Advice sought on choosing Artesian Spas versus Caldera/Hot Springs (Watkins)

[laeo]

Good morning,

I've been researching Hot Springs and Caldera spas for a couple months via my local Hot Springs dealer.  Today I found that a store "The Great Backyard Place" had moved in right down the street from the Hot Springs Dealer.  They sell "Artesian Spas".

Did a wet test at both locations.

Understand some of the differences between the two.

What I don't have is the background/reputation for Artesian.  They are a newer company and have only had a dealer in town recently.
They sell for around 2-3K less than the Watkins products.  They tend to have more pumps and jets, but are a bit less beautiful on the design end, in my opinion.

Does anyone know or have experience with an Artesian Spa they can share? 

Any information or personal experience to share regarding:  Jet efficiency? Longevity?  Reliability?  Pros/Cons?  Etc.

Thank You!

[Sam]

Artesian has been around since the 70's.  They have a longstanding reputation for quality, as does Hot Spring.  Hot Spring definitely look more elegant, but I think you get a lot more bang for your buck with Artesian.  Their footblaster jets and neck jets are incredible.  Their water treatment system, Propure is fantastic as well.

In the end, either brand is a good choice.  I've sold both brands over the years.  Artesian doesn't have the marketing department that hot spring does, but I think I personally like their high end stuff better.

[The Wizard of Spas]

I am an Artesian dealer and I'll limit my reply to my interaction with the manufacturer.

They've been in business since '91 under its current ownership group and are made in Las Vegas, NV.  Im a relatively new supplier of them but I am very pleased with their quality control, their prompt response time and their payout on warranty. 

Everything they do can be tracked online which is huge to me as a dealer.  I sell another product line that has HUGE motors (I've carried them for over 20 years) and so I was hesitant as Artesian has smaller motors.  But after watching them being built I understand how they use smaller motors (but more numerous motors) over lesser amounts of jets and employ Direct Flow which, to me, was pretty cool.  I had to completely change my way of thinking when it came to hot tubs but I am glad I found this brand.

My big thing is (with any sale): Is it comfortable to sit in? Do you like the feel of the jets?  Is the dealer reputable?  Do they service your product?  What is important to you?  Is it specific features?  So on, so forth.

Overall I have had a very positive experience with the brand, albeit in a relatively short time.  My customers have had positive feedback which is encouraging to me.  I have had fun selling them against Watkins brands and Apollo Group brands.  But that is irrelevant:  The dealer is half the equation so I'd do my homework on who is selling the brands you are considering and find out if they're reputable, etc.

I hope this helps.  I dont have a horse in this race so good luck whichever decision you make.

[d00nut]

Artesian makes a good product.  Never sold them, but they have a solid reputation here.  They shouldn't sell for $2-3k less that Watkins.  I get prospected by them all the time, and they have no pricing advantage over Watkins products.  Make sure you are comparing apples to apples here.  If they are selling for that much less, that new dealer won't be there for very long.

[Vinny]

I own an 11 YO Artesian Grand Cayman - it is a great tub. I do wish I had the money back then for their Platinum series tub with each seat having it's own pump but the Cayman is a great choice as well none the less. I haven't had many issues but have and had minor issues but that is true with any tub. One thing to be aware of is that they do have a bunch of different series and they have different looks/warranty and possibly components.

Back in 2004/2005 they had their Platinum, Gold and Island series tubs (may have been other series as well but I am unaware of them) - the Island was a great bang for the buck back then IMO and my tub was about 1/2 the price of their Platinum Piper Glen. It does have different features so it's not a direct replacement but it is what I preferred vs Watkins, Sundance and other manufacturer's 2nd tier tubs. Today they still have those but Artesian has other series and not all dealers sells all the series. Personally, I think the Island, Gold and Platinum series tubs were a great find back then for me ... I still love the look of my tub and probably wouldn't hesitate to buy another Artesian Island or above tub if I were in the market; one other manufacturer that intrigues me today is Bullfrog - they were just coming out back in my shopping time.

