Hot Tub

[lucigo]

DH and I bought a used Softub off of Craigslist for $500 about seven years ago and we LOVE it. It's portable, plugs right into the outlet on our deck, barely uses any electricity (even in the winter - when we keep it between 104-106), and is easy to maintain. We've had to do regular maintenance on the motor and we replaced the cover last year (though a company that was not Softub - brand new cover was only around $300, custom made, delivered right to our door!).

Ours is on our deck, no problems! And we actually use ours MORE in the winter - there's nothing like sitting in it during a good snowstorm! Yeah, running back inside can be rough, but it makes us laugh and giggle as we tromp through the snow in our flip flops!

I wouldn't hesitate buying used if you check it out first - see it running, look for cracks, that sort of thing (although with a Softub, there's no cracking!). Good luck with your purchase!

The softub looks like a great rental option - now if I could only find a used one!! LOL

 

[goodfood4ursoul]

Snakes? We back up to a wooded area and have already had a snake in the garage YIKES!!! Do snakes get into hot tubs??

I don't know if snakes get into hot tubs
(now there's a nightmare!)

I'm going to go a little
If you are worried about snakes, I can tell you that snakes and cats do not co-exist.
This is my personal experience, so take it with a grain of salt...

Cats not only obviously take care of mice, etc. (woods= lots of critters including mice) that draw the snakes in to feed on them
but cats will find a baby snake and take it out.
We live on a farm.
Upon moving in we developed issues with mice and then some small snakes.
Then we got outside cats. (It took me almost a year to convince my then cat-hating husband to let me get cats... )
Haven't seen a mouse or snake (or squirrel) near our home in over 10 years.
We do get an occasional possum and skunk but that is a whole 'nother deal...

If you see a cat acting strangely- watch, observe to see what is going on.
One day I drove up to an elderly friend's home to see her cat crouching with his hair on end about 4 feet from a large bush.
Hissing and spitting ensued, and upon closer look, there was a huge snake in the bush. (6 foot long).
Now a cat is not going to fight something that big, but it's behavior will let you know something is wrong so you can get a hilling hoe or shotgun and take it out.
My friend insisted I do the job with the hoe, and that is as close as I ever want to get to a big snake- gross.
I really despise snakes

There is a sure-fire way to tell if a snake is venomous or not.
Look at its eyes- if their pupils are round, it is not venomous.
If it's pupils are slitted like a cat's, it's venemous.
Great info- but who wants to get close enough to see???

Back on topic those softubs look amazing... anyone know how comfortable are they to sit in?
We keep saying we are going to save $ for a hot tub instead of taking a WDW trip, but here we go this morning leaving on our drive to Orlando...

 

[lucigo]

I don't know if snakes get into hot tubs
(now there's a nightmare!)

I'm going to go a little
If you are worried about snakes, I can tell you that snakes and cats do not co-exist.
This is my personal experience, so take it with a grain of salt...

Cats not only obviously take care of mice, etc. (woods= lots of critters including mice) that draw the snakes in to feed on them
but cats will find a baby snake and take it out.
We live on a farm.
Upon moving in we developed issues with mice and then some small snakes.
Then we got outside cats. (It took me almost a year to convince my then cat-hating husband to let me get cats... )
Haven't seen a mouse or snake (or squirrel) near our home in over 10 years.
We do get an occasional possum and skunk but that is a whole 'nother deal...

If you see a cat acting strangely- watch, observe to see what is going on.
One day I drove up to an elderly friend's home to see her cat crouching with his hair on end about 4 feet from a large bush.
Hissing and spitting ensued, and upon closer look, there was a huge snake in the bush. (6 foot long).
Now a cat is not going to fight something that big, but it's behavior will let you know something is wrong so you can get a hilling hoe or shotgun and take it out.
My friend insisted I do the job with the hoe, and that is as close as I ever want to get to a big snake- gross.
I really despise snakes

There is a sure-fire way to tell if a snake is venomous or not.
Look at its eyes- if their pupils are round, it is not venomous.
If it's pupils are slitted like a cat's, it's venemous.
Great info- but who wants to get close enough to see???

Back on topic those softubs look amazing... anyone know how comfortable are they to sit in?
We keep saying we are going to save $ for a hot tub instead of taking a WDW trip, but here we go this morning leaving on our drive to Orlando...

I know what you are saying is true, and I really do need to get a cat. We got a cat in Florida for the same reason (snake on the deck, next day went and got a cat!) I have hesitated only because we now live in a real neighborhood, with neighbors, so not sure how well having an indoor/outdoor cat would work out. Last week my son found a very small snake in the garage so I'm ready to do whatever it takes. Behind our house we have a nice little yard, then a fence, and then what I call the abyss...thick woods with a drop off to a "creek" (river!) at the bottom. Apparently our neighbors can walk down to it and see deer etc. All we have is a cliff and such thick woods we can't see anything. I'm hoping in the winter I will at least get a bit of a view.

Anyway....the soft sided or blow up hot tubs look like they might be a good short term option, but a little worried about the dogs accidentally damaging it. (Australian Shepherds).

 

[Kate and Pete]

I know what you are saying is true, and I really do need to get a cat. We got a cat in Florida for the same reason (snake on the deck, next day went and got a cat!) I have hesitated only because we now live in a real neighborhood, with neighbors, so not sure how well having an indoor/outdoor cat would work out. Last week my son found a very small snake in the garage so I'm ready to do whatever it takes. Behind our house we have a nice little yard, then a fence, and then what I call the abyss...thick woods with a drop off to a "creek" (river!) at the bottom. Apparently our neighbors can walk down to it and see deer etc. All we have is a cliff and such thick woods we can't see anything. I'm hoping in the winter I will at least get a bit of a view.

Anyway....the soft sided or blow up hot tubs look like they might be a good short term option, but a little worried about the dogs accidentally damaging it. (Australian Shepherds).

I can answer both of the questions re: Softubs...

They are comfy. They're soft and padded. DH and I have had various sports injuries over the years and have used the tub for rehab as well as pleasure. Never had any complaints about it not being comfy.

We have three boxer dogs - when we first got the tub, we'd look outside to find them standing on top of the cover!! Even with their sharp nails, the cover survived (it eventually died because it took on water through the other side, which happens sometimes when they get old, I guess). I can't imagine your dogs could do much to hurt it!