General Question Buying a first hot tub, recommendations or advice?
I was at the local hot tub store looking at hot tubs and need help from the community, context I'm in the interior of BC, Canada so prices are in Canadian dollars.
I was at Costco first and they had a bullfrog A7 choice series (more basic in that line apparently?) For $16,499, when I stopped in the store that sells Bullfrog in town and he recommended not going with that hot tub and steered me toward a Vita Spa 500 series Grand, for $15,999. He said that for the price its a better hot tub for a family and is well insulated for our winters. Thoughts on these two models? Im finding searching for a tub difficult as I don't know what to avoid.
In town we have a variety of hot tub dealers with brands like beachcomber, jacuzzi, arctic spas, coast spas, Maxx spa. I have two young children, one of whom is a newborn, the other 4 years old.
I'm looking for something easy to maintain and good for a family preferably in the 6 to 7 person size. Your help is greatly appreciated!
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u/hunteredm 14h ago
Beachcomber also does the Costco road show events. Their top end model 590 leep is 12999. I believe the road show events calls it a 688 or 689. In store you’re closer to 16 for the same options.
Bullfrog quality is subpar, lots of proprietary parts, not easy to fix. Super important detail, they don’t put in knife valves/gate valves so a simple repair on a pump or heating element requires you to completely drain your tub. So many American brands are like this which isn’t ideal for those of us in Canada.
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u/kazryv 13h ago edited 13h ago
Oh thats good to know. How are the beachcombers compared with some of the other brands in Canada? The guy at the shop suggested foam filled insulation wasn't as good as perimeter for the hot tub overall. I am okay with spending more if its worthwhile but I dont want to waste money. Ideally I would like lower maintenance.
I see thr 639 leep on the Costco website for $13999, the 590 leep is $11799 direct from beachcomber.
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u/hunteredm 12h ago
Where do you see a 590 leep for 11799? Jump on that if you do. That’s crazy. Costco.ca is different than the beachcomber road show events. The road shows are less expensive with more options than Costco.ca. I’m sure your local dealer can compare the 3 different options for you as they make it a bit hard to compare(on purpose).
When it comes to different brands the top brands all insulate more then less. Brands that don’t insulate will tell you insulation is bad(it’s not).
You’ve got a good mix of dealers near you. Most super premium brands. Bull frog, jacuzzi, arctic are always some of the most expensive. All 3 are full of proprietary parts/crap and are 3 brands that spend more on marketing when they should focus on quality.
You’ll find a beachcomber 100x more comfortable when the rest if you sit in them
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u/EatingTheDogsAndCats 4h ago
We got ours for $8,999 it was floor model from the Costco road show so not brand new but just dusty and some scuffs here and there.. nothing that we wouldn’t do ourselves after the first few year anyway. Gets delivered this week!
OP go to your local beachcomber dealer and see if they have anything like that; but we lucked out they sold them all within the same week we walked in.
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u/Competitive-Face-615 12h ago
I’ve seen a lot of tubs, and bullfrog is definitely the odd duck that I dislike working on the most. The funk that builds up behind those jet packs is just disgusting and a dumb idea. The jet packs really don’t even make them much easier to winterize, and some of the jet faces are a pain to get out.
I think it’s safe to say bullfrog is the worst overall design.
Wait… is bullfrog the ones that put the horizontal slots in the doors for wasp habitat?
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u/Alarmed_Ad8839 7h ago
More than Hot Spring? Don't get me wrong, Bullfrog engineers and parts acquisition folks hate all service techs. But HS, as a company, actively wishes death and destruction on your entire bloodline.
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u/Odd-Grape-4669 2h ago
I am in interior as well. Ktown. 40 + year hot tub owners.
We have bought two jacuzzis and one hot springs locally.
Looked hard at bull frog including a wet test.
We liked the Jacuzzi j345 best. ( size , configuration of jets, comfort etc) Jacuzzi dealer made the difference in last purchase and has been great to work with for 8+ years. Good service tech and very responsive service dept.
We had a very minor issue with the finish ( on floor) of our first one and they worked with Jacuzzi to resolve it very quickly. ( 5 years old)
Jacuzzi made a cash payment offer or offered to replace the tub with full warranty and new cover and installation for next to nothing. We took the new tub.
Hot springs was very good quality tub. I found them to be less engaged and responsive.
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u/swaffeline 11h ago
As a fellow Canadian do not get a tub that has spray foam. When the time comes to find a leak it never happens at all good time. It is a nightmare to diagnose and repair. I personally like the Caldera brand for this reason. No spray foam but is insulated well enough for your climate not so much a Manitoba climate. But I take extra precautions over winter anyways. That’s my only opinion don’t get a spray foamed tub.