Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Bassonator on May 21, 2010, 10:39:49 PM
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Was at Costco today and guess what they had pontoon boats for sale its a 9 1/2 foot toon with motor bracket plastic seat stripping apron and 2 storage bags.
All for the glorious price of $289.99. Its made by Wilderness or something along those lines, any ways Ill be heading out to Burnaby again tomorrow to pick one up at that price.
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the last costco pontoon i bought fell apart on the water....and i was drifting the vedder in june in full out freshet...almost died a couple of times because of oar lock breaking and coming out constantly.....stay away buy something better like an outcast.
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the last costco pontoon i bought fell apart on the water....and i was drifting the vedder in june in full out freshet...almost died a couple of times because of oar lock breaking and coming out constantly.....stay away buy something better like an outcast.
Good advise. You could be in serious trouble if an oar lock breaks.
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the last costco pontoon i bought fell apart on the water....and i was drifting the vedder in june in full out freshet...almost died a couple of times because of oar lock breaking and coming out constantly.....stay away buy something better like an outcast.
Did you report it to the CSA or whatever agency's in charge of consumer safety?
The "get what you pay for" argument isn't acceptable when safety is compromised.
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ask the costco management about returns on any boat you purchase. Just in case they say " excessive force was used on the boat ' and we will not give you a refund. Anyway a refund is no consolation for a ruined fishing trip. You would be forced to borrow one .
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Ok guys just so you I didnt purchase the pontoon you guys were talking about because I did read up on the oarlock problem, hence no buy, but this boat is a different manufacturer so Ill research it first couldnt get out today. As for returns at costco I think they have the best customer service around, even if you lose your receipt, as long as you have your card no problem.
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X2 on the costumer service. had a boat once that had problems and they took it back without any hassle.
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Just remember - these days you get what you pay for. Unless they (Costco) happen to have acquired some old good quality merchandise that a company wanted to unload, Costco (like Walmart) is always looking out for the best possible margin.
First thing to check - where was it made?
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X2 on the costumer service. had a boat once that had problems and they took it back without any hassle.
Good boats don't have problems.... just say'n.
Costco is not that known for good boats. Their kayaks are known for being "bad buys" as for the price you'll get better new else wears for same price.... Even a used old kayak is better then their pelican stuff and their cheaper to buy!!!
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I'd have to agree with the return policy #1 in my books, but they shouldn't be compromising safety for price.
just my 2 cents
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go to the new Wholesale sports and check out the Outcast/Fishcat pontoons(saw they sell them in their catalogue). they are great !! I own one and have it pretty pimped out so far and i have had no issues with it at all. I have the steel frame so its fairly heavy though but cheaper.
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Pontoon boat from big box store - $300 dollars
Pontoon boat from local "real fishing store" - probably a little more than $300
Pontoon boat + advice from local "real fishing store" on where to use said pontoon boat that's fishing HOT!!! - $$$ priceless $$$
I spend my money at well informed local fishing stores because I get allot more than just "material" goods. ;)
And if you create a relationship with your local fishing store by spending money there you should (dependent on the shop) get allot more back in info and possibly deals down the road.... It pays to be loyal to your local shop!!!
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Which is why i shop at M&Y in surrey.I normally get a discount when im in there, especially if im spending more then $50 which i do at least once a week LOL It sure is nice when you call the shop ahead of going there to make sure they have what you are after and when they pick up know who you are ;D
I do however look for deals on large purchase items. By big purchase i mean things that are a few hundred dollars or more.
HOOK - will be for sure checking out this new store but will still be going to M&Y because it is just closer ;D and i usually spend alot of time chatting in there.
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--outcast is a very good company to deal with..I'm sure that a local dealer can put the squeeze on outcast to give them a comparative price on their products thus pass that along to you.
--The way the dollar is hopping around drives a store nuts.. its what the dollar is when they payed for the stuff that counts not what it is on the day we buy it retail.
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The pontoon boats at Costco are as good as any. They have the motor mounts and the oars are as good as the outcast ones. They just started selling them here in Canada but the same ones have been sold in the states for a few months now and they're excellent value. I doubt the bottom material is of good a quality as say an outcast but then don't drag them across rocks and stuff. For the price, you can't beat them. I can't see how anyone can break the oar locks on these unless your really abusing it and i'm sure any of the outcast models wouldn't take that abuse either. If you're someone who looks after there stuff and and go out a few times a year, I'd say they are definetly worth the money.
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Return if it fails policy does nothing for you when you're in the middle of a 15k drift and your frame breaks.
you get what you pay for. Guarantee that those boats costco is selling were made with "corner cutting" in mind. It's like anything. I could sell you a homemade one if you want for $40 but it'll be two innertubes zap strapped together with a dora the explorer footstool for a chair.
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I could sell you a homemade one if you want for $40 but it'll be two innertubes zap strapped together with a dora the explorer footstool for a chair.
if you can set up a motor mount and oars i may take one of those :D
but sounds like a load of rowlocks to me ;)
joking aside is it worth risking your self for a couple of hundred bucks :-\
when on the water you want to be safe right?
to be on the safe side what ever you buy craft wise make sure you have a good pfd just in case
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Like I said earlier, there is nothing wrong with the pontoon boat at Costco. The frame is solid as it gets and is steel tubing all around. The oarlocks are drilled into the steel with a steel sleeve, that are replaceable. They have 3 positions if for whatever reason that one breaks, you can always move the oars to another position till you fix it however I don't see how anyone can break them. AS for getting what you pay for, i hear that too often. People always equate quality with price. Just because you pay more for something, it doesn't make it better. Large box retailers buy direct from manufactures, where smaller stores buy through distributors importers and wholesalers who mark up products also. A lot of times these same manufactures, manufacture one brand for the importers, distributors and wholesalers and another brand line for the large box retailers who buy a large enough quantity. The products are the same in quality and workmanship. Quality is quality and it doesn't always have something to do with price. Check out the quality, not just the price tag. As for the pontoons at Costco, I've used mine a few times and think they're as good as most out there. I'd love to have one of those aluminum ones but for the price, you can't beat the ones at Costco, I think. I'd like to hear a review from someone else who actually owns one but I'm quite happy with mine.
