Hot Tub Review
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Arctic
Manufacturer: Arctic Spas
Avg. Price: $0
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wmccall
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Date Purchased: 02/05
Price Paid: $11600
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
Heavy-duty top quality component throughout
Comfortable seats
Thick shell
Top of the line cover
Beautiful cabinet
Large under water lighting
High quality jets
Upgradeable
Easy access easy to service
Cons:
Cabinet requires periodic maintenance
Nosier than some other spas
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wmccall
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We didn't buy the Kodiack, but bought the cub model which is the Kodiack but in a 7' instead of the 8' Kodiack. To try and be brief, I researched hot tubs for 6 months and did far more research than the average person. The Arctic cub was far and away the best choice based in no particular order: (1) Very powerful jets
(2) only cost 7-8$ per month using it for 15 to 20 minutes every night! (that's 220 volt, not 110!)
(3) They use the best electronics (Gecho),
(4) inovative clear large flexible pluming which has far less than 1% leaks on average,
(5) they use Canadian clear cedar which in my opinion is the prettiest cabnet on the market,
(6) the interior is very ergonomic and attractive
(7) the shell is the thickest on the market at up to 3/4" thick. They use the most durable shell today which is acrylic backed by vinyl ester resin with layers of fiberglass layed down. This method is by far the most costly way to build a shell, and because of it's strength, it needs no foam to support it.
We paid $6000. for this model spa just before they had a price increase of $1000 but if you add up the higher costs of operating most other spas, you will more than recover the higher cost of this one. And I am convinced this one will last a good 20 or more years. A lot of spas won't even come close to that.
I know some of you will read this and think that I sell the Arctic spas, but I'm simply a guy that does more than his share of research and am passionate about something that is truely special.
Date Purchased: 12/2001
Price Paid: $6000
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
powerful jets, extremely cost effective to run, gorgeous looking outer cabnet, uses highest quality components available
Cons:
If you want very high pressure from all 29 jets at one time, you will not get it, but how many people would want all jets on full at once? |
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wmccall
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This spa is a great spa. Arctic spas use the heat generated from the motors to heat the water (in combination with a heater as well). This philosphy can be argued, but it does work. Even in the coldest of temperatures, the spa maintains it's heat. Maintenance is a breeze and keeping the water quality at optimum has been no harder than adding shock and testing the water after use. Piece of cake. The spas can be purchased with one two or three motors depending on the model you purchase. And, you can add jets in the field. This is a great feature for the price-conscious that may want to get a base model and add to it later. The wood cabinetry is beautiful; but does take some maintenance if you want to keep it nice looking. They don't offer a plastic option. They also feature a full wood subfloor that isn't an add-on as well as the cover is much thicker than the standard covers. This goes with the philosophy of heat rises; so keep it in from the top. Overall, this spa is definitely worth looking into.
Date Purchased: 11/15/02
Price Paid: $8500
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
Maintains temp even on the coldest evenings.
Beautiful cabinetry.
Flexible Jet configurations
Cons:
Small dealer network
Wood only for the cabinets (if you don't want that, it is a negative) |
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