Between Artesian and Hot Spring

[econstl]

I am in the process of purchasing my first hot tub.  After several months of showroom visits, internet research, and wet tests I have narrowed it down to two tubs: Artesian Onyx and Hot Spring Envoy.  The prices including delivery, chemicals, cover, cover lift, etc. are pretty close ($7939 for Onyx and $8149 for Envoy).

I have wet tested them both.  The Envoy was my first wet test (back in October) and the Onyx was my most recent test.  I will wet test the Envoy again this week to refresh my memory. However when I got in the Onyx it felt very good to me - better than I remembered the other tested tubs feeling.

I am torn between going with what felt the better (the Envoy was not bad, but not as good as the Onyx) or the company with the greater name recognition/ ranking by many lists.

I look forward to hearing any advice, comments, suggestions, and opinions.

[J._McD]

As you know from lurking in the background, you have narrowed it down to 2 very good choices, so you can feel completely confident that which ever you pick or choose, it will not be the "wrong" one.

These are both very good choices.  HS has been around from the early begining of Hot tubs and is well known.  Artesian came along a few years later with over 25 years of manufacturing and it is certainly the choice of many without all of the fanfare.  Your wet test has left you with your first impressions, check out the HS once again and then retest the Artesian.

Frankly, IMO the onyx has a lot more to offer in jets, comfort and power with everything operating all at one time.  But, you can only sit in one seat at a time,  So if you go with the HS be the first one in to get in the tub to get the moto-massage seat with the traveling jet.  

[salesdvl]

Having sold both HS and Artesian I can say that Mr. McD is totally correct.  The only thing I would ad is to keep in mind that alot of "4 star" ratings and "best buy" awards are purchased by the manufacturer.

[Vinny]

Let the wet test be your guide.

Their both top notch companies. Their warranties are about the same.

Either way you'll be happy.

Good Luck!

[Spatech_tuo]

Assuming you're comfortable with both dealers being able to service your needs after the sale, with the price difference being so close it's irrelevent and with the fact both are good manufacturers I would recommend you wet test both the same day one after the other. Tell both dealers you want a 2nd wet test and schedule one for 10am, the other for 11am and then your mind and body will have the chance to compare and contrast within a short time span. Unless someone has wet tested both of them I'm not sure how anyone can tell you which feels better and even then it only means which feels better to them as your results may vary. Take the final step and let us know which one it is but either way congrats on getting so close to the finish line.

[dswslp]

I've been going back and forth between piper glen and grande and just to let you know about the previous post about consumer reports.  It was the hs sales person who gave me a print of consumer reports highlighting there tiger river line of spas. I laughed when the same print included the piper glen from artesian.   If the report is paid for than hs is paying for their lower end line.  I'm leaning towards the piper glen.  good luck dswslp

[Mendocino101]

you might want to check that report again....I think you will find it to be consumer DIGEST and not consumer reports BIG difference....

[dswslp]

i stand corrected it was consumer digest.  however that has nothing to do with the point i was making about a previous post.  the point i was making was if the spa companies were paying for the report than both hs and artesian were paying.  artesian for the piper glen and hs for tiger river

[Mendocino101]

i stand corrected it was consumer digest.  however that has nothing to do with the point i was making about a previous post.  the point i was making was if the spa companies were paying for the report than both hs and artesian were paying.  artesian for the piper glen and hs for tiger river

lol.....I agree with you....it comes down to how many models do you want pay for...and it is not so much that can "buy" the rating but you pay for the "right" to use it in print/advertising .....there are some dealers who put a lot of this into their presentation ....we do not as really if someone investigates they quickly determine that in the end of is of very little value to really determine the worth of a spa ......I am glad we have it so that if someone is impressed by it that we can show it.....but I do tell them in the end its not going to assure you of a good spa.

[bob5820]

These are both great tubs, either of which would be good choices that you can be perfectly happy with. What you haven't told us is how you feel about each dealer. It may be that even after wet testing again, one tub is not a clear choice in your mind over the other, however one dealership may give you a better feeling in terms of service and support then the other. I'm not saying base your decision on which dealer you like best, but it should at least  be part of the consideration.

Consumers Digest, Reports, blah blah, blah are not something that entered into my decision. Regardless of whether or not they are bought and paid for, I just do not find them all that valuable. Look at it like this, I'd rather go see the movie that my buddy told me about, then the movie that the "professional" reviewer on TV or in the papers, says is a must see ( talk about being bought and paid for). Think of the posters on this site as your buddies and think of the Consumers stuff as a marketing tool.

[Bill_Stevenson]

You can't go wrong with these two spas.  Go with your gut, or base the decision on your feeling about the dealer.  FWIW, I have gradually come to the conclusion that picking a new spa should not focus only on the spa that feels best.   No matter which spa you choose, once you get it home and start using it, you will learn how to maximize it's performance.    

One thing I did not think of at all when first looking is that spas work better if you move your body while using them.  I was all focused on how the jets hit me, how they felt, how comfortable I felt in each seat etc.  But I was sitting still.  With time and experience I have learned to rock side to side, back and forth, slouch down and then sit upright, all in each seat.  Doing this results in much better message therapy than sitting still.  Once you learn this trick, you will come to appreciate that any well made, reliable spa from a reputable source can provide great satisfaction.

If you have need of service, though, even the best made spa is only going to provide satisfaction if you get good support from your friendly, local dealer.  Frankly, I would buy a spa I liked a little less than another if I felt the dealer were better than the competition.  Actually I did that because the Envoy is not my favorite spa, but the dealer is excellent and I am happy.

Regards,

Bill

[East_TX_Spa]

Mr. Stevenson makes an excellent point in stating that there is no "proper" way to sit in the spa.  Move around to your heart's content to allow the jets to provide you with the maximum amount of therapy.  It will vastly improve the quality of your spa experience.  Having a spa with open seating will help (to a great extent) allow you to move about more freely.

Terminator

[grahamtasia]

There are also some cool new color choices in the HotSpring line up for 2006

[Gomboman]

I hear the old Blue is gone.  I can't imagine anything looking better than HS Pearl.....

There are also some cool new color choices in the HotSpring line up for 2006

[econstl]

First, thanks to everyone who has made a contribution.  As for the dealers, they both seem good and helpful.  Neither had a high pressure sales approach.  They are both pool and spa places.  After I did not like the original price from the HS place, the sales person stayed in contact and informed me each time they had a new sale (as I asked).  He also sent/ faxed any info that I requested.  the Artesian dealer was alo very helpful.  They actually had just recently decided to start carrying Artesian when I called to inquire about them.  Since they had ot ordered their display models, they ordered the exact tub that I wanted (model/color) as one of their displays and for me to take home if I decided I liked it.  Their newness to selling Artesian is one thing that makes me cautious - although they have been selling other brands all along.  They also came out for a site vist (and to quote building a deck) and were helpful in pointing out that the place that I was planning to put the tub woudl not owrk out because of the overhead powerline (no other deck people noticed/informed me of this).

Well, a buddy and I went for wet tests of the two tubs back to back on Friday evening.  By far, we were impressed more by the Artesian.  The standouts were the seat depths and the space (we kept touching each other in the Envoy) - i.e. the design of the tub.  My only question about the Artesian is the heater.  The pamphlet says that it is a "Fault-Free Heater" which I thought would be similar to HS's "No-Fault Heater" in that under any conditions it would be covered under warranty.  However, in Artesians warranty they exclude damage due to water chemistry.  As a first time hot tub owner I am concerned about getting the chemistry in correct and causing damage.

Again, thanks for all of your comments.  I will let you know when I actually pull the trigger.