info available. Blue book value, reliabilty reports, and expert reviews. You can go to cars.com and peruse inventories and prices. You can compare local dealers of the same brand create a bidding war to get your business. None of that is available to consumers of hot tubs. Instead you to visit the dealer, beleive that they are on the honor system and giving you a good price. There is no consumer reports for hot tubs, or a hotubs.com that can give you comparitive data.

Just stay away from Rec Warehouse in the Dallas area. They have a higher pressure sales technique than most used car dealers. The sales woman actually called me the night I left and offered me a free set of patio furniture if I came in and bought that day. Something to do with end of the sales quarter/period. The Coleman folks just said this is the price, these are the benefits of a hotspring spa, we'll be here if you need us. No annoying callbacks, and high pressure techiques. I just purchased the CSXI80 from strong spas through costco (the evolution thread has pictures and info). Its on sale at the moment for 4700 and I am happy so far. Wet testing is ideal, just make sure you are happy with your purchase and the spa fits you. The spa i bought fits me great, but the captains chairs are too deep for my girlfriend. I also prefer no lounger as I am usually entertaining and sometimes have 6-7 people in the spa. I plan on going to the state fair for the fried food too sometime soon. Yum. I missed out on the chicken fried bacon last year though

I ended up ordering a strong spa online through costco that has shoulder massaging captains chairs. But I looked at a bunch of dealers in the ft worth/arlington area and can recomend the hotsprings dealer, Coleman backyards. They are near the parks mall where I20 and 287 intersect. They quoted me prices in line with the market value of the tubs, and are very knowledgable. They also sell all the other backyard amenities. I really liked the limelight spas and would have purchased one if i could have managed the 8-9k price tag. The hotspring line also has a moto massage i really liked, but they were a little higher than the limelight line.

I just bought a set of Polk Audio Atrium 45 all weather speakers. I am going to install them this weekend, but they seem to get really good reviews and are a decent price.

Glad you are still happy. Majority of the board is glad to hear you are enjoying your spa. There are only a few posters that are very anti Costco, but unfortunately they are very vocal. I went against their advice and purchased a stong spa last month and its been great so far, for something that was more in my budget range.

Ya, it was through rec warehouse. I decided to wait. The tub didn't have an ozonator and I have read some disparaging things. I might end up with a cal spa or maybe limelight/tiger river by hotsprings.

New leisure bay tonga. Quoted me $5,999 for spa, delivery, cover lifter, and startup chemicals. Sound like a good deal? Also they have an extended warrannty for like 600, but leisure bay seems to have a decent base warranty as it is. Should I shell out for the extention?

Can we get some more details on the overall cost? I am still kind of looking around at getting a small pool with a spa built in, but something like that might be a nice alternative. How much did that set you back, and how much did it cost to get the thing delivered and moved in by crane?

Does Dynasty have a good reputation?

I have been doing a ton of research reading through these forums (probably read through 50+ threads) and I am starting to notice a trend. You should just put "Costco Sucks" in your signature and save yourself the trouble of having to type it out every other post. I'll just follow up with the manufacturer and see if I can get some more info there. Thanks for the advice.

Not exactly a value line. They sell two brands, river ridge and artesian. I am going to try to email river ridge directly and see if I can find out more information on where they are manufactured and if they are aligned with artesian or not. In the interim, does that tub with its list of features features seem reasonable at a price of $5,700.

Yea, I haven't been able to find much at all. The company also sells artesian, so it might be some variation on the artesian spas. It looks like a quality tub, and it has a 3 year parts/labor warranty. But I am one of those types who like to research things to death, before making a large purchase, and it troubles me that I can't find reviews or information on them. I was hoping someone here might have heard of them or been familiar with them. My other option is a Reflections Seville model from a different distributor. It has less jets and has been used as an in store demo model as well. I can also purchase it in the $5,700 range. There seems to be a lot more information avalable on that line of spas/manufacturer. 6k is kind of my ceiling on a spa. I am most familiar with Hot Springs, but most of the hot spring models are well above my price range.