Best Spa For $8000

[ohillary]

i am interested in the "best" spa in the $ range described. a 4 person max spa is plenty big and a 3 person max would be just fine.

factors:

1. yearly operating costs

2. comfort and feel (subjective, i know)

3. longevity/warranty

4. sturdiness (does it just run for years or is it high maintenance?)

i will go with a local dealer vs. costco, etc.

my local short list includes:

hot springs

dimension one

sundance

i look forward to your considered reply.

ohillary

[ps558]

i am interested in the "best" spa in the $ range described. a 4 person max spa is plenty big and a 3 person max would be just fine.

factors:

1. yearly operating costs

2. comfort and feel (subjective, i know)

3. longevity/warranty

4. sturdiness (does it just run for years or is it high maintenance?)

i will go with a local dealer vs. costco, etc.

my local short list includes:

hot springs

dimension one

sundance

i look forward to your considered reply.

ohillary

The 3 on your list all have good product start with them. Nordic,Marquis,Artic,Maax,Artesian,Jacuzzi, california Cooperage are some more. There should be models available in price range. Most mid range priced spa come with a 3 year warranty for part ans labor and 5 or more for structure and shell

All spa sometime will need service. Another reason a local dealer with a strong tech support. Wet test the models you are interested in.

[THE SPA GUY]

you have a good start with the list of 3 you have . all 3 have great quality tubs, i would go to you local dealers and see what they have , you can learn alot that way, this will help in your search, by which spa is comfortable for you, the dealer that you trust,,, the 3 you listed have a long history and are energy efficient. as you search you can tend to find out what you like and dislike, operation ease of use...then from there you should be able to make a great decision. welcome to the forum, hope we can be of some more help as you dig into the spa purchase, would like to hear your progress here....good luck

[spatech (the unreal one)]

i am interested in the "best" spa in the $ range described. a 4 person max spa is plenty big and a 3 person max would be just fine.

factors:

1. yearly operating costs

2. comfort and feel (subjective, i know)

3. longevity/warranty

4. sturdiness (does it just run for years or is it high maintenance?)

i will go with a local dealer vs. costco, etc.

my local short list includes:

hot springs

dimension one

sundance

i look forward to your considered reply.

ohillary

We always talk about making sure you're working with a dealer you think will be there for you both berfore and after thse sale. Assuming each dealer is good then wet testing is the next key since I don't think you can do better than those 3 brands so if you're going to spend good money on a spa that will be with you for many years do yourtself the favor of wet testing. That will often clear things up for you.

[ohillary]

Thanks for replies; wet test is in the future. I have noticed that they usually have a large one to test, but not the smaller one I would be buying - so can't really test the spa I'm going to buy.

[Roger]

i am interested in the "best" spa in the $ range described. a 4 person max spa is plenty big and a 3 person max would be just fine.

factors:

1. yearly operating costs

2. comfort and feel (subjective, i know)

3. longevity/warranty

4. sturdiness (does it just run for years or is it high maintenance?)

i will go with a local dealer vs. costco, etc.

my local short list includes:

hot springs

dimension one

sundance

i look forward to your considered reply.

ohillary

For 7-9 grand you should be able to have almost any tub you want.

[Dano]

i am interested in the "best" spa in the $ range described. a 4 person max spa is plenty big and a 3 person max would be just fine.

factors:

1. yearly operating costs

2. comfort and feel (subjective, i know)

3. longevity/warranty

4. sturdiness (does it just run for years or is it high maintenance?)

i will go with a local dealer vs. costco, etc.

my local short list includes:

hot springs

dimension one

sundance

i look forward to your considered reply.

ohillary

For 7-9 grand you should be able to have almost any tub you want.

[ohillary]

Roger,

RE: For 7-9 grand you should be able to have almost any tub you want.

Yes and I'm sure I could get fleeced and buy a lemon for the same amount. Hell, I could buy a box of crap for that kind of change! I'm asking for info here that I won't get at the dealership: which spas might be high maintenance - start needing replacement parts right after the warranty expires - which companies actually stand behind there product, etc. The sort of info that a repair technician would have after years of working with spas. That person would be able to give a substantive answer and some reasonable insight, don't you think?

i look forward to your considered reply.

ohillary

i am interested in the "best" spa in the $ range described. a 4 person max spa is plenty big and a 3 person max would be just fine.

factors:

1. yearly operating costs

2. comfort and feel (subjective, i know)

3. longevity/warranty

4. sturdiness (does it just run for years or is it high maintenance?)

i will go with a local dealer vs. costco, etc.

my local short list includes:

hot springs

dimension one

sundance

i look forward to your considered reply.

ohillary

For 7-9 grand you should be able to have almost any tub you want.

[Roger]

i am interested in the "best" spa in the $ range described. a 4 person max spa is plenty big and a 3 person max would be just fine.

factors:

1. yearly operating costs

2. comfort and feel (subjective, i know)

3. longevity/warranty

4. sturdiness (does it just run for years or is it high maintenance?)

i will go with a local dealer vs. costco, etc.

my local short list includes:

hot springs

dimension one

sundance

i look forward to your considered reply.

ohillary

It seems to me, that with the other replys and your list above you don't need me. My personal favorite out of those you have looked at may not be yours. All 3 are quality tubs, in your area however they may not fall in your price range. Here a D1 Nautilis is right around 8 grand. IMO that is the quietest most reliable of those listed. But it may not fit you. And others will have a different opinion. I would always opt for bigger over smaller as you will find yourself roaming and inviting friends.

