rtetu

Better than I could get, that's for sure. Did you sit in it? My wife and I found it well built, but uncomfortable in comparison to HS and Jacuzzi.

Being a volunteer FF doesn't mean you are "not professional". I'm fortunate to be career now after 13 years as a volunteer. Rtetu, you are too humble, don't sell yourself short! Volunteer FF's are the backbone on the North American fire service, over 90% I believe. Back on topic... good luck with spa purchase! Well, thanks to all who helped. We pulled the trigger and purchased the jacuzzi J-365. I will install a 60Amp entrance, even though I can't find in the preinstallation manual how to change the jumpers for using the 60 amp configuration. Now I have to build the deck: 8 inch on center 2X6 PT lumber for joists, with Sunwood 2X4 on top, with a 6'8" span between footings (leftover from the doublewide we lived in while I built the log home). I have a 15 foot trench from the old 200 amp entrance, where I will install the Spa cut-off with GFCI. When will I find the time to do this, I wonder... Any hints, I'll listen. Now I have to go to fire meeting: SCBA quarterly test.

Yes, the Jacuzzi with a significantly longer warranty AND circulation pump AND enclosed foundation AND ozone.... spatech (the unreal one) has told us that the Hot Spot (La Palma) is a secondary line where they remove some of the bells & whistles and give it a lower warranty to make a better price point but not a reflection of quality or faith. OK, I apologize to spatech for suggesting that Jacuzzi has more faith in their product than Watkins Hot Spot. Jacuzzi does offer a superior warranty.... period. The buyer can decide for themselves what that means. Jacuzzi has a secondary line as well which is of course, more affordable than the J300 series being discussed here. The J200 series still offers a better warranty than Watkins Hot Spot (Jacuzzi 200 series: 5 yr shell; 3 yr surface; 3 yr equipment; 3 yr plumbing). I know that Hot Spring & Caldera have the same warranty as Jacuzzi 300 series but this buyer is looking at the Hot Spot which does not. I brought forward an important difference between the two models which; when the buyer is spending thousands of $$$ they should be thinking about it. Hello spatech, hello Firemedic (I am not a pro, butI am a volunteer firefighter, 26 years overall, 21 with my current fire district.) I appreciate the comments you both made. Spatech, the excellent salesperson at HS made exactly your point. Warranties cost money, and beside the bells and whistles, that's one way the company can cut cost. Firemedic, you are also right, a longer warranty is especially useful to us, living on a ferry-served island. Furthermore, talking to locals, the rodent problem that recently started on our island (Norway rats came with garbage trucke d through the island) means that exposed foam insulation is not as good an idea as a completely sealed bottom.

