Master Spa Lsx 1050 Vs Sundance Maxxius

[Wizzardofspas]

I belive that Sundance enjoys a better reputation. Very few, if any reputable folks would argue that Sundance doens't make a quality product.

Master however has been argued to the point of ad nasuium. On another website, I've seen shoddy panels, air gaps, and heard unfavorable statements about some of thier road side, and tent sales. Some Master dealers were involved in a "Free hot tub rebate Scam".

If high quality is your concern, I personally, Between these two would go with Sundance. . There are other quality manafactuers you could look at in addition to Sundance, but MAster would not be on my list.

I have to agree compleatly, and would emphasise "other quality manafactuers"!

[Wizzardofspas]

Well, we tried the Hot Springs Grandee and liked it, although my wife still thinks the "good" seats are too deep. The dealer also sells LA Spas. My wife liked the idea that she could custom order on with all the good jets in a higher seat. Are LA Spas any good?

HDK

There are not many spas I'm completly happy with, they all seem to have thier share of good and bad. LA-Spa has a Relitively reliable product. I worked as a service technician for La-Spas 2 years. Have been to the factory, and LA-Spas tech schools. I believe the company is comited to building a quality product, and provides a good Warranty. The LA-Spa had a problem with cyclone jets. they are built so thin, even the slightest PH damage would cause them to blow out of the holes. After I left LA-Spas, I continued to do much of thier Warranty service. In that period they changed from Redwood skirting to a so so plastic, stopped installing gate valves, which required you to purge the lines of water by removing Top-side diverters, when servicing pumps or heaters, which means about 10 gallons of water inside the equipement area. I have not serviced any LA-Spas less than 3 yrs old, as the dealership here started thier own service dept. It was about 3 years ago, LA decided to go away from the pleated cartrige filter to a filter Sock. I was not impressed. The SOCK may have 2sq ft of surface area at best. what I saw happening was the SOCK clogging up very fast, and the pump suction would suck the bottom right out of the filter, making it useless, and of course clogging the impeller in the pump, requiring it to be serviced. I do not know if they have gone back to a good old fashioned filter or not? I give LA-Spa a 6 on the Wizard Scale!

[104 Degrees]

I have to agree compleatly, and would emphasise "other quality manafactuers"!

Same here

[hockeyphoto]

Not to beat this to death but to clarify:

There is quality and there are features. Quality is fit and finish, durability of components, overall design. Can be very subjective for people. FEATURES are what tub A has that tub B doesn't have - fairly objective. Obviously a loud, wobbly tub with a steel frame is not as good as a quiet, rock solid tub with a wood frame. You think features are marketing so I can't debate you on that point - except I bought my tub before I even got a brochure from the dealer. Some features were important to me regardless of marketing. I think you are doing a bit of reverse-marketing yourself when you say no features really matter. Some do matter, but not the same for everybody. It's why some people drive SUV's and some compact cars. A TV or cd player, LED lights, and waterfalls in a tub I will grant are a pure marketing features as they have nothing to do with the operation, longevity, maintenance or quality of the spa itself. Other features do effect operation, maintenance, etc., and should be carefully considered based on individual circumstances.

Burrowing critters in the foam was not marketing, it was happenstance related to me by a person I know who owns a spa in my area. Take it for what it's worth. I've also heard bad stories from people with full foam spas needing leak repair. Again, you don't know these people and I do - take it for what it's worth.

Stainless steel grills will not last forever, but they do require much less maintenance than regular, painted grills. You pay for that convenience which makes it a feature (or marketing). The ultimate maintenance free spa probably would have a stainless steel frame and pumps with magnetic couplings - but nobody could afford it. We all make choices and calling my choices marketing like I'm some sort of dimwit is condescending don't you think? I didn't call into question anyone else's choices, just pointed out my circumstances and reasoning that led me to a Master Spa tub. It just happened to be the best choice for me. Chances are the same sort of reasoning would lead any thinking person to a completely different tub and manufactuer.

Sigh. Sorry. I honestly tried to avoid being condecending. We've seem to have gone beyond that. It wasn't my intention.

Once again, there are many folks out thier that feel Master was a good value for them. Obviosluy you do to.

Horray.

However, on the flip side, there are many instances where Master was specifically called out on quality issues. When compared to Sundance (as this thread is about). There is a signficant difference between these two. So much so, I personally wouldn't even put the two in the same class.

I think you missed my point on SS grills and metal frames.

you say "Quality is fit and finish, durability of components, overall design. Can be very subjective for people. " I think thats true at a certain point. (two similliar items at a simmilar class). But bewteen Sundance and Master, the difference isn't so much subjective as it is outright "glaring".

But like you, that's Just my opinion. I think you heard a lot of marketing that addressed your concerns and isn't necesarly fact. Which I think is a very improtant distiction in this thread. It's not titled "why I like my Master. Or Why Sundance has different features. It's "Are there differences in quality?

Yes. Yes there are.

Such as....

I think it's funny that Master has a warrenty about the panels "ripping". Wtf? ripping panels? that shouldn't even be a concern with quality panels. That's like boasting your toaster has a warrenty agaisnt shrinking. Other manufactuers don't even mention ripping panels (or waranty them, as it's not even an issue. It doesn't exist).

Burrowing creatures: Once again, I don't think you fully understand the whole issue. If Master is the best soultion for you against that concern, well good luck.

The full foam vs TP for leaks as been discussed quite a bit and strucutal support for the pipes, and occurances of leaks between these two technoligies and where the leaks occur and why, are significant. Among the Quality makers of tubs, it really isn't an issue at all. But with MAster it is.

[StagsCliff]

I have had a Master Spas LSX1050 since 2005. I am highly pleased with this unit. It's much better than an earlier spa I owned. The EcoPur filtration and sanitation works well, even when I ignore the spa for a few weeks while traveling. The frame, structure, sidepanels and shell shows no sign of deterioration, and it has worked great.

Issues to date:

Broken pipe during initial shipment, probably from handling and insufficient pump support

Ozonator broke after 2 years (ozone hose barb became brittle and snapped off.) Replaced under warranty with a new and improved unit.

One of the topside remote pump buttons doesn't work

EcoPur cartridges are expensive!

Headrests are covered in a thin vinyl that is now peeling off, and the mounting studs are poorly designed and come out of the headrest. This needs to be reengineered.

Spa cover warped under a heavy snofall, is now waterlogged and has to be replaced.

The shoulder massage jets might be nice if you're under 5'8". I'm 6'0" and can't fit into these seats as the shell pushes down on my shoulders painfully, a real bummer as there are now only 3 seats I can use. They should figure out how to mount these jets on movable arms to accomodate various heights.

The pre-filter screen doesn't work. It quickly becomes impermeable, and all of the water goes through the intake slots below the weir, negating the usefulness of this filter.

After 5 years, I'd give the spa an A- for reliability and B+ for features. There's yet to be a day when the spa wasn't working and usable.