Potential 1st Time Tub Owner/Purchaser

[Walleye206]

Hello! As the title suggests we are contemplating our first hot tub purchase.

I've been reading this forum for months along with Reddit and numerous articles and am as confused as ever or probably more so. Paralysis by analysis as we call it in the finance business. 

Before COVID hit we wet tested a number of Hot Springs spas and were sold on the Envoy. We were going to pull the trigger on a 2013 model from the Hot Springs dealer for $6,000 with new cover, steps, cradle, etc. literally the day COVID hit hard in March but decided to not buy until we knew what the financial affects would be. 

We are back in the market now for a spa. We live in the great white north so winter and bitterly cold temps will be here before we know it and we'd love to sit in a hot tub while it's 0 degrees F enjoying the outdoors. 

As others have experienced hot tubs are hard to come by right now. We looked at private party 2016 Envoy last week. Nice tub, but needed a new salt cell, cover, and the guy wouldn't include the breaker box. He wanted $5,500 and between a $550 moving fee, cover, fixing the salt cell (which wasn't necessarily required), breaker box, etc I figured I'd be into it for close to $7,500 - $8,000 and that's without knowing what other issues it could have. 

That experience has taught me that I'm either going to buy used from the dealer (used tubs are impossible to find right now) as they go through it all, and include delivery, the box, a new cover, and piece of mind, or I'm kicking around buying new. Obviously some huge advantages of buying new - warranty and reliability being the big ones, but it comes with a huge price tag of $5,000-6,000 over used. My dealer has a new Envoy arrving Friday that they'd sell me out the door with cover, steps, easy lift cradle, box for $13,500. 

I believe it has the new salt system in it but I haven't clarified that. Do all the new HS Highlife tubs come with it standard? Is the other option to use an ozone system and chemicals like a non saltwater tub? Which way is preferred by users? As my dealer tells me it is personal preference. 

I've also been directed to Bull Frog spas but my local dealer says he can't get any until February and I'd want to wet test them first. Not sure I want to wait another six months to even sit in a tub. 

We are total hot tub rookies - I'll be honest - I've never been a huge hot tub fan for two reasons: 1. I don't like the strong smell of chlorine and chemicals and I also don't like sharing dirty water with strangers. 2. Most tubs I've been in are too hot for my liking and I can only last 15-20 minutes. My dad has a HS Vanguard and both of these situations apply. My buddy has a HS Prism and his water never has the strong chemical smell and he keeps it at a temp to where I've actually sat in it for 2 hours comfortably. By owning my own tub I would have control over my main 2 dislikes, and I loved sitting in my buddies tub. 

That being said my main questions are:

1. New or used from a dealer (I've completely ruled out private party)

2. Hot Springs Envoy or Bullfrog R7L or A7L (haven't wet tested Bull Frog and won't be able to for at least 6 months)

3. Will I love it since it is my own and I don't have to worry about dirty water or hot temp - btw - my wife has been begging for one for years but at $13,500 before electrical work, tax, etc its a huge investment for a depreciable luxury item 

4. What questions should I be asking the dealer about the tub? I don't know what I don't know. 

My local dealers are HS, Bullfrog, Jacuzzi, Caldera, and Dakspa. HS sells the most but they also seem to be the most expensive for everything overall. Each dealer I went compared themselves to HS and bad mouthed HS. They didn't compare themselves to any of the other brands. They all talked poorly of salt water (including HS until I showed interest in a new tub and then of course salt water has come so far, so many improvements, blah blah blah). Based on the dealer feedback and the blatant bad mouthing of HS that lead me to believe that HS must make a great spa - haters gonna hate on the dog in town. 

I'm open to any and all suggestions and am even fine with hearing "don't waste your money on a hot tub".

Thanks!

[RDspaguy]

Hot springs is a good brand. Caldera is the same manufacturer. Jacuzzi is also a good tub. Bullfrogs get mixed reviews and I have never heard of the last one.

Buying used is a good way to find out if you will want a spa enough to fork out $14k. Alot of people love it for a year or so then it becomes that thing in the yard they are afraid to open. No telling if you will love it until you own it.

A properly maintained spa should never smell like chlorine/chemicals regardless of what method is used. I am a fan of ozone and manual chlorine treatments and dislike saltcells (chlorine generators) in general, and especially in spas, and even more in the new hot springs. I am sure @castletoniacan give you the low-down on HS salt cells.

