HotSpring Envoy or Jacuzzi J465cd?

[brianaflynn]

So I've narrowed my search to these two, checked them both out and heard the spiel from both salesmen subtly putting the boot into rivals while extolling the virtues of their own. The Envoy was great when I wet-tested it but  I can't wet test the Jacuzzi to test whether the jets etc are as good as the Envoy as it can't be filled in the showroom. It's a couple of thousand more expensive but I get a decent deal if I buy the latest 2013 model before 26 April. Just wondering head to head whether anyone had any views as to which is the better hot tub. Are both brands similarly reliable? Am I just paying extra for the Jacuzzi name so will the Envoy be just as good? As I'm interested in the massaging qualities, does one have a better reputation for that than the other? The Envoy has ACE cleaning whereas the Jacuzzi salesman said they had reverted to UV cleaning using a bulb as ACE tended to make the headrests etc brittle and there were complaints from users that it degraded the inside of the tub.
Any observations out there that might make my decision easier?
 

[hottubdan]

So I've narrowed my search to these two, checked them both out and heard the spiel from both salesmen subtly putting the boot into rivals while extolling the virtues of their own. The Envoy was great when I wet-tested it but  I can't wet test the Jacuzzi to test whether the jets etc are as good as the Envoy as it can't be filled in the showroom. It's a couple of thousand more expensive but I get a decent deal if I buy the latest 2013 model before 26 April. Just wondering head to head whether anyone had any views as to which is the better hot tub. Are both brands similarly reliable? Am I just paying extra for the Jacuzzi name so will the Envoy be just as good? As I'm interested in the massaging qualities, does one have a better reputation for that than the other? The Envoy has ACE cleaning whereas the Jacuzzi salesman said they had reverted to UV cleaning using a bulb as ACE tended to make the headrests etc brittle and there were complaints from users that it degraded the inside of the tub.
Any observations out there that might make my decision easier?

ACE, used correctly, has none of the negatives Jacuzzi guy was trying to scare you with.  The Jacuzzi UV system still requires you to add powdered chlorine.

[Hot Spring Ace]

So I've narrowed my search to these two, checked them both out and heard the spiel from both salesmen subtly putting the boot into rivals while extolling the virtues of their own. The Envoy was great when I wet-tested it but  I can't wet test the Jacuzzi to test whether the jets etc are as good as the Envoy as it can't be filled in the showroom. It's a couple of thousand more expensive but I get a decent deal if I buy the latest 2013 model before 26 April. Just wondering head to head whether anyone had any views as to which is the better hot tub. Are both brands similarly reliable? Am I just paying extra for the Jacuzzi name so will the Envoy be just as good? As I'm interested in the massaging qualities, does one have a better reputation for that than the other? The Envoy has ACE cleaning whereas the Jacuzzi salesman said they had reverted to UV cleaning using a bulb as ACE tended to make the headrests etc brittle and there were complaints from users that it degraded the inside of the tub.
Any observations out there that might make my decision easier?

Hot spring and Jacuzzi are two of the best there is. Forget reputation of how therapuetic the jest are in each, both should be very good but thats something for you to determine in the wet test. I'm not sure why you can't wet test both, I would think each dealer would make arrangements for this kind of sale. The Envoy is a great spa which I'm sure you'll find from the wet test. The Ace system creates its own sanitizer which is chlorine. The UV bulb system is not similar in its abilities and requires you to add a sanitizer so either way you're going to have chlorine so why he think one will cause issues but his won't is salesmanship. Don't let the sales people from one brand sway you too much against another brand, there's a reason why they often think the other brand has issues.

[bimmerdog]

My opinion on your situation and I"M NOT A HOT SPRINGS DEALER.  I was looking at a Hot Springs and Sundance hot tub.  My Hot Springs deals told me to by pass the ACE system for the fact of how expensive it was and you could buy a lot of chemicals for the price of the ACE system.  Remember this was the Hot Springs dealer telling me this not the Sundance dealer.  I did my own research on the ACE system and it seems to do what it was supposed to do.  Yes it is expensive.  From what I have been able to find from people who own the system is that a majority like it. 

One thing for me is if I could not wet test the tub I was spending good money on I would not buy it.  I would be OK testing a different tub with the same jets and power to see how it felt.  I would have bought the wrong tub if I had not done a wet test on both tubs I was looking at. 

Remember salesman are there to sell you their product.  In my search for a hot tub one dealer could not stop talking about how bad the other companies tub was that I got tired of listening to them.  The other dealer where I did buy my tub never once degraded the other companies tub.  The tubs and companies you are looking at both are recognized as two of the best out there.  You won't go wrong with either one.

[brianaflynn]

Thanks for the advice, guys. In fact I'm just off to wet test the Jacuzzi 465, which I've found set up at another dealer much further away. But as you say, no way I'd buy without wet testing. I know what you mean about salesmen - I do wish they'd concentrate on what they're selling rather than rather clumsily trying to find out what else you're considering so that they can trash it by comparison. It's tiresome and just turns me against them to be honest and makes me less likely to trust them. Ultimately, it'll come down to the experience of the tub and whether I feel I can trust the dealer to work under the warranty.

[brianaflynn]

Just to report back for anyone else in the same situation...

Having now wet tested both the Envoy and the Jacuzzi and compared spec etc, I've taken the plunge and ordered a Jacuzzi 465cd. It was a close call but I just felt the hydrotherapy jets hit the spot better and the tub was more comfortable for us.

I was offered a deal on a 2012 model but opted to spend a bit more on a 2013 tub because my wife didn't like the bobbing filter, which has been more neatly stored in the 2013 model, and I preferred the Bluetooth capability on the sound system. But I ordered it from a dealer who was actually further away from our home because the service I got and the trust I felt there was far higher than I got dealing with the dealer nearest, having taken on board all the comments on here about the importance of having a trustworthy dealer.

So I'm told our tub is currently on board a container ship battling its way across the sea at the moment and should be installed by the middle of next month. Thanks for your help and advice - the forum proved invaluable. I'll report back any problems etc for future buyers.

[brianaflynn]

My Jacuzzi J-465 arrived today. It's still heating up the water so I've not jumped in yet but I thought I'd report a crucial difference between the 2012 model which we wet tested and were offered a cheap deal on, and the 2013 model that we actually ordered and saw for the first time in the 'flesh' when it arrived today. We opted to go for the slightly more expensive 2013 model because my wife preferred the enclosed non-bobbing filters, and I wanted the Bluetooth music system to hook up to my mobile. Turns out that they have significantly remodelled the seating to make it a six-seater not a five-seater. The filters, which used to take up a 'seat' on one side have now been moved to the foot of the lounger. The extra space has been modelled into a sixth seat, slightly higher and with one jet moved into it from the seat opposite (which now has two jets instead of three). Thus it has the same number of jets but an extra seat, which seems to me a far better configuration. I thought I'd mention it as I'm sure there will be plenty of dealers with 2012 models to shift and the difference is worth bearing in mind when deciding whether to take an old or ex-showroom one or go for a new model. Now I just want it to hit 37 degrees so I can get in...