Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Sun_Coast_Spa on August 06, 2004, 10:30:31 am
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As a new member on this great forum.I would like to get a feel from all ,what the 10 Best Spa Companys are?Too many great tubs out there to limit 6. :o
I think this might depend on where your located?
::) Thanks
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Why? You already sell one of the top two!! ::) ::) ::)
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Hotspring and Sundance are in my top two. Then in my opinion, there is the rest… Also, I don’t consider Jacuzzi Premium in the Sundance line.
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My pick list in no specific order:
Sundance
Hotspring
Dimension One
Caldera
Jacuzzi
Beachcomber
I don't recommend any other when asked.
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I'd probably add Marquis to that list as well...
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What ever any of us here say should be regarded with some scepticisim. If I sell full foam spas, I am going to suggest 9 other full foam spas I consider to be in the top ten. If I sell thermopane style spas I'm going to tell you about the other 9 thermopanes I think are quality. If I'm mixing it up between the two, as a good sales person, selling thermo pane style I'm going to steer you toward full foam spas that are most likely not what you are interested in, and vice versa. That is if I'm a good listener and HEAR what you want. The "top ten" spas in this industry will always be a matter of speculation, personal preference and professional bias. The only spa that is going to be the best for any individual or family is going to be the one that they are most comfortable with. That is product AND dealer.
As a new member on this great forum.I would like to get a feel from all ,what the 10 Best Spa Companys are?Too many great tubs out there to limit 6. :o
I think this might depend on where your located?
::) Thanks
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Where would viking fall on the list
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I doubt Viking would fall on the list.
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Right where you want them to be, if you like the dealer and the spa, buy it. Other peoples opinions are just that.
Are you still serving?
Where would viking fall on the list
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hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Ok. so WHAT makes a spa fall into this "top 10"???? You CAN'T possibly even begin to make a suggestion without also stating what YOUR considerations are for suggesting it. Other wise it's just YOUR individual personal opinion, and really, only has importance to you.
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Active duty 1995 - 2000
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My pick list in no specific order:
Sundance
Hotspring
Dimension One
Caldera
Jacuzzi
Beachcomber
I don't recommend any other when asked.
Whew! I'm glad Master Spas didn't make it on his list! ;D
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My thanks to you and those like you, I have no right to say so but... Semper Fi!
Active duty 1995 - 2000
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My thanks to you and those like you, I have no right to say so but... Semper Fi!
Thanks
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Active Duty 1981 to Present :)
Semper Paratus!!
And yes thanx USMC <S>
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For me it's not only the SPA ,but the Company and Dealer standing behind the product.Catalina made a good tub,but!!
We could not get them to take care of warranty labor and parts without alot of double talk!!
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Active duty 1995 - 2000
I, too, would like to thank you, and any others who are on this particular board who either currently serve, or have served in some capacity in the past!!!
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I understand why evryone is side stepping answering. Someone made a valid point: One would have to justify why they chose each to be a top 10.
All opinions aside, wouldn't the companies that produce the most units be a factor? Certainly if the company made a poor tub, they would not continue to pump out 20-30000 units plus a year.....
That said, from what I understand to be true these companies produce the most units:
1) Watkins (Hot Springs, Caldera, Tiger River etc.)
2) Sundance/Jacuzzi (also Sweetwater etc.)
3) D1 (+@home)
4) MAAX (Coleman, Elite etc)
Not sure how the rest of the top ten goes, but I would give serious consideration to Marquis, Artesian, Beachcomber, Catalina.....
Certainly everything else in this thread is true: dealer, comfort, wet test etc.
My two cents
HotTubMan
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Top 10 best spa companies for what? Customer service, making money, moving units, sunbleaching spas?
In order to do a list like this we would require a few more parameters. Just like the spas themselves each company has strengths and weaknesses. What might be a strength to one is a weakness to others. i.e. if I was looking for a cheap spa than I would avoid those with bells and whistles. But if I were looking to impress I would avoid the cheap spas.
A similar experience...Having recently bought a new house, I went to Best Buy to look at apliances. I found some refridgerators that I liked, I also found one with a built-in TV. My friend asked "whats the point of that".