[Walleye206]

Thanks! Castle helped me out on a different form so no need for him to reply here as well. 😀

[CanadianSpaTech]

Where in Canada. I am near Milton ON. I often sell tested used spas as well if you are in my area.

[Walleye206]

1 hour ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

Where in Canada. I am near Milton ON. I often sell tested used spas as well if you are in my area.

On the US side - North Dakota!

Thanks for the reply's thus far. 

[castletonia]

Just curious, is Dakspa a typo?  Never heard of that brand and Google isn't helping.

[CanadianSpaTech]

20 hours ago, Walleye206 said:

We live in the great white north

 

11 hours ago, Walleye206 said:

On the US side - North Dakota!

Thanks for the reply's thus far. 

AHH so you are NOT from the "Great White North". This claim is trademarked by Canada and should only be used by Canadians. Please refrain from using this statement in the future. You have been warned. Further use will result in Canada having to send the RCMP to give you a stern talking to EH.

Sorry

[Walleye206]

1 hour ago, castletonia said:

Just curious, is Dakspa a typo?  Never heard of that brand and Google isn't helping.

I guess technically it is American Whirlpool. When we visited the store they had them branded as Dakspa, so that caused the confision. www.dakotaspasandpools.com.

CST - does it help that I've curled for over 30 years? 😉

[Walleye206]

Well the tub i was looking at sold - but they have the exact tub coming in next week. Tub would have the salt system and ozone both installed as the dealer said that has worked the best for them, cover cradle 2, steps, and balancing chemicals for $13,500 USD. Sound system would be a $1000 add on include the two speakers, sub, and bluethooth. I'm pretty sold on the tub, is the sound system worth an extra grand? I have bluetooth speakers that are water proof and put out good sound I paid $60 for. Does this sound system hold up to the cold?

Thanks! 

[ratchett]

1 hour ago, Walleye206 said:

Tub would have the salt system and ozone both installed as the dealer said that has worked the best for them

Lol, there's only one dealer I've met which runs both.  It's not a standard setup.  He's a member of another forum online. I'd be curious if it's the same dealer.

 

1 hour ago, Walleye206 said:

for $13,500 USD. Sound system would be a $1000 add on include the two speakers, sub, and bluethooth. I'm pretty sold on the tub

I am a huge fan of the Hotspring Highlife tubs, I have a 2019 Jetsetter and planning to trade-in/up to a Hotspring Envoy in the near future once I rebuild my backyard.   I say buy it now if you like the dealer!

1 hour ago, Walleye206 said:

Sound system would be a $1000 add on include the two speakers, sub, and bluethooth. I'm pretty sold on the tub, is the sound system worth an extra grand? I have bluetooth speakers that are water proof and put out good sound I paid $60 for. Does this sound system hold up to the cold?

The speakers are not bad (I have them on my Jetsetter, talked the dealer down from $1200 to $700 since I was trying to stay below $9k cash for the tub).  However when the dealer was installing the speakers he specifically told me to call him in 23 months so he can replace the speakers under warranty because the pop-up spring has a habit of failing just after the warranty ends. 

Most hottub speakers fail quickly and get poor sound quality ratings for the prices paid. You're usually better off saving your money and using a wireless speaker.

The only good news however is that all Hotspring Highlife tubs are built with speaker cutouts and conduit (with chase-wires preinstalled) so a technician can "easily" upgrade the tub later if you want speakers installed in a year from now (my dealer quoted $1500 for the speakers and installation if I opted to do it later).    If you're an curious, here are the speakers used in the Highlife tubs - https://www.polyplanar.com/product/ma7020g-oval-popup-spa-speaker/

[Walleye206]

22 minutes ago, ratchett said:

Lol, there's only one dealer I've met which runs both.  It's not a standard setup.  He's a member of another forum online. I'd be curious if it's the same dealer.

I was surprised and happy to hear they ran both. I asked about it and he said over the years they've had bybfae the best luck running both with the least amount of call backs when running both even though HS says it is not the norm or necessary.

Thanks for the advice on the speakers. Living in a cold environment my sale rep said he has a tough time finding a bluetooth speaker that doesn't die right away from the cold - which makes sense. My wife and I are both music lovers so I might move ahead with the upgrade. He said they install it on site when they pplace the tub. 

I ended up pulling the trigger on the tub. Driftwood shell matches our house perfectly. Kinda kicking myself for not buying a used 2013 back in March for less than half the price but I also would have been upset if something went wrong a year or two down the road and would have had to put a grand or more into it. 

Thanks for the input! Now I just hope I love it for years and get my $ worth out of it!