# Forum Home Renovation Pools, Spa & Water Features  Outdoor Spa Purchase - New or Second Hand

## dazzler

Hi all 
Looking at buying a 5 to 6 person outdoor spa. 
I know's nothing about them. 
What are your thoughts, experiences on buying new or second hand.  Some (many?) of the second hand ones mention new pumps being fitted etc.  Is there a short life span for these pumps or is that down to a quality issue? 
Are there certain brands of pump or jets to keep an eye out for. 
Cheers
Dazzler

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## laceym

How much do you want to spend? we're looking at getting a new one for our new place we're building.  
Was at costco the other day and they had a pretty wiz bang one for about 4.5k + 400 Delivery. 
Now thats not bad for a new spa! and it looked quality. 
I would be a bit nervous about buying a second hander as for saving a few thousand you lose all the warranty and support that comes with a new one. 
and usually its you who has to go and rip it out find a group of friends to help you lift it then same process all over again to install it 
way too much work  :Blush7:

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## dazzler

Hi 
Yeah I think your on the money. 
About 10yrs ago we had a 'cheapie' and it was great.  I ended up packing bradford batts around every nook and cranny and it shut it right up.   
cheers

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## ben0

I bought a second hand below ground spa about 4 years ago. DIY install (apart from the gas heater) was fairly easy. The thing has worked well since. 
Pumps are cheap (okay a few hundred) but the heater and spa shell are big ticket items. New gas heater is 2000+ and when mine brock down the speclist said most repiars cost 150 or 600 (minor vs major part).  
When buying the second hand spa I made it clear to the seller that if I saw any water damage/runoff under the spa that I wouldn't be purchasing it!

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## sammyhilton25

Like what the others are asking, I want to know what's your budget for your spa. While it's cheaper to buy a second-hand spa, you still don't know about it's quality. It could last long when it is well-maintained.

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## aabamo

Do you want self contained? or in the ground?  
self contained ones range from 4-12 k depending on size, specs, seats, fitout etc .. pumps are small ( but powerful ) and all the equipment is jammed in,  with spaghetti like flexi pipe running everywhere. Like most stuff there is good brands and crappy brands.  
In ground you could spend alot more. Take a while to build but this way your equipment is further away, decreasing pump/blower noise. typical setup involves a gas  heater, pump, cartridge filter. You'll also need bromine and a floating dispenser and some buffer on hand to keep the water balanced and clean.  
I think that for a 5-6 seater you would be checking out some of the self contained models. the jet configs look really good. plug and play convenience.

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