Jacuzzi J-325/ Tiger River Bengal comments?

[Gil]

My wife and I are in the market for our first hot tub, problem is that it needs to fit through an 80" by 35" doorway to make it on the enclosed porch.  Visited a couple of dealers yesterday and liked both the Jacuzzi 325 and the Tiger River Bengal.  Both meet the size criteria that we need but was only able to dry test the Bengal and haven't actually even seen the J-325 yet.  I've read the reviews on the Bengal but haven't found much on the J-325 any help would be appreciated.  I'm mainly interested in how the jet performance compares. They both utilize a 2.5 HP pump so could I expect very similar performance? or will the difference in number of jets make that much difference in pressure (15 versus 26).  I'm looking for strong jets for that deep tissue type massage.  Any comments on the filtration systems?  The warranty seems similar on both although I like the "No Fault" heater on the Tiger River which I didn't notice on the Jacuzzi.  Also, can someone give me an idea what either of these tubs should cost?  I haven't gotten an actual written quote on them yet.
Basically, if someone cares to enlighten me on the major differences in these two tubs I'd be delighted.
BTW: I love this web site,  this much info. on tubs in one place is outstanding!

Thanks in advance for the help,

Gil

[J._McD]

I'm mainly interested in how the jet performance compares. They both utilize a 2.5 HP pump so could I expect very similar performance? or will the difference in number of jets make that much difference in pressure (15 versus 26).  

I'm looking for strong jets for that deep tissue type massage.  Any comments on the filtration systems?

 The warranty seems similar on both although I like the "No Fault" heater on the Tiger River which I didn't notice on the Jacuzzi.  

Also, can someone give me an idea what either of these tubs should cost?
Gil

A wet test will answer the first question better than my saying YES there is a difference.  How many people will be using the tub, I would expect at least 2 and there are time you may want ALL of the jets on at once, if there are more than 2.  This is where you will see the major difference.  One person can only sit in one seat at a time and will never notice the difference.

ALL filtrations systems work very well and do a good job.

The warranties can only be evaluated in the written form, paying attention to the exclusions and limitations.  It appears the words "no fault" captured your attention, but 5 years is 5 years and heaters are not the weak spot in the industry any longer.  If I am not mistaken, Jacuzzi's heater is titainium and a bit more effective and efficient as a "direct contact" heater.

The matter of price or cost can only be evaluated by your willingness to afford.  The same model may differ by 10% + or - in different parts of the country for a variety of reasons discussed in previous threads.

I might suggest adding the SD marin or caprio to the mix as they both meet the size criteria.  SD makes Jacuzzi and is commonly mentioned on this board.

Take your time to shop and compare, you will own it for a long time.  The true test will be the actual water test.  

[hottubber]

I agree that the Sundance Caprio would fit the bill, but I would also consider the Marquis Quest, it offers a tremendous bang for the buck.
Good luck in your search...

Hottubber...

[Mark_Vee]

I'll throw a couple more models at you for comparrison.  They will fit you recquired measurements.  From Dimension One the Seville or the Cove.  From Coleman the 104, 105, 361, or maybe even the 461 (35" heigth though).

Hope these help!!

[ArcherC]

Gil,
I will start off by saying that I sell the Tiger Rivers and really don't have much experiance with the Jacuzzi's. For our company, the Bengal has been one of our most popular mid sized spa's for a number of reasons. It is very comfortable, the jet placement is excellent, and it is very economically priced without a lot of bells and whistles. One thing about the number of jets. The Bengal has a diverter valve on it that directs water flow to different stations in the spa. You can turn up or down the pressure at the jets as well, but not all jets will be on at the same time. If you need all the jets to be on full power at the same time, this might not be the spa for you.
As far as the jets go, they are plenty powerful and the foot jet in the lounger can also be used on your lower back, it is great for lower back pain.
The heater on the Tiger Rivers used to be made of Stainless Steel, but now they are being made with the same Titanium heater as are in the Hotspring. Just make sure you get one made after July of 05 and it will have the new heater.
As a side note, if you want more power in a spa the same size, check out the Caldera Martinique. It is made by the same company as the Tiger River, but has 2 jet pumps and a couple more jets. Good luck, let me know if you have any other questions.

[Gil]

Well, it looks like I may have a few more tubs to consider based on the responses above.  I called a dealer and got a price of $6700 on the Marquis Quest.  If I remember correctly, I think the J-325 and the Tiger River Bengal were quoted right around $5K.  What are the average prices for some of the other models that were suggested (Marin, Martinique, etc.) or is there somewhere that I could at least see the retail prices of these tubs for comparison purposes.  The marin and the martinique appear to be the only two in the mentioned list that have 2 pumps so I'm expecting them to be slightly higher.  At this point, it looks like Sundance, Jacuzzi, Tiger River, Marquis and Caldera are the only ones from the suggested list that have dealers anywhere near my area (NW Indiana)
Thanks for the help,
Gil

[johnnythunders]

If its only $1000 i would get the Jacuzzi j355 or the J365...
You should get any of these for around $6000...Unless you are looking at are very small spas unless thats what yea are looking for.For a grand more i would have peace of mind....Johnny