Arctic Spas Anyone?

[tooth]

Can't seem to find much information on Arctic Spas on this forum. I had a look at them yesterday and was quite impressed with some of their features

Heatlock insulation
Heat transfer
Low operating costs
fiberglass shells
castcore covers
forever floor that lets you put tub on any level surface without a concrete pad
Good all inclusive warranty

Price seemed to be within range of the other major brands and I could get a Yukon Signature Series demo model for $8500 Can

I would appreciate any comments anyone might have on this brand of tub and would also like to hear from any current owners.

[Lori]

I'm amazed you can't find anything on these spas on this forum!  

Been discussed a lot.  I don't have any personal experience, sorry!

[Tman122]

Sorry Tooth, it's post's like these that lead us to believe the Arctic team is seeding the board, again.

There's hundreds of posts's regarding Arctic if you use the search engine on this and all the forums. You convieniently listed all the selling features for anyone interested. We apreiciate that.

Don't be swayed by a sales pitch. Be swayed by comfort, cost, and reliability.

[tooth]

Sorry but being a newbie I wasn't familiar with the search feature.  Have since managed to read through a number of threads on Arctic spas and from the sounds of things they aren't all that special.  They still seem to have some desirable features though.
Didn't mean to sound like an advertisement for them :-/

I guess my search continues!

[JcDenton]

I am a satisfied Arctic owner. When deciding on what to buy, don't just take 2nd hand opinion - go find out for yourself. There are many brands of very decent tubs.

Arctic sales tactics have been greatly debated on this site, yet nobody has yet to confirm that they are a poorly made tub. A good dealer is paramount and in my opinion should be a very high priority when considering any tub.

Good luck.

Jc

[poolboy34]

Arctic makes a fine tub, but do shop around to cross compare different manufacturers products to make sure you are getting the best spa for you and your family.  Wet Test Wet Test Wet Test!!!!

[fletch49]

Great Spa, very solid. I had a hard time finding another manufacturer with all of the previously mentioned features in my geographical area. Yes, I am sure there are many spa's on the market that compare...make sure you look around, and of course wet test.

A few things that really stand out for me is the Forever floor and the cover. I can't say enough about that CastCore Cover...you could have a party on that thing! I actually haven't calculated my hydro bill yet, so no comment on the energy efficiency.

As for the Sales end, the entire industry is a bit icky - Arctic Spa included.  I found most places would spend more time bashing the competition, then highlighting the positives features of there own spa brand. It's a strange industry culture that I suspect results from the intense competition among manufacturers.  

[HotTubMan]

Can't seem to find much information on Arctic Spas on this forum. I had a look at them yesterday and was quite impressed with some of their features

Heatlock insulation
Heat transfer
Low operating costs
fiberglass shells
castcore covers
forever floor that lets you put tub on any level surface without a concrete pad

This last item is one that really burns me. Does anyone really beleive it is wise to simply level the dirt in your back yard and place a spa there? What if the ground shifts (around here that happens every fall and spring)? The forever floor has its advantages, but I feel it is misleading to suggest that one needn't build a proper base, concrete or otherwise.

[zzaphod42]

This last item is one that really burns me. Does anyone really beleive it is wise to simply level the dirt in your back yard and place a spa there? What if the ground shifts (around here that happens every fall and spring)? The forever floor has its advantages, but I feel it is misleading to suggest that one needn't build a proper base, concrete or otherwise.

Ditto!

[Spatech_tuo]

Ditto!

A crock indeed.

[ebirrane]

A crock indeed.

And many tubs allow you to use alternatives to concrete, such as decking, railroad ties, and those tough plastic spa pads.  The problem I have always seen with Arctic isn't that they are a poorly manufactured tub (others, feel free to jump in here) it is that they seem to charge a real premium for features that are either:

1) Common
or
2) Overengineered
or
3) Irrelevant


Kinda like saying:

Our cars have headlights that let you see in the dark and tough tires so you can even ride on rough roads, and the hubcaps are made of carbon-steel that will never ever get chipped from road pebbles and a pure titanium gas pedal and gear shifter and our fuzzy dice are blue, not purple.

If you get a good deal on an arctic, good for you! But by good deal I mean compare them to quality manufactured tubs and see how the price lays out and simply refuse to believe that the arctics are worth any kind of large amount over what is being offered from others. Some would argue they should be priced less because there are debates on whether their engineering approach works, puts undue burden on the equip, or is just not as efficient as other designs. But that just means there are tradeoffs, not that it is a fundamentally bad tub.

And, of course, all of this assumes an honest dealer.  Keep looking in the history on this board for some recounts of Arctic dealers who feel the need to exaggerate or misrepresent their tubs, or their competitors tubs.

My 2 cents.

-Ed

[Tman122]

Very well put Ed. Lest we not foget the "Independent Study" That clearly was desinged to decieve the public because of the higher R-Factor cover. Take that away or use an upgraded cover an any of the competitors tubs and what happens? I bet the study would not be used to sell product if it skewed towards another brand.......interesting food for thought. Those who say the standerd covers were used on all the tubs yet Arctics was thicker as a standerd, does this justify the higher price? I think not. The cover upgrade for my brand to match up with the Arctic was 100 bucks.

[JcDenton]

Horse....consider yourself flogged.



and flogged.



and flogged.


Enough already.

[Tman122]

Can't seem to find much information on Arctic Spas on this forum. I had a look at them yesterday and was quite impressed with some of their features

Heatlock insulation
Heat transfer
Low operating costs
fiberglass shells
castcore covers
forever floor that lets you put tub on any level surface without a concrete pad
Good all inclusive warranty

Price seemed to be within range of the other major brands and I could get a Yukon Signature Series demo model for $8500 Can

I would appreciate any comments anyone might have on this brand of tub and would also like to hear from any current owners.

Lets break this down;

Heatlock insulation, a fancy name for thermopane insulation skeem, used on many brands.

Heat Transfer, Thermopane and even some FF tubs use heat transfer from the pump motor to help heat the water or increase the R-Factor in the insulation. A heater heats water better more effieciently and faster. Besides unless your going to run your pump 24/7 even though you only need 8 hours per day of filtration, seems a waste.

Low Operating Cost's, False, 2 houses down here in Northern Minnesota one sits, cost's more to operate than mine but is a bit bigger. Any difference I would say is pennys a month which relates to a buck a year. Is extra cost up front worth it to overheat a motor in summer or premature failure because of extra run time? I think not. Over the life of the tub we are talking 20 to 100 bucks in electric savings, Hmmmmmm maybe you should not own a tub if this amount is of concern to you. All the top brands cost about the same to operate. (Sorry generic numbers to show my point)

Cast Core Cover, very good idea, although better covers are out there, and I reccomend a cover upgrade in colder climates for all brands.

Forever floor, covered above.

Warranty, yes as good as most of the top brands.

[Tman122]

Read above, not once did I blast the Arctic brand. I like them. I just waded through the sales retoric.