Tiger River Bengal

[Damian]

Hello, I am a newbie and in the market for a new hot tub. I will be the primary user, live in a cold winter environment and wanted a little extra room in case I had a few extra people. I've come across the Tiger River Bengal with is of sale at my local dealer. I have the brochure,done some online research and read good things about this tub. The one thing which is hard for me to research is price. The dealer quoted me $6500 OTD, which includes chemicals, cover, delivery, set-up and 5 year warranty. I will need to get an electrician out here for an additional cost (dealer said around $300). The particular model is the dedicated 230v model and has a waterfall, that's about all I know. I'm going back there this afternoon to ask if its a 2009 or 2010 model, not sure if there's a difference? What other information should I ask? Is the price good or could it be lower? I am open to other tubs and will not spend more than what this dealer wants for this Tiger River (actually I wanted to keep in under 6K). He's a Hot Springs dealer if that helps. Any information would be great!!!

Damian

[Peteyboy]

Your electrical will probably cost more than that.

No difference between '09 & '10.

I think that's a good price OTD - I would also ask for a cover lifter and ozone...you never get what you don't ask for.

That is a good spa, good warranty, very reliable and very efficient.

Good Luck

PS The light, and any accessory is a 1 year warranty & the cover is 2 years. The pillow none and the rest of the spa 5 years.

Keep the pH & Alkalinity balanced for the spas benefit.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Your electrical will probably cost more than that.

No difference between '09 & '10.

I think that's a good price OTD - I would also ask for a cover lifter and ozone...you never get what you don't ask for.

That is a good spa, good warranty, very reliable and very efficient.

Good Luck

PS The light, and any accessory is a 1 year warranty & the cover is 2 years. The pillow none and the rest of the spa 5 years.

Keep the pH & Alkalinity balanced for the spas benefit.

Cover lifter for me is just about a must add on; you can go without but it makes hot tubbing much easier and thats what its all about. Ozone is a smart add which I would do also though you can get by without it.

[gman]

Damian,

I wish I could provide some insight into Tiger River, but I don't know anything about this tub or the manufacturer. But, I can suggest you try entering "Tiger River" in the search engine on this forum and see what comes up. Maybe you've already done that. Before you buy any tub, you need to wet test the tub first. Sitting in a dry tub tells you nothing. You need to spend time in each seat position to see how it feels to you. This is particularly true if you are considering any tub with a lounger. If you're comparing multiple tubs, try wet testing the tubs the same day when the "feel" is still in your sensory memory.

There are many hot tub manufacturers to choose from and like anything else, some producers are better than others. Most hot tub manufacturers offer different "lines" to accommodate different tastes and budgets. Although price is always a factor, more important is the value. You'll have your tub a long time, so a few bucks saved here and there will not mean much over the life of the tub. The feel of the tub and the satisfaction/dissatisfaction with your dealer will remain long after the "deal".

Good luck with your search.

gman

[hottubdan]

Your electrical will probably cost more than that.

No difference between '09 & '10.

I think that's a good price OTD - I would also ask for a cover lifter and ozone...you never get what you don't ask for.

That is a good spa, good warranty, very reliable and very efficient.

Good Luck

PS The light, and any accessory is a 1 year warranty & the cover is 2 years. The pillow none and the rest of the spa 5 years.

Keep the pH & Alkalinity balanced for the spas benefit.

To keep the record straight:

2009 Tiger River = 5 year warranty

2010 Tiger River = 3 year warranty

[Damian]

Great! Thanks for the fast replies. Here's the additional information I've found out. It is a 2009 Bengal with the 5 year warranty. For some reason the 2010 models are down to 3 years as Peteyboy stated. The dealer says there's only a 1 year warranty on the cover. Apparently, it comes with an GFCI panel, not sure if that saves money with the electrical? I asked if $6500 is the lowest he'll go and he said yes, but I wasn't in position to push for lower yet. When I'm in that position I will as about the cover lifter and ozone. What's the ozone if you don't mind me asking? Is that something I should have anyway?

Gman...Hot Springs is the maker of Tiger River if that helps. From my limited research Hot Springs seems to be a well known hot tub company. I asked the dealer about "wet testing" the tub and he stated that Hot Springs wet tests all their tubs. He says this particular tub has been in the showroom since January 2010. I know someone who bought a used Bengal and I might go over to his house soon to see if I like the layout.

I'll be checking back ofter for any updates.

Thanks,

Damian

[Peteyboy]

Your electrical will probably cost more than that.

No difference between '09 & '10.

