Newbie With Questions & Thinking Of An Infinity Spa

[alexmom]

Hi Everyone,

I'm really glad I found this forum, as we've just decided to buy a spa! We are buying more on price, mainly because we'll be closing it down in the winter because of the extreme cold here in Quebec plus the spa will be too far from the house and not in a gazebo. So...I have some questions I hope some of you won't mind answering?

First, we are looking at a 2-3 person spa as it's just my husband and I, and we don't entertain that much being so far north of our friends and family. We've done the home show tour and visited 5 spa dealers in our area (BTW, it was as high pressure and full of the same tactics as buying a car! We thoroughly hated it!) and realized that a bare bones 3 person spa will cost between $8000 - $10,000, which has led us to the Infinity Columbia Spa on sale at Costco online for $4049. I know there are a lot of negative posts here about Costco spas and believe me, I fully understand I'm not getting a premium quality spa or any customer support, but my husband is an electrician so the hookups and maintenance aren't a problem and as we will be closing from Nov-Apr, the insulation should be sufficient for summer. Also, we are mostly soakers and don't keep the jets on for too long.

My questions are:

1. Does anyone know much about Infinity Spas? It seems most of the negative posts about Costco spas are regarding a different manufacturer and I'm curious to see if anyone owns one or knows anything about their repair history.

2. Infinity uses Waterway Jets which look smaller in the photos from some other spas like Sundance, Jacuzzi and Hotsprings. How do they compare with the jets in premium spas?

3. What kind of base is preferable? It will be in the back of the yard where grass is now, so we're considering cement slab, paving stones or a Spa Pad Kit.

I'm sorry if some of my questions have been answered in other posts, but there is so much information to wade through here!

Thank you!!

[Roger]

Hi Everyone,

My questions are:

1. Does anyone know much about Infinity Spas? It seems most of the negative posts about Costco spas are regarding a different manufacturer and I'm curious to see if anyone owns one or knows anything about their repair history.

2. Infinity uses Waterway Jets which look smaller in the photos from some other spas like Sundance, Jacuzzi and Hotsprings. How do they compare with the jets in premium spas?

3. What kind of base is preferable? It will be in the back of the yard where grass is now, so we're considering cement slab, paving stones or a Spa Pad Kit.

I'm sorry if some of my questions have been answered in other posts, but there is so much information to wade through here!

Thank you!!

1. Never heard of them sorry.

2. Waterway makes hundreds of styles of jets in many different configurations and price points. They make quality stuff.

3. A cement slab is always prefered but not neccesary, check with the dealer or manufacturer to see what they reccomend or prefer. Certain options may void what warranty you do have.

[alexmom]

1. Never heard of them sorry.

2. Waterway makes hundreds of styles of jets in many different configurations and price points. They make quality stuff.

3. A cement slab is always prefered but not neccesary, check with the dealer or manufacturer to see what they reccomend or prefer. Certain options may void what warranty you do have.

Thanks Roger! I will definitely check the warranty for the base requirements.

[rubadubdub]

Don't quote me on this but is Infinity Still MAXX SPAS?? I know YEARS ago my mom got an infinity and it was made by MAXX. It was a nice tub at the time, BUllet proof, never had an issue. Now I am a coleman dealer and the coleman tubs are NIGHTMARES!! I sell more Sundance than I do colemans.

[alexmom]

Don't quote me on this but is Infinity Still MAXX SPAS?? I know YEARS ago my mom got an infinity and it was made by MAXX. It was a nice tub at the time, BUllet proof, never had an issue. Now I am a coleman dealer and the coleman tubs are NIGHTMARES!! I sell more Sundance than I do colemans.

Thanks rubadubdub! No, it's not MAAX, it's a company out of Tennassee that custom builds the tubs to order. I actually just found one of their dealers on ebay, and it seems the feedback is mostly good, but I have a hunch that the parts/insulation they use for the Costco tubs may be different. Oh well, unfortunately we don't have a lot of options among our local dealers in Greater Montreal/North shore. Wish we were closer to you in Ontario, we'd definiately check out your Sundance tubs!

