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My family decided to purchase our first hot tub and I mistakenly thought I could go shopping one afternoon and find a hot tub. I quickly realized the hot tub purchasing experience is a longer process. So far I have visited a few local dealers and have done a lot of online research, the more I learn, the more indecisive I become. I have read through a lot on this site and trust many of the posters are honest and knowledgeable. I am hoping some on this forum can help me find the best hot tub for me and my family.I live in the SW Minneapolis area and am looking for a hot tub for the whole family. We will have kids 12+ using the hot tub with friends, my wife and I plan to use the tub to unwind from long days and treat sore bones/muscles and we will occasionally entertain adult friends while enjoying a few drinks in the tub. Our budget is around $10k. We would prefer to get the best value for our money but are also willing to pay a little more for the right tub or features we will enjoy for a long time. We could pay cash but always like good financing options if available.We are looking for a tub that will be energy efficient in harsh MN winters and is reliably built to last many years. I originally planned to have a lounger but realized that may take up too much space, so am now leaning towards no lounger. We are installing a stamped concrete patio in our back yard that will go under a 15' high deck. We are debating if we want to put the hot tub under the deck or out in the open air. If anyone has any experience with a hot tub under a deck, we would be interested to know if there a big positives or negatives to have a hot tub under a deck.Brands I have looked at so far...Arctic - Liked the local dealer and the tubs appeared to be very nice from the outside but the sales pitch regarding the less insulation is better and no need for a foundation didn't make sense to me. Threw up red flags to me, so I researched more and found many bad reviews on these tubs.Master Spa - Neighbor has a Master and has worked really will for 12 years will minimal repair. Price seemed to be really good also, but the Master dealer was not very professional and the tub didn't appear to be high quality. Other online reviews have scared me away from Master.Sundance - Seemed like nice Spas but the $12500 price tag for the 880 seem a little high. The sales person at the local dealer was also more focused on me giving him a downpayment than educating me on their tubs.After some online reading I now plan to visit with the local Hot Springs and Marquis dealers. If anyone has any suggestions of other tubs I should look at, I am open to suggestions and appreciate any feedback.Thanks!
Quote from: JohnT56 on April 04, 2017, 08:15:31 amMy family decided to purchase our first hot tub and I mistakenly thought I could go shopping one afternoon and find a hot tub. I quickly realized the hot tub purchasing experience is a longer process. So far I have visited a few local dealers and have done a lot of online research, the more I learn, the more indecisive I become. I have read through a lot on this site and trust many of the posters are honest and knowledgeable. I am hoping some on this forum can help me find the best hot tub for me and my family.I live in the SW Minneapolis area and am looking for a hot tub for the whole family. We will have kids 12+ using the hot tub with friends, my wife and I plan to use the tub to unwind from long days and treat sore bones/muscles and we will occasionally entertain adult friends while enjoying a few drinks in the tub. Our budget is around $10k. We would prefer to get the best value for our money but are also willing to pay a little more for the right tub or features we will enjoy for a long time. We could pay cash but always like good financing options if available.We are looking for a tub that will be energy efficient in harsh MN winters and is reliably built to last many years. I originally planned to have a lounger but realized that may take up too much space, so am now leaning towards no lounger. We are installing a stamped concrete patio in our back yard that will go under a 15' high deck. We are debating if we want to put the hot tub under the deck or out in the open air. If anyone has any experience with a hot tub under a deck, we would be interested to know if there a big positives or negatives to have a hot tub under a deck.Brands I have looked at so far...Arctic - Liked the local dealer and the tubs appeared to be very nice from the outside but the sales pitch regarding the less insulation is better and no need for a foundation didn't make sense to me. Threw up red flags to me, so I researched more and found many bad reviews on these tubs.Master Spa - Neighbor has a Master and has worked really will for 12 years will minimal repair. Price seemed to be really good also, but the Master dealer was not very professional and the tub didn't appear to be high quality. Other online reviews have scared me away from Master.Sundance - Seemed like nice Spas but the $12500 price tag for the 880 seem a little high. The sales person at the local dealer was also more focused on me giving him a downpayment than educating me on their tubs.After some online reading I now plan to visit with the local Hot Springs and Marquis dealers. If anyone has any suggestions of other tubs I should look at, I am open to suggestions and appreciate any feedback.Thanks!I'd bet most would say that Hot Springs, Sundance, Master and Marquis would be shoo-ins for higher-end units if you took a collective vote so you're looking in the right areas. Artic gets mixed reviews in general if I am reading the tea leaves correctly. I'd check out the Hot Springs and Marquis spas first before I made any decisions: You may see one of the models and have a EUREKA moment and find the unit that just seems perfect for you.You're doing it right: Identify brands in your area, see them in person, investigate the dealer, repeat. Play out the rest of the process and let yourself pare down the options of brands/models until you have a small handful remaining. That may help you decide easier. Many on this site will chime in with thoughts on the brands you mentioned so you'll be able to get a feel for what each company brings to the table.Good luck moving forward.
If anyone has any experience with a hot tub under a deck, we would be interested to know if there a big positives or negatives to have a hot tub under a deck.
The idea behind the arctic spa design is the cabinet being insulated rather than the tub, the heat from the pumps when running (quite a bit of heat) is transmitted to the fiberglass water tub and helps keep the water warm, so you're not wasting that heat. Conversely, when it's really cold out, the pumps and associated supply/return piping isn't outside the insulated envelope like on other hot tubs. If a failure were to occur with an Arctic Spa, the heat contained in the 400 gal of water (or whatever size HT you get) would keep the associated plumbing warm and preventing it from freezing, whereas, with the Hot Springs, if the pumps stop working the lines will freeze and then you have larger problems. Plus, if the lines on a fully insulated hot tub freeze, then you have the additional work of digging out that foam to make repairs. With the Arctic Spa, finding and gettng to the leak should be easier. So, those are the benefits Arctic promotes with their design.
Quote from: JacuzziJack on April 13, 2017, 07:46:51 pmThe idea behind the arctic spa design is the cabinet being insulated rather than the tub, the heat from the pumps when running (quite a bit of heat) is transmitted to the fiberglass water tub and helps keep the water warm, so you're not wasting that heat. Conversely, when it's really cold out, the pumps and associated supply/return piping isn't outside the insulated envelope like on other hot tubs. If a failure were to occur with an Arctic Spa, the heat contained in the 400 gal of water (or whatever size HT you get) would keep the associated plumbing warm and preventing it from freezing, whereas, with the Hot Springs, if the pumps stop working the lines will freeze and then you have larger problems. Plus, if the lines on a fully insulated hot tub freeze, then you have the additional work of digging out that foam to make repairs. With the Arctic Spa, finding and gettng to the leak should be easier. So, those are the benefits Arctic promotes with their design.There's a ton of flaws in this sales speak.