2011 Hot Springs Grandee

[chopper 7]

Hello hot tub Gurus, I'm still shopping for a good used HT and just found a deal on a 2011 HS Grandee. It is supposed to be in great shape from the original owner, cover is not cracked, never any leaks, on and on. No built in stereo not sure of other options yet. I'm going to check it out this weekend the seller is asking $6500 but says open to offers. If this tub was $10-12K new what is a reasonable offer if everything seems to be in great shape. Thanks for any input.

[scoobywagon02]

If I were looking for a used hot tub I would look for a hot spring personally. That is a 5 year old Grandee and yes they do go for roughly 12k+ new. You need to see what kind of shape the cover is in. Is it heavy at all regardless of whether it has a lifter?  At that age you are going to need most likely replace a few things. The Tri-x filters last roughly 3-5 years. I would ask them if they ever replaced them. They are roughly $60-$70 a pieces and you have 5 to replace. A brand new cover from Hot Spring will run you roughly $549. The ozone system at 5 years will start to decrease in efficiency which you may want to consider. I would also ask if the dealer came out to do a final inspection before the warranty ended to make sure everything was running good. It is a little concerning to me that they are getting rid of it exactly when the warranty period is up. The pillows may be in rough shape too which are not cheap. The problem is you will never know how it was taken care of. For that money and a little more you could get yourself a new Hot Spring with a warranty. Just my opinion. I would low ball him because I guarantee he is not going to get $6500 for that spa.

[chopper 7]

The seller is moving and trying to get something out of the tub. Don't know about the rest but am going to see it on Sunday and will mention those concerns. Good heads up about the filters those are spendy. The owner said they were advised on the asking price by there dealer but of course I'm hoping to knock it down a bit. Is there anything about a 2011 that is fundamentaly bad or been greatly improved on since then? Thanks again.

[Spatech_tuo]

The seller is moving and trying to get something out of the tub. Don't know about the rest but am going to see it on Sunday and will mention those concerns. Good heads up about the filters those are spendy. The owner said they were advised on the asking price by there dealer but of course I'm hoping to knock it down a bit. Is there anything about a 2011 that is fundamentaly bad or been greatly improved on since then? Thanks again.

If it were the dealer selling it then that price would make more sense because typically dealers sell used spas with something like a 90 day warranty and if you have an issue they stand behind it. From an owner that's a different story and you should counter pretty heavily and if they say no I'd leave my number because they're going to have trouble getting that much even in near perfect shape.

[chopper 7]

Any other opinions on this.

[chopper 7]

Checked out the 2011 HS Grandee today and it was a pretty nice tub. We negotiated on price came to an agreement for 5K. Wife and I both wet tested it and figured for the price we couldn't do any better. It could move a lot of water and will be nice this next ski season. I left a deposit and will be back in a week to get it with a flat deck trailer and some round pipe to roll it around on.
The only issues it has is;

Some of the smaller diverter valve handles would pull up off there valve stems, why not that way my kids can loose then easier
The Moto Massage doesn't really move up and down like I expected, hoping the remedy is it needs new filters. The MM moves up and down right?
The cover hinge is frayed but I'll stitch it up.
The biggest deal is the control panel has some white powdering stuff under the screen. I imagine the seal is bad and the unit will need replaced for $400 some day. Is there any way to pop open the screen and clean it out?

[wmccall]

Hello hot tub Gurus, I'm still shopping for a good used HT and just found a deal on a 2011 HS Grandee. It is supposed to be in great shape from the original owner, cover is not cracked, never any leaks, on and on. No built in stereo not sure of other options yet. I'm going to check it out this weekend the seller is asking $6500 but says open to offers. If this tub was $10-12K new what is a reasonable offer if everything seems to be in great shape. Thanks for any input.

The cover may not be cracked and may look good, but can you remove it by yourself? That is a large cover, if it is water logged and you can't lift it by yourself, that will be a several hundred dollar correction and negotiating point.

[scoobywagon02]

I agree about the cover. Did the cover have brackets that attach to it for the lifter? If it has brackets that screw into the cover that means it is Covercradle which is made by Hot Springs. If it is that you will need to make sure the cover you buy is from hot spring or it will not work with cover lifter. Moto massage is most likely calcified which will need to be replaced at roughly $100. I would recommend replacing all filters which are Tri-X and will run you 60-70 a piece. So you are into this for roughly $949 without batting a eye. You will need the breaker box as well because hot springs provides that and it will be difficult to duplicate the setup.

[dlleno]

one other thing to consider, depending upon how much time you have, is to assess whether or not you like the moto massage and the overall grandee layout.   If you have a chance, go wet test a new one -- it won't be quite the same but it will get you close enough.  I've owned a 1990 and a 2013 Grandee and loved both of them, so  I agree with the others here a 2011 should be nicely restorable.  You will need to know the details going in, and you will need service again at some time down the road, so you will want to find and investigate a local Hot Springs dealer and their service dept anyway.  Is the original dealer reputable and still in business?    some additional thoughts:

1.  you could hire the hot spring dealer to assess the tub and filters -- they will have the most experience around that particular year/model and should know the trouble spots if there are any.    I don't know what they would charge for that service, but that could be part of your investigation, i.e. to see how they work with you for the potential to gain a customer.  establish a win-win with them. 

2.  with the above information you can assess the asking price and negotiate on those points. don't forget transportation costs -- how will you move the spa?  I recently moved my spa into storage while we are in between houses, and it cost me $400 via the dealer for everything including blow-out and winterization.  I figure they know what they are doing and if anything goes wrong during the move they are responsible.  I didn't have a suitable dolly, straps, truck, inflatable jack,  or the required number of friends so for me it was a good choice. 

3.  Good Hot spring dealers should have all the tools, parts, and support to completely assess and refurb a spa.   One important question would be "does the dealer think this spa is worth refurbishing" (would they do it if you asked).  that can be part of your assessment, but can also be one of your choices -- what would the cost of the spa be if the dealer took it, refurbed it, and then delivered it to your place?  What would the cost be if the dealer just moved it and performed any necessary repairs on site?