[alexmom]

UPDATE:

Thanks again to those who responded! Just wanted to add an update that we made an unplanned stop at another spa dealer today and voila, a FANTASTIC sales rep! It was Club Piscine Laval, and they sell Elite by Maax, Sundance and Jacuzzi tubs. We told the rep we were looking at an Infinity spa at Costco because of price, and she said they had an Elite Spa by Maax Entourage for $5000 and included in the price:

10 x 12 Canopy Gazebo with mosquito nets and privacy curtains (we were going to buy one)

3 piece rattan & iron bistro set (gimick but nice)

2 robes (big gimick)

Ozonator (figured it would be included)

GFCI (would have had to buy)

Steps (would have had to buy)

Cover and Lift (would have had to buy the lift)

Placement of the spa on your spa site (would have had to hire someone $$)

choice of colours (not at costco)

no questions asked service. You call, they go no charge (Costco doesn't)

I know it's all very gimicky, but we really ended up liking the tub, and though we didn't wet test, we did sit in an empty one and wet tested the jets in another with our legs and feet. At first I thought I really wanted a waterfall, (the costco one had one and the entourage doesn't), but our rep explained that unless you have a circulation pump, which neither model does, then the waterfall won't stay on when the jets are off like the high end tubs. Good info for a newbie like me because I would have been disappointed with that function on the Infinity Spa from Costco (hope she was right!). Also, we're getting a bigger tub which can't be bad.

Staying on budget was tough though!! There was a gorgeous $9000 Sundance and a gorgeous $9000 Jacuzzi model we loved, but I just couldn't justify doubling our budget for a first time buy. Maybe we'll regret it, but I hope not! Is it my dream tub? No, but I think we got a better tub for less money that we don't have to finance, PLUS dealer support and a great sales rep which we feel much more confident about!

I'll post back once we have it, and if anyone knows about this Entourage model from Elite Spas by Maax, good and bad, please let me know!

Thanks again for all the great information on this forum!!

[rubadubdub]

ELITE, COLEMAN, NAHANNI(home Depot)....any MAXX spa shares components. While the price is nice we have found that they DO use more hydro than say a SUNDANCE/JACUZZI/HOTSPRINGS and some of the other better made FULL FOAM tubs.

We do FAR more service on our MAXX spas than we do SUNDANCE. Take it for what its worth, I also have some very satisfied Coleman customers......but They are what they are.....If NON full foam was the Ideal way to go don't you think they would have designed the cover the same way instead of using a full foam cover??

[alexmom]

ELITE, COLEMAN, NAHANNI(home Depot)....any MAXX spa shares components. While the price is nice we have found that they DO use more hydro than say a SUNDANCE/JACUZZI/HOTSPRINGS and some of the other better made FULL FOAM tubs.

We do FAR more service on our MAXX spas than we do SUNDANCE. Take it for what its worth, I also have some very satisfied Coleman customers......but They are what they are.....If NON full foam was the Ideal way to go don't you think they would have designed the cover the same way instead of using a full foam cover??

Thanks for your feedback rubadubdub, I really appreciate it and I do believe you when you say the Maax spas have more problems, require more service and aren't as well insulated. At least it helps keep our expecations of this tub realistic! I agree with hot tubs you get what you pay for, but $4000 more was too much for us to pay for a seasonal tub. We do expect to pay more for electricity than we would for a Sundance or Jacuzzi, but because we're closing in the winter it shouldn't be too bad, and we can add extra insulation if we need to. Also, the dealer warranty covers parts and labour for 10 years no questions asked so I figure if we only get 10 years out of it and have to replace it then, it will have done it's duty. All in all I feel that for the same price, we're better off than we would have been with a Costco tub, because of the dealer support if nothing else.

Of course I don't have the tub yet....If we do have a bad experience, I'll post about it and hope you won't be shy about replying "I told you so"!

[Jim_The_Jim]

Hi Everyone,

I'm really glad I found this forum, as we've just decided to buy a spa! We are buying more on price, mainly because we'll be closing it down in the winter because of the extreme cold here in Quebec plus the spa will be too far from the house and not in a gazebo. So...I have some questions I hope some of you won't mind answering?

First, we are looking at a 2-3 person spa as it's just my husband and I, and we don't entertain that much being so far north of our friends and family. We've done the home show tour and visited 5 spa dealers in our area (BTW, it was as high pressure and full of the same tactics as buying a car! We thoroughly hated it!) and realized that a bare bones 3 person spa will cost between $8000 - $10,000, which has led us to the Infinity Columbia Spa on sale at Costco online for $4049. I know there are a lot of negative posts here about Costco spas and believe me, I fully understand I'm not getting a premium quality spa or any customer support, but my husband is an electrician so the hookups and maintenance aren't a problem and as we will be closing from Nov-Apr, the insulation should be sufficient for summer. Also, we are mostly soakers and don't keep the jets on for too long.