1. 360 bucks a year in Northern Minnesota (I don't know where you live)

2. Only you can answer this.

3. All three have a long standing reputation for reliability and longevity. I have seen 20 year old all three. I have also seen troublesome all three. Personaly I would put Sundance on the bottom of your list.

4. See above.

[ohillary]

thanks Roger

[Roger]

thanks Roger

Even though I have seen soaked and repaired several brands including those listed by you my opinion is based on my experience. There are allot of folks who have a differing opinion based on there experience. There are also folks who may consider my comments hurtfull as they own a tub that I just said was not as good as another. Understand that we get gun shy here on this site sometimes.

[JerimiahR]

Thanks for replies; wet test is in the future. I have noticed that they usually have a large one to test, but not the smaller one I would be buying - so can't really test the spa I'm going to buy.

Ask your dealer to fill one of the small ones for you to sit in. They're probably willing to do so if they have the model in stock you'd like to test out. It's hard to guess what model the next customer is going to want to test soak, so most dealers usually have a few models filled and running in order to show how they operate, etc. Just ask them if they can fill the model you want to sit in.

Worst case scenario, they give you a flat out "No" and you've got part of your answer to the question, "Which dealer should I do business with." My guess is, if the dealer is able to fill it, they're probably willing to do so.

As far as the spa brands, all of those are substantial manufacturers. Personally based on my experience, and on the criteria you listed, I'd rank them this way..

1) Hot Spring

2) Sundance

3) D1

[THE SPA GUY]

all three of these brands are very good , some different ideas on design , i believe all 3 would last for years, i am biased just like some of the others here , i sell D1 , i have to disagree with Jeremiah on this one , but i know he is biased toward Hot Springs,

1. D1

2. Hot Springs

3. Sundance

as for your 4 questions

1. yearly cost- all 3 brands are tops for energy efficiency, all 3 have energy ratings based on average use. a couple on the list will tell you they are the most energy efficient in the industry,just like the largest manufacturer, or the worlds largest....etc.......but the cost will be partly based on use if you use it everyday you should expect to pay more like what Roger said, if you break that down for the year that is pretty cheap entertainment.

2. the comfort all 3 have that, on thow they were designed, try sitting in several dry, if they feel good dry they will feel even better wet.....that will be up to you

3. again all 3 are about the same on warranty, and longevity , alot of the longevtiy will be how you maintain the spa, water chemistry, filter replacements, inspections,,

4. they are all very sturdy, again these are three of the top brands out there,

i don't think you will find anyone tell you exactly on which one has more failures than others..most of salesman on this foreman sell one of each of these brands, some will sell acouple of them, but most would be a assumption of replacement parts....but again i think any of the three listed you cannot go wrong.

[gman]

You've already learned from others on this forum that the tub manufacturers you listed are all quality tubs. Of course any manufacturer can produce a product with problems not caught by quality control, but Hot Springs, Sundance and Dimension One are all reputable companies; all have good customer support generally; all have comparable warranties for tubs in comparable product lines, and their products should provide you with years of reliable performance.

The cost to operate and maintain any of these tubs will depend on individual use. Under the same use conditions, the costs of operating and maintaining similar sized tubs from any of your three manufacturers should be about the same, with perhaps the following exception...if any particular tub has more filters than another tub...more filters may mean more costs. The cost of replacing additional filters MAY mean a somewhat higher overall operating cost to you. But replacing filters will also depend on how water quality/chemistry/hardness, maintenance, ozone or no ozone, etc..

My advise is not about the operating costs between these three manufacturers. As mentioned above, I think the operating costs will be about the same for whichever tub you choose from either of these three manufacturers, assuming the tubs are of similar size and comparable model line. The most important factor is how any given tub feels to you when full of water and running.

I know you know the need to wet test a tub. However, I do not think dry testing serves much useful purpose. In fact, I think dry testing is more deceptive than helpful. The difference in how a tub feels empty v. full of water is night and day. What feels good dry you may hate when wet. What feels terrible when empty may feel terrific when full. Unless you intend to keep the tub empty and use the tub as a playpen for your kids, dry testing is fruitless.

Also, wet testing a "similar" model by the same manufacturer is NO substitute for wet testing the specific model you intend to purchase. Before you pull the trigger, you need to wet test the specific model you want. You should sit in every seat and experiment with the hydrotherapy in each seat. Most tubs the depth of the seat changes as you move from position to position. If you have a spouse or significant other, he/she should also wet test the tub. What fits you may not fit someone else in your family. The jets will hit different bodies differently, particularly if the usual tub users are significantly different in height or girth. What feels good to you, your spouse or significant other may hate.

If you can, arrange to wet test similar models from the three manufacturers all in the same day. Your sense memory will be more reliable than if you test on different days. If a dealer is unwilling to prepare a tub for you to wet test, that should tell you something about that dealer.

If you've wet tested similar tubs from all three manufacturers and their all pretty close in contention for your money, you may also want to check this forum via the "search" engine and punch in the specific model(s) you are interested in. The results that come up from such a search and the questions and/or issues raised for your designated models may provide you with useful information or insight to those specific tubs, even if the results are only anecdotal and not "scientific" evidence. Such information may balance the scales one way or another.

Properly researched, I don't think you will be disappointed, regardless of whether you buy a Hot Springs, Sundance or Dimension One.

Good hunting