Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: searchinginfl on November 27, 2007, 08:44:06 am
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Is there a "best" cover lifter? I like the pro-lift for my Caldera but my salesperson trashed them like crazy. Before I get delivery, I would like to see if he is full of crap. He gave me a Covermate.
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I have a covermate.... Don't know much about them.. but I have not had a problem with it... the cover on my vista is a little heavy/big but I can still swing it alone even though there are no hydrolics. Is the Pro-lift the one that screws into the sides of the cover?? I wasn't sure I was comfortable with the thought of doing that....but what do I know?? ;)
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Is there a "best" cover lifter? I like the pro-lift for my Caldera but my salesperson trashed them like crazy. Before I get delivery, I would like to see if he is full of crap. He [glow]gave me [/glow]a Covermate.
Was the lifter included in the price of the spa?
I'm pretty sure the Covermate I (which is basic but effective) would cost him less that the other type so I can't help but to speculate whether that might be some of his motivation.
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Was the lifter included in the price of the spa?
I'm pretty sure the Covermate I (which is basic but effective) would cost him less that the other type so I can't help but to speculate whether that might be some of his motivation.
I agree. It seems to me that most spa shoppers have no idea there are different makes and types of cover lifters. The Cover Cradle by HotSpring is a great lifter and is so easy and effortless to use. Other lifters do their job, it's just a little more work to use them.
AstaLaVista, your HotSpring cover was made with plates inside so you can attach a HotSpring lifter to the side of the cover. This way you don't have a big bar running across the seam.
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AstaLaVista, your HotSpring cover was made with plates inside so you can attach a HotSpring lifter to the side of the cover. This way you don't have a big bar running across the seam.
Is the big bar on the seam not good? :( The salesman showed me a floor model that had the one that screws into the side of the cover...and it was coming loose..and looked "rickety". However I did like the shock assist.
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Caldera has the Pro Lift II. It is the same as the Cover Cradle II for Hot Spring. That particular lift is very good quality. It uses a gas shock and mounts into the mounting plates in the side of the cover.
I agree, the Pro Lift is not a great lift. It is an entry level lift.
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Is there a "best" cover lifter? I like the pro-lift for my Caldera but my salesperson trashed them like crazy. Before I get delivery, I would like to see if he is full of crap. He gave me a Covermate.
I have the prolift II on my caldera Geneva and it works great.
On my Tiger River Caspian I had the Cover Mate 1, and it worked fine. It's a good quality basic lifter, but the Prolift is much better.
The Prolift bolts to the side of the hot tub. This allows for a much tighter seal between the hot tub and cover. Since it bolts to the tub, there is no need to walk behind the tub to snap the cover down.
Lifting the cover is much easer with the prolift as well. Once you flip the first half over the cover over, you push the cover towards the back of the tub, and the prolift does the rest; lifitng it up for you. (standing by the side of the hot tub, I have been able to push the cover towards the back using just two fingers. With the CM I had to get into the hot tub and lift the cover towards the back with two hands, (and that was with a smaller cover).
I would suggest you try themboth out on some tubs in his showroom floor and decide for youself, but I think you'll find that althought the CM can do the job adequately, the prolift is a superior unit.
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My question at this point is... does the bar across the seam of the cover on the cover mate cause any duress on the seam??
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I actually offered to pay the difference, but my salesman still says go with the covermate.
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Covermates are recognised by many as being the best lifts in the industry, now they make several different models. I like the cm3 the best. There is something that is new on the horizon regarding covers and lift that possibly may become industry standard in the near future. It is not made by covermate.
Just to add covermate and others do make for some OEM special brackets that they than rename the lift. People think that it is a lift that is made by the OEM'S but they are just one of the lifts that the lifter company makes and than tweaks it for the spa maker.
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My question at this point is... does the bar across the seam of the cover on the cover mate cause any duress on the seam??
It can. It may take awhile to show up, though.
I have seen and used both types. If you have a Hot Spring, the Cover Cradle or CCII is the best lifter for that spa.
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I actually offered to pay the difference, but my salesman still says go with the covermate.
That's strange. Not sure why your dealer would do that unless he has an overstock of the Covermates.
As I mentioned with Hot Spring, I think the ProLift II is the best lifter for a Caldera.
The CoverCradle, Cover Cradle II on the Hot Spring side and the Pivot Pro and ProLift II on the Caldera side are exclusive to Watkins and made specifically for their spas. I believe these are the only lifters made exclusively for a particular spa.
For these spas, I think these are the best lifters.
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He actually had me call the technician and ask him! He said DO NOT go with pro lift! He said he has seen 2-3 year old covers using a pro-lift that weigh like 500 pounds from water getting in the holes.
I still may insist on it though. Are they hard to install?
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I've had a Cover Cradle on my spa since 2004 without any problems at all. Of course, if it is installed improperly, that may be the case.
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That's strange. Not sure why your dealer would do that unless he has an overstock of the Covermates.
As I mentioned with Hot Spring, I think the ProLift II is the best lifter for a Caldera.
The CoverCradle, Cover Cradle II on the Hot Spring side and the Pivot Pro and ProLift II on the Caldera side are exclusive to Watkins and made specifically for their spas. I believe these are the only lifters made exclusively for a particular spa.
For these spas, I think these are the best lifters.
Nope Marquis has its duralift which is a cm1 with a special bracket as does Jacuzzi and its cm3 for their 400 series, the units you are speaking about for Watkins I believe are made by a company in Oregon or Washington but they make the basic lift for many spas again they may change the mounting hardware and give it a new name but the lift is very much the same.
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Would a pro-lift II be hard to install myself? My spa is being delivered tomorrow, and if I INSIST on a pro-lift II, I'm sure it will take some time to get (they only have one pro-lift 1 in stock). So I will have to install it, plus pay an extra $150 for it. Should I do it??? I need to make this decision now before they drill the holes for the Covermate.
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Good point about making your decision before they drill the holes!! Now for me.. If I were to change my mind and want a different lifter system... is there a way to replace panels so that I won't have holes in the sides of my spa??
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If you are buying the hot tub and the cover from the dealer, the cover lifter installation should be included. I know that some dealers don't and I find it very annoying. I've had a few hot tubs in my life, and recomend having the dealer install it.
Can you install it yourself? Sure. But it can be a bit of a pain. and can take you 1/2 an hour maybe longer to do, and you run the risk of not installing it correctly, and damaging the tub, and/or the lifter.
If the dealer tells you it's "no big deal" then, if it's not a big deal, have them install it. A seasoned dealer should have templates and jigs to help align the lifter and install it correctly and can do it quickly.
The Prolift ii has the gas shock assist in the back and is a great lifter. I don't get why this dealer is trashing pro lifts, not installing them and seems to be steering you away? Why the Porlift over the Prolift II?
If you are on a tight budget, then the dealer recomending you lesser price d, quality units then I can understandbut if the extra $150 is not a big deal to you, then I don't understand why this dealer would not recomend and install the PLII? It's the better of the two lifters imho.
When you ask him directly specfically why he doesn't like the lifter, what does he say?
I have had great luck with my PL II and highly recomend it.
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He says the holes you drill in the cover allows water in. They will install the Covermate when they deliver the spa, but if I have them order the prolift II, I don't think they will make another trip out to install it. The spa comes tomorrow.
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I have owned my prolift II since May of this year, (not a long time) So I can't speak the water issue. This is the first I have heard of it, and if it's true then I would be concerned.
Perhaps a dealer, or someone who has owned one for a signigicant period of time can chime in?