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American Whirlpool Opinions

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wcmorris:
I'm a first time hot tub buyer and I've been researching and looking at spas for about 1 month now. I've looked at Hot Springs, Caldera, Bullfrog, and now American Whirlpool. Out of these, the Bullfrog and American Whirlpool have caught my eye.

The Bullfrog A7L caught my eye due mostly to it's construction and warranty. Bullfrogs seem to be high quality and the A7L has everything I think I want without any of the other stuff. My main issue with the Bullfrog is that my local dealer is using the allotment system so I could put an order in for the A7L with expected delivery of August. I'm just not entirely confident that I'd actually get it on the promised date. That said, I don't really have anything to base that on. Just a feeling since I know inventory is hard to come by still.

The other tub I really liked is the American Whirlpool 481. I liked this tub for similar reasons as the Bullfrog. The construction seems good with the ABS base, steel frame, and insulation that looks easy to remove for servicing. The seating was also comfortable and fit me well. The best part is that my dealer has one on the way fitting the colors and specs that I want. I could reserve it now and not have to wait many months like I would with the Bullfrog. My main hang up with the American Whirpool is that there is almost no information out there about it. I know that it's hard to come by any sort of reliable information on hot tubs but American Whirlpool has even less than most other brands. The second hang up I have is that it doesn't appear to have a dedicated circulation pump. It has two, two speed pumps so circulation is handled by the jet pump. From my research, it doesn't appear that this is inherently a bad thing but it does seem the general consensus is that a dedicated circ pump is the preference.

With all of that said, my main question is does anyone know about or have experience with American Whirlpool? Are they a reputable brand? Is their insulation method good in comparison to other manufactures like Bullfrog? Is a dedicated circ pump better? As I said, I'm new to the hot tub world and have never owned one before so any insight into either of these bands or specific models would be helpful.

A.O.:
I don't know anything about those 2 particular tubs, but I will say I'm not a fan of the 24/7/365 circulation pumps. I prefer the two speed jet pumps as I can control when and how long they run.

cranbiz:
Maxx Spas owns American Whirlpool and Vita.

Out of the 2, I would probably lean to the Bullfrog. The A7L is a nice tub. I looked at one of those but it was too big for my spot. Seriously thought about the A6L but the lead time from my dealer was just too long for me and he didn't have one to test.

I didn't get but a quick look at an American Whirlpool. The dealer I was at for those was pushing the Vita's over the American Whirlpools. I really don't know why though.

When the dealer says they have one on the way, if it one that they ordered and hasn't been sold?  The allocation system works if the dealer marks that unit as sold.

castletonia:
Vita and American Whirlpool are both owned by Maax and my assumption is the build and construction is the same.  I personally think the American Whirlpool hot tubs look nice and have comfortable layouts.  This was my opinion when they were called Maax Spas and even prior as Coleman Spas.  Why Maax keeps changing the brand is confusing.  Living in an area that has winters, I have never been a fan of their insulation, I just don't believe it to be energy efficient and feedback from numerous customers would suggest the same.  Also not a fan of steel frames either.

I personally would go Bullfrog between the two.  I don't represent either brand but from all I hear Bullfrog makes a quality product and is at least a decent company to deal with.  Maax on the other hand was always one of my least favorite experiences when working with them for parts and service.

I wouldn't let the extra 4-6 month wait necessarily be a deciding factor.  You are going to own this hot tub for at least the next 10 years and want to get the decision correct the first time.

wcmorris:

--- Quote from: castletonia on March 04, 2021, 02:44:18 pm ---Vita and American Whirlpool are both owned by Maax and my assumption is the build and construction is the same.  I personally think the American Whirlpool hot tubs look nice and have comfortable layouts.  This was my opinion when they were called Maax Spas and even prior as Coleman Spas.  Why Maax keeps changing the brand is confusing.  Living in an area that has winters, I have never been a fan of their insulation, I just don't believe it to be energy efficient and feedback from numerous customers would suggest the same.  Also not a fan of steel frames either.

--- End quote ---

Thanks for the insight. It does seem odd that they are constantly changing name. Maybe buyouts or something like that but it doesn't give me a great feeling about purchasing their product. Why don't you like steel frame?

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