Spa Manufacturers, Inc.

[irun5k]

Hi all,

Like many folks when they first join this forum, I am shopping for a hot tub and trying to figure out the "lay of the land" so to speak.

I've already read countless threads about local vs. Costco and that sort of thing.  I figured we'd give a local business a visit... the one that popped up locally here with good online reviews was Spa Manufacturers, Inc. in the St. Pete/Clearwater area.

It almost seems to good to be true... under 4K for a 5-person acrylic tub with cedar surround.  e.g. http://www.spamanufacturers.com/spa-650waterfall-sm.php

They build these, but I am guessing they either don't sell beyond their showroom or they sell them as some other brand name nationally.  As a result I haven't found any actual reviews of their spas. 

I am curious what you guys think.  I have no idea how these units compare.  Being acrylic and having a cedar surround certainly seems to be a cut above some the bargain models I've seen elsewhere, but I don't know enough yet to know whether they are cutting corners elsewhere.

Appreciate any thoughts you might have!
Happy Holidays!

[Ryan VSO]

Mate , those are 1990 's design , I would look somewhere else or add 1 k to your budget for a better spa . how many adult and children will use it ? how tall are the adults ?

[irun5k]

Hello, thanks for the reply.

Primarily it will be 2 adults, 1 child, the tallest being 6'.  Max capacity a couple times a year might be 4 adults, 1 child.

When you say "90's design", what things are you referencing, exactly?  Technology, materials, aesthetics, etc?  These are the things I'm trying to learn so it would help me to know.  I really just want a durable, reliable and comfortable hot tub.  Not interested in waterfalls, TVs, sound systems, LED lighting, etc.

[Ryan VSO]

Do you have somethin against lounges if they are fitted to your size and confortable ?

[Tman122]

Hello, thanks for the reply.

Primarily it will be 2 adults, 1 child, the tallest being 6'.  Max capacity a couple times a year might be 4 adults, 1 child.

When you say "90's design", what things are you referencing, exactly?  Technology, materials, aesthetics, etc?  These are the things I'm trying to learn so it would help me to know.  I really just want a durable, reliable and comfortable hot tub.  Not interested in waterfalls, TVs, sound systems, LED lighting, etc.

What other dealers are available in your area?

[irun5k]

There is another dealer that gets good reviews that sells Caldera and Premium Leisure.   

Some assortment of seating (e.g. lounger + captains chairs) is ideal, sometimes my back gives me trouble and what feels good one day might not feel good the next.

[Ryan VSO]

Ok , where are you located ?

[meriflower]

Welcome!  Sorry I have never heard of Spa Manufacturers and can't really speak anything towards them (I'm not a dealer nor do I service spas just an owner).  Sounds like you are doing your research by searching the internet and reading posts on this forum. I would recommend continue to research and check out all your local dealers and wet test those that you are interested in (that you can).  That's what we did - lot of looking, listening to sales spiels, and a lot of wet testing!  Almost like buying a car - LOL!  For the record we own a Marquis Epic but have recently traded it in for a Bullfrog R6L.  Not that Marquis was bad just that we liked the therapy and the features of the Bullfrog better so more of a personal preference.

[irun5k]

You are right, it *is* like buying a car.  I like to operate on facts but I am having a hard time getting an objective comparison of quality.  I know materials are a factor... e.g. roto-molded vs. acrylic, plastic/composite enclosures vs. hardwood, open enclosure vs. foam filled, etc.  Beyond that I imagine pumps, filtration, ozone, and jets are factors as well.  Does that about cover it or is there more?

I'm in the Tampa Bay area.  Hopefully next Christmas Eve we'll be enjoying a hot tub like the rest of you all!

[rosewoodsteel]

Irun,

I took a few minutes to look over their website and didn't really find much information on how (or if) they build their spas.  I clicked on what I thought was their warranty page, and didn't see the terms of their warranty.  Now, mind you, I had a few eggnogs before I went to sleep last night, and I'm on my first cup of coffee, so it could just be user error on my part... At any rate, I personally would want more information before I had stepped forward with one of their tubs.   
And, I agree that it is very difficult to find solid, unbiased information on spas.   I just finished buying a new car and can honestly say that purchasing a spa is much more difficult.  There are no Consumer's Reports or buying services to assist you in purchasing a spa.   At any rate, keep on reading, asking questions and learning before you pull the trigger and you should be ok.   It took me quite some time but I finally ordered my new spa a few days ago.

[Ryan VSO]

You are right, it *is* like buying a car.  I like to operate on facts but I am having a hard time getting an objective comparison of quality.  I know materials are a factor... e.g. roto-molded vs. acrylic, plastic/composite enclosures vs. hardwood, open enclosure vs. foam filled, etc.  Beyond that I imagine pumps, filtration, ozone, and jets are factors as well.  Does that about cover it or is there more?

I'm in the Tampa Bay area.  Hopefully next Christmas Eve we'll be enjoying a hot tub like the rest of you all!

Hi mate , the quality of material is what you need to look first , then something confortable .