It made perfect sense to me. If you are the type of person that likes to watch the news at dinner, but would rather not give up the counter space for a television (assuming you have and eat-in kitchen) it would be a great bonus. If you want something to keep beer cold, probably a little "overkill".
btw heres my list
1. Thermo spas
2. Pheonix spas
3. Image/ Weslo
4. Just kidding
Cheers
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All opinions aside, wouldn't the companies that produce the most units be a factor? Certainly if the company made a poor tub, they would not continue to pump out 20-30000 units plus a year.....
HotTubMan
A factor, but not an end all. I believe there are a lot of good regional companies who may be top tier, but haven't gotten to market across the entire countries but are up and coming. There are probably great and bad companies in the top 10 in number of sales.
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I went to Best Buy to look at apliances. I found some refridgerators that I liked, I also found one with a built-in TV. My friend asked "whats the point of that".
It made perfect sense to me. If you are the type of person that likes to watch the news at dinner, but would rather not give up the counter space for a television (assuming you have and eat-in kitchen) it would be a great bonus. If you want something to keep beer cold, probably a little "overkill".
Cheers
I saw that and loved it too. Oddly enough coming from an electronic Engineering background I worry about that set overheating. Let me know how it works out. Did you have to run a CATV line to your fridge ? ;D
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Or worse, put those "rabbit ears" on top? :)
I find it ironic that you'd have to worry about a TV built into a fridge overheating.
Brewman
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Wmccall-
I didn't end up getting that one (wife). But at the store it had a DVD player hooked up to it. The plug went in where the top hinge is.
I wonder if on some refridgerator forum some one is talking about the neat spa with a built-in TV their wife wouldn't let them buy. :-/
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Go Navy too!! and thank you!!! :)
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Hotspring and Sundance are in my top two. Then in my opinion, there is the rest… Also, I don’t consider Jacuzzi Premium in the Sundance line.
Why do you not consider Jacuzzi Premium in the top 10?
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They are a Sundance knock off! ;D
Why do you not consider Jacuzzi Premium in the top 10?
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Go Navy too!! and thank you!!! :)
I am partial to Navy men, of course, I have a dear friend on the USS George Washington!
I'm just glad they returned safely!
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I am partial to Navy men, of course, I have a dear friend on the USS George Washington!
I'm just glad they returned safely!
Hey Lori,
My 17 year old son just joined the Navy last week. I'm very proud, but the mother in me, is very worried.
He leaves for boot camp next summer, perhaps the world will be calmer by then...
Go Navy!
Spahappy
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Served USN 1983-1987. Proud to say I never stepped foot on any Naval vessel too! :)
Don't worry Spahappy, if your son gets stationed on a ship, I hear they're a very safe place to be.
At least compared to the poor grunts standing in the streets of Baghdad and Fallujah.
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OK, I stepping on sacred ground here, but don't kid yourself, Rob as a Marine was in the Navy to!
The best Sailors on my team in the Navy where Marines.
Our motto was
"The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday."
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I worked at NASA at a Naval Air Station for a year - internship - and they had Marine and Army projects in the same hanger. That meant that we had Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force all working together along with us Civil Servants.
There were signs on the walls that said things like: "never taxi an aircraft faster than a Marine can think!"
Or, "We no longer use Army spec when tightening critical fastners." (Army spec is "tighten it till it strips and back it off a quarter turn").
The Marines generally called the Navy personel "squids," because that's a "lower form of marine life."
There were many more, but not suitable for a family board.
Suffice to say - each member of the armed forces is fiercely proud of their particular branch, and I - for one - am very glad they are!! Wouldn't have it any other way.
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Active Duty 1981 to Present :)
Semper Paratus!!
And yes thanx USMC <S>
I went to a ladies house last week to help her out on her new spa. Her dog was named Semper but I did not know what this meant and when she saw I was cluesless she explained what it meant and that her husband was a marine that didn't make it back from Iraq. Needless to say I felt terrible and gave my sympathy though she was great about making sure I didn't feel uncomfortable about the subject. I spent extra time making sure all was well on her spa and gave her as many free chems as I could muster up from my truck.
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The Marines generally called the Navy personel "squids," because that's a "lower form of marine life."
