Brock Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 Well I have lurked and visited here frequently in my search for a spa. I learned who to stay away from and it saved me issues as I was heavily leaning toward a brand out of florida that has a store here under Leisure Depot name. Then I started reading comparisons of those in my area.....we have Hot Springs, Coleman, Caldera, D2, Tiger River by HotSprings and a couple others of lesser names.... So I narrowed it down to Caldera, HotSprings and Coleman based on reviews....durability,price and function were definitely a player. I think narrowed it to HotSprings and Coleman and went with the Coleman 480 though was shopping for the 461 as it is only the wife and I 99% of the time....but then they had a 480 that was damaged in shipment I looked at... It had a small 1 inch crack on back lip of spa liner.....and a couple small cracks in bottom tub. All three have been repaired.... The 480 I looked at had the seating for 6....LED lighting both external and internal....full control pad and also remote control by one of main seats....two waterfall features....ice chest for cold drings, ...and am/fm/cd/mp3/sirius entertainment system with their two pop up speakers and below tub mounted subwoofer, 2 motors with 2-speeds, blower, etc. They had already received more spas for busy season and had put it outside to make room.....so I made them an offer and asked for two sets of chemicals, steps, cover lift assist, and the floating frog with extra bromine cartridge. They said okay so I was out the door with everything including delivery, setup, taxes, etc for $6400. I think I got a great spa at a phenomenal price since I do not mind the two or three blemishes that have been repaired...they are still noticeable if you know to look but have no impact to functionality and are still under the warranty. First good soak was last night......and after got used to settings for blower, air, jet speeds, etc....had an enjoyable evening. I can't wait to enter the tub again tonight. I do have a question though for anyone that knows.....haha 1. How do I get water out of beer cooler ...it looks like a plug in bottom but I can get it out. 2. Also, all my chemicals look good but hardness is still low....how can I raise it? Thought the minerals did that but might take longer than a day I guess. Thanks again for listening to my opening post.....but I am a new spa owner and loving every minute so far. Also had our first night of cool weather down in low 50s last night here in Charleston SC area.....so it was perfect timing. Friends want a spa as well and I passed on my catalogs for HotSprings, Caldera and Coleman for them to make their own decision...all I have done is given them the differences so they can make an informed decision for what is best for them. Thanks again for the comments and info the past two months before I registered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted October 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 third night in spa and still loving it.... my patio slopes more than I thought so I have a 1.5 inch difference from one side to the next with the slope. Is this a big deal and how would I go about leveling it out? Can you use the shims for door installation all the way down the side? I would think with that much weight that unless you built a solid platform it would cause tub to buckle in middle and not worth the effort. Learning how to adjust the two motors between the low-high speed settings and mix in the Blower motor and air bubbles to get the right feeling. I love it though and wonder why I waited so long...LOL Thanks for helping me even though you never knew I was here reading the past few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.P. Roberts Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 You're probably fine - the average drainage slope is usually 1/4" per foot, so 1.5 in. over 6-8 feet should be fine. And congrats on the spa - post some pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted October 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 will get some pics this weekend when i return from business in Detroit.....I had read after I posted that 2-3 inches is the upper limit for the 8foot spa range.... thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brulan1 Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 will get some pics this weekend when i return from business in Detroit.....I had read after I posted that 2-3 inches is the upper limit for the 8foot spa range.... thanks again Good choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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