Looking for a Good Hot Tub

[Hogzilla]

I am new to the board and I am now searching for a hot tub.  Have any of you heard of Thermospa?  Are they worth the money?  Which seems to be the best tub out there for the money?  I have looked at Calspa, Hot Spring, Artisan, Thermospa, and am going to look at Jacuzzi.

Any certian brands to stay away from altogether?  Thanks for your thoughts

[Cyn]

Welcome!!  This site is a wealth of info for all kinds of hot tub related questions.  I would start out using the search engine.  We have had some recent questions on Thermospa with lots of very good replies from our great forum population.  A few very recent searches by new forum members to find the 'perfect spa' have also been documented.  Good luck!!

[IL Parrothead]

Hogzilla, Cyn is right.  Read what everyone else has said on this forum about Thermospa.  I'm also in the market for a good hot tub.  I will tell you, the names you consistently hear everyone raving about are (in no particular order, and I may miss a couple):  Hot Spring, Jacuzzi, Marquis, Artesian, Caldera, D1, Cal Spa, LA Spas, Sundance.  Most of the people on this site and others are gentlemen and gentle ladies.  Most will not trash a manufacturer, but we've all heard horror stories about the other makes a lot more often than the tubs listed above.  So, it's not that you might not love Thermospa or the others, it's just the names I mentioned seem to have the most fanatical admirers.  But, if you haven't read around here much, everyone will tell you to make sure you wet test tubs before you make your final decision.  I've done it, and you really have no idea whether you'll like a tub or not until you try it out.  Might feel weird soaking in a store with other people walking around, but a lot of dealers will let you do it at the end or beginning of the business day.  And it's well worth any feelings of akwardness you might experience.

[dax]

I joined this forum back in May, and my first post was pretty much the same as yours.  I didn't know much about tubs except that a couple friends had them.  We were in the process of redoing our deck and patio area, and thought a tub would be a great addition.  We saw the Thermospas infomercials and ordered their DVD and catalog.  Also started doing research on the internet, which led me to this forum.

The responses I got about Thermospas is that they have questionable sales tactics.  They'll come out and try to sell you a spa for an awful lot of money.  If you refuse, you'll hear back from them about a customer who changed their mind about the very same spa that you are interested in.  They will then offer you a chance to buy the spa for several thousand less than their initial price.  Combined with the fact that there are a lot of good spas out there with local dealers who service their products and allow you to wet-test their spas before buying, we decided to bag the Thermospas idea and visit all our local dealers.

The wet-test suggestion should be rule #1 when looking for a spa.  Rule #2 should be to see rule #1.  Unfortunately, that's not something that you can do with Thermospas.  But it is something you can do at your local dealers.  Armed with the information you'll get on this site and how you feel about your salesman and spa after wet-testing, you'll find the best tub for you and your budget.

Oh, and rule #3 is to enjoy your search and not stress over it.  Good luck!

[Josh]

I am new to the board and I am now searching for a hot tub.  Have any of you heard of Thermospa?  Are they worth the money?  Which seems to be the best tub out there for the money?  I have looked at Calspa, Hot Spring, Artisan, Thermospa, and am going to look at Jacuzzi.

Any certian brands to stay away from altogether?  Thanks for your thoughts

Welcome to the boards.

Like you, I arrived recently...asking almost the exact same questions.  I searched local dealerships and at least a half dozen other web sites.  The most common (and best) advice anyone gave me was to Wet Test.  I wasn't really planning on it before the search....but without it, I probably would have bought a different tub than the one that I ended up with.  Do it...you won't be sorry.

Here's the topic I started last month when I started my search.  I've linked to the page where I reviewed a lot of tubs I tested.  After testing, my top 3 favorites included Jacuzzi, Sundance and LA Spas which was the brand I eventually bought.

http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1196201232/75#75

Try them out, and buy the one that feels best to you.

Note: There was no Thermospa rep in Seattle so that's not a brand I hit.

[IL Parrothead]

Hog, there was a member (Solo) before me that had his long post with all of his wet testing remarks.  I did it in this thread:  http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1192857702 and, as you can see, so did Josh.  You could see, we all liked some of the same tubs, didn't have dealers near us for others.  My top three favorites are Marquis (Epic), Jacuzzi (J480) and HS (Grandee).  Let us know which feels best to you when you begin wet testing.

[Hogzilla]

Thanks for the responses!  I have learned so much from different forums, that I knew that this would be a great place to find answers.

It is just me and my wife, since the kids are in college, and I really don't want a huge tub.  I am hoping to find something that seats 3-4 people with a lounge seat.  It is a must to have the neck massage since after I workout my neck and shoulders are tight.  My wife would like to have a foot and calf massage.

Thanks again and I will keep you posted on my progress!!

[cxturboboost]

Hello,

Because everyone here has such different views, I will only offer this small piece of information.  We bought a new HS Grandee just over a year ago.  We love the tub, but have had numerous problems including the aux control panel replaced twice, the skimmer door replaced, and the outside panel replaced.  All covered under waranty.  Warranty...Warranty...  Look at the warranty periods and what is and isn't covered.  My dealer has been very good, and I haven't paid a dime.  Did I mention you might want to consider warranty?

It seems that spas are constant wear items.  Things are constantly in use and thus have constant wear and tear.  I'm really glad we got the HS with the 5 year warranty backed up by a good dealer.  Talk to people that have bought from the dealers you are looking at to find out how they have been treated.

Just my .02

Pete

[Hogzilla]

It seems that spas are constant wear items.  Things are constantly in use and thus have constant wear and tear.  I'm really glad we got the HS with the 5 year warranty backed up by a good dealer.  Talk to people that have bought from the dealers you are looking at to find out how they have been treated.