A Squid is one of the most itelligent forms of marine life for its size. I don't mind that comparison....
:P
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The squids do.
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Army Chief Warrant Officer CW5 -- 1963-1997. In my tub now and loving it!
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In response to Constance:
I did not say Jacuzzi Premium was not in my top 10. I said Hotspring and Sundance make my top 2, and then there is the rest.
A few of the major reasons Jacuzzi Premium is not in the top 2 is because of…
Filtration - does not come close to the Hotspring or Sundance. Do I need to go into detail?
Performance - look at the J385, turn the pumps on, and split the diverters. You will see what I am talking about. Can you feel anything? This is supposed to be their most fully featured spa.
Warranty – The Jacuzzi Premium has a one-year warranty on the jets, compared to two years on the Sundance, and 5 years on the Hotspring.
Sundance also offers a two-year warranty on their optional stereo compared to one year on the Jacuzzi Premium. Hotspring also has a one year warranty, but theirs is different than everyone else’s because it does not have speakers which have the highest failure rate of all of the stereo components.
Heater – Sundance and Hotspring offer an unconditional 5-year warranty. Jacuzzi just offers a 5-year warranty.
Anymore questions?
Chris H
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Question from a newbie ::)
The more posts I read, the more questions I seem to have!!!
Is there a website that ranks spa companies? Something like a Consumer Reports magazine?
Ugh, I thought I would only glace over a few posts and know more about spas.... :o
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Not independantly. The review section of this forum is a good tool. Look for places that consumers review the products they have experienced.
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Hello,
I too am quite new to the spa world-my wife and I are definetly looking to get a spa and have gone to a few showrooms and gotten some info. specifically we have seen HS, ,sundance, and Caldera and also Jaquzzi. I am here trying to determine how to get the most bang for my buck, as I expect is true for many others... So far it seems as though HS and Sundance are right in the top and I wouldn't really go wrong by focusing on these, like the HSJetsetter or the Sundance Metro. I did like the filtrtion system of the Sundance Metro with the extra micron filter.
If anyone has some specific info on these I would appricate it. Sounds like from what I have read, that the wet test is the thing, my wife -and me too i guess- feel a little funny walking in a place and dropping into a tub-but what the heck... walking into the 2nd place dripping wet will be even more fun... 8)
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My daughter and I will do the exact same tomorrow!!!
Marquis then Sundance.....
Hopefully we'll towel-off before thew second soak.
From you experts...any advice on wet testing OR just jump in and feel the vibrations???? ::) ::) :o
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So, since you are "just kidding", I thought I would ask, what is it that is bad about Image hot tubs. I'm doing a lot of shopping around. I've looked at Marquis, Hot springs, etc. and went by Home Depot, where I saw the Image tub. I know everyone says "you get what you pay for", but if anyone knows any specific negatives about this Weslo/Image hot tubs, I sure would like to hear them. I'm concerned about energy usage, reliability, service, etc. Any HELP from anyone, would be much appreciated!
Thanks
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I know everyone says "you get what you pay for", but if anyone knows any specific negatives about this Weslo/Image hot tubs, I sure would like to hear them. I'm concerned about energy usage, reliability, service, etc.
I think you answered your own question. If I were looking to buy one my concerns would be the insulating quality of the spa and the service. That's not to say they're not going to give you value as you're not paying $7k for this spa so its probably worth the price you pay. There's nothing necessarily negative about the statement "you get what you pay for".
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From you experts...any advice on wet testing OR just jump in and feel the vibrations???? ::) ::) :o
Far from being an expert, but being a user and one who spent 4 months shopping around before buying.....
Spend a fair amount of time with the dealer or the rep with you by the tub while your in it. Ask questions and try all of the features. try every seat in the tub with all of the jets configured avery way capable. Also talk about the other features such as warranty and maintanance and so on, that helps you communicate with the dealer about the service that they will privide you with after purchase.
Then ask the dealer or the rep to leave you alone for a bit. Ours simply said after 10 minutes that he was gong to let us enjoy the tub for 15-20. He closed the door behiond him and then we played some more and just relaxed. He knocked before comming back in and then we went to the next one.
After three test soaks we were done. To exhausted from this warm water and massage, we went home and had a nap. Had to reschedule for the other test soaks.
