Five Top Spas?

[Drifter]

Well how you missed the 3rd largest seller of spas off your top 5 list is beyond me. Master Spas builds a great product. My understanding of the ranking goes..

1. Hot springs
2. Sundance
3. Master spa

 And for my money I chose master because I felt like the #1 and 2 had been resting on their past accomplishments too long. Plus you defintiely pay a premium for names for #1 and 2. Therefore if 3 costs as much as 1 and 2, and you pay less for the #3 name, you get a beter spa for your money with #3. Plus for @8k I didn't want to have to decide which seats in my spa got thearpy at the expense of others. (#1 and 2 use diverter valves). Ok I got the flame suit on......bring it!

Ps Master offers both Full foam and thermal blanket! You can pick your choice!

[poolboy34]

Third largest seller of spas huh?  Ummm.....did i miss something, b/c the top 3 produces of spas in the world in terms of sales are watkins manufacturing, sundance, and Dimension One.  And seeing as master spas is not in many of the markets in the U.S., i find it difficult to believe that they are in the third largest producer of spas in the industry.

[HotTubMan]

Poolboy has a valid question. I have never heard anyone suggest that Master was even close to the top three. And BTW who can actually verify any of this? Its not like the number of spa units produced is some sort of public record. No one seems to dispute that Watkins makes more tubs than anyone. No one seems to dispute that Sundance/Jacuzzi produces the next largest number of units. I have heard reps and customers from various manufacturers claim to be #3 in units produced. This list includes but I am sure is not limited to: D-1, Coleman (heard these ones form my factory reps) Marquis, Master, Catalina and the list  goes on. The rest of my list I have seen on this board.

I am not even sure who to beleive between my MAAX (Coleman) and D-1 reps. On one hand MAAX has 3 NothAmerican plants and D-1 has just one. On the other hand D-1's thermal plastic or ABS backed acrylic tubs can be formed for the next stage of production much faster than the time consuming and strictly regulated acrylic/fiberglass shell method. I would suggest that if Master is fibergalss backed and has only one plant, there is no chance they are top three.

Opinions?

[stuart]

"Not sure off of the top of my head and I don't want to give false info but icenyne foam (according to the manufacture) has an "R" value of 3.6 per inch"

ummmmm, 3.6 per inch? That rather SUCKS! The standard 2 pound spray in poly foam most spa manufacturers use is 6.8 to 7.14 per inch.

Actually I got the standard from burtin corp as to what the "R" value was on the spray foam they manufacture and they said 3.2 per inch and Icenyne was 3.6 I would be interested in where your getting 6.8 to 7.14 as a standard? Could you point me that way, I'm doing some research on this today. If this board does nothing else it makes me study more!    

BTW, where the heck have you been!?

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Stuart, I'll pm the info to you tonight (it's on my home computer). However, what density foam are you refering to? If 2 pound foam has a R-7.2 R-value, 1 pound has 1/2 that, or R-3.6..... 1/2 pound foam has half that again, or R-1.8

[stuart]

That might be the difference, I didn't check lb densities when I pulled that info off of the Icenyne website. I will follow up with a conclusion when I get your info. Just because you deal with more foam vendors than the rest of us doesn't make you know more (well maybe it does). It's the fact that your so old and have been around the block more that makes you so much more knowledgeable.