Need advise

[New User]

Hi all. New to buying a hot tub and after looking through this forum, I’m staying away from Cal Spas, Evolution (Costco spas) and Thermospas. So far, my best choices are Caldera and Hot Springs. Maybe Sundance if price is right. And I guess I’m looking at around $6K for a new spa. I’m in CA, so weather is not a big factor Any tips, suggestions, cautions are appreciated Thanks.

[Isaac-1]

Spend some time deciding what features are important to you, be realisitc  Are color changing LED waterfalls and sound systems important , or are you after the best hydrotherapy massage, how many people will be using the tub, is it for entertaining or relaxing.  I have only been a hot tub owner for a few weeks, and I can already see that some of the things I used as shopping criteria were not as important as I expected and others that I had barely considered should have probably been given more thought.  From what I have seen and read here and other places online it seems most first time hot tub buyers are sort of like people that have never driven a car trying to go out and buy car for the first time with little regard for how they will use it.

[New User]

Yeah, that's what it feels like. I'm looking for a 4-5 people tub for relaxing with a decent hydrotherapy massage. Also to use as a small pool for toddlers . Don't need any sound system but few LED lights and a small waterfall would be nice. What have you found to be the most useful feature for you? Any brand suggestions?

[Hottubguy]

In that price range I would look at in order marquis e-series, hot spring hot spot/caldera , jacuzzi 200 series, nordic, viking, d one at home series. You should be able to find something pretty nice for in the 6k range. When you go up to the 8k range is where you would be at to find the highest quality with the best warranty.

[Hottubguy]

I meant to say in no order

[Isaac-1]

My situation may be a bit different from yours, as I bought mine for hydrotherapy reasons ( I broke my back in 2010, specifically a compression fracture of L2 ), and my wife has a medical condition where she has to avoid getting overheated, so it is nearly exclusively going to be used by me alone.  The tub is a 3 person Hot Spring Jetsetter, but I personally can't imagine more than 2 adults in it, and they would need to be fairly friendly (I suspect the extra 3 inches and 10 gallons on the newer Jetsetters help with this cozy factor a little, but not too much).  I had thought I would like the Moto-Massage lounger seat the best, and while I do like it, I think I probably spend no more than 1/3 of my time in it.  Mine is a 1998 model, so it lacks some of the bells and whistles of the newer spas, but is in great shape for its age, and likely spent its whole life indoors, much of that in storage (still had 1998 date code filters installed when I bought it last month).  Again with my use, I did not care about color changing LED lights, water fountains, or sound systems.  It does have a multi brightness level blue light, which I have yet to even turn on while in the tub, but I am strongly considering hanging a flat panel tv near the tub so I have something to watch while I soak.  Overall I think it has been a great $1,000 investment if for no other reason than it will help me decide if a hot tub is really for me, and give me a better idea of what features are important if I ever buy another one, although I would not be surprised if this one lasts another 15 years.

[cs3942]

Hi, I found the Dream Maker Spas to be very nice. Can be found at http://dreammakerspas.com/spa-showroom.html. The EZ Spa is a 4-5 person hot tub that you may be looking for. It offers LED lights and a Niagara Waterfall like you mentioned. All their hot tubs are under $4,000. Worth a look.

[New User]

Does anyone have any suggestion on new vs. used tubs? What would one look at when buying a used tub? Also, what about Caldera brand? I have a dealer near me and was looking at Caldera Marino. Looks good, although $6K seems a bit high. Thanks.

[H823Putt]

I have a Caldera Aspire(not available anymore) and love it. It will be 7 years old this April with no complaints. Only issue I have had has been the cover had to be replaced this winter(6.5 years with original cover is pretty good in my book) and the head rests need to be replaced. The ozone has deteriated them. I would recommend a Caldera to anyone.

[Isaac-1]

The general advice here on used hot tubs is see it run before buying, personally I ignored that advice buying mine and got lucky, but mine was in great cosmetic condition for its age (well for any age) and probably spent its whole life indoors with very little use (filters in it had a 1998 date code).  It also came from an electrician that had acquired it from a home owner with intention of keeping it for himself, however after it ended up sitting in storage for a while he decided to sell it instead.  I did have to end up replacing the $170 circulation pump as the old one apparently went bad in storage, it did run, but made a racket and had low flow, then died completely after a day or two.  In addition to the circulation pump I also replaced the Ozonator due to age alone, installed fresh filters, I also had to replace one of the $10 spinner jets as it would not spin and have a slight water leak on the stem of the diverter valve due to a bad o-ring (replacement on order) which causes a trickle of water to run down the side of the tub and into the water.  All total I have about $1,600 in my tub so far, $1,000 purchase cost, about $50 in fuel, etc  expenses to pick it up 100 miles away, $170 for the circulation pump, another $100 for a new Ozonator, $100 for a retrofit SWG, $50 in small parts, and $150 in Wiring and GFCI to convert back to 120V operations.  This tub is a 120V / 240V convertible model where the heater will work at 1.5KW only when jet pump is off in 120V or 6KW full time in 240V, I already had a 120V 20 amp dedicated outlet near where I planned to place the tub.

[Hottubguy]

Does anyone have any suggestion on new vs. used tubs? What would one look at when buying a used tub? Also, what about Caldera brand? I have a dealer near me and was looking at Caldera Marino. Looks good, although $6K seems a bit high. Thanks.

That's a good price on that tub. It's what it was going for 3-4 years ago.