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Any Recommendations? Trying To Pick A Hot Tub


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I have looked at the Bullfrog, Coast Spas and Beachcomber. I like the Bullfrog because of the no fault warranty but yet I did like the Coast Spa. I have read info on Jacuzzi, Hot Springs, Sundance, Artesian, Calspa, Hydropool and the Arctic. At this point I am just very confused. I am looking at spending anywhere between $7,000 to $10,000. Are there hot tubs that I should take off my list or maybe even add to the list and what hot tubs are highly recommended. What are some of the features I should look for in a hot tub (the shell, pump system etc.) Any Help would be appreciated.

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wet test, wet test, wet test

We just received our Hot Springs spa yesterday and we absolutly love it. We choose Hot Springs because they were rated as Number #1.

You can get some good buys right now, and save even more money by asking about a floor model. They have the same warranty.

Although I'm partial to Hot springs, I would recommend looking around. Thier are a lot of spas on the market. You need to do some research before buying because thier are many factors involved. I found most of my information online researching for days and posting questions on the spa forums. Hopefully other people can give you some advice and let you know what they have.

Even though we did not wet test, I also would recommend you to wet test, wet test, wet test.

Here are a few sites that may be helpful:

http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/

http://www.friendlyplumber.com/plumbing101...ying_guide.html

Good luck!

Angie

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Like the others, wet test. It's embarrassing to do but get over it and try them out. You may regret it if you don't, you will not regret doing it if you do!!!

Just wanted to add:

Most dealers will allow you to wet test before or after hours or some have a seperate room for privacy.

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Personally, given the current economic climate I can't beleive anyone would think about spending 5-15k on a tub right now. I'd wait to see if the big B can clean up Dubya's mess first.

I have looked at the Bullfrog, Coast Spas and Beachcomber. I like the Bullfrog because of the no fault warranty but yet I did like the Coast Spa. I have read info on Jacuzzi, Hot Springs, Sundance, Artesian, Calspa, Hydropool and the Arctic. At this point I am just very confused. I am looking at spending anywhere between $7,000 to $10,000. Are there hot tubs that I should take off my list or maybe even add to the list and what hot tubs are highly recommended. What are some of the features I should look for in a hot tub (the shell, pump system etc.) Any Help would be appreciated.
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Personally, given the current economic climate I can't beleive anyone would think about spending 5-15k on a tub right now. I'd wait to see if the big B can clean up Dubya's mess first.

The economic mess is huge but life can't stop. It's going to take a long time for the ship to right itself. If someone has some money or their company/job is doing well and looks secure (hopefully this is playing into the decision) then what the heck, go for it. Life is short.

As for the original question, it's hard to make a recommendation without knowing what you're looking for and what is important to you. There's a lot of debate about types of insulation and various brand names and you'll see no clear conclusion. It's all a judgement call. Many "opinions" here are pushing what the poster sells, so you have to take that all with a grain of salt.

Here's some thoughts, not in any order:

#1 - Regarding internet research: it's the internet... you don't know these people, they might be (and in some cases are) shills either promoting something they sell or bashing something to keep customers away. Five guys that agree on a forum doesn't make the point correct. Make your final judgements based on your own knowledge, experience and research.

There's an old saying in my business... "If it looks wrong, it's usually wrong". When someone says leaks never happen in this kind of spa or a fully-foamed tub is as easy to repair as a non-foamed tub... well, decide for yourself if that makes sense. You may decide that foam is good, but understand the reality, don't be sucked in by obvious nonsensical claims and statements.

#2 - Reviews by folks that post after owning for a week or two (or a month or two) are useful pretty much only in terms of their experience with delivery, installation and initial problems. A new tub owner is still in the euphoria stage and isn't going to be able to comment on the long-term reliability or quality of the product (this is true for any product). Of course they like their new tub, that's why they bought it. It's not a good reason for YOU to buy it!

#3 - I like to look for reviews of tubs that are a couple of years old - for example, a review posted in 2008 for a tub purchased in 2005 or 2006. The other side of the coin is that people are more likely to post a negative review because they're frustrated with the problems. If their spa is doing well, they're probably out in it, not writing a review on the internet.

#4 - Read owner reviews an comments for TRENDS rather than horror stories. NONE of these things are perfect, they all have trouble. But you'll see that with some brands, the vast majority of reviews are talking trouble. With others, it's mostly good with one or two negative posts. IF you read a string of the same problem.... well, that's red flag.

Keep in mind that one or two reviews (positive or negative) are not statistically significant. They're useful if you're trying to justify falling in love with something, but it's not a good objective rationale. Be aware that some people write reviews on more than one site - it might appear on four sites, but it's still just one review!

#5 - Get your info from many sources. Internet forums are just one. The most important is your own research and evaluation. You wouldn't buy a car by reading forum posts and you shouldn't buy a $10k spa based on them, either.

