Down To 2 Choices Maybe 3 Buying Limitations...help Please!

[coachtjm]

Hello, new to the forum been reading a couple weeks first post as we are close to taking the plunge and buying a spa.

In our area we have a somewhat limited selection of brands and most of the places we are looking aren't open to wet testing. We are buying a spa mainly for leisure and relaxation. A REAL warranty is important to us.

We are down to 2 choices maybe 3-4 but I think price has really sent us to two

I am looking at a: 1) CalSpa,ES732B best price overal, dealer seems ok

2) MasterSpa Cape Cod

3) Hot Springs Hot Spot Rhythm about $1000 more than the other two, supposedly better? more efficient?

4) Premium Leisure model 852: Cant get much information on them? Looks nice, a bigger tub, perhaps the most reputable of the dealers.

[Chas]

I think others will vouch for me in saying that I do not bash other brands: to me the dealer can make owning almost any tub a good experience. Cal Spa is the one exception. I have seen dealers struggle to try and keep customers happy while the factory seems to go out of it's way to make it tough. They are an amazing marketing machine, but so many of the things which SELL a spa (esp. at a show) do not translate into a good long-term ownership experience.

We have even had some Cal dealers on various web boards who have sold the product for years - and acted as a successful cushion between the factory and the consumer - who finally got tired of having to work so hard to keep their customers happy, and moved on to rep other products.

I did warranty work for Cal a long time ago, and I had to build up a good sweat trying to get parts and then later, I would have to repeat the performance trying to get paid. I was not a dealer, so I expected to get paid, but they didn't like doing that. They did need a lot of work done, and I was the only one in the area still willing to talk to them or touch their spas. (they had a factory store in our area at the time).

End rant - HTH

[hjames710]

Being in Colorado, you see a lot of spas, and almost every other house on my street has one. I just talked to a lot of my neighbors about their spas, Most have a HotSpring, Marquis, or like I just bought, a Wind RIver. But, I do have one neighbor who has a Cal Spa, and he made it very clear that he hates it. It's a 2007? or 2006? And has had two new control boards, a new pump (which cal spa refused to cover, so he paid over $600 for it.) He's the reason that I never even considered a Cal Spa. HotSprings makes great tubs, and parts will ALWAYS be available, so remember that. I would say the extra $1,000 is worth it for the better tub.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Hello, new to the forum been reading a couple weeks first post as we are close to taking the plunge and buying a spa.

In our area we have a somewhat limited selection of brands and most of the places we are looking aren't open to wet testing. We are buying a spa mainly for leisure and relaxation. A REAL warranty is important to us.

We are down to 2 choices maybe 3-4 but I think price has really sent us to two

I am looking at a: 1) CalSpa,ES732B best price overal, dealer seems ok

2) MasterSpa Cape Cod

3) Hot Springs Hot Spot Rhythm about $1000 more than the other two, supposedly better? more efficient?

4) Premium Leisure model 852: Cant get much information on them? Looks nice, a bigger tub, perhaps the most reputable of the dealers.

I'd steer clear of Master and Cal. Hot Spring is a far better choice than either of them IMO. Can't add anything about Premium Leisure.

[coachtjm]

Ok, got a curve ball to throw in today... a good one I think.....

found a dealer not too far away that will do a new caldera vanto at similar pricing to the master spa and 800 cheaper than the hot springs....so with that now being in play what direction should i go?

[manwgoldengun]

PS--You haven't mentioned Sundance? My Sundance is 13 years old---One pump replaced--that's it!

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Ok, got a curve ball to throw in today... a good one I think.....

found a dealer not too far away that will do a new caldera vanto at similar pricing to the master spa and 800 cheaper than the hot springs....so with that now being in play what direction should i go?

Caldera is made by the same manufacturer as Hot Spring so both those choices are fine and not the crapshoot that Master and Cal are.

[Spa_Guru]

Here is a great way to cure yourself of any thought of buying a Cal Spa.

