In my area, of your list, I only wet tested hotsprings (and own a HS grandee). What I have heard onthis forum:
1) Hot springs is a *very* reputable brand, but you pay a premium for them. Once owned you don't have many worries, but you are paying for all that excellent warranty service, and, apparently, all of their advertising.
2) Beachcomber has a very good reputation. "Steve" on this list used to be a Beachcomber dealer.
3) Arctic, by many guests acounts, makes a decent tub but use a very pessimistic sales pitch, including saying things that are not true. You see this so much from forum to forum you wonder if it is a sales attitude that comes straight from the company!
I don't know anything about Caldera.
I would rate which dealer you feel most comfortable with, and, most importantly, which tub gives you the best WET TEST and the best feature/price performance.
Beachcomber and Hotspring (and maybe arctic and maybe caldera) are all decent brands. No fradulent construction, etc... It's like saying, do I buy a Lexus, a BMW, or a Mercedes? It comes down to price, maintenance, dealer, and features that fit you.
What I *would* avoid is the negative selling. Any dealer from *any* manufacturer that tries to make *their* tub the *only* choice for the "informed" buyer is blowing so much hot air up your *ahem* that they might as well vent some of it back into their tubs.
Here are some myths, (all in my opinion)
- Jet pump HP. You need to know gallons per minute, and, lacking that measurement, you need to wet test to determine how much pressure is too little, just right, or too much.
- Insulation methods. Full foam is tried and true. Thermopane seems like it works well too. People are rabid about this, and 90% of it is sheer bunk.FF is not horrible. Thermopane, done right, isn't either.
- Ozone? Jury is out here. Circ pump gives you 24/7 ozone. Pumps move more water about, but shut off ozone when on hi to avoid "off-gassing". No one can prove ozone does a darn thing. Of course, they can't prove it doesn't either. Ozone never replaces need for sanitizer.
- Circ pump or no? Some like 24/7 water movement. LEss water moved each day because of smaller pump. Pumps move more water, but less times per day, and puts more wear on the pump. Circ pumps will fail after many years, but are easy to replace. Jury out on this.
- Don't get the tv or the stereo. Overpriced, often with a 1 year warranty. Pend $100 on a good boom box and drop its remote control in a ziplock bag to use in the tub.
WHat you might want to pay attention to:
- Monthly operational costs. People here have given estimates from $10/month up to $140/month (I beleive that's what someone said their Sundance maxus cost them??)
- Wet test comfort.
- Warranty and maintenance agreements.
- barrier or open seating (wet test with as many people as you can. You'd be amazed at what some manufacturers call "Seats").
- foot dome or no foot dome?
- Diverters or no diverters?
_Ed
