Hot Springs Spas

[veritas]

I want to buy a 6 person hot tub with a lounge.  We want a great spa and are being told that Hot Springs is the top rated tub.  Is that true?  What other manufacturers are in the same class?

[Bonibelle]

There are many quality spa manufacturers.  As far as Hot Springs being  "top rated", there are many owners and dealers on this forum who will readily agree.  However there are also other owners and dealers who have reason to believe they have "top rated" spas.

You need to look at several things before you decide exactly what would make a specific hot tub or even a hot tub manufacturer fit that bill.

For me, it was a quality tub with good insulation that was comfortable for my family of four, fit my budget (well almost).  And above all ...HAD A RELIABLE, HONEST DEALER who provided accurate information and excellent support.

So I guess I am saying that you don't have to limit your spa shopping to only one brand. You have to fine the right fit and a good supportive dealer.

You'll hear much much more on this thread, I'm sure!!

[Spatech_tuo]

I want to buy a 6 person hot tub with a lounge.  We want a great spa and are being told that Hot Springs is the top rated tub.  Is that true?  What other manufacturers are in the same class?

Whatever you buy wil be in your yard for the next decade + so you're right to make quality a top priority and Hot Spring is a quality made spa but if you're looking for other alternatives I'd suggest you look at brands like Caldera, D1, Marquis, Jacuzzi and Sundance. Everyone has their own list which may include others as there is certainly no consensus so you'll need to see who's available in your area.

[zroger73]

Hot Spring was my brand of choice after a fair bit of research. You probably won't go wrong with any of the better brands recommended here. Just stay away from obscure brands and those available from mass retailers, "wholesale" clubs, and home improvement stores. Personally, I think all spas are overpriced. Nonetheless, you definitely get what you pay for. Premium products have a premium price because it costs more money to engineer them to be reliable and serviceable. Here's some comparisons...

$8,000 Hot Spring hot tub vs. $3,500 home improvement store model - You pay more for quality, durability, reliability, features, comfort, usability, serviceability, availability of replacement parts, dealer support

$10,000 Kia Rio vs. $18,000 Honda Civic - You pay more for reliability, resale value, features, comfort, lower maintenance costs

$900 Vizio 42" LCD TV vs. $2,000 42" Sony LCD TV - You pay more for reliability, features, richer colors, darker blacks, better sound

$500 Emachines PC vs. $1,500 iMac - You pay more for support, highly styled and engineered products, ease of use, reliability

As long as the playing field is fair and honest, price is usually a very good indicator is the overall grade of a product. If there were $4,500 hot tubs that were TRULY as "good" as $8,500 hot tubs, then the $8,500 manufacturer would have long since gone out of business and the shareholders of the $4,500 would be livin' it up for years to come.
  

[Bill75]

From what I have read on this forum over the past several years, I must concur with comments about the quality tubs.  We did a lot of looking and bought a Hot Springs Grandee:  It sits on our back patio, exposed to the Maryland elements and gets used almost every day.  Other then when it has had a water change (which usually takes about a day) it has been turnied on constantly, ready for use.  

One thing not mentioned in this thread yet is the importance of WET TESTING the tub before you buy.  The feel of a tub "dry" is completely different from when it was wet.  Once we narrowed it down to a few "top" brands my wife and I wet tested.  The wet tests showed us the difference.  Once we tried the Grandee we were sold.  (originally we wanted a two lounger tub, but with the two corner moto massage units we don't miss a lounger at all.  

The dealer is also very important:  our dealer has been in business for many years, had a lot of referrals, and has been very responsive to us.  We still buy our chemicals there, and we recently replaced our cover.  

Think of it as a long term investment.  We hope to get at least ten years (or more) out of our spa, so quality pays in terms of maintenance and operating costs.  Good luck on your search!
 
Bill

[just ducky]

From what I have read on this forum over the past several years, I must concur with comments about the quality tubs.  We did a lot of looking and bought a Hot Springs Grandee:  It sits on our back patio, exposed to the Maryland elements and gets used almost every day.  Other then when it has had a water change (which usually takes about a day) it has been turnied on constantly, ready for use.  

One thing not mentioned in this thread yet is the importance of WET TESTING the tub before you buy.  The feel of a tub "dry" is completely different from when it was wet.  Once we narrowed it down to a few "top" brands my wife and I wet tested.  The wet tests showed us the difference.  Once we tried the Grandee we were sold.  (originally we wanted a two lounger tub, but with the two corner moto massage units we don't miss a lounger at all.  

The dealer is also very important:  our dealer has been in business for many years, had a lot of referrals, and has been very responsive to us.  We still buy our chemicals there, and we recently replaced our cover.  

Think of it as a long term investment.  We hope to get at least ten years (or more) out of our spa, so quality pays in terms of maintenance and operating costs.  Good luck on your search!
 
Bill

I couldn't have said it any better.  We bought ours about two months ago now...I won't even name the brand, but it's one of the three or four mentioned as top.  Wet testing, as everyone encouraged us to do, was absolutely critical in our decision.  Had we not wet tested several, I'm guessing we would've made a mistake on what we bought.  They do feel completely different wet vs. dry.  So definitely wet test your top choices before you buy.

AND yes, the dealer was critical in our choice too.  One local dealer of a major brand was great, and we got along very well, until she told us their service comes out of a corporate office about 80 miles away.  In talking with a friend who has one of their spas, which he likes very well, the one issue has been service, and the fact that they are not as reactive as he would like due to the distance they have to come.  So certainly the dealer, AND who actually does the service, should be a critical question as well.

[rphman]

I've had a Caldera Moorea, 6 person with lounger for going on 2 years now and love it. We use still almost everyday. Did have a problem with one of the pumps the first year, it was replaced with no problems.