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KK - can you give us the name and model of the Costco pontoon(s) then so we can research them ??
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I haven't seen a picture of it or seen anything online about it except on here. They just started selling it in Canada and as far as I know and they've only been selling it in the US at a a few Costco's for a month or two at the most. The model they sold last year is the model that is at Wholesale sports in Langley. Its the one that's mounted right by the fly tying materials and right above the door. This years model (in the US) is a cheaper model. It doesn't come with the wheel or the air pump and has fewer pockets. But its also about $50 less for it than it was last year in Bellingham. I made a wheel for mine and will consider adding some more pockets attached with Velcro later. You'll just have to go to a Costco and check it out yourself. Let us know what you think. My opinion is that its excellent value for the money and I don't' see anything I would consider unsafe about it. I'll probably take it out again next weekend and if someone really wants to see it on the water, I'd consider fishing somewhere not too far from Burnaby. Just not sure where to fish yet but if you have some hot secret spot, I would probably be happy to meet you there.
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I bought a pontoon at costco in Langley about 3 yrs ago for the same price $299.00. I have drifted about 5 times in the Veddar no problems it actually handles quiet well. But mostly in lower waters in summer months. Outfitter XT was the model I bought...still use it a few times a yr. Was this the one that had a problem? ???
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Pontoon boats are overrated. Get a real inflatable boat and be done with it. ;D
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go to the new Wholesale sports and check out the Outcast/Fishcat pontoons(saw they sell them in their catalogue). they are great !! I own one and have it pretty pimped out so far and i have had no issues with it at all. I have the steel frame so its fairly heavy though but cheaper.
Hey dude.how can i get a catalogue?
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I owned a bucks southfork pontoon boat for 11 years ; just sold it to Ryan who is going to get maybe another two or three seasons . If you divide the original cost of the boat by , say, 13 years it comes out to about 60 dollars. Divide that by 10 days on the water each season; $ 6 a day. If the cheaper boats last only 7 years and cost $ 300; and the same number of days on the water ; that works out to about $ 4 a day. The difference is maybe $ 2 a day. The bonus is the strength of the Bucks components. I bought a new Bucks Southfork to replace the old one and it is partially made in China. So I will be able to give you a report in, say, 10 years.
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Mind you its costco in the states but they carry 3 models now.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?ec=BC-EC36903-ProdID11541702&pos=0&whse=BC&topnav=&prodid=11091559&lang=en-US (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?ec=BC-EC36903-ProdID11541702&pos=0&whse=BC&topnav=&prodid=11091559&lang=en-US)
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Return if it fails policy does nothing for you when you're in the middle of a 15k drift and your frame breaks.
you get what you pay for. Guarantee that those boats costco is selling were made with "corner cutting" in mind. It's like anything. I could sell you a homemade one if you want for $40 but it'll be two innertubes zap strapped together with a dora the explorer footstool for a chair.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D I dont know why but that last sentence made me laugh my a** off!
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I was considering buying a pontoon soon. Couldn't decide if I would spend 900 on a Fish Cat panther, or 600 on a 9IR, or 400 on that ODC or w/e it's called....I could end up spending 2K after motor and all so why not buy a real boat. So I pretty much gave up on the pontoon idea........... Went into Costco today and saw the floor model (Display) pontoon marked down to $199 CAD! Couldn't pass it up. It's assembled in the garage right now and I've been setting everything up, filling the pockets, etc, and sitting on it...
It's the Wilderness one with the anchor system, basket, motor mount, no wheel, 400lb max cap...... The boats solid. Looks safe to me, frame is steel, fabric is strong enough unless you plan to motor down a river over floating trees and logs. I would be weary of a big rough lake and going out too far, but other than that, I'm very impressed with the boat even though I was very very skeptical.... Especially for $200!! And there's no leaking or any problems to speak of. No weak points I'm concerned about or anything...other than the rod holder fitting loosely (Which I solved already.)
Can't wait to hit the lake this weekend! No license or motor yet so I'm throwing a crank-bait in and rowing around lol!
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so far i have only ever been out in wind once in my pontoon that made my arse pucker up :o and this was 4 foot whitecaps at least. Almost got flipped when the wind and wave played together, wind picked me up and wind got underneath me but still no flipping over because i laid onto the one side to prevent it LOL
I have been out in some pretty heavy winds on lakes in my pontoon already and never worried until that one time and yes i was freaking out abit until i hit shore !! even then i was shaky for a good ten minutes
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so far i have only ever been out in wind once in my pontoon that made my arse pucker up :o and this was 4 foot whitecaps at least. Almost got flipped when the wind and wave played together, wind picked me up and wind got underneath me but still no flipping over because i laid onto the one side to prevent it LOL
I have been out in some pretty heavy winds on lakes in my pontoon already and never worried until that one time and yes i was freaking out abit until i hit shore !! even then i was shaky for a good ten minutes
Obvious withdrawal symptoms ;D
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Obvious withdrawal symptoms ;D
lol, yes!