Regret My Purchase :(

[333president]

Hey Forum,
I need some advice.... 10 months ago, I bought a Caldera Makena. It's a beautiful tub, but I really regret the purchase. I wish I bought something bigger/better.

It's too small. There's not enough jets. It's not powerful enough. I've had a handful of problems with it leaking (among other things). I am always manually sanitizing it every few days because the Spa Frog does nothing. The LED's are cool, but I want something with multi-zone lighting and more bells/whistles.

I called the dealer to get a trade in appraisal.

What tubs should I consider? What tubs are considered the biggest and the best? Thanks guys!

[buba]

Check with your local Jacuzzi or Sundance dealer and see what they offer for trade-in value. If they offer half what you paid for it, grab the deal, have no regrets, and don't look back.

[Chartreux]

Hot Springs moto massages is strong, you might like their hot tubs, maybe Marquis and Sundance would be some tubs for you to consider. So very sorry you had so much trouble with your purchase. Make sure to check online and then wet test. Good luck to you.

[Chas]

Whatever you decide on, be sure to wet test.

 

[girlinhotwater]

Sorry to here that things aren't working out for you. If money is no option, I would definitely check out the new Hot Springs Grandee or Envoy NXT. It is a very large tub with lots of cool lighting options. Since you mentioned manually adding chemicals is annoying to you, then buy the ACE option so worth it! I don't have it, but plan on adding it down the road. The HS limelight model Gleam is the largest spa I have ever seen and also has the moto-massage, but it does have many bottom suction intakes for the jet pumps. You should go to their website to take a look. Do wet test and good luck sure hope you end up with your dream spa!

[buzzsaw90]

What tubs should I consider? What tubs are considered the biggest and the best? Thanks guys!

---

I went for a bigger Caldera model, the Cantabria.

7'5" x 7'5" x 36" comapred to 9' x 7'7" x 38"

395 gallons / 1,495 liters compared to 550 gallons / 2,082 liters

I like that i can stretch out and float in there without bumping into the walls and that with 5-6 people you don't feel the least bit crowded.

Of course you'll be paying more for it...

[Spatech_tuo]

What tubs should I consider? What tubs are considered the biggest and the best? Thanks guys!

---

I went for a bigger Caldera model, the Cantabria.

7'5" x 7'5" x 36" comapred to 9' x 7'7" x 38"

395 gallons / 1,495 liters compared to 550 gallons / 2,082 liters

I like that i can stretch out and float in there without bumping into the walls and that with 5-6 people you don't feel the least bit crowded.

Of course you'll be paying more for it...

Its more likely that someone will have remorse about buying too small than buying too big, it happens. I'd start with the dealer I bought it from since they carry the tub that you'd be selling back and they'll want to make you a happier customer.

[aeajr]

Did you have the tub installed by the dealer on a concrete pad or did you install?   Sounds like you have some installation problems.

If you lack power in the jets, are you wired for 220 50 amps or something less.   Some tubs cut back on pump pressure, temperature when the jets run and the like if they are on lesser wiring.

Leaks?    Have you contacted the dealer about these?  This should Never be an issue unless the installation site is not properly prepared and leveled.

As for what tub, I cant' help. We have a Marquis Spirit, a 3/4 person tub that rarely has more than 2, so size is not an issue for us.  But if I were to upgrade I would stay with Marquis and the same dealer.  I am a very happy owner.

[sksmoker]

Hey Forum,
I need some advice.... 10 months ago, I bought a Caldera Makena. It's a beautiful tub, but I really regret the purchase. I wish I bought something bigger/better.

It's too small. There's not enough jets. It's not powerful enough. I've had a handful of problems with it leaking (among other things). I am always manually sanitizing it every few days because the Spa Frog does nothing. The LED's are cool, but I want something with multi-zone lighting and more bells/whistles.

I called the dealer to get a trade in appraisal.

What tubs should I consider? What tubs are considered the biggest and the best? Thanks guys!

If you are looking for big tubs the Coast Mirage and Arctic Summit XL are large tubs. The Arctic Tundra is 7'9 x 7'9 which is a "normal" sized tub that we found is a big tub as well inside, if that makes any sense. The Hot Springs Grandee is 8'4 on the one side and is a big tub as well.

If you are looking for pure people room, from what we have found, the less "moulding" for loungers, steps, etc increases the inside people count. Bullfrog was a decent size if my memory serves me right.

I guess how big is big?

[333president]

Wow, thank you guys so much. I really, really appreciate your time and all of the valuable feedback. I am thinking a Cantabria, Grandee, Grandee NXT, Maxxus, Aspen or J-495. Now just to narrow it down. Great advice on wet testing. The only tub on my list locally though is a Grandee. If anyone has any advice between these tubs, please let me know. I really appreciate everyone's input!

[GGRANDEE]

I have owned a Grandee for 1 year now and we are very, very happy with the tub. Spacious for two of us but enough room to entertain many more. Powerful jets, little water maintenance, and very efficient. The new NXT model is a little more stylish.  No regrets whatsoever...I'm sure you won't either. There's my recommendation! 

