AdamK

I have a new Sundance Majesta and I can definitely hear the circ pump running - in fact, I thought it sounded a little loud at first. I do see a few little bubbles in the water every now and then, but it's probably from the ozonator. But yes, you should be able to hear your circ pump and if the waterfall is working, then the circ pump is running (and if you can't hear it, you're very lucky to have gotten a completely silent one!)

Those are good prices compared to what I paid for an 880 Majesta (one step down from the Cameo/Optima). So, yeah, good prices. But as James mentioned, what do you know about the dealer. I would rather pay $500 more from a reputable dealer I know will provide reliable warranty service if needed, over a dealer I know nothing about.

I have this offset umbrella and it works reasonably well. And yes, you definitely need a base. You can find bases designed specifically for these types of umbrellas. Here's one on Amazon: offset umbrella base It fits over the base and you fill it with water or sand to weight it down. It's effective, but costly at $59.

Congratulations! I'm sure you will be happy with your Maxxus. Do you already have the electrical and base installed?

These are the Handi Spa pads. The other kinds are the EZ Pads which are better in my opinion (they have a lifetime warranty versus Handi Spa pad's 1 year). They're also supposedly better from a structural standpoint because they only use 4 pieces to form a 8'x8' pad versus Handi Spa's 9 pieces. Also, the EZ Pads interlocking pieces are screwed in, whereas the Handi Spas are just snapped into place. Hope this helps. By the way, I found a place that would sell me the EZ Pads for $329 (includes shipping) and no tax, so I figured with the tax savings they were almost as cheap as the Walmart's price for the (in my opinion) lower quality Handi Spa pads.

Who knows what might happen; after all this is the Internet! No I totally agree with your observations, spatech, I just wanted to see what this "DrPat" person might respond with. It would be interesting to meet a real, live Master Spas PR person in the wild, so to speak

Do most people apply for the permits and begin the work right away, and then have it inspected once the work is complete? Or do people wait before getting the permits before having it installed? I was told by my town that I should get all the permits first and then take delivery. That seems like a pain. I just had a furnace and AC unit replaced and the company installed everything and about two weeks later I got all the permits from the town. So I'm not sure why I was told I shouldn't take delivery until I get the permits, unless they were implying that there's a chance they may deny me a permit for a hot tub (?!?!). I hate beuracracy...

Nitro, thanks for the information. The other thing I noticed about the EZ Pads versus the Handi Pads is the warranty. Handi Pads carry only a 1 year warranty, whereas the EZ Pads are warranted for life (well, the life of the EZ Pad company that is). The other big reason I'm considering the pads over concrete is that in our town I would need a permit for the concrete and it also requires a grounding grid under the concrete. Unfortunately my town is "permit" happy and requires three separate permits (zoning, building, and electrical)! Crazy... I'm almost tempted to not even get the permits...

I would be curious to read DrPat's response to this...

Larry, wanna make $300 bucks and all the beer you can drink this weekend?

Thanks for the replies so far... Something interesting I learned when I started asking questions: One electrician said that I could save $400 by digging the trench for the cable myself. He said it needed to be 18 inches and for the length I needed he said it would cost him $400. He also told me that if I were install a concrete slab I had to first lay down a 12x12 copper mesh to meet code... never heard of that before. He said if I went with the Spa Pads that do not conduct electricity, I wouldn't need the copper layer beneath. Also, does everyone have their installs inspected by the town? Is it mandatory to get a permit? I realize that's locality specific but I didn't expect that I would have to let the town know I was putting a hot tub in my back yard and get it inspected afterwards.

Started to get electricians to quote on hooking up the spa. I'm seeing what I think are pretty high prices. So far $1,400, $1,500, and $1,200. Location: Central NJ Requirement: 240V at 50 or 60 amps Distance: About 50 Ft from panel (20 feet from side of house) Does this seem right? I had originally thought about $800; the dealer said he sees on average $1000. So I'm thinking I'm getting high estimates.

HydroGuy, Per your point about your child benefiting from more room to move around freely, then the Maxxus is the way to go. When my wife and I wet tested the Maxxus our first impression was "this would make for a small pool for our kids!" Of course, we're not buying a spa for the kids to splash around in, so back to the smaller size. But yeah, the Maxxus is a great tub. All the features are great. I see no reason why that dealer couldn't sell you the 07 model for $11 to 12K - after all, wouldn't he want to get this thing off his books and out of his show room - he's had it for almost 2 years now.

I'm bumping this up because I wanted to know if anyone else has any actual experience with these pads as I am considering using them. So far I have seen two brands: EZ Pads and Handi Pads. The EZ Pads are more expensive and they claim they're better (naturally). The Handi Pads are sold at Sams Club and are much cheaper. So I wonder if more expensive in this case is better quality, or if the two pads are similar in performance and longevity. Are there other brands of pads out there that I should look into?

I was once told by a (female) friend and hot tub owner that it was actually recommended not to wear suits because of the dyes in the material and chemicals from the laundry detergent could mess up your filter/water balance... personally, I just think she was trying to get me nekkid!