Original > Hot Tub Forum
Hot Spring Sold by Pioneer Pools Toronto Area Help.
dishdude:
--- Quote from: Roeboat on November 28, 2018, 05:41:53 am ---Two takeaways from Chris's website info.
Proprietary controls. Don't buy a spa without Balboa/Gecko controls. From my research, all of the top spa manufactures by volume use proprietary controls including Hot Springs, Caldera, Jacuzzi, Arctic, D-1, Sundance ect. Discounting the worlds best hot tub manufacture's is not sound purchasing advise.
Circulation pump is a waste of money. If you have a Ozone generator, I am sure it will be more effective with one. I was specifically looking for a spa with cir pump and ozonator. (bromine)
--- End quote ---
There are some good points there. The Hot Spring remote control panel I have has been nothing but a headache for me! Do you know how many times I have got out of the tub and the remote has lost connection with the tub? I have to go to the disconnected and turn the breaker off. This has been going on for 3.5 years and I have zero confidence I'll make it out of warranty. I'm already looking for a replacement tub.
Sam:
--- Quote from: dishdude on November 29, 2018, 01:49:59 am ---
--- Quote from: Roeboat on November 28, 2018, 05:41:53 am ---Two takeaways from Chris's website info.
Proprietary controls. Don't buy a spa without Balboa/Gecko controls. From my research, all of the top spa manufactures by volume use proprietary controls including Hot Springs, Caldera, Jacuzzi, Arctic, D-1, Sundance ect. Discounting the worlds best hot tub manufacture's is not sound purchasing advise.
Circulation pump is a waste of money. If you have a Ozone generator, I am sure it will be more effective with one. I was specifically looking for a spa with cir pump and ozonator. (bromine)
--- End quote ---
There are some good points there. The Hot Spring remote control panel I have has been nothing but a headache for me! Do you know how many times I have got out of the tub and the remote has lost connection with the tub? I have to go to the disconnected and turn the breaker off. This has been going on for 3.5 years and I have zero confidence I'll make it out of warranty. I'm already looking for a replacement tub.
--- End quote ---
Generally speaking, Hot Spring has a reputation for building great, reliable spas. When I sold them years ago it was not uncommon to have customers who had 20+ year old spas still rocking. I think the longest was a 31 year old Classic. The old "dog dish" spa that was built like a tank!
Every complicated product will have some issues, but as a direct competitor to Hot Spring I still admire them as a company. They take care of they customers and dealers and make a very nice hot tub.
In my opinion, the whole proprietary parts thing is a silly reason to avoid a brand in and of itself. It allows them to build a system where the components are designed to work together with their intended purpose. The sum is greater than the whole if it's parts. They aren't just picking components off the shelf from different manufacturers and putting them together like a lot of brands. They are designed from the ground up. I would argue this should lead to a better performing product in the right hands with the right resources. And guess what? Watkins is owned by a multi-billion dollar global manufacturer. They probably have the most resources of any spa manufacturer out there.
You may say "but the parts are more expensive". Their pumps are the same price as any other high end spa. Some things may be slightly more expensive but why is that necessarily a bad thing? You don't buy a hot spring because you want a cheap spa. Why would you expect cheap parts? This is yet another thing that I think chris gets wrong. He hates on hot spring but I bet he has little experience with them. Thinking master is better than h.s. is just ludicrous.
d00nut:
Anti-innovation is awful for the customer. That's what Chris is. Balboa makes great parts, but they are no less expensive than any other proprietary control system.
Also... how often do I actually replace controls/boards? Most of them I would say come from strange situations like lightining strikes. Some die, but it's a relatively rare situation.
My Chevy Silverado has a unique Chevy Mylink infotainment system... but I shouldn't have bought that... primarily because I am beholden to them to replace it IF it breaks... god forbid!
I should have bought an early 2000's honda with no touch screen where the parts are readily available
Sam:
Great point on the car comparison.
By the way, I don't come across as antagonistic in this thread. I actually enjoy and appreciate the discussion. It can be difficult to sort through the b.s. in our industry. I also suspect that most of the front-line sales guys know and understand very little about our industry and just regurgitate whatever sales pitch they are taught.
swilly1000:
--- Quote from: Sam on November 30, 2018, 05:34:45 pm ---I also suspect that most of the front-line sales guys know and understand very little about our industry and just regurgitate whatever sales pitch they are taught.
--- End quote ---
That's exactly one of the points that Chris Wheatley makes on his site. It explains mediocrity, but it doesn't excuse it. The high performers rise above that s**t.
One of my clients sums it up perfectly....she says "Mediocrity is easy. Don't do easy."
If there's any consolation, somebody's got to bring down the average!
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