Febtober

Thanks. We do have an artesian dealer not too far away. I just called them but they were a little annoying. The woman wouldn't discuss anything over the phone and said I'd need to come in. Every other dealer I've called has been happy to give me plenty of details including pricing over the phone.

The wife and I are looking for a new spa. This will be our first one. We're looking for one roughly 7'x7' or 7.5'x7.5', give or take. We're located in the northeast. So far I've visited dealers for Hot Springs, Jacuzzi, Bullfrog, Cal Spas, and Strong. I've spoken with Marquis and Caldera dealers over the phone. We haven't done any wet tests yet. Our budget is in the $10-$12k range and we're looking at the mid tier options from the manufacturers. I'm undecided on if I want a lounge seat or not. My wife is 5'2" so I think maybe too short to use it. I could take it or leave it, personally. Hot Springs and Jacuzzi both had what seemed like nice choices, but none were in stock, and we'd be looking at Spring at the earliest, and possibly as late as next fall if we ordered one of them. Specifically from Hot Springs they had the Flash or Flair for $10,800. Jacuzzi had the J225 for $10k or the J245 for $11k. While these seem like good spas and a fair price, I'm mostly ruling them out because I don't want to potentially wait close to a year. When I was doing research online, Bullfrog was becoming my top choice. But they came in quite high on the pricing. An A7 came in at $14,700, and the A7L was another thousand dollars on top of that. I don't know much about Cal Spa, but it's the same dealer as Bullfrog, so I looked at them while I was there. They were quite a bit less expensive. They had a Platinum model (apparently I failed to write down which specific model) for $12,300. They also had a Baja for $10k (not sure if it was the X series or not). Strong has an E70L in stock for $12k. Marquis had two in stock - the Vegas Elite and the Hollywood Celebrity, both right around $11k. Boy this Marquis dealer sure loves hot tubs. He kept me on the phone for about 20 minutes just doing over all sorts of details and information while my mind kinda glazed over. Caldera currently has a Seychelles and a Martinique, both are $9,700. The dealer says that these are both Caldera's mid tier options, however Caldera's website lists the Martinique in the "Value and Entry" category, so I don't know. I think this covers most of the major brands in my area. I guess I'm getting a little overwhelmed with all the choices. Each dealer of course insists they're the best. I initially was leaning towards Bullfrog, but they're significantly more expensive than any other brand. I also hear conflicting things about the salt water system that the Caldera dealer says they use. I basically just want a well constructed spa with good insulation. Price is a factor of course, but if the lowest priced options are cheaply made, I don't mind spending a little more for something with more quality.

I'm located in the northeast and have been thinking about buying a hot tub for the yard/house. I went to look at some models, and the prices were a bit higher than I was expecting, and was thinking I could save a bit by buying used. I'd have a hot tub mechanic go over anything prior to purchase, though. A few listings that jumped out at me are: A 2017 Bullfrog A8. The ad says it includes optional ozone generator and circulator pump. Guy is asking $8k A 2015 Jacuzzi J-385. They're asking $8k. A 2015 Jacuzzi J-375. They're asking $8.5k From the initial research I've been doing, I think the Bullfrog looks like the best bet, but I'm really not sure. I'm pretty sure I can get the price down on these as they've all been on the market for a month +. I'd be interested in hearing anyone's opinion on any of these, as well as anything else to look at or be aware of. Thanks!