I know this is somewhat biased but for an 11 YO tub it is in remarkable shape even though I have kind of abused it in the past (poor water chemistry and general lack of interest in it for a while). I have had the temp probe repaired under warranty about a year into it, have replaced a seal on one of the pumps (same pump is squealing now - may be due to the neglect I gave it) and I had to repair a minor leak. Oh, I had to replace all of the foot jets but these are Waterway products - most manufactures use them.

[laeo]

Thank you all for your feedback. It is very useful.  I appreciate the breadth of information and the sense of confidence in the Artesian brand.   

I've been doing more online research and did another wet test.  The Artesian (Piper Glen) has more bang for the buck, as one of you mentioned.  It's pretty loaded.

I wish the Piper Glen had the foot blasters.     It has 4 rotating pulsating jets that aren't as focused.  Other than that, it's got everything I'm looking for except a lounge.  (I asked if I could replace the bottom jets with foot blasters, but doesn't seem to be a possibility).

The hot springs tub i'm looking at, the Flair, in the limelight series, has one lounge with amazing jets for back, calves, and feet.  It's an incredible seat, and blows away the Piper Glen seats as the legs and calves are hit, and the lounge gets the back more relaxed, but the rest isn't as stocked as the Artesian, except for it's foot blasters, which are incredible.

So, pluses and minuses:  If I just want one amazing seat and elegant lights and form, with foot blasters, the Hot Springs Flair wins.  If I want a fully stocked hot tub with less jets for feet and calves, but a huge collection of back jets, the Piper Glen wins. 

Energy wise, the hot springs is likely a bit more energy effecient.  The Piper Glen runs on a higher amp circuit and has another 200 gallons of water to heat.

Appreciate your thoughts and experience.

Laeo

[d00nut]

Food for thought here as I sell bullfrog and hot spring.

You also get a sub-panel which is warrantable for 5 years with the Flair, and I believe the controls area easier to use on the Hot Spring.

Artesian uses Balboa controls (same as Bullfrog) which are rock solid in reliability, but in my opinion (and this is my opinion, not a fact) they are more basic and somewhat clunky. 

The controls roughly do the same thing between the brands, meaning turning on the jets and adjusting the lights, but the HSS controls has more control over the lights quite easily. 

The big difference for us in the two different brands is the option to go to the Salt system if you want.  Some do, some don't. 

I think either one is good decision, depends on what you value more!

[BullFrogSpasMN]

Food for thought here as I sell bullfrog and hot spring.

You also get a sub-panel which is warrantable for 5 years with the Flair, and I believe the controls area easier to use on the Hot Spring.

Artesian uses Balboa controls (same as Bullfrog) which are rock solid in reliability, but in my opinion (and this is my opinion, not a fact) they are more basic and somewhat clunky. 

The controls roughly do the same thing between the brands, meaning turning on the jets and adjusting the lights, but the HSS controls has more control over the lights quite easily. 

The big difference for us in the two different brands is the option to go to the Salt system if you want.  Some do, some don't. 

I think either one is good decision, depends on what you value more!

you should start moving Salt for Bullfrog/Other Brands where its not integrated, its been such a great system for us we can't keep them in-stock up here, most reliable salt system I've ever sold: http://bluwatertechnology.com/

they are out of Colorado, good guys and very knowledgeable on all things salt

[Tman122]

I don't know the first thing about salt systems but I love the concept. Those guys have a quality web site also.

[Hottubguy]

Food for thought here as I sell bullfrog and hot spring.

You also get a sub-panel which is warrantable for 5 years with the Flair, and I believe the controls area easier to use on the Hot Spring.

Artesian uses Balboa controls (same as Bullfrog) which are rock solid in reliability, but in my opinion (and this is my opinion, not a fact) they are more basic and somewhat clunky. 

The controls roughly do the same thing between the brands, meaning turning on the jets and adjusting the lights, but the HSS controls has more control over the lights quite easily. 

The big difference for us in the two different brands is the option to go to the Salt system if you want.  Some do, some don't. 

I think either one is good decision, depends on what you value more!

you should start moving Salt for Bullfrog/Other Brands where its not integrated, its been such a great system for us we can't keep them in-stock up here, most reliable salt system I've ever sold: http://bluwatertechnology.com/

they are out of Colorado, good guys and very knowledgeable on all things salt

Is that something you guys add yourself aftermarket or can you order bullfrogs with them built in