#6 - Understand that just about all of "spa ratings" are meaningless. There's no independent evaluation body gives unbiased, reliable information, unfortunately.

#7 - Regarding wet testing - if you do a bit of this, you'll see the value. Some tubs just don't fit, and that could be a disaster if you're stuck with it. After all, these things are all about comfort and relaxation. If you decide to buy a Costco tub where you can't wet test, be advised that while it could be a great value you might have to send it back if the thing is uncomfortable for your height/body type/proportion, etc. I bought a Costco tub and lucked out.... but I understood the risk and was willing to accept it. I think the abilty to try before you buy is one of the major legitimate advantages that buying from a dealer showroom offers.

#8 - You will hear repeatedly that "You get what you pay for". This, in my view, is utter nonsense. People overpay for things every day, and price is seldom a reliable indicator of either quality or value. What is logically true is the converse: "you won't get what you don't pay for". In other words, if you want high end features, performance, quality, reliability, warranty.... you are unlikely to get that for $3000. On the other hand, the glitzy dealer with the well-dressed salesperson who is charging $11000 isn't necessarily offering a "better" product than someone charging 20% less. Sometimes a more basic tub can fill your needs for much less than a high end model. Again, you have to research the product for quality and reliability and warranty coverage. Even $3-4K is a lot of hard-earned buckolas for a toy.

#9 - To me, the shell is the most important part. I look for a quality shell with a good (long) warranty. I can change out a pump or heater, but a shell that has problems will suck the joy out of spa ownership. Some will downplay this, saying that shells don't ever give trouble. That's not true, they have defects just like any other part -- you can find plenty of evidence of this. A better shell will have better warranty coverage, so personally I look for that.

#10 - Many manufacturers claim to offer "the industries best warranty". Obviously this can't be true if more than one guy is claiming it. Read the detail of the warranties. These things are expensive and no spa is "problem-proof".

#11 - Be aware of the total cost. I paid nearly $700 for the GFCI disconnect, wire, conduit, and had to dig a huge (and painful) trench. And I am capable of doing electrical work.... if you have to hire an electrician, which most will, it won't be cheap. Also, a concrete pad or proper deck (or reinforcement) isn't cheap to hire out.

Before you buy, check out your electrical service. IF you have an older home with a 60A or 100A service, you are very likely to need an upgrade before installing a 500 gallon, 60A spa. Service upgrades are generally expensive. I did the electrical work myself and passed inspection ($2500 savings), but still had to pay PG&E (utility company - criminals!!) $2000 for the 1-1/2 hours they spent pulling their new 4/0 wire through MY new conduit and connecting me up.

You need the total picture of the expense before you buy, not after.

#12 - Talk to friends that have spas about their experience, real utiity costs, service experiences, etc.

#13 - Be prepared to make water maintenance part of your life's routine. Spas are easy to maintain and much less trouble (and expense) than pools. But you can have serious health problems if you let things go. If you're likely to be lax about water maintenance, buy a pool table instead.

Just my thoughts, for what they're worth.

-hot_water

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I have looked at the Bullfrog, Coast Spas and Beachcomber. I like the Bullfrog because of the no fault warranty but yet I did like the Coast Spa. I have read info on Jacuzzi, Hot Springs, Sundance, Artesian, Calspa, Hydropool and the Arctic. At this point I am just very confused. I am looking at spending anywhere between $7,000 to $10,000. Are there hot tubs that I should take off my list or maybe even add to the list and what hot tubs are highly recommended. What are some of the features I should look for in a hot tub (the shell, pump system etc.) Any Help would be appreciated.

Look in your local phone book and see if you have a true independent Hot Tub/Spa repair guy, give him a call. You may find out that he is not truely independent based on how the phone is answered or several other clues during your conversation. If he mentions several brands as being his favorite and maybe one or even two as his top brands then there's a good chance he's independent. If he trys to steer you he may just work for a dealer of a specific brand. Ask him what brands he works on the most and hat brand he works on the least. Wait till later in your conversation to ask him which brands he likes.

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Look in your local phone book and see if you have a true independent Hot Tub/Spa repair guy, give him a call. You may find out that he is not truely independent based on how the phone is answered or several other clues during your conversation. If he mentions several brands as being his favorite and maybe one or even two as his top brands then there's a good chance he's independent. If he trys to steer you he may just work for a dealer of a specific brand. Ask him what brands he works on the most and hat brand he works on the least. Wait till later in your conversation to ask him which brands he likes.

