Magnum Posted September 21, 2020 Report Share Posted September 21, 2020 Hi. I am planning to buy a hot tub. I was going to get a new budget spa from Dreammakers or Masters (Getaway line) which is less than $4000. However, I also found a guy nearby who is selling his used hot tub. It is well maintained and he hires a spa company who cleans it and adds chemicals regularly. He does not know who the manufacturer is and how old it is as he bought it with the house. It uses a Balboa control system and has wooden cabinet. He would be willing to sell it for around $1000. I would appreciate if someone could take a look at it. Maybe someone would be able to recognize the manufacturer? Here's a link to few pictures: https://imgur.com/a/ts4knsb Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnum Posted September 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2020 I contacted Balboa about the details and they replied that the manufacture date of the control unit was 03/23/2016. That might be possible because the owner bought the house last year so he just estimated that its 6 years old, can be less than that. I am pretty positive that I located the manufacturer as well, I think its Spa Manufacturer Inc, located in Clearwater, FL. It is local to the sellers location and it looks very close to other tubs from this manufacturers factory. This hot tub is up and running, temperature is set to 95-100 F daily and its maintained weekly, the owner states that all jets and controls are running. It sits in a million $ house. I am not sure about the reliability and quality of this factory. It has great reviews on google and other portals, its A+ on BBB and is over 35 years on the local market. I contacted the manufacturer and they use materials dedicated for Florida which helps them keep the prices down compared to bigger manufacturers, that is: - Acrylic shell backed by 7 layers of resin and fiberglass, - Glued piped (not clamped) - Plastic jets with chrome plating, - Cedar wood cabinet (which according to the manufacturer, is enough insulation, so there is no other form of insulation) Just to add, I am a DIY so I should be able to maintain it. I will also add some sort of insulation just in case. I will try to negotiate the owner to sell it for $500. Do you think it will be worth it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted September 22, 2020 Report Share Posted September 22, 2020 I would say the pack and topside have been retrofitted in 2016 and likely cost more than the $500 alone so if you can get it for that then you would be doing alright. Pretty basic spa but as long as it meets your needs and budget then go for it. You could probably find a pretty nice used spa for the 4K budget you mentioned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnum Posted September 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2020 You are right. I got a response from that company and they confirmed that it did come out of their factory in 2013-2014 and that the Balboa unit was replaced in 2016. I am going to look at that hot tub in person and I might buy it. Could you recommend what should I check at what to look at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted September 22, 2020 Report Share Posted September 22, 2020 If it is full, up to temp and running with no signs of water around the base anywhere and the cover is light and easy to lift then it should be good. Get them to open the front panel and have a look inside for any signs of previous leaks as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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