Am I buying problems with an older spa?

[uncommonlytasty]

I am considering purchasing a 1998 vintage Thermo Spa Olympian. The seller claims that it was rarely used but I’m concerned about the age. I need fast advice about the life expectancy of a spa and what problems I might find with a spa this old. This spa is a 6-seater, 10.25HP, with 4 water pumps, 1 air pump, and 110 jets. Also, what would be a fair price for this spa? Any advice is always greatly appreciated.

[dalop]

I would stay clear from buying a Thermo Spa new never mind used, but that is just my opinon. If you go back in this form you will see why. Best thing to do is save up for a spa that you can buy from a dealer and get the support that they can offer if needed.
I made the mistake of buying a spa from one of those big box stores and so far so good but if it comes down to support I would have to pull teeth to get it or fix it myself. There are alot of good spars out there so take your time and wet test them at your local dealer. You will be happy you did.  

[Soakin]

There are some negative posts regarding Thermospa, but they relate mostly to the way they are sold, and serviced -- not necessarily the quality of the spa itself.    If you can find someone that will service it, they would be the best source of advice regarding potential problems.  It sounds like this one has a lot of equipment, but any used spa from that era is worth $2000 max, and a brand with questions like Thermospa should be worth much less.  

[wmccall]

So did you buy this or something else? I see your in the forum today.

[lawdawgva]

This past June, I bought my 97 HS Sovreign from a friend who bought it new and paid about 7,000 for it with the cover and cover cradle.  I sanded and stained the cabinet, added a Delzone Platinum Eclipse ozonator and that's basically all I've done.  My neighbor was amazed  and said that it looked like brand new, even the original cover doesn't have a rip or tear in sight.

Now, admittedly, not all 9 year old spa purchases are going to go quite this well, but I say if you can wet test it (which I did) and it looks like someone has taken care of it, I wouldn't be afraid to buy it if the price was right.  I paid $1,500 for mine.  I have a few pics at http://photos.yahoo.com/lawdawgva

-Sarge

[st18901]

This past June, I bought my 97 HS Sovreign from a friend who bought it new

Now, admittedly, not all 9 20 year old spa purchases are going to go quite this well, but...

-Sarge

Ha! you kids with your new fangled spas.

I just got an '86 HS Sovereign. Mere pump rebuild, and jet fix, sand and varnish and it's like new.

Now, admittedly, not all 9 20 year old spa purchases giveaways are going to go quite this well, but

Seriously, if you are a DIY person, getting a used tub can be great, but if you're not, I'd be wary. There will be issues with it, guaranteed. However, if the shell is good, they should be fairly reasonable cost issues.

[grahamtasia]

I would touch base with a reputable thermospa service technician. He would probably be best at letting you know what to expect.

[st18901]

Hey Sarge,

what kind of a cover lifter is that? It looks like it is mounted to the cover itself?

How do you like it?

[grahamtasia]

It appears that he has the Cover Cradle. It does mount to the cover. It has 2 gas shocks, which make it extremely easy to use.

[lawdawgva]

Absolutely correct, grahamtasia.  It is the cover cradle.  I raise the front half of the cover and fold it over on the back half, then i simply push rearward with a minimal effort and the cover leans backward and clears the spa.  It does have two pneumatic gas shocks which help out a lot.  Makes it extremely easy and quick for one person to use the spa.  It needs ( I am guessing here) about 2 ft? of space between the cover cradle side of the spa and another object.  I am just estimating looking at the distance between my spa and my house.

-Sarge