Need Help Deciding Which Spa To Buy

[New Sue]

We are looking for a spa and have visited several showrooms, but we still need more information. It is all confusing for us. We were impressed with the Marquis line as well as the Maax. However, I have seen many negative remarks on this forum about the Maax. I like the fact that it has steel construction because we have rodents and termites in our area and felt that this would last longer. I would like to know what the specific negatives are about the Maax. They have the perfect configuration for us - a 4 or 5 person spa with a therapy lounge. And we have found a dealer who has been in business in our area for many years and he appears to be honest and knowledgable. We are not looking for a cheap line, as price is not the main factor. We intend to keep it for a very long time.

Please, any specifics would be appreciated.

[north_of_boston]

Our spa is an Arctic. One option that Arctic has is a "forever floor" - which is a synthetic floor and little critters, bugs, termites, etc. can't easily get into it with that.

Other manufacturers may offer things similar to that.

[Dan The Spa Man]

As a dealer, I try to educate each client as best as possible in order for them to make the best decision based upon their needs. As most customers know little of the industry and its products, I try to narrow their focus down to 3 things: Size, Layout/Configuration, and Price. Most don't know what they want, so I try to eliminate what they don't want.

Size: Most spas range from 7' to 8' square. Find the right size for you based on where you are putting the spa, seating capacity needed, and so on.

Layout/Configuration: Again, most spas are either all seats or incorporate one lounger. Almost all brands offer models that come either way.

Price: Research brands in your area and sync their pricing to your budget to set realistic expectations.

Keep with established brands that most in the industry agree are of better quality. But a huge factor in the decision-making process is your local dealers. As they are the company that will service your spa and provide warranty work, do your homework and filter out establishments with a history of poor customer service. I would also not consider a dealer that has carried a brand for less than 5 years.

And remember: Bells and whistles are nice, but comfort and relaxation/therapy are what separates brands. Try to wet test the tubs that make the final cut. Most women & children tend to float in loungers, and taller/broader adults may have trouble in in smaller tubs. A salesman can talk until he is blue in the face about how great his brand/model is, but if you don't fit comfortably its all a moot point.

I hope this helps. Good luck moving forward.

[n1oty]

I generally advise people to avoid the metal frame tubs if they live near the ocean. I have a lot of customers on Cape Cod who were foolish enough to buy metal framed Master Spas. They rot out within a few years in a salt air environment. If you are not near the ocean, a metal frame tub should be fine.

John

[Roger]

I generally advise people to avoid the metal frame tubs if they live near the ocean. I have a lot of customers on Cape Cod who were foolish enough to buy metal framed Master Spas. They rot out within a few years in a salt air environment. If you are not near the ocean, a metal frame tub should be fine.

John

I'm on my third metal grill on the same wooden deck.

[dwreefs]

I was looking at maax spas and it seems to me that the floor is not insulated except with a sheet of radiant (aluminized bubble wrap) sheeting. Also it seems like the top edge is not insulated very well either as the insulation did't seem to go to the very top couple of inches.

I live in Canada so that is a no go for me but in warmer climates may be okay.

A friend of mine bought one 3 years ago( the 4 or 5 seater) and has had no problems but he had to put 2 inches of high density styrofoam under it . It worked and he says it only seems to run on the filter cycles and doesn't seem to cost anymore than his older beachcomber to run, not an ideal way to insulate but worked ok .

One thing that he likes on his maax is the prefilter .He cleans it once a week and rarely has to clean his main filter I am not sure what other spas use this but a good idea They like their spa and it still looks nice and clean

[Roger]

Yea I don't think Maxx is in the same league as Marquis either.

[Loopcity]

I generally advise people to avoid the metal frame tubs if they live near the ocean. I have a lot of customers on Cape Cod who were foolish enough to buy metal framed Master Spas. They rot out within a few years in a salt air environment. If you are not near the ocean, a metal frame tub should be fine.

John

I'm on my third metal grill on the same wooden deck.

Your deck does not get heated up to 500 degrees and have grease and juice drip all over it

[Spa_Guru]

Many manufacturers offer a decent floor that is synthetic, but when it comes to claims of not having to pour concrete, let me say that even if the floor is all that, the ground may not be, and a tub that is sagging to one side can be a tad annoying, and if, like the Arctic, they are built with no seat supports, the weight of the now tilting shell falls on the side cabinet.

If your manufacturer makes a decent shell to begin with, like the Arctic and Marquis, the shell self supports with a good foundation, and all the steel frame hype is exactly that, hype.

The main reason for steel framing is that it is cheaper to build than wood.

[Roger]

I generally advise people to avoid the metal frame tubs if they live near the ocean. I have a lot of customers on Cape Cod who were foolish enough to buy metal framed Master Spas. They rot out within a few years in a salt air environment. If you are not near the ocean, a metal frame tub should be fine.

John

I'm on my third metal grill on the same wooden deck.

Your deck does not get heated up to 500 degrees and have grease and juice drip all over it

No but it is in the hot sun, rain, snow, wind and elements all day every day of the year while being trampled. I cover my grill and only use it 25 times a year.

[New Sue]

Thank you very much for your advice. We ended up buying a Marquis Spirit, which is the right size for us but has all the jets we need and the lounge configuration we wanted. This forum has been very helpful.