Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: tubby06 on April 13, 2006, 04:06:26 pm
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Hi all i am new to this forum and would like the experts advice which is the best hot tub in this range. My local dealer is telling me the burlington 680 would be the best deal. What do you guys think?
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A 2000 model or newer used HotSpring or Tiger River Spa would be perfect. I've got a 2000 Siberian with CoverCradle for $4500 and it looks brand new. Drive on down to East Texas and we'll load 'er up for ya.
Welcome to the board! :)
Terminator
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Hi Terminator
I wish i lived local to you i am in Boston, Mass
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Well, dad gum, I thought I had you a spa. ;D
Seriously though, check with the local HotSpring dealer and see if they do have some used spas available. Do you have any size constraints or are you just wanting to keep within the $5000 budget?
Terminator
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well budget is a concern but i really dont have alot of room i am in the city and have a small yard i would like one that fits 4 people though. I think the wife would like to buy new so i might have to spend a little more like 5500.00 but thats my top i cant spend anymore. The Burlington seems to be a good deal but nobody has them in stock yet and my local dealer wants to sell me one without seeing it first. I am new to this and i want to get as much info as possible before buying.
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Hmmmmm. Is Burlington a brand name or a model name? I've never heard of them, but that don't mean anything.
The Tiger River Sumatran or Bengal are both very nice spas that are in that price range. Drewstar (one of the regulars on this forum) is from Massachusetts and has a TR spa that he is happy with. Hopefully he'll read this post and offer some good advice.
Terminator
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Its made by hot springs
here is the specs
The Burlington(tm)
Seats 5-6
Dimensions: 7'0" x 7'0" x 36"
(213 x 213 x 91 cm)
330 U.S. Gallons / 1,249 liters
Digital LED Control Panel
32 Total Jets
12 SMT Micro-Adjustable
12 SMT
8 SMT Mini-Directional
2 Jet Pumps
1 Waterfall
Skirting Material: Sierra or Coastal
Available Colors: Marine, Platinum, Sahara
The largest spa in the 680 Series, the Burlington(tm) Spa includes a
full lounge seat and hydrotherapy stations for up to six people,
designed to fit squarely within any budget.
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I'm sorry tubby06 but someone is giving you false information. HotSpring does not have a spa with that name nor have they ever have. It sounds like someone is conning you.
Do you have a website address for this spa?
Terminator
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I'm sorry tubby06 but someone is giving you false information. HotSpring does not have a spa with that name nor have they ever have. It sounds like someone is conning you.
Do you have a website address for this spa?
Terminator
It's Sundance.
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It's a 680 Series Sundance. From what I've seen it's a good value. They are ready to ship according to Sundance, have your dealer order one for you.
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Who is your dealer?
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Your right it is sundance i dont know were i got hot springs from. Anyway i dont think its out yet but will be soon. How do the specs look to everyone.
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the specs look like words on paper....I'd go more by how it looks and feels, personally. Granted, I didn't wet test the Grandee, but there was one in the showroom that I could touch, putz with the jets and valves, check out the skirting material, etc.....I pretty much knew what I was getting, other than how it would feel with water in it.
See if your dealer's got a tub that's got similar seating, etc in it in his/her showroom that you can check out. Otherwise, it sounds like you'll have to wait to be sure what the specs mean to your comfort until one comes in.
Good luck!
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I do agree its hard to tell without seeing it first but specs must mean something? They dont have it in the showroom.
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sure.....they mean you know how many pumps, jets, waterfalls.....what colors you can get...but they really don't mean squat in terms of how comfortable your heinie is gonna be in any of the seats.....or how the jets are aimed at your backside, or any of that. If you've got room for a 7'x7' tub, this'll fit......
It's kinda like car shopping by specs....you can find how much HP the car has, and what options....but you still have no clue how the seats feel until you sit in them, or how the engine performs until you drive it...
How long until they get one in the store?
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He said they wont have on the floor til probally June. If i wait til then and i order it will take 4 to 6 weeks so i wont probally get it then til July or August. I dont know how many options i have in this price range for a new tub.
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sounds like you'll have enough time to call around to all your local stores and thoroughly check into anything they might have, also....See if any have a smaller used tub that you like in your range and talk to the wifey....I wanted a new tub, but I saw one (that's still on the floor) being used as a demo that I ALMOST bought....because it was a LOT of tub for the money.
Anyhow, the dealers might cut you a SWEET deal on something along those lines...and with the money you could save (since it's a big concern for you), take your wife out for a fabulous dinner, maybe do a little "extra" landscaping around the tub area that you aren't able to do if you push your budget.... ;)
And yes, I'm pushing the used dealer tubs, simply because I found my HS dealer is selling some for around $2500, and they're nice and have some warranty!
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2500 wow
For what kind?
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Hi tubby,
Greetings from another MA tubber. (Central MA).