(/quote]$2200 for a 9 yr old Beachcomber delivered with a 3 or 6 month warranty might be ok if its well refurbished but they ought to knock off $200 or so for you to pick it up. You're on the right track otherwise if you stick to the name brands you've mentioned that are known for years of quality and energy efficiency products whether its Marquis, Jacuzzi, D1 or Hot Spring. Thanks for the help, spatech. We went off island today, trying to narrow down the list. The Beachcomber turned out to have no warranty and a $400 charge for delivery. The Marquis dealer turns out to be a great guy, but his service people are very inexperienced; very kind but they apparently call the owner for help all the time. Since he closed his second store in a larger town and appears to be struggling financially with his business, Marquis is out. I called Strong, it confirmed what many of you said; quick and kind phone service, but independents do the service work. I love independents for work, they see all kinds of brands, but they evidently can't help me with negotiating with the factory if I had big problems. Bless them for what they do, but if I buy from a store, I have some ammo if problems arise. So, Costco out. We really enjoyed the Beachcomber tech and the saleslady was pretty darn good, but the tubs we tried were mostly uncomfortable; I guess we have weird bodies. Beachcomber out. Dimension 1 is almost too busy too help us, and no room for deeper negotiations. And frankly, the color of the tubs they are closing out remind me of a bad Elvis movie. Price too high anyway, so out. Bullfrog was always pretty high-priced; we loved them, but beyond the budget of pure beginners for a 462. Sorry, out. Vanguard by HS? Could not get the price below $9500 with delivery and tax. So out, but... At the HS dealership, with the most polite, kind, and caring salesperson you could find, we were shown a Hot Spot (by Hot Springs) La Palma. I know, no ozone, no recirc pump, no plastic foundation. But with pneumatic lift, delivery, tax, breaker/GFCI box, startup chemicals and rubber ducky, $7330. So, in two days, thanks to your help, I went from 9+ possibilities to two. They are the Hot Spot La Palma mentioned above for $7330or a Jacuzzi J-365 with delivery, tax, ozone, cover, lift, step and some very minor dings on the outside cabinet for $8360. We liked both. The Jacuzzi looks...pricier? Sleeker? Classier? More elegant? The La Palma is cheaper, a smidgen more comfortable (all seats are comfortable, two are not in the Jacuzzi), and has a phenomenal salesperson. I plainly trust him. Both spas come from dependable, multiple store companies, with good, extensive service departments. The salesperson at Jacuzzi is the manager, a bit haughty, but still friendly. Can you all help us one last time? We made a refundable deposit on the La Palma, at the suggestion of the salesperson, since only one free pneumatic lift was left. We need to settle on Monday. Thanks a whole bunch for your help, one and all.

I see, people are PMing to persuade you LOL. You're going to get a lot of good opinions but your best plan of action is to do some wet testing. Very often people will list their favorites based on looks and what they're being told is important by others only to find out after a wet test that how you perceive the spas often changes (for the better or worse) once you sit in the spa. Find out what fits/feels best for YOU in the showroom; don't wait to find out if its the right spa for you after its been delivered. Thanks a lot, spatech. You are right, when people prefer to PM, you wonder why they choose to do so; out of the three that did it, only one did not seem to be a dealer. BTW, all those of you who helped so far, real thanks. We are going to the mainland tomorrow to clear this up; the Beachcomber is rebuilt and sold by the very dealer we visited for a new Beachcomber. New hoses, new jets, new plumbing, but no delivery, so I would have to rent a U-Haul since I don't want to trash my pickup. The Marquis looks great, the Bullfrog is stuck at too high a price, the Jacuzzi sounds good but I had to beg for the ozonator included in all but the used Beachcomber. Again, thanks a lot folks. Off to sit in tubs on a rainy day; too bad I'll have no time to myself after that for four weeks!

This last part seems like a contradiction. I just took ownership of the Costco CSXI80 12 days ago. I've been in the tub probably 20 times. I'm still in the honeymoon phase. I purchased a mid level "value" spa from Costco because I didn't know if my family would like tubbing. And honestly I still don't know if we'll be using it in 6 months or 6 years. How could you justify a 10K purchase on "book knowledge" if you don't even know if you'll like tubbing or if you'll use it. I have to give credit to Sandi who first articulated this position on this board (at least the first I saw it.) You could even go used on Craigslist (I really tried but ultimately didn't find a deal I was comfortable with) for a few years and see if you enjoy tubbing before going with the top of the line. If you know you're a tubber and want a 20 year spa, by all means, get Richard's feedback on some of the top names and spend 10K. DK117 I am not crazy about spending any money, much less 10k, but I work 80 hour weeks, I am trying to get my National Boards done, I have coaching in the Spring and a 17 day trips with students. I have stress, I need rest. I can't afford to spend much more time for something my bride of 30 years wants. Thanks to those of you who PMed me or added on to the thread.