Pick some major city in the USA, and use the internet yellow pages to find the phone numbers of hot tub repair businesses, (not tub retail sales places) and call a half dozen of them and tell them you have a 5 year old Cal Spa that needs repair.

5 out of 6, or even 6 out of 6 will tell you they don't work on Cal Spas, some might even hang up on you.

As for Hot Springs or Caldera, make certain the product involved is not on this Recall notice from the feds;

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12211.html

Watkins Manufacturing and Therm Products Recall Spas Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Hot Spring Spas and Limelight Hot Tubs

Units: About 5,600

Spa Manufacturer: Watkins Manufacturing Corp., dba Hot Spring Spas and Limelight Hot Tubs, of Vista, Calif.

Heater Manufacturer: Therm Products, a division of Caldesso LLC, of San Bernardino, Calif.

Hazard: A loose internal electrical connection of the spa heaters can overheat and ignite, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Watkins Manufacturing has received 31 reports of heaters on these spas overheating, five of which resulted in a fire. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall includes the following 11 models of Hot Spring Spas and Limelight Hot Tubs brand spas installed with Therm Products No-Fault Water Heaters: Aria, Envoy, Flair, Glow, Grandee, Jetsetter, Prodigy, Pulse, Sovereign, Vanguard and Vista. The recalled spas were manufactured from March 2011 to December 2011 and were installed since October 2011. The date is represented by 2N, 3N, or 4N in the spa’s seven to 10 alpha-numeric serial code. For example, xxx2N#### or xxx4N####, where “xxx” represents a series of letters one to three characters long, and “####” is a four-digit numerical sequence. The model name and serial code are printed on a label within the spa’s equipment compartment, located behind a removable panel on the side of the spa.

Sold at: Independent spa dealers nationwide from March 2011 to March 2012 for between $6,000 and $12,000.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled spas and shut off power to the spa unit, following instructions provided in the owner's manual or by the Watkins-Therm Products Response Hotline. Consumers should contact the Watkins-Therm Products Response Hotline or their Watkins Manufacturing spa dealer for a free replacement heater and installation by a service technician. Watkins Manufacturing spa dealers are also contacting all affected owners to schedule the free installation of a replacement heater.

(More on this at the web link provided)

[blindrid]

I'm a fan of HotSprings. They do cost a bit more but typically have solid dealers and provide a worry free product. I have owned two and whenever my current on goes away - 13 years and counting, I'll buy another.

[Chas]

Spa Guru: excellent suggestion about the service technicians. About Watkins Manufacturing and the heaters: This recall applies to just a limited number heaters in tubs which are already out in the field. We have done everything we can to contact the customers and replace them all - I have replaced all 6 of mine - but because we cannot get in touch with 100% of the list, we have informed the CPSC. There is NO WAY you can buy a spa with a bad heater unless you purchase it used from a private party, and the serial numbers are very easy to check against the list on the government web site, or call the factory and read them the serial number and they will immediately tell you if that used tub needs a new heater, or post here, or email me, or call me!

And none of these heaters went into a Caldera. In fact, they also didn't go into Tiger River Spas (discontinued), nor Hot Spot tubs.

[MaRiSpaTech]

Premium Leisure was once named Hydro Spa, before they filled for bankruptcy. I believe that Hotsprings/Watkins is more expensive then they should be, however they are light years ahead of the other choices for quality and efficiency. Ask the dealers to remove the cabinet panel so you can see the difference in construction and insulation for yourself. You may be surprised how different these spas look “under the hood”.

[coachtjm]

We took the plunge and ordered a caldera vanto at what seems to be a great price from a solid dealer.

Now on to the chemical study. Looking at using Nature 2 mineral stick and the cense mps and then ?????????

[Chas]

You will love it. Welcome to Spatopia, although the hardest part of your ownership experience is just ahead: waiting for the tub to be delivered.