BFA8 / Euphoria / Pelican Bay

[The Wizard of Spas]

IMO, i would save a little and leave out the hydraulic lift.  It just adds to the possibility of more things going wrong.  However, the circ pump is something that you would probably want.  It is a debate item, but at that price, might as well add it!  Best of luck with your purchase.

The hydraulic lift really makes sense to me in certain circumstances. My wife would not have been ok without it on our spa for 2 reasons, she is 5'2" (if I round up) & 120 lbs and our spa was large so the hydraulic lift made it MUCH easier for her to open/close the cover. If the spa isn't too big and the users are fairly sturdy (not sure how else to say that) then I might skip it. It can also block a view if it opens in a direction you want to look at. Otherwise I'd recommend it and a circ pump.

+1.  Well stated

[hottubdan]

The neat thing about buying through Costco is you can buy it and cancel with no penalty if you want to go with one of the others.  I say do it.  Then shop.  But be transparent with the dealer.  Ask them not to order the spa for you for a couple of weeks.  Unless you are sure you want it!

[jjackkrash]

I pulled the trigger on the Bullfrog A8; I got every non-stereo/wi fi option I could see, including the upgraded Ozone, circ pump, and hydraulic cover lifter, plus free delivery, plus starter chems, etc., for under $12k, plus I get 4% cash back in February, plus a seven year warranty with the Costco Visa card.   I am still potentially considering the Artesian and can cancel the Bullfrog (I have at least a week but more like two weeks to finalize the factory order), but I doubt the Artesian folks will come far enough off their ask to make me want to take a trip up to the store to see it two hours away.  The wife and boy already picked colors and jet packs and they really liked the Bullfrog.  So we'll see, but most likely we will stick with the Bullfrog. 

Thanks for all the input folks. 

[hottubdan]

I pulled the trigger on the Bullfrog A8; I got every non-stereo/wi fi option I could see, including the upgraded Ozone, circ pump, and hydraulic cover lifter, plus free delivery, plus starter chems, etc., for under $12k, plus I get 4% cash back in February, plus a seven year warranty with the Costco Visa card.   I am still potentially considering the Artesian and can cancel the Bullfrog (I have at least a week but more like two weeks to finalize the factory order), but I doubt the Artesian folks will come far enough off their ask to make me want to take a trip up to the store to see it two hours away.  The wife and boy already picked colors and jet packs and they really liked the Bullfrog.  So we'll see, but most likely we will stick with the Bullfrog. 

Thanks for all the input folks.

The warranty is not really extended.  You get the extra years from Visa.  You have to pay for service and get reimbursed by Visa.  Not sure if you get 100% or not.

Still, great move!  Which Costco did you buy from?

[jjackkrash]

Well, the Visa extension is kind of a hybrid between after-market warranty and insurance.  They (Visa, through a claims administrator) pays for the cost of repairs that would otherwise be covered by the warranty outside of the warranty period for an extra two years up to the actual cost of the tub if you put the whole tub on the visa, or up to the amount of the tub you actually put on the Visa. 

I got it through the Tacoma Costco. 

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 We have two more Costco events with B,frog.   There will be no more!

[Hottubguy]

We have two more Costco events with B,frog.   There will be no more!

Poor guy. I don’t think I would want to do one

[jjackkrash]

Report:

The A8 is at the dealer, I just need to schedule delivery for sometime next week.   

I got the 5.5" 10 x 10 pad poured last week.  I rented a big gas mixer because I did not want to pay for a pumper truck (tub is going in the back yard on a lower level) and mixed 80 80 pound bags a saccrete and ran them down a 25' home made chute from the driveway level into the lower level back yard (10 x 10 pad, about 2 yards).  I could envision disaster, but it worked out great.  Me and my dad got it poured and placed in about 2.5 hours and then ran electrical from the sub panel in the basement to the new breaker box outside.  It will have about 14 days of wet cure under the bridge before the tub gets here, so I should be good to go. 

Good times.