Most importantly though is that when you narrow down your search, go back and wet test your finalists again. It will be different than the first time and if you can wet test them back to back do really appreciate the differences for comparison.
Bring something to write your thoughts and exprience during your wet tests, I could not for the life of me remember half of what we were discovering because the feeling was so good. ;D :D
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Waht about Emerald Spas?
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So, since you are "just kidding", I thought I would ask, what is it that is bad about Image hot tubs. I'm doing a lot of shopping around. I've looked at Marquis, Hot springs, etc. and went by Home Depot, where I saw the Image tub. I know everyone says "you get what you pay for", but if anyone knows any specific negatives about this Weslo/Image hot tubs, I sure would like to hear them. I'm concerned about energy usage, reliability, service, etc. Any HELP from anyone, would be much appreciated!
Thanks
"you get what you pay for" is typically a negative statement directed toward someone who pays/paid less for something, generally to infer inferior quality: to predict future problems that will come to pass because of amount paid (or as a "reason" for an existing problem). To me, it is something said as an attempt to justify a choice in paying more for the same/similar product/service.
I have yet to read any feedback, positive or negative, from owners of "BigBox" store tubs on this forum as most of its members subscribe to the Dealer Model of spa ownership. I think there is nothing wrong with choosing to buy from a BigBox store. Choosing to do so can mean a different kind of ownership experience when something goes wrong.
A big reason those spas are generally a lot less expensive is because there is no dealer mark-up and limited warranty. Therefore you get no dealer to "help" you in times of need and there is a risk of paying more out-of-pocket for service that could otherwise be covered under a "premium brand dealer" store warranty, provided the problem is really covered and arises within the granted warranty period paid for.
A big difference, that can be seen as a negative, is that you can not wet test a BigBox store tub. As pretty much every aficionado on this forum, and others, will tell you, wet testing is most important and should be a deciding factor in choosing a tub. Then again, some don't care to wet test.
Everybody who sells or buys a "premium brand dealer tub" love their tubs with good reason, but that should not deter you from other options that may work for you. Either route you choose, you need to know what you are choosing and paying for before making a choice. Good Luck!
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A big reason those spas are generally a lot less expensive is because there is no dealer mark-up and limited warranty. Therefore you get no dealer to "help" you in times of need and there is a risk of paying more out-of-pocket for service that could otherwise be covered under a "premium brand dealer" store warranty, provided the problem is really covered and arises within the granted warranty period paid for.
I agree with almost everything written except for the part about mark up. Correct me if I am wrong, but Costco does not manufacture their own hot tubs, and therefore must purchase them just like a dealer. Admittedly their mark up may not be as high, but then they are selling a million other items and charging customers for the "priviledge" to shop there.
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I agree with almost everything written except for the part about mark up. Correct me if I am wrong, but Costco does not manufacture their own hot tubs, and therefore must purchase them just like a dealer. Admittedly their mark up may not be as high, but then they are selling a million other items and charging customers for the "priviledge" to shop there.
Indeed zzaphod42, Costco does not manufacture their own tubs, Jacuzzi is the manufacturer. I was referring to the difference in mark-up. I've seen claims that Costco mark-up is around 12% - pretty sure a dealer couldn't exist for long with that kind of markup. Cheers.
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Lot of jarheads out there. Semper me. USMC 89-93.
Marquis is by far the #1 tub out there. Hands down.
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Marquis is definitely in the top 3.
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Marquis is by far the #1 tub out there. Hands down.
You are absolutely right. Every one should own one. I will try to convince my company and all of our competition to give up. After all Marquis is Perfect For EVERYONE.
Each line has its perks. Lucas, you aren't going to sell any tubs on this forum. It is designed to help people. The Marquis is a fantastic tub, I will agree. However it might not be the perfect tub for everybody. We would be doing poeple a complete discourtesy if we only offerd them one brand. Please try to be a little more insightful if you want your posts to hold merit.
Cheers
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You are absolutely right. Every one should own one. I will try to convince my company and all of our competition to give up. After all Marquis is Perfect For EVERYONE.
Thanks huh?! It will sure make thing a lot easier at the home shows!