Artic,Hotsprings or Nordic?

[gingy]

Good afternoon,
   Im looking to purchase a 3 person hot tub for my wife,she has constant aches and pains from medical treatment.The three tubs above are what i have come up with so far.The Hotsprings quote i received is almost twice the price of the Nordic "Stella".also she wants the most chemical free system.Any input or advice would be appreciated thanks.

[castletonia]

Nordic makes a quality, entry level hot tub however Hot Springs and Arctic are considered to be two the to premier brands in the industry. 

I am a Nordic dealer and while I feel they make a quality, basic hot tub, they really do not belong in the conversation with the other two you have looked at, hence the drastic price difference.  Hot Spring's offers ACE and Arctic offers Onzen which are basically salt water chlorine generators whereas Nordic does not.  Nothing is chemical free.

I would recommend having you and your wife wet test each of the three models you are looking at.  Then compare the dealers and your trust and comfort in each.  Then you can better decide on which hot tub is right for you.

[jdave]

For what it's worth, one thing that really pleases me about my Hot Spring Grandee (admittedly much larger than you want) is the constant filtration. The small filter pump running all the time is about the same in electrical cost as cycling a larger pump every "x" hours and I like it a lot better. In combination with the ozonator running all the time, I find it really minimizes my use of bromine. I don't use a floater - no need. I just add powdered (brominating granules) every couple of weeks. It's been one of the best things about the Hot Springs over my previous spa.

I have other issues with Hot Springs, but I think all branfd have their own issues.

[JohnnyK45]

What I use for our hot tub...

1) EcoOne Spa Monthly - all natural, you pour one bottle in per month.

http://www.ecoonespa.com/spa-products-2/spa-monthly/

2) EcoOne Spa Shock - simply chuck in one packet when you exit the hot tub; and once a week, every Wed/Thurs. when I get out, I chuck in two packets.

http://www.ecoonespa.com/spa-products-2/oneshock/

That's it; your levels will be spot on everytime.  EcoOne is simple to use and it works perfectly and assures that you are not putting in too much, just what is necessary and never a need for any "fixing" chemicals, etc.

I swap out our filters every few weeks.  I replace with 2 clean ones, then soak and clean the other ones, then put those on the shelf to go back into the hot tub next time I swap out filters.

J

[Hottubguy]

Nordic makes a quality, entry level hot tub however Hot Springs and Arctic are considered to be two the to premier brands in the industry. 

I am a Nordic dealer and while I feel they make a quality, basic hot tub, they really do not belong in the conversation with the other two you have looked at, hence the drastic price difference.  Hot Spring's offers ACE and Arctic offers Onzen which are basically salt water chlorine generators whereas Nordic does not.  Nothing is chemical free.

I would recommend having you and your wife wet test each of the three models you are looking at.  Then compare the dealers and your trust and comfort in each.  Then you can better decide on which hot tub is right for you.

I would say nordic is above an entry level tub. I would consider freeflow, South Pacific and some of the stuff you see online entry level.  There really isn't a comparison on the high end hot springs versus the Nordics but I would rather see you buy a nordic versus the hot spot line by hot springs. I think the Nordics are a better choice. That being said if I was going hot springs I would go with the high end, if money is a factor then you can do a lot worse ten nordic

[Tman122]

I wouldn't put Arctic on the same level as Hot Springs. Close but more upper middle or lower upper class. You can't deny the longevity and quality of Hot Springs. While not one of my top 3 favorites for a couple reasons they have a proven track record no one can compare to.

[Water Boy]

I can only really speak for Arctic Spas as that is what we sell. But, they offer a great 3 person tub in the Arctic Fox. It is also available in four different jetting packages, so there is a nice range of prices on that spa. It is nice a deep for a smaller tub, and still gives you all the same features and benefits of a bigger spa. Check it out here:
http://www.arcticspas.com/our-products/our-hot-tubs/arctic-spas/arctic-fox/

[Brackneyc]

I am pretty new here, but I have a HS Jetsetter (3 person) which was made in 1997. I did purchase it used, but I use it everyday, and it is simply perfect for our needs. I researched long and hard before buying, and all indicators were that HS was one of the best. I love this tub, and once we decide on a bigger tub, HS will most definitely be in the discussion. They are pricey, but my 15 year old Jetsetter (220v) has been 100% flawless for me. While I am certain that is has needed "some" repairs (most do I suppose) since new, parts are widely available, and we have a HS dealer 3 miles from our house, if it should ever need any professional service.

For what it cost me, any major repair would likely do nothing more than speed up my need for a new tub. Not planning to put too much into fr repairs should it become necessary. Costs me about 10.00 (bet I can figure) per month to keep it at 103 dergees.