Original > Hot Tub Forum

I hate hot tub shopping.

(1/4) > >>

ejj:
This industry seems somewhat archaic. I have been spoiled with info on cars and other goods that are relatively transparent.  I’ve decided to buy a 7 foot open tub. Soaking with wife and daughters is my goal.  I value well-built quality.

C. Wheatley is a polarizing figure that throws out opinions all over the place.  It’s hard to trust him, as he is financially motivated, but so is every other expert out there. People seem to hate the Master Roadshow model, but we have an enormous Master dealer a few minutes away.

A few candidates: Legacy by Master, Jacuzzi J245, Hot Springs Rhythm, Cal Spas. All are available relatively soon in the Minneapolis. All have local dealers.  Are these all pretty similar? Do I just pick the one where my daughters feel most comfortable?

A.O.:
Just last month we took delivery of a Cal Spas Cancun. its a 93x93" spa, no loungers... LOVE IT. think real hard before you sign up for a 7 foot tub! Try to sit in one before you buy, even a dry sit, it will tell you how you fit.

cranbiz:

--- Quote from: ejj on February 22, 2021, 09:36:55 pm ---This industry seems somewhat archaic. I have been spoiled with info on cars and other goods that are relatively transparent.  I’ve decided to buy a 7 foot open tub. Soaking with wife and daughters is my goal.  I value well-built quality.

C. Wheatley is a polarizing figure that throws out opinions all over the place.  It’s hard to trust him, as he is financially motivated, but so is every other expert out there. People seem to hate the Master Roadshow model, but we have an enormous Master dealer a few minutes away.

A few candidates: Legacy by Master, Jacuzzi J245, Hot Springs Rhythm, Cal Spas. All are available relatively soon in the Minneapolis. All have local dealers.  Are these all pretty similar? Do I just pick the one where my daughters feel most comfortable?

--- End quote ---

I just went thru this, my tub is due in the beginning of April. I went to at least 7 different dealers. In my case, I have a size limitation because of where I'm putting the tub so I had specific models that I was looking for.The first sold Vita, Bullfrog and American Whirlpool. I didn't feel comfortable with the dealer, a lot of bad info was given and the salesman was working off a 2017 catalog.  Gave me pricing on one tub but was using the specs of another to sell the tub. The PDC dealer didn't have any tubs on the floor, which put them out of the running. I went to two Hot Springs/Caldera dealers, one was decent but didn't have any of the models I wanted to look at and the other insisted on an appointment, which I set up then they blew me off. The Nordic/Artic dealers had tubs but they were cramped and just didn't feel right. The Aqua Living dealer was shady, wouldn't show me the insides of the tub and pushed to buy now and that they promised the world. I really only went there because they were close to a better dealer and to see for myself what makes a less than stellar tub. The Artesian dealer sold Marquis, the entire Artesian line and Cal Spa. They had a great selection on the floor, didn't talk down any manufacturer but appeared honest in his assessment on why they stopped carrying Master Spa and wasn't pushy. Their service department  has very good reviews. Based on what I was able to see, the availability of what they had coming in, the results of both the wet and dry tests that they were very accommodating with, I bought my Island Spa Nevis from them.

C Wheatley has his good points and bad points. If you can ignore his shill for Master Spa (because he is a dealer) he has a lot of good info and some bad info.

The dealer I ultimately bought from had a good selection on the floor, carried several different brands and we could wet test most of our choices. We were able to sit in multiple dry tubs which weeded out several of our choices due to size of interior, discomfort of seats when dry, etc. My dealer at one point, was a Master Spa dealer and they stopped carrying them. The comments were they had too many warranty issues and difficulty in getting parts in a timely fashion.

The hate for the Master road show is more about how they come in, undersell the other dealers and then leave their mess for the local guys to clean up. I can't blame the hate, it's bad for the industry in whole and all I am is a consumer who can see why it's bad.

Master may have upped their quality/quality control since then. You need to do a couple of things. Test the tubs of your interest, both dry and wet if possible. buy the one that has the features you want and the one that is comfortable.  Jacuzzi, Hot Springs and Cal Spa are all respected names in the industry. You will pay for that but a hot tub is a 15 year investment.

If you have an Artesian dealer in the area, look those over also. You can get a lot of bang for the buck with Artesian as well as getting a well built tub. Remember, every manufacturer can have a lemon, it's how they take care of you and how the dealer takes care of you that matters. However a manufacturer that has a lot of lemons would not be someone that I would buy from no matter how well the dealer takes care of the end user.

You are shopping for both a good hot tub AND a good dealer. You first of all want a tub that you all fit in and are comfortable with the seats. You want a tub with a good warranty, good manufacturer support and a dealer that you feel comfortable with and has a good reputation. Pricing is also usually a concern and that's the hard part. Almost no pricing is available on line. I get it, the dealers set the price they want to sell at but it can be frustrating. I needed a specific size and wasn't going to spend more than $10K. Knowing a ballpark sell price would have made my shopping easier. Bigger is better with a hot tub. I would have gone bigger if it would have fit thru the opening I have to put it on my enclosed porch. I got the biggest one that would fit thru the opening that was comfortable for us.

Spatech_tuo:
1) The distaste for the Master Roadshow is both for the way they sell/pull up stakes after the show and that the Manufacturer does not have a great reputation for Quality and backing of their product (plus in this case its double troubling since the Manufacturer runs the road show). After the idea of who makes the product and how well they back their product (warranties can be similar on paper but often vary greatly on how well they're honored), certainly dealers matter greatly so if you are in the position where you have few options beyond Master AND you really like the dealer then I get it, maybe your area options are limited but otherwise there are too many better options out there than Master IMO.

2) I wouldn't put Cal Spas in the same category as Hot Springs or Jacuzzi as spa manufacturers go but again, that's IMO. Visit the dealer multiple times if needed and get a feel for which will be there for you after the sale.

ejj:

--- Quote from: A.O. on February 23, 2021, 09:46:16 am ---Just last month we took delivery of a Cal Spas Cancun. its a 93x93" spa, no loungers... LOVE IT. think real hard before you sign up for a 7 foot tub! Try to sit in one before you buy, even a dry sit, it will tell you how you fit.

--- End quote ---

Space is an issue for us. I'm the biggest in my family at 165lbs.


--- Quote from: cranbiz on February 23, 2021, 09:53:01 am ---
You are shopping for both a good hot tub AND a good dealer. You first of all want a tub that you all fit in and are comfortable with the seats. You want a tub with a good warranty, good manufacturer support and a dealer that you feel comfortable with and has a good reputation. Pricing is also usually a concern and that's the hard part. Almost no pricing is available on line. I get it, the dealers set the price they want to sell at but it can be frustrating. I needed a specific size and wasn't going to spend more than $10K. Knowing a ballpark sell price would have made my shopping easier. Bigger is better with a hot tub. I would have gone bigger if it would have fit thru the opening I have to put it on my enclosed porch. I got the biggest one that would fit thru the opening that was comfortable for us.

--- End quote ---

Good advice--I just have a hard time determining who is a good dealer and has a real service dept.  thanks!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page