Grandee vs. J-385 (Other Recs?)

[spanewbe]

We are sorting through the spa purchase maze as first-time buyers.   We are a family of four living in the Phoenix area with children ages 2 and 4, both of whom love to frolic in warm water with floaty suits.  I expect the four of us will be in the spa frequently (I work from home and wife does not work) so we are targeting a larger spa.  The grandmas also visit fairly frequently and both love to use a hot tub.

The spa characteristics we are most concerned about include:  enjoying our time in the spa (seating comfort, stimulating jets, water quality -- very low use of harsh chemicals like chlorine would be a big plus), ease of maintenance, long-term reliability and low operating costs.  Things we are less concerned about include: flashy lights or water features, exterior appearance (we will be building a stone structure to enclose three sides) and purchase cost (not looking to throw money away but want to buy the right spa even if we spend a bit more).  I have been reviewing this message board, company websites and visiting dealers.  We did our first wet tests yesterday (Grandee and J-355, the J-385 had no water in it, but is the size that we are more interested in).   We have not tried to negotiate any best and final deals yet, but the Grandee and J-385 each seem to be available for less than $9,000.  Our thoughts thus far:

Ergonomics - overall we liked the Jacuzzi better than the Grandee.  In our opinion, the J-385 offers 5 very good seats vs. only 3 very good seats in the Grandee, with very good seats being defined as seats that both my wife and I felt very comfortable in.  In favor of the HS tub, the Grandee offered arm rests and cupholders while the J-385 had neither.

Jet Action - We both had a slight preference for the feel of the jets in the J-385.

Water Quality - The water in the Grandee seemed to have very little chemicals whereas we both smelled strong chlorine after testing the Jacuzzi.

Overall Impressions - The Grandee seemed like a more technoligally advanced tub that is slightly better made with more advanced features (better filtering, titanium vs. stainless heating element, etc.), but the J-385 felt a bit better to us from a usability standpoint.

Questions for the Board:

1.  Any other makes and models that we should look at that seem to fit our profile?

2.  Is the Hot Springs claim of a fresh water system for real or just marketing hype?  Specifically, if both tubs are properly maintained, does the water in the HS Spring tub contain any less chemicals or less harsh chemicals than the Jacuzzi tubs?

3.  Are the reliability and longevity of the tubs from each of these two manufactures comparable?

4.  Are there any other important tub buying considerations that I have not mentioned that we should be taking into consideration?

Thanks in advance to anyone that takes the time to assist us with making the most informed purchase possible.

[Chris_H]

Spanewbe,

I would personally buy the Grandee, but if you liked the feel of the Jacuzzi better than go for it.  

Make sure you are aware of the differences in the warranty.  The jets on the Hotspring have a 5 year warranty and the Jacuzzi only has a warranty for 1 year.  The Hotspring cabinet also has a longer warranty 5 years versus 1 year.

The filtration on the Hotspring is better, not because it is “100% no by-pass,” but because it has a nice little weir door that traps the debris that falls out of the cartridge when you clean the cartridge.  I would recommend you to take out the two cartridges in the Jacuzzi J-355 that you wet tested to see the debris fall out.  

Another model you could look at from a comparable manufacturer is the Sundance Optima.

Chris

[empolgation]

Questions for the Board:

1.  Any other makes and models that we should look at that seem to fit our profile?

In addition to the Optima... the Dimension One Nautilus and the Marquis Euphoria seem to fit and be sure to wet test the J-385

2.  Is the Hot Springs claim of a fresh water system for real or just marketing hype?  Specifically, if both tubs are properly maintained, does the water in the HS Spring tub contain any less chemicals or less harsh chemicals than the Jacuzzi tubs?

"fresh water system" is for real marketing hype. The Grande, as well as those mentioned above, have excellent filtration systems all comparible. All have their own marketing name and spiel and slight variations but in the end well designed filtration systems with properly maintained water chemisty pretty much all require the same amount of chemicals - it just depends on what sanitation system you choose and the specifics of your water chemstry preference.

3.  Are the reliability and longevity of the tubs from each of these two manufactures comparable?

Yep, pretty much so. Some folks will have their reasons for claiming one better than the other (generally based on which they sell or own) but it come down to which is better for you.

4.  Are there any other important tub buying considerations that I have not mentioned that we should be taking into consideration?

Looks like you have all the bases covered... you are considering good brands, the final choice should come down to how well the tub meets your needs: comfort and features. Be sure to wet test each tub you are interested in! and don't be afraid to do it more than once.

[johnnythunders]

Hummm don't have a problem with dirt falling from my filters as long as you take them straight out.I had a problem the first time i used the spa with all the dirt from the Plumbing and everywhere else got on the filter and it looked like yukkkkk.But after the first time the filter never got that dirty.Jt

[newtotubbing]

One item to consider with small children IMHO, is the seating contours.  The Grandee has much less contoured seating that the 385 and most other spas.  Kids love to move around the spa all the time (atleast mine do).  With really contoured seats, I was concerned about them stumbling over the contours and getting hurt.  The Vista I own has some contours to it but nothing like some of the others mentioned in this thread.  Just thought I would add that to the list.  My kids are 7 and 10.