My questions are:

1. Does anyone know much about Infinity Spas? It seems most of the negative posts about Costco spas are regarding a different manufacturer and I'm curious to see if anyone owns one or knows anything about their repair history.

2. Infinity uses Waterway Jets which look smaller in the photos from some other spas like Sundance, Jacuzzi and Hotsprings. How do they compare with the jets in premium spas?

3. What kind of base is preferable? It will be in the back of the yard where grass is now, so we're considering cement slab, paving stones or a Spa Pad Kit.

I'm sorry if some of my questions have been answered in other posts, but there is so much information to wade through here!

Thank you!!

IF the spa is made by MAAX, walk away. If it is made by HydroSpas, much better, but still not too good. The Costco HydroSpa is better than the main line from D1, Sundance, Hot Spring. So if you want the same quality but pay 3000 less buy the Costco. If you want quality, then go look for qualtiy hot tubs on line.

[alexmom]

IF the spa is made by MAAX, walk away. If it is made by HydroSpas, much better, but still not too good. The Costco HydroSpa is better than the main line from D1, Sundance, Hot Spring. So if you want the same quality but pay 3000 less buy the Costco. If you want quality, then go look for qualtiy hot tubs on line.

Thanks! It seems the consensus here is that Maax Elite spas are pretty bad which is not what I was hoping to hear! Well, I guess that's what happens when you stick with a small budget! At least we can exchange it if we need to!

Regarding buying online, I did consider it. I searched extensively and found some online dealers with good prices, but few of them delivered or serviced Canada, and the one or two that did DID NOT give me a warm fuzzy feeling and I couldn't find any verifiable track record on their customer service and support. At least with Costco, though getting service in the warranty period might have been a pain, we knew with 100% certainty that we could return the tub to our local Costco at any time no questions asked. I'm not saying that online vendors don't also have good return policies, but the risk of dealing with a small perhaps unknown company, with no presence in Canada was just too worrisome. Just my humble opinion, no offense to any online vendors intended!

[Trigger]

Regarding buying online, I did consider it. I searched extensively and found some online dealers with good prices, but few of them delivered or serviced Canada, and the one or two that did DID NOT give me a warm fuzzy feeling and I couldn't find any verifiable track record on their customer service and support. At least with Costco, though getting service in the warranty period might have been a pain, we knew with 100% certainty that we could return the tub to our local Costco at any time no questions asked. I'm not saying that online vendors don't also have good return policies, but the risk of dealing with a small perhaps unknown company, with no presence in Canada was just too worrisome. Just my humble opinion, no offense to any online vendors intended!

Your opinion is valid. Keep in mind the person suggesting you buy on-line is an internet rebrander of low end tubs.

alexmom, you're in Canada? Has the war caused any shortages up there?

[alexmom]

Your opinion is valid. Keep in mind the person suggesting you buy on-line is an internet rebrander of low end tubs.

alexmom, you're in Canada? Has the war caused any shortages up there?

Thanks Trigger. I realized after that his website was one of the first I came across in my online search. All I can say is the prices are way to high IMHO. For the same money I could buy a top of the line Jacuzzi, Sundance...well just about any premim tub WITH all the bells and whistles, AND get local service! I don't want to add to fuel to the already well burning fire I've read about, but geesh!

Yep, I'm in Freakin Cold Canada!! Can't wait to get the tub now!! Oh and no shortages here that I can think of, thankfully!

[Pathfinder]

Did you by chance check out any of the Aqua select stores in Quebec I know they picked up Pacific Spas as a line for the group. I do sell Pacific and a Saturna is in your price range the max price it should be is $5,999.

[alexmom]

Did you by chance check out any of the Aqua select stores in Quebec I know they picked up Pacific Spas as a line for the group. I do sell Pacific and a Saturna is in your price range the max price it should be is $5,999.

No, actually I had never heard of them before your post. I just checked their website and there is only one dealer in the greater Montreal area that I didn't know sold hot tubs. The Saturna looks nice! I will definitely check them out. Thanks!!