Hi, I don't know anything about spa's other then I want one. I saw a tent sale and went to investigate. I am looking at a sundance 850 marin. My biggest question would be... what should I pay for this thing?? Then of course. Is this a good spa, of course they claim it is the best brand. I will be using it indoors in a florida room on tile. I couldn't find a MSRP anywhere, I would REALLY appreciate someone helping me out so I don't get robbed on this. He said he would throw in an ozone, delivery, cover etc. I think he wanted around 8k, it was through ACE hardware I think. Thanks, Shawnster " title="Cool" />

Alot of factors can determine a good MSRP: location(N,S, E, W), and features. We used to sell Sundance and a year ago a Marin would be approx. $7000. That would always include cover, delivery, chemicals, etc.

But I would caution about buying from a hardware store. Spas are man-made products. They could have problems and then who will work on it and when. As always, find a reputable dealer!

After my experience with a new Sundance spa I would not value any one manufacturer over another. I would look at the volume of the tub, the heat provided by its heating unit (or current draw) and the number of jets and the horsepower rating of its motor.

A warranty is of very little value - especially when you have to pay for service calls as with Sundance, and have to wait over month for parts, as with Sundance.

When you pay an extra $2000 for some "name brand" spa you are really buying a very expensive service plan.

I paid about $8000 for a Sundance Optima 61 months ago after researching the few spas that were available in my area. While I was "sold" on the high quality, I have been disappointed by the local dealer's after-sale customer service, the lack of support from Sundance in finding repair people, the 8 service calls while under warranty, and the proprietary electronics, pumps, fittings, and diverter valves that I have had to replace. Also, today I have several flo related problems, whining pump, heater errors, and will be darned if I will use the dearler to get help. if there were a high quality spa carried nationwide and serviced by the big hardware stores, that would be awesome for the consumer, and maybe someday we will be at that point. But right now, spas just aren't as common as cordless drills, and so we have to really do a lot of homework to find the right fit of price, features, dealer, available parts and qualified techs. I didn't expect my Sundance to last forever, but I did think there would be a little more help available for after sale problems and i was wrong. As for what price is right, that is a tough one. Msrp is probably the dealer's best kept secret. It reminds me a lot of buying cars. Good luck, and expect to pay several service call fees while in-warranty and then to pay the whole bill each time after the warranty period. They do break a lot.

$8,000 is too much for a sundance marin. You would be much better off with a caldera martinique. For around $7000 you could get the spa delivered,cover, chem kit, (gfi box, $200 value) cd ozone system. Here are some of the advantages of the martinique.
much more comfortable(larger seats,flat foot ridge for leverage,contoured lounger which limits floating, deeper and larger footwell. martinique will reach 108 degrees, sundance only 104. poured foam insulation(extreamly quite while spa is on or off). caldera spas are manufactured by watkins who are the largest manufacture of premium spas in the world.

In east Tennessee, a new 2006 Sundance Marin goes for about $7000. installed. In the Atlanta Ga area, the same spa goes for about $7400 at Georgia Back Yard who seems to be the main dealer in the area.
The 2006 has a lot of improvements over the earlier Marins and it is now an 880 series instead of 850. Some of the key changes are:

- LED lighting std, MicroClean2 filter with high flow circulation system,
AquaTerrace waterfall with LED lighting, new jets, nearly 3" longer and now 335 gal capacity.

My 2 cents?

When deciding on a spa, at the very least sit in it, preferrably with water so you can get a real feel for how it fits your personal body. Spas differ and can be so much so that one can be completely uncomfortable. This is the primary reason you are looking at a spa in the first place...comfort. After you choose a minimum of 2 different spas, literally call the customer service departments and start picking their brain. Find out the current cost of a replacement motor, control board, and heater is, along with availability. Find out what the turn-around time is on someone comming to your home with the part. Even with the same manufacturer, this will differ from region to region. Ask the dealer for referrals. Customers are the best source of advertising, and a reputable dealer won't have any problem putting you in touch with other customers.

As with any spa, cost is a downfall. There is a huge markup on them, just like that Rangerover you've always wanted. You pay for the luxury (and name in many cases) of owning a spa. I always suggest people should plan on up to a 1000 maintainence cost in the first 5-7 years. A lot of people think this is high, but when you consider the cost of labor after the warranty expires, it's in the ballpark. 80% of the time you won't encounter this cost, but just be prepared. When this spa breaks down, it will be during the winter, on a sunday, during a blizzard. Labor costs reflect this. If you make it to the 10 year mark without any problems, don't wait, upgrade! You've been VERY lucky.....