Just my .02

Pete

I am seeing that through this forum that the hot tub is only as good as the dealer you purchase from.  I am going to use this as I head out next week to wet test some hot tubs.

I read about thermospa and have experienced the "presentation" last week.  It was a real hoot to see the salesman do his thing.  I told him before he started that I was in a fact gathering mode and would not be purchasing a tub today.  I thought that he was there to evaluate my needs and do a site evaluation.  That is what their information states.....a free site evaluation.  My little mind thought that he would come in and look at the areas where the spa would be located do some measuring then interview me and my wife to find the spa that would meet our needs.  Ha!  I had to ask him to look at the site and then measure.  He even suggested putting the spa in an area that would block a gate.  (What an idiot!)  He then came inside and said it would take 90 minutes to go over the information.  I told him that I did not have that long since I had to get mback to the office.  This seemed not to phase him.  My wife got bored and said she had something she had to do and she left me there with the salesman.  I told him I was going to fast forward him if he wanted to get through this.  (All he did was read the information that I had already read from there brochure.  he was very impressed with all their awards)  He would start reading and I would say click, go to the next page.  I eventually took his little book and started flipping through it and said let's get to the tubs.  He went to the largest tub and tried to sell that to me.  Again, I had told them that I wanted a 2-3 person tub but he kept going.  I ended the presentation and got the prices and tried to send him on his way when he asked if he could use my phone.  I gave him the phone and left the room for a minute and I heard him telling his boss that I was not going to buy today.  When I came back in the room I was asked to talk to the sales manager.  This is where the pressure started.  The manager told me that my discount only applied today and if I did not buy I would lose it.  I said that was ok but if I knew that I would have called them last.  I told him I was gathering info and I would call them back when I was ready.  He said that it cost them a lot of money to send a salesman back and that they usually did all the transactions on the first call.  I said that your salesman only lives 15 miles from my home and if I wanted the tub I could just go to his house on one of my motorcycles.  I said let me ask your salesman if that would be ok, so I asked the salesman if he would let me come to his house with a $15k check.  the salesman's eyes almost popped out of his head as he shook his head yes.  I told the manager that the salesman said that it would not be a problem so what is the problem?  He then asked if he could get the price of the same tub for $8k would I buy today.  I said no.  I was in a fact gathering mode and I would not buy the tub today for any price.  He would not let me off the phone so I politely thanked him and hung up the phone.

I know this was long but I hope that if someone is going to deal with these people, they read this and do not waste their time.

[Doobiewah]

I am seeing that through this forum that the hot tub is only as good as the dealer you purchase from.  I am going to use this as I head out next week to wet test some hot tubs.

Amen to that!!  We wet tested several and ended up going with one we both liked and that had a great dealer experience behind it.  There were features in other spas we loved; however, with what I learned on this forum, the dealer is just as important as the quality of the spa.

Good luck in your hunt!

The Doob

[Zep]

wow Hogzilla that seems like a rather sleezy sales technique

anybody that pushy really makes you suspicious

[Pathfinder]

Thermospas must work in conjunction with the timeshare people. The technique is the exact same.

[Josh]

wow Hogzilla that seems like a rather sleezy sales technique

anybody that pushy really makes you suspicious

Ugh. Only one dealership in my search  tried that "you must buy today" technique on me  When I first went in there, the lady tried to tell me their  sale was ending in the next day).  I told her that was a shame because I wouldn't be buying for at least a couple of weeks.  So...she "extended the sale prices" (just for me) and wrote them down in my brochure so I wouldn't forget them.

When I later told her on a follow up call that I definitely wasn't buying a tub there, she magically came up with one that was 4K Cheaper than anything I had looked at.  I passed on that too.

Hogzilla...just remember, don't fall for any sales pitch.  Do your testing and then pick the one you liked the best.  When you get to that point...THEN you worry about price.  This Thermospa guy sounds like he's trying to pressure you and you don't want to deal with people like that. At most places, you'll find that the "retail" price is fake, their "sale prices" are just jumping off points...and you'll generally be able to save hundreds off of their "best offer" if you wait it out a bit.

[Nosher]

Three simple rules, mate -

1) Wet test

2) Wet test

3) and wet test.......

We read up on some of the brands that have been about for a few years and are 'seen' to be one of the best (depending on the web site you visit first hand) and the found a reputable dealer selling them - wet tested 4 tubs and ended spending £2000 more that we were planning to.

I now have a tub that feels like my 'favourite pub' (pub = limey talk for 'a place to acquire and drink alcohol') - it has good surroundings, atmosphere and I always enjoy my visits......

Everyones body is different and <trust me> what YOU may find comfortable may NOT be my cuppa tea!!

Can't beat looking and trying....

Just my few pennies worth......

Nosh.

[drewstar]

...  The manager told me that my discount only applied today and if I did not buy I would lose it.  I

i'll bet 5lbs of dichlor you have notheard the last of thier "one time offer"  

He said that it cost them a lot of money to send a salesman back and that they usually did all the transactions on the first call. e.

This is one of the most cliched lines.  

I heard vacuum cleaning salesmen, vinly siding sales foks and replacement window folks all give me the exact same line.  Usally it comes after I refuse thier "Lowest possible price"

"Well, I know I said that was the lowest price but. Our company commissioned the XJY consulting firm to analyze the actual cost of us making a sale and we found it costs us 20% of the sale to come back, so if you  sign tonight and not have us come back we'll take 20% off"