I think that's a good price OTD - I would also ask for a cover lifter and ozone...you never get what you don't ask for.

That is a good spa, good warranty, very reliable and very efficient.

Good Luck

PS The light, and any accessory is a 1 year warranty & the cover is 2 years. The pillow none and the rest of the spa 5 years.

Keep the pH & Alkalinity balanced for the spas benefit.

To keep the record straight:

2009 Tiger River = 5 year warranty

2010 Tiger River = 3 year warranty

Good call Dan - I keep forgetting that...Thanks

[gman]

Great! Thanks for the fast replies. Here's the additional information I've found out. It is a 2009 Bengal with the 5 year warranty. For some reason the 2010 models are down to 3 years as Peteyboy stated. The dealer says there's only a 1 year warranty on the cover. Apparently, it comes with an GFCI panel, not sure if that saves money with the electrical? I asked if $6500 is the lowest he'll go and he said yes, but I wasn't in position to push for lower yet. When I'm in that position I will as about the cover lifter and ozone. What's the ozone if you don't mind me asking? Is that something I should have anyway?

Gman...Hot Springs is the maker of Tiger River if that helps. From my limited research Hot Springs seems to be a well known hot tub company. I asked the dealer about "wet testing" the tub and he stated that Hot Springs wet tests all their tubs. He says this particular tub has been in the showroom since January 2010. I know someone who bought a used Bengal and I might go over to his house soon to see if I like the layout.

I'll be checking back ofter for any updates.

Thanks,

Damian

Damian,

Thanks for informing me that Tiger River is one of Hot Springs lines. I misspoke in my prior post when I said I did not know anything about Tiger River or the manufacturer. I don't know anything about Tiger River, but I know something about Hot Springs, as I checked out Hot Springs when I researched their Grandee and Vista models when I did my hot tub shopping. I just never looked at the Tiger River line and it didn't ring any bells for me when your post appeared.

Hot Springs is one of the better hot tub manufacturers. You've probably already noticed that Hot Springs is routinely recommended, along with a handful of other tub manufacturers (Sundance, Jacuzzi, Dimension One, Marquis) as one of top hot tub manufacturers. If you find a tub that fits your needs and it is made from Hot Springs, I think you can rest assured that you bought a quality product. For me, it was a Sundance tub that fit my needs best.

Good luck.

gman

2009 Sundance Optima

[Damian]

gman,

Thanks for the information. I have not pulled the trigger yet only because I have a hard time investing $6500 without all available information. Also, my deck extension work has not started yet. I think I have searched all that I can on the internet and relying on "all of you" for anything else I've missed. I did call another dealer who's 2 hours away from my home that quoted me a the exact tub for the same OTD price with a cover lifter and steps thrown in with free delivery. I asked about maintenance with them being 2 hours away and they claim a repairman would be here within a week. I don't think I really need the lifter or the steps (due to the deck design) so maybe I can go back to my local dealer and maybe get a few more hundred off. Ideally, I would like the purchase the tub through my local dealer. I should just buy it and get it over with!

Damian

[Damian]

Update: Called the local dealer and made the deal. He'll hold the tub for me until I'm ready for it and threw in a set of stairs for $6500 OTD. I hope this tub will last a long time with minimum problems. Once I get it here and set it up I will post my thoughts on it.

Damian

[JerimiahR]

The Tiger River Bengal is a great spa model. As your research has confirmed, Hot Spring is indeed a great manufacturer (well known for overall reliability and energy efficiencies). You'll be happy with their product I'm sure.

Come back to the forums with pictures! I love seeing pictures of folk's hot tub installs. It's great to see the different yard setups folks end up with.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Update: Called the local dealer and made the deal. He'll hold the tub for me until I'm ready for it and threw in a set of stairs for $6500 OTD. I hope this tub will last a long time with minimum problems. Once I get it here and set it up I will post my thoughts on it.

Damian

Congrats but now the hard part, getting ready then waiting for delivery!!

[ed3553]

Update: Called the local dealer and made the deal. He'll hold the tub for me until I'm ready for it and threw in a set of stairs for $6500 OTD. I hope this tub will last a long time with minimum problems. Once I get it here and set it up I will post my thoughts on it.

Damian

You will be happy with your choice. Also they hold their resale value very well. Like others stated keep your ph and alk balanced and 10 years from now your spa will still look new. Enjoy your new spa.

[Damian]

Update: Have had the tub now for about 2 weeks and just about used it every night. So far so good and learning the chemicals was pretty easy. I would post pictures of the tub however, I'm not smart enough to figure out how to use attach picture.