Emoneyspa Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Looking to buying my 1st hot tub under 6k, i like the Bullfrog & Dr Wellness spa the lifestyle series.. Does anyone know anything about these 2 please tell me what you think and or give me your Top 3 hot tubs i should look into.... THANKS CANT WAIT TO HEAR YOUR REPLIES!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Neither of those two brands are in my top 3 but that does not mean they can't be in yours. I have seen a couple Bullfrog hot tubs and find the jet pac idea very gimmicky and likely prone to problems. I also consider there construction middle of the road rather than top end. The other brand you mentioned Ive never seen but it appears to be a branded cheapo tub with someones very old molds. Nothing but a bunch of fluff on their web site. I would consider brands like Dimension One, Marquis, Beachcomber or any of the Watkins offerings (Hot Spring, Sundance, Caldera) before I would consider either of the brands your looking at. But this is just my opinion. All three of the manufacturers above have value offerings under 6 grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emoneyspa Posted May 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Thanks i will check on those as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNickels55 Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Just remember that what you save in the short term will cost you in the long term. Make sure you get something well insulated and energy effecient or you'll be paying for it every month when your electricty bill comes, especially during the winter. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Spring Ace Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Just remember that what you save in the short term will cost you in the long term. Make sure you get something well insulated and energy effecient or you'll be paying for it every month when your electricty bill comes, especially during the winter. Good luck! That is true but there is no reason why you can't have both. Some spa campnaies lessen the insualtion on their mid leevl spas and below but the better spa companies dont' skipm in this area. Some of the best spa makers have spa lines that you can get for a reasonable price that are still energy efficient. Hot Spring and Caldera each make a product line called Hot Spot and Vacanza that are very popular and very well insulated. Roger lists some good choices above as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RECSPA Posted April 12, 2014 Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 Neither of those two brands are in my top 3 but that does not mean they can't be in yours. I have seen a couple Bullfrog hot tubs and find the jet pac idea very gimmicky and likely prone to problems. I also consider there construction middle of the road rather than top end. The other brand you mentioned Ive never seen but it appears to be a branded cheapo tub with someones very old molds. Nothing but a bunch of fluff on their web site. I would consider brands like Dimension One, Marquis, Beachcomber or any of the Watkins offerings (Hot Spring, Sundance, Caldera) before I would consider either of the brands your looking at. But this is just my opinion. All three of the manufacturers above have value offerings under 6 grand. The only thing you need to know about Dr Wellness is that they used to be called Laguna Bay spas before they switched the name. Do yourself a favor and Google Laguna Bay spas to get more info. I've also heard the company has created a spa rating website to make there spas seem highly rated. You are really looking at both ends of the spectrums with those 2 choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
north_of_boston Posted April 25, 2014 Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 1) Remember, you get what you pay for. 2) What should be paramount - in your spa search - is dealer support after the sale. 3) Look at a hot tub purchase as a long-term, and not a short-term investment. $9000 over 10 years vs. $6000 over 10 years. Not very much difference now, is there? The only reason I'd "go cheap" is if I thought - "this is going to be a fad, I'll get it out of my system." But if you are going to use it daily - as we do, as we have since putting in our last spa in 1996, well - it's an investment like a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nopopdoc Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 I really liked the Hot Spring Hot Spot series spa called Rhythm. Very clean design, good features and open seating. I did buy a used Hot Springs Grandee that gave me better jets and circulation pump for a very cheap price. This way I can decide how much I will use it and what features I like or don't like/need. I would by the Rhythm tomorrow if I had to buy a new spa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njmurvin Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 I paid about $6K for my Marquis Everyday 660 (now called E-series). I added the insulation package as an option. It has been flawless for about 3 years now. FWIW, I also added the Ozonator and I would skip that if doing it again. The Marquis (at least my model year) only runs the filter cycle a few hours per day so the Ozonator isn't that effective as compared to brands that run 24/7 circulation pumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopcity Posted May 14, 2014 Report Share Posted May 14, 2014 I'm a big Bullfrog fan. In my opinion, they have truly built a better mousetrap. I love having the ability to customize which massage you want and to change it if your therapy needs ever change. I also like the reduced amount of plumbing and fittings. Less plumbing = less friction = more jet power. I also appreciate the fully synthetic base and structure. It will last forever. There are a lot of good hot tub brands out there. I would not consider Dr. Wellness among them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacey Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 I am also looking for a spa in the $6000 or lower range. I live in Minnesota and want one that does well in the cold. I am also leary about leaks. I have heard different responses to the Arctic Spa mode of insulation. My brother in law thinks the foam insulation a huge pain because of the difficulty of fixing leaks. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopcity Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 In Minnesota, you want all of the insulation you can get or you will pay through the roof to heat the tub. That being said, Arctic are pretty energy efficient. They still bury their jet fittings and some of the plumbing in foam. There is just less of it. Bullfrog offers the best of both worlds. They are full foam, but they got rid of most of the plumbing underneath. Also, the jets and jet fittings are in the body of water with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Water Boy Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 In Minnesota, you want all of the insulation you can get or you will pay through the roof to heat the tub. That being said, Arctic are pretty energy efficient. They still bury their jet fittings and some of the plumbing in foam. There is just less of it. Bullfrog offers the best of both worlds. They are full foam, but they got rid of most of the plumbing underneath. Also, the jets and jet fittings are in the body of water with you. It's not a big deal, but he is incorrect in when he says that Arctic buries some of the jets and plumbing in foam. That is not true. Arctic does foam tack down some of the manifolds and bigger hoses in certain areas, but none of the jets are plumbing or manifolds are buried in foam what so ever. You can get to all those without having to remove foam to get to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopcity Posted May 23, 2014 Report Share Posted May 23, 2014   In Minnesota, you want all of the insulation you can get or you will pay through the roof to heat the tub. That being said, Arctic are pretty energy efficient. They still bury their jet fittings and some of the plumbing in foam. There is just less of it. Bullfrog offers the best of both worlds. They are full foam, but they got rid of most of the plumbing underneath. Also, the jets and jet fittings are in the body of water with you. It's not a big deal, but he is incorrect in when he says that Arctic buries some of the jets and plumbing in foam. That is not true. Arctic does foam tack down some of the manifolds and bigger hoses in certain areas, but none of the jets are plumbing or manifolds are buried in foam what so ever. You can get to all those without having to remove foam to get to it. If I am mistaken, sorry. Are you saying that there is no foam on the underside of the shell, which is where the jet fittings are and the plumbing attaches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Spa Posted May 23, 2014 Report Share Posted May 23, 2014 Correct! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopcity Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 Darn, sorry for spreading misinformation. Not my intention at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNjohnson Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Hi Newbie, I came across your post on here and had to turn to my husband to ask if he had put up a post on this forum (I hadn't yet looked at the date to see when it was posted). We too are looking to purchase our first hot tub and live in MN. We have looked at all different brands and it is getting quite overwhelming at this point. We were just curious which one you ended up going with, if you are happy with your decision, and why? We've primarily had our eyes on Bullfrog, Marquis, and recently Dr. Wellness. The Dr. Wellness is definitely within what we wanted to spend, and they seem to have a great warranty.... but something just seems a little concerning or "too good to be true". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markee Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 I would be wary of the Dr Wellness brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopcity Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Dr. Wellness is garbage. They have changed their name frequently to outrun their reputation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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