Alex Houston

In my continued search for a 6-7 person spa in the $4-to-$5k price range, I recently came across a used 2003 Hot Spring Grandee in a pretty good shape. The asking price is $3,500; delivery will likely be $500 extra. I have also been contemplating buying a new spa from Costco (e.g. Key West or Elements, when they are back on sale, they will also be around $4k). How do I go about choosing between a 2003 Grandee and 2010 Strong Spa? I am not looking for a gazillion jets, so Strong’s advantage in jet count is not that important for me. But how would these spas compare in other features, reliability, insulation, etc? What else should I take into account before pulling a plug on either? Opinions from folks who faced a similar choice (e.g. higher-end used vs. lower-end new) would be greatly appreciated.

Just wanted to bump this one more time. Can’t believe that no one heard of QCA spas. They claim to have been making spas since 1966. But, I guess, that no one heard of them tells a lot by itself…

Hi everyone, I am on the market for my first spa and am mostly looking in the 6-person low-to-mid-range $3-5K budget category. Almost decided to purchase QCA Salerno Spa for $3,750 (after rebate) from Home Depot, when I found this site and read so many good reviews about the Strong spas sold at Costco. Would anyone be able to comment on QCA vs. Strong? Both QCA and Strong spas get pretty good reviews on HomeDepot.com and Costco.com. QCA seems to be slightly cheaper. But which one is considered better quality? What about features, insulation, maintenance? I would be particularly interested in comparing the Evolution Key West and QCA Salerno as they seem to be similar in features. Thanks a ton! Alex