Jonathan  

[stuart]

One item to consider with small children IMHO, is the sealing contours.  The Grandee has much less contoured seating that the 385 and most other spas.  Kids love to move around the spa all the time (atleast mine do).  With really contoured seats, I was concerned about them stumbling over the contours and getting hurt.  The Vista I own has some contours to it but nothing like some of the others mentioned in this thread.  Just thought I would add that to the list.  My kids are 7 and 10.

Jonathan  

Frankly, many of my customers that have small children love the contours of the Marquis Euphoria and the 636 for just the oppisite reason, the kids have a place to set! The large footwell in these models give plenty of room to move around....

[Brewman]

Most kids I've seen, including mine, were pretty much gumby.  They have no trouble moving around anything!
Sometimes, I wish they did have a bit less mobility!!
Brewman

[Perk1]

I have the HS Landmark and Love it.  It only took my 4 year old a few times in the hot tub and now he knows where all the seats are and he cruises around easily.  

I can't really say much about the Jacuzzi since I have not seen one but I have seen the Grandee many times and I think it is a great spa.  It is very large and open  but you can easily stretch across the seats to get the lounger feeling.  

The filtration is very good in the Grandee(and all HS tubs).  I use N2 and dichlor in my tub and I never have a chlorine smell and always have sparkling clear water(and I am sure you can achieve the same results in the Jacuzzi).  You will find that the water maintenance is very easy once you get a system down.

You will be backed by a major manufacturer no matter which way you go with the Jacuzzi or the HS and that is very important.  

Good luck and choose the one that feels best for you.  You will not regret it no matter which one you choose.

[spanewbe]

Thanks to all for the good feedback thus far.  After our first wet tests, it is clear that we still need to look at and wet test some of the other top brands (Marq., D1, and Sundance) in the models mentioned.  We have found a store in town with a J-385 filled for wet testing and I will start calling around today to see if I can find some of the others that are filled.  The Phoenix area is good for spa shapping because all the major names seem to have at least one store that is not too far from us.

I have been working my way back in time on this board and I struck by how few people seem to post about their ownership of Jacuzzi products.  This despite a post that said that Jacuzzi manufactured the greatest amount of tubs (counting the various labels the tubs are sold under).  I see a  lot of support and consumer satisfaction for HS in particular.  Based on this I would be very comfortable buying a Grandee if a second wet test produced good results.  If anybody is out there that has owned a Jacuzzi premium, especially a J-385, I would love to hear some feedback.  Once we wet test a few others, I will scan back for feedback on those models.  I find I can appreciate the comments on tubs from others much more after I have actually seen the tub in person and/or done a wet test.

[Brewman]

I wouldn't let the lack of "voice" for Jacuzzi sway my decision, either for or against the brand.  Make your decsison based on your research and wet test results, and how well your dealers are established.  
Brewman

[zzaphod42]

I wouldn't let the lack of "voice" for Jacuzzi sway my decision, either for or against the brand.  Make your decsison based on your research and wet test results, and how well your dealers are established.  
Brewman

Expanding on that a bit...The number of dealers representing various brands on here can make a big difference on which tubs are mentioned more often.

For instance, Steve, while he was selling Beachcomber was what one would call a regular on here, and thus Beachcomber was discussed a LOT more than recently. Even though he doesn't post as often now that he has less time on his hands, (is that an understaement Steve?) he has still done a good job of introducing Hydropool to this forum. Before he started working for Hydropool they were almost unheard of on this site.

[jbyrd72]

Have you tried the Caldera Utopia Geneva yet?  It is a 5-6 seater with lots of options for under $10K.  It is well worth it to wet test this one as well.  Please post with the results of your wet test  

[golferm]

I have been working my way back in time on this board and I struck by how few people seem to post about their ownership of Jacuzzi products.  This despite a post that said that Jacuzzi manufactured the greatest amount of tubs (counting the various labels the tubs are sold under).  

Hi Spanewbe....I own Jacuzzi J-345.  Loving it so far.  Great dealer service, and I feel very confident that I bought one of the top 5 brands out there.  I loved the 385 as well, just out of my budget.  Being that the 385 is very similar to the Sundance product, you can't go wrong buying either one.    I like some of the innovations with the air buttons that Jacuzzi has, and the seating I find very good, with different levels for different heights.

I also happen to really like the HS product as well, especially the Grandee.  My friend has one and if I'm not tubbing in my 345, I would always take his Grandee.  It's a great tub backed by Watkins, which has been doing this forever (it seems like)

As always, the wet test will decide it for you.  Happy shopping.

Mark