Covers and lifters. Cover Valet cover lifter or ?? (suggestions requested)

[av8r]

I've been looking at cover lifters and found the Cover Valet which looks pretty good.  Requires a small amount of clearance and gets good reviews.  Any other, similar lifters we should consider?

Since we don't want the factory cover that would normally come with our BullFrog A5L (folds along the long axis which won't work for us) we're trying to find a good cover that will allow us to fold it along the short axis (tub is 7' long by 5.5' wide)  Any recommendations for an online cover manufacturer?

Thanks

[dave48103]

We just installed the covermate III. We love it.  Similar to cover valet

[hottubdan]

We just installed the covermate III. We love it.  Similar to cover valet

Ditto.  That is the only other one to look at.

[av8r]

The reviews on the Covermate III are terrible.

http://www.amazon.com/CoverMate-III-Spa-Cover-Lift/product-reviews/B002WKM6WQ

[Hottubguy]

The reviews on the Covermate III are terrible.

http://www.amazon.com/CoverMate-III-Spa-Cover-Lift/product-reviews/B002WKM6WQ

Not a single good review.  I've only installed it on a few tubs but haven't heard any issues with it

[Sam]

The reviews on the Covermate III are terrible.

http://www.amazon.com/CoverMate-III-Spa-Cover-Lift/product-reviews/B002WKM6WQ

That's not a true covermate III.  Look at the pictures up close.  It's like a bastardized version for amazon or something.  The real covermate III is a good lifter.

[hottubdan]

The reviews on the Covermate III are terrible.

http://www.amazon.com/CoverMate-III-Spa-Cover-Lift/product-reviews/B002WKM6WQ

That's not a true covermate III.  Look at the pictures up close.  It's like a bastardized version for amazon or something.  The real covermate III is a good lifter.

That is what they call Cover Mate III ECO.  ECO means economy I guess.  It is a cheap version.  Goes a long way to ruining Leisure Concepts reputation.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

The difference between the ECO and the standard is that the ECO does not have a bar that goes across the entire cover. This puts excessive pressure on the  pivot arms, and as the cover ages and gains weight, they break. The Cover Valet also does not have a bar going across the entire cover, but is constructed much better and stronger eliminating this problem.

[Sam]

The difference between the ECO and the standard is that the ECO does not have a bar that goes across the entire cover. This puts excessive pressure on the  pivot arms, and as the cover ages and gains weight, they break. The Cover Valet also does not have a bar going across the entire cover, but is constructed much better and stronger eliminating this problem.

The brackets are different as well on the cm3 and cm3eco. 

[av8r]

Thanks for the info on the covermate.  I did read about the Eco but didn't put 1 and 1 together.

On a 5.5' X 7' spa is the cover heavy enough to even warrant having a lifter.

[Racenut]

It depends..... covers tend to take on water and get heavier.  But it's not so much the weight as the size.  They are awkward for one person to handle if you're actually removing the cover.  For me, most of the time, we just flip the cover half open and use the two nearest seats.  With the old tub, it's only 30 inches high and there's a wall and fence right behind it that I just slide the cover back, left it up resting on the wall and bungy it to the fence. Works great...  but the new tub is going to be 36 inches tall... so it will drop down a bit, then I'll have to lift it back up to get it back on.  And sometimes that wall gets dirty and ends up in the spa....

So, I just ordered a Covermate III

[av8r]

It depends..... covers tend to take on water and get heavier.  But it's not so much the weight as the size.  They are awkward for one person to handle if you're actually removing the cover.  For me, most of the time, we just flip the cover half open and use the two nearest seats.  With the old tub, it's only 30 inches high and there's a wall and fence right behind it that I just slide the cover back, left it up resting on the wall and bungy it to the fence. Works great...  but the new tub is going to be 36 inches tall... so it will drop down a bit, then I'll have to lift it back up to get it back on.  And sometimes that wall gets dirty and ends up in the spa....

So, I just ordered a Covermate III

Thanks.  I expect that we'll also mostly open the cover half way to use the tub.  That's why I'm ordering a cover from an online vendor who will build the cover to fold along the short axis vs the way the manufacturer sells it.  My issue is once the tub is in place and filled I won't have access to one side to attach the lifter bracket....ah well..probably just order it and put it on.