Hi all,
I found this forum when I started researching hot-tubs and decided it was time I actually register and file my first post.
Amazing how long some of you have been using this forum! Great to see there are some old hats that have "been there and done that"!
So here is the story of the purchase....
We went to the Regional Fair for the traditional corn on the cob and elephant ears and came home with a piece of paper saying that we own a spa....?
Not quite sure how that happened, although we had been talking about getting one for several years.
We were wary due to friends horror stories of money wasted on products and promises as well as concerns over escalating electricity prices.
Well, while at the Fair we walked by a spa dealer, Apollo Spas, and met a guy named Craig.
He was from the Arctic Factory and was working the show.
He gave us "Hot Tub 101" and we learned about pumps, filtration, heaters, jets, covers and all the rest of it....
He was a very good salesman and found me a pretty easy mark if you talk about build quality and longevity of a product.
Anyway, we purchased an Arctic Tundra Legend (8'x8') with 3 pumps and 61 jets. We decided we didn't want the "aroma therapy" air bubbler whatchamahoozit.
Every time I have been in friends' hot tubs, I always think the bubbler is cold and worthless.... so what is the story with those?
I feel that we got a reasonably fair price on what is believed to be a pretty high quality product, thoughts?
Final price was a little over $11K (after 8.3% sales tax), we got the Tundra Legend with the Onzen Salt Filtration System, Arctic lights with a mix of single and double vent jets, cedar enclosure with steps, Forever Floor, Castcore cover and a 10 year warranty. We passed on the music systems as we will have speakers in the gazebo.
It is a beautiful spa and we spent about $5k more than I ever thought I would spend on a spa, but I still think it was a reasonable value if this thing lasts as long as it sounds like it should.
Delivery is in 4-6 weeks and we have to get wiring to the site and get the ground prepped, so now for a few questions for you pros.
What should I think of, that I didn't think of.... ie. the insider questions that I should have asked and should prepare for...
Did we do OK on the price?
What would you suggest for the pad? Concrete pad? Leveled sand with wood elevated floor?
We are planning on having a 10'x10' cover/gazebo constructed in the next few weeks that will be built by a few guys that donated it to a local auction we won last winter.
We are currently living in the "guest house" that we built with our own hands from an old work shop, we demolished the old house and the foundation is just now going in for the new house. We are planning to put the Hot-Tub in a walk-way between the two houses.
Suggestions/thoughts/heads up for our site prep and dealer setup issues?
Glad this site it here, I love online forums!
Roger L
Silverdale WA
http://home.wavecable.com/~yiotta/index.html