I woudn't rush into anything. If it takes till june to see the tub then it's worht it.
Wet test. (And wet test at least 2 other tubs, so you can compare how it feels to something else).
$5000 is a lot of money, but it is limited in what you can get for hot tubs. Keep in mind that the tub you buy hopefully will be around for many =, many years. So, don't let the "gotta get a tub soon" force, or mislead you into something you may later wish you saved a bit more for, or looked around a bit longer.
good luck!
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Buy the one one off his floor. That way no wait :)
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thanks for the advice everyone i think i will do my homework first before buying. I will wet test a few first. Any suggestions though in my price range i think used might be the way to go but the wife doesn't like the idea. :(
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You can check out these as most of them are within your price range and come from reputable manufacturers:
http://www.solanaspas.com
http://hotspot.hotspring.com/
I'd still strongly suggest looking at used premium spas as you never know when you might find a gem. Good luck! :)
Terminator
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Chas is posting in the BS section a HS spa at costco for $5900 (although i would suggest you upgrade to the 220v). He says it includes DEALER Support and Warrenty.
? ? ?
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http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?whse=&topnav=&prodid=11112486&ec=BC-EC877-CatHome&pos=11#Top
Here's the link drewstar was referring to.
Terminator
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Is highlife spas any good?
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Well, Chas tells us that higj;ife is an older HotSprings design, which to me sounds something worth learning more about.
Hotsprings is a great company. If this spa has the same quality and dealer support as the other watkins products, (Hotsprings parent company) Then I think Costco is going to sell a ton of spas.
Tubby, since you are in New england, I would recomend that what ever you purchase be wired for 220, not 110.
As far as the insualtion goes, it's debatable but I belive you can't go wtong with a quality Full foamed spa.
This tub could be worth looking into. IMHO.
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Is highlife spas any good?
It's the old HotSpring Sovereign design, probably the most popular spa ever made. Looking at the specs, it appears to be the real deal. I sold the last Highlife I had a couple of years ago for around $7000 on clearance. Looks like a really good deal to me.
Terminator
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I wish someone had a review of it
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I wish someone had a review of it
It's a brand new deal, so you will have to wait a bit. but, between this, and the other sundance tub, it looks like you have a few options in your future.
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I wish someone had a review of it
Just look for a review on a HotSpring Sovereign from 2003 or before. Virtually the same spa.
Terminator
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as far as what tub goes for $2500 used, I don't recall, actually....but they've got everything from an older Viking, to Jacuzzi to Vita to Esther Williams and more on the floor.....Some are better names than others. ;)
You might ask your wife what makes her refuse to go used...if it's the idea of buying "someone else's trash", or just figuring that paying 5k for a tub should mean shiny and new? I would think that you would get new filters, and from what I've all read, sanitizing a tub to be on the safe side isn't all that hard or detailed.
In any case......whether lightly used or still in the wrapper.....
Good luck!
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Sound like a decent deal.
I too went with a less expensive tub. My thought was anything would be nicer than what i have right now (nothing).
One of the dealers put it this way and asked me if i was looking for a hot tub or a spa? Seems most large manufacturers carry several "levels" of tubs (good, better, and best). It is my understanding that you can find some "good" tubs in the $5K range, but the "better" and "best" tubs will cost a bit more.
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as far as what tub goes for $2500 used, I don't recall, actually....but they've got everything from an older Viking, to Jacuzzi to Vita to Esther Williams and more on the floor.....Some are better names than others. ;)
I don't know what other people's experiences may have been, but I would recommend against Viking. One of my local dealers carries them and I looked them over seriously when I was first considering, and they seemed very poorly constructed - the shell had a cheap look and feel, the jets were flimsy, and it didn't seem to be insulated well at all, just a 1-2" layer of foam on the underside of the shell. Plus, the largest model that they carried (93" x 93" if I recall correctly) was only $4000 brand new, so it'd have to be pretty recent for $2500 to be a "deal". The dealer refused to show me the warranty, so I can't comment on that aspect.
I made a post about a year and a half ago in another forum asking for opinions on it, only got one response from a guy who had had one for a couple of years and said it was "ok". My main concerns were reliability and cost of operation, both of which I concluded were likely sub-par. Just my $.02, I'm sure I will be promptly contradicted if others feel differently.
I would have jumped at something like East TX Spa has (used HS in the $4500 area) in a heartbeat. I like the Jacuzzis too, if you could find a recent model with a warranty.
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Would your wife go for an automobile analogy? If you had only $10,000 to spend on a car, would you buy a new Kia, or a 5 year old Honda, or perhaps a 7 year old Acura?
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Just look for a review on a HotSpring Sovereign from 2003 or before. Virtually the same spa.
Terminator
Zactly right. Same spa.
Wonder if folks will be emailing Costco.com and asking for a discount.......