Hi. Long time, first time. I've gotten a great deal of help reading the forums, thanks, and I think I have at least a partial feel for the landscape. Getting ready to close on my house and it's the first opportunity I've had for my own tub...near daily user, at rentals and the gym, and where I stay for work. House was chosen partially for suitability for tub.
Anyway, I'm really struggling with new vs. used. We have several dealers here who are loaded with refurb tubs with full shorter warranties, the closest one being a Maxx dealer also, but has some good jacuzzi / etc stuff for like ~4200, all a couple years old on average. All with brand new full accessory package, chemicals, steps, cover. They all use the exact same people for repairs as new. Moving them not included but discounted.
Then there's craigslist. 2000-2500 will get you a currently functional / hot / filled tub, a little older, beautifully maintained, all accessories, of course moving and maintenance on me.
But, I mean, let's take serious structural problems out for the moment, and say I do one of these options, and whoops, crap, a motor shells out after 12 months. There's 6-800. Couple years later, something else happens. Another $600. Dang it.
How much sense does it make...to shell out 8-9 - even 12 grand for something that has the same chance of crapping out, but I would save the repair costs for a couple of years...I can't make the math work.
Even if that one turned out to be a lemon and I took it to the dump after 4 years and tried again...I'm still in the black over new.
I live in southern Arizona, where insulation and stuff isn't an issue...I am of maybe average mechanical ability from being an aircraft electrician in my youth, about 230 years ago, I could probably spot problems with kinked wires or hoses or chafing red flags like soft stuff suspended with zip ties.
Any thoughts? Under the used plan, I'd be looking for manufacturers known for reliability in the stuff that can't be fixed, like the shell...frame...etc. Any thoughts there? Discuss, thanks in advance.