Jets are very important because they cost alot to be replaced so you want to make sure you can find them locally or online otherwise you will have to replace the male and female part wich is expensive .( company that offer a 2 years or less on jets normally has problem with them after the warranty )


Pumps are very important because they cost alot to replace , you want to have a look at the mecanisim pump seal wich break often , I would suggest to use VIton Seal but it hard to get this info if you are a custumer ( yet again check for the warranty )


Whats also important is the accessibility of the equipment inside , this is something people should look also , if it has easy access it will cost you less in repair . In most spa if you know how to operate a drill you can basicly fix anything yourself by watching youtube tech videos.

Also something you want to look is the spa controller ... some manufacturer have balboa or gecko to custum build them their chipset so if it broke you have to buy it directly from the manufacturer and you can be sure they will charge you alot of money .

Insulation : some will say full foam is better and some will say that perimeter insulation is better .... personnally I tried both and i prefeer the perimeter insulation because it cut the pump noise and it provide an easy access to the equipements but again if the perimeter insulation is not done corectly you might ending up paying more for your bill than the full foam . For a manufactuer it does cost more to produce a perimeter insulation .

Filtration : well this is simple , cheaper model offer a 2 speed pump for filtration and high end spa offer a dedicated circulation pump . Amp usage of a 2 speed pump is around 4 amp and since you use that pump 12 hours a day normally you rather have a circ pump using 1.2 amps. Also if you have a small circulation pump you wont hear the noise from the pump compared to the 2 speed pump . Lastly , a 2 speed pump will cost between 350-500 $ to replace and a circ pump will cost around 140-190$

Ozone : Ozone is out of date , theres much better product around .
acrylic vs roto molded : Compared to other ''specialist '' in this forum , I dont speak of something I dont have knowledge of so I will simply say that acrylic has been there forever .

Enclosure : people tend to go for less maintenance , so I would suggest composite and mate please check the thickness of those cabinets , some cabinet are just garbage .

Cover : if you live in a cold area you should at least get a 5inches thick cover with a minimum of 1.5 lbs density foam .

I think that cover it all ...

We do provide nice spas whithin your budget , let me know if you need any additional info

Vortex Spas Team

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 Oh good golly mate!   

[Ryan VSO]

Anything helpfull to add friend ?

[rosewoodsteel]

Vortex,
Why do you consider ozonators out of date? 

[Tman122]

You are right, it *is* like buying a car.  I like to operate on facts but I am having a hard time getting an objective comparison of quality.  I know materials are a factor... e.g. roto-molded vs. acrylic, plastic/composite enclosures vs. hardwood, open enclosure vs. foam filled, etc.  Beyond that I imagine pumps, filtration, ozone, and jets are factors as well.  Does that about cover it or is there more?

I'm in the Tampa Bay area.  Hopefully next Christmas Eve we'll be enjoying a hot tub like the rest of you all!

Hi mate , the quality of material is what you need to look first , then something confortable .

Jets are very important because they cost alot to be replaced so you want to make sure you can find them locally or online otherwise you will have to replace the male and female part wich is expensive .( company that offer a 2 years or less on jets normally has problem with them after the warranty )


Pumps are very important because they cost alot to replace , you want to have a look at the mecanisim pump seal wich break often , I would suggest to use VIton Seal but it hard to get this info if you are a custumer ( yet again check for the warranty )


Whats also important is the accessibility of the equipment inside , this is something people should look also , if it has easy access it will cost you less in repair . In most spa if you know how to operate a drill you can basicly fix anything yourself by watching youtube tech videos.

Also something you want to look is the spa controller ... some manufacturer have balboa or gecko to custum build them their chipset so if it broke you have to buy it directly from the manufacturer and you can be sure they will charge you alot of money .

Insulation : some will say full foam is better and some will say that perimeter insulation is better .... personnally I tried both and i prefeer the perimeter insulation because it cut the pump noise and it provide an easy access to the equipements but again if the perimeter insulation is not done corectly you might ending up paying more for your bill than the full foam . For a manufactuer it does cost more to produce a perimeter insulation .

Filtration : well this is simple , cheaper model offer a 2 speed pump for filtration and high end spa offer a dedicated circulation pump . Amp usage of a 2 speed pump is around 4 amp and since you use that pump 12 hours a day normally you rather have a circ pump using 1.2 amps. Also if you have a small circulation pump you wont hear the noise from the pump compared to the 2 speed pump . Lastly , a 2 speed pump will cost between 350-500 $ to replace and a circ pump will cost around 140-190$

Ozone : Ozone is out of date , theres much better product around .
acrylic vs roto molded : Compared to other ''specialist '' in this forum , I dont speak of something I dont have knowledge of so I will simply say that acrylic has been there forever .

Enclosure : people tend to go for less maintenance , so I would suggest composite and mate please check the thickness of those cabinets , some cabinet are just garbage .

Cover : if you live in a cold area you should at least get a 5inches thick cover with a minimum of 1.5 lbs density foam .

I think that cover it all ...

We do provide nice spas whithin your budget , let me know if you need any additional info

Vortex Spas Team

Here's an inaccuracy, Most people require 4 hours of filtration a day not 12. There's plenty more from this guy but it gets exhausting to try and keep up with his company's sales tactics on this forum.