[kitchener]

333,  Sounds like we're on a similar trek (large tubs).  My own experiences within these last 2 weeks have shown the importance of wet-testing.

Wet-testing the Aspen, we were turned off by what we felt was an anemic performance when the diverters weren't dedicated to a specific seat.  For example, two primary seats caddy-corner from one another were tied to one another, jet-wise.  When my wife was in one, & me in the other, if the diverter was set in the middle, the results were pretty unimpressive.  I think, in the end, the Aspen is a big tub meant to be an entertainment tub for a lot of people, a jack of all trades, a master of none.

Based on that, & due to the availability of a local Bullfrog dealer, we had high hopes for the A8 series, their top-of-the-line 7-8 person tubs.  No diverters.  Sure enough, when we wet-tested the A8D (our first lounger), no anemic jet performance.  However, & as they say, "this is why you wet test," my wife was floating out of all the seats – maybe something about the cant in their shell design (one's mileage may vary). 

The next tub we tested I really expected to buy: Artesian's top-of-the-line Pelican Bay (9 x 7.6, with a lounge).   The Tim Allen tub maybe.  5 seats with dedicated pumps.  A lounger but despite that lost space, a big tub with a lot of seats.  Sexy stereo (Poly Planar).  Lots of foot therapy (a big deal for my skiing/dirtbiking family).  The dealer bent for me & got it filled & heated for the wet test I insisted on, unwrapping it (just off the truck), & setting it up behind his store -- but he only had 40 amp service out there, so the pumps ran a little dumbed down, & the key therapy seat, caddy-corner from the therapy seat, not working at all.  But I graded on a curve -- I really wanted to like the Pelican Bay.  In the end, I found the controls busy, & the so-called "Helix" motion of its jets unimpressive (especially compared to another wet-test later in the day).  In fairness to less-than-ideal conditions, I tested each seat one-pump-on-at-a-time, & came away feeling there just wasn't any wow factor.  40 amps aside, the motion of the jets (despite the concept of the helix design), left us disappointed.  I read that while it does feature 5 pumps, the pumps are very small in order to squeeze them all in.  But, no float issues, it didn't do anything badly, & had it not been for the next wet test, we might have an Artesian Pelican Bay. 

We went directly from the Artesian wet test & elsewhere tested the Jacuzzi 470 (they have the 480 & the 495 dry), back to the diverter approach of the Aspen.  From all I've read, I expected them to be asking stupid money for them.  What a tub.  We found the jets perfectly placed, & more importantly, fulfilling the helix promise: very effective oscillation, very effective therapy.  And, it gave good feet!  We had a picnic to go to, & the kids had no interest in visiting a 2nd store, but then we couldn't get them out of it.  They're playing in there, then asking to get back in after we'd toweled off & were chatting with the salesman.  Very well designed tub, & even with the diverters in mid-range (share mode), no seat felt lacking.  The high waterfall gave it a very impressive appearance that will look great when entertaining.  What's more, unlike & in direct contrast to the Artesian Pelican Bay, very unbusy, easy controls.

That brings us up-to-date.  Didn't buy yet.  I really want to try the 480 -- I like the idea of a lounger, but like the classic debate, I'm not sure about sacrificing the extra seat (entertaining the crowd vs how often the king of the world, me, will be in it with just my wife).  But I can't get the dealer to fill it.  It's a leftover, there's no 220v service to its corner of the store, etc.  In view of the above, I'm reluctant to say "it's the 470 with a lounger" & buy it untested.  I might test it & find it's not worth the lost seat (or my wife might feel she floats in it).  I'm hoping the dealer blinks & finds a way.  The problem with the 495 is the stupid money part I mentioned earlier.  The 470 & 480 are 13 leftovers, about $12.5 & $13.5, respectively (spidey senses suspect another $500 to $1k to be shed).  That 495 is a 14, & WAY up in the $16s. 

The last variable while I wait is Caldera.  The Caldera store sold by phone (and emptied) his Niagara the day I had an appointment to wet-test it (if he waited, for all he knew, he could have sold 2 instead of 1).  We showed up with towels & suits all dressed up with no place to go.  However, he just got in a new Cantabria: as you know, the Caldera is a 9 x 7.6 tub (like the Aspen & Pelican Bay), which appeals to my notion of having my cake and eating it, too, where a lounger is concerned.  Having learned from the Jacuzzi (realize, all, I'm a rookie to hot tub critical evaluation) that diverters can work effectively for all, it's not impossible that the wet test I have scheduled Wednesday takes me out of the market and the J480/470 guy loses my business.   Unlike the J495, he quoted off-the-bat a price in the mid-$13s, so who knows where that will end up, but well below a 495.  At the end of the day, the 480 & 470 are still big tubs, & given that test, I feel I'm at the end of the tunnel.

Wet-test tells the tale.  That Pelican Bay wasn't a bad tub.  But the Jacuzzi had wow factor.  And for anything over $10,000, finding wow factor seems like an obtainable, worthy goal.