Roger's advice makes great sense. Another thing to keep in mind if you have never owned a spa is that, until you actually own one for a while, you may not know if you will love having one. Lots of folks think, "Wow wouldn't it be great to have a spa?" Some of them buy one, use it every day (sometimes twice a day) and can't imagine ever living without it. Others use it a lot when they first get it and then less and less as time goes on. If you already know, that you will be in the "can't live without it category," (ie. a friend, neighbor or relative has a spa and you have used it enough times to be convinced that you're hooked), then in my mind, it makes sense to spend the extra money to buy one of the top of the line brands that the "experts" on this forum name time and time again (by experts, I mean the guys on here who fix 'em, not sell 'em). On the other hand, spending $8-10K or more for a tub of hot water that sits in your back yard taking up space (even a well-assembled, well-insulated, energy efficient, quiet running, long lasting one with a gorgeous cabinet, top of the line components, upgraded cover and the best warranty on the market) is just a huge waste of money IMO. When we bought our spa, we thought we would be in the "gotta have one" category. A year and a half later, we use it about once a week and I'm not sure that we'll buy another when this one goes kaput. So, I'm happy that we only invested $3K to find that out. It helps that we have had no problems yet with our Costco cheapie (yes, that's me knocking on wood). Good luck with your search.

Sandi

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I just wanted to say Thanks to everyone. The suggestions and thoughts have helped greatly. I have not yet decided on what to buy yet but I do know now what I should look for and what questions to ask and how important a wet test can be. I had no idea in what to purchase other then through the salesman pitch. Thanks again your knowledge is very much appreciated!

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  • 2 weeks later...
I just wanted to say Thanks to everyone. The suggestions and thoughts have helped greatly. I have not yet decided on what to buy yet but I do know now what I should look for and what questions to ask and how important a wet test can be. I had no idea in what to purchase other then through the salesman pitch. Thanks again your knowledge is very much appreciated!

Let me know what you decided, how much you paid, and what your key decisions were based on. I'm in the same boat as you ( a few weeks later).

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Personally, given the current economic climate I can't beleive anyone would think about spending 5-15k on a tub right now. I'd wait to see if the big B can clean up Dubya's mess first.

Or the big B could make things even more of a mess.

Last week. largest call up of troops in Wisconsin state history since WW2

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Personally, given the current economic climate I can't beleive anyone would think about spending 5-15k on a tub right now. I'd wait to see if the big B can clean up Dubya's mess first.

Or the big B could make things even more of a mess.

Last week. largest call up of troops in Wisconsin state history since WW2

Wow!

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Personally, given the current economic climate I can't beleive anyone would think about spending 5-15k on a tub right now. I'd wait to see if the big B can clean up Dubya's mess first.

Maybe BHO will buy him a new hot tub....since he's throwing so much "money we don't have" around, might as well try to get some :)

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If you have not yet checked out your local Hot Spring dealer, I'd strongly suggest you do. Vast difference between a Hot Spring spa and anything else.

And to those complaining about the economy. Even suggesting that "what spa" should wait for the economy to recover is why we're in the situation we're in. What causes a recession? Mindsets: People stop spending money.... people stop buying things.

Thanks to our Media, we're in a recession (they spent months telling us it was coming, and therefore it did).

How do we get out of this recession? Spend money. Period.

Once companies make money, they hire people. When people get hired, they pay their mortgage. Enough Said on that one.

If you can afford to buy a hot tub, want a hot tub, and think you'd really enjoy it, by all means go buy one. Soak in it every night, relax, and turn off your television. Life is much better that way.

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If you can afford to buy a hot tub, want a hot tub, and think you'd really enjoy it, by all means go buy one. Soak in it every night, relax, and turn off your television. Life is much better that way.

Very well put. The media can run this country to which ever end it decides gets people excited for more media. If GW needed to be the goat then so be it. But to think any other can be the deciding factor in turning this country is ludicruos.

Wow far off subject now!!!!!! How bout them hockey Minnesota Golden Gophers???

I'm looking for new kitchen appliances????

Finaly got all the fish houses off the lake only one day after the deadline!!

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Finaly got all the fish houses off the lake only one day after the deadline!!

Probably a day late on purpose; just refusing to follow the rules aren't you?

No it was some other bozo's I look out my window and still see a couple fish house March 1st and get pissed cause they are spose to be off the last day of Feb. Now I take my 4 wheeler out there with the trailer and pick up garbage. Lots of the folks who live on the lake do the same thing so it's not floating around at thaw. I wish people were cleaner but I have to say they are better as long as we go out and nag all winter. March 3rd and they are gone now.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I would check out Easy Life Hot Tubs they ship to your home FREE FREIGHT!!! Also they will ship anywhere in the continental US, The spas are well made and have a great warranty also.

Check out PDC Spas also, I have a Fiji Model from PDC and my family love it. We have the Oasis package and the grandkids have a ball with the pop up jets trying to see who can soak Grammy & Pop when they are outside of the spa. Too much fun for all the family to miss. If you really have $$$ to spend you can get a waterproof TV or a stereo system.

Have lots of fun in the new spa

I can tell from the websites that Easy Life is simply an internet site selling PDC. This site frowns on blatant salesmanship so you're better off softening the sales pitch.

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