Thanks for replying. Actually, maybe because of mild OCD I have a spreadsheet made with too many criteria and I have two favorites spas, but I wanted people to tell me if they saw something that would sway them, be it price, quality, et. I don't mind hearing your preference even if you sell that brand; I was in business for years before teaching, and my businesses were successful because I serviced what I sold and refused to sell crap. That being said, I had different qualities depending on price point. For example, when I had a ski shop, I sold Authier and Dynastar skis. Yes, the Authier were sweeter skis, but for someone who did not have money to blow, the Dynastar were just fine and half the price. Does that make sense? I am willing to pay more for quality; my tools , my vehicles prove it. But I also try to buy at a level that makes sense. For example, my wife and I ride motorcycles, but not a whole lot and rarely off island, since she is starting out. She got a Rebel 250 to learn, and the purchased a 2007 Vulcan 500 with 1300 miles, like the 2008 I bought with 90 miles. I could have gotten and HD or a Mean Streak, but theVulcans are liquid-cooled, well built, respectable bikes. Again, does that make sense? So, buying a spa is new too us, and we are a bit scared; I have "book" knowledge but no practical knowledge, which the good people of this forum have. I like a good deal, but I prefer quality. I do not need to impress anyone with brand names; I just want a good spa that I will keep for a long time (read 20+ years) or, if we do not like tubbing, I can sell without feeling I am ripping off someone even though I may lose my shirt on it. Again, thanks for any input.

Good morning all. My spouse and I , as we turn 51 and the kids are gone, want to get a spa. After three weeks of learning about them, a lot of it here, going to websites and visiting dealers, we are almost more mixed up than before. I will lay down our best options, as well as our circumstances, in hope that people with facts will be able to steer us in the right direction. We live on a small, ferry-served island in the San Juans, in NW WA; before you jump to conclusions, no, we are not made of money. I teach, and my spouse is a parapro at the school. When we started looking at tubs, we were looking for what a friend found: a good, solid, clean spa (a Marquis in his case) that he got from a dealer, with 90 days warranty, for $1100. Well, there is only one spa we found somewhat in that category. We will generally be the only two in the spa, but a few times a year, our kids and their spouse/fiancé will also be in, so we need space for 6. And heck, we hope for grandkids someday. Because of our location, we need reliability and energy conservation. Reliability because there are just a few ferries a day, so delivery and service calls cost extra. Energy conservation is important, because our power is pricey. I am pretty handy: I built our 2300 sq. ft. log home and garage with only 4 hours of help from an electrical contractor, and we milled most beams, joists, rafters, etc. I did all the plumbing on the property, even though I hate it, so I can handle some repairs, I believe. We are getting this spa for rest, not stress, so I do not want to fix things all the time. We prefer to buy once and be done: when I bought a lawn tractor, it was a John Deere SST-16 (not Home Depot). When we bought a truck, we got a Tundra. Does that get you a feel for what we do and like? That being said, we worship at the Costco altar, and we love their return policy, although we have had to use it only rarely. So, here are the options we found palatable. All prices are delivered (always extra here) and with tax. All new tubs have ozone, covers, lifts. In the used market, a 9 year old Beachcomber 720 with new jets and plumbing for $2200. In the new market, a new 2008, never wet, Marquis Reward with absolutely no options for $6400; the dealer is a bit of a fast talker, seems to be hurting financially, but has been in business 30 years, friendly, well respected for service by another good dealer. Jacuzzi J-365, minor scratches on outside, from very reputable dealer with solid financials, $8350. Dimension 1 Nautilus, $8689, polite dealer, solid financially. Bulfrog 462 with Bose Stereo, floor model but never wet, with extra jetpack, kind and friendly fireplace and spa dealer, a bit of a fast talker, pretty solid financially, $9000. Hot Spring Vanguard, $9100, nice salesman but car-like dealership with many stores. And yes, please do not yell at us, OC CalSpa Majestic 860 at Costco, $5300, or Evolution 80 by Strong for $5200, no salesman, no service, return if this does not work. I realize this was a very long post. I appreciate the honest and factual suggestions you folks may have. Thanks for taking the time to read this far.