Best hot tub for 5000.00

[Tatooed_Lady]

as far as what tub goes for $2500 used, I don't recall, actually....but they've got everything from an older Viking, to Jacuzzi to Vita to Esther Williams and more on the floor.....Some are better names than others.  
You might ask your wife what makes her refuse to go used...if it's the idea of buying "someone else's trash", or just figuring that paying 5k for a tub should mean shiny and new? I would think that you would get new filters, and from what I've all read, sanitizing a tub to be on the safe side isn't all that hard or detailed.
In any case......whether lightly used or still in the wrapper.....
Good luck!

[TN__HOT_TUB]

Sound like a decent deal.

I too went with a less expensive tub.  My thought was anything would be nicer than what i have right now (nothing).

One of the dealers put it this way and asked me if i was looking for a hot tub or a spa? Seems most large manufacturers carry several "levels" of tubs (good, better, and best).  It is my understanding that you can find some "good" tubs in the $5K range, but the "better" and "best" tubs will cost a bit more.

[mattNY]

as far as what tub goes for $2500 used, I don't recall, actually....but they've got everything from an older Viking, to Jacuzzi to Vita to Esther Williams and more on the floor.....Some are better names than others.  

I don't know what other people's experiences may have been, but I would recommend against Viking.  One of my local dealers carries them and I looked them over seriously when I was first considering, and they seemed very poorly constructed - the shell had a cheap look and feel, the jets were flimsy, and it didn't seem to be insulated well at all, just a 1-2" layer of foam on the underside of the shell.  Plus, the largest model that they carried (93" x 93" if I recall correctly) was only $4000 brand new, so it'd have to be pretty recent for $2500 to be a "deal".  The dealer refused to show me the warranty, so I can't comment on that aspect.

I made a post about a year and a half ago in another forum asking for opinions on it, only got one response from a guy who had had one for a couple of years and said it was "ok".  My main concerns were reliability and cost of operation, both of which I concluded were likely sub-par.  Just my $.02, I'm sure I will be promptly contradicted if others feel differently.

I would have jumped at something like East TX Spa has (used HS in the $4500 area) in a heartbeat.  I like the Jacuzzis too, if you could find a recent model with a warranty.

[anne]

Would your wife go for an automobile analogy? If you had only $10,000 to spend on a car, would you buy a new Kia, or a 5 year old Honda, or perhaps a 7 year old Acura?

[Chas]

Just look for a review on a HotSpring Sovereign from 2003 or before.  Virtually the same spa.

Terminator

Zactly right. Same spa.

Wonder if folks will be emailing  Costco.com and asking for a discount.......