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Herks
02-09-2007, 08:49 PM
Hi All,

Can anyone advise on the quality of these boats. I am looking at the 4.5 m size. They had them at the boat show painted up as Berkley gulp boats. They seem to be value for money but have heard rumours that their qulaity is poor? I was tod that the Stessco Renegade was produced for the DPI so you would think they would be a good tough boat.

Dan5
02-09-2007, 10:37 PM
Hey herk's still lookin at a stessco eh! Look the outsider 485 that i had was ok some of the other stessco's i've seen have been a bit rough with the welds and stuff.We had 4 offshore 455's for charter work and they put up with a beating for about 3 years with only a few cracked weld's/bow rail's broken etc now considering the boat's did about 3500 hrs of being towed around from place to place and used atleast 8-10 hrs of use nearly every day they lasted reasonably well.What you have to do is check over the individual boat to make sure it's been welded and put together half decent as the quality will vary from boat to boat.If your looking at the 4.5mtr range in stessco have a look at the 445 tornado they are not a bad set up with 3mm sides and underfloor tank etc they seem to be the heavier version of the renegade/offshore/hurricane's.Now i'm pretty sure and almost positive that Stessle make the stessco boats it's a sub company called ALBO marine they are not made by horizon as they make the bermuda hulls for mercury/quicksilver and so does trailcraft.Anyway i looked into getting another stessco only a few month's back i was looking at the tornado as it's the more heavy duty in that range but the one the dealer had in stock was quite ruff and i wasn't happy with it and they wouldn't get another one in stock until they sold that one first and i know it's still sitting in the yard and has been for over 9 months.I decided to go with a bluefin warrior 4.5 after looking at and being in many tinnie's it is one of the better built one's around with most of the option's as standard and i'm happy with it and so is every one else thats been in it.Good luck which ever way you decide to go just make sure you give it a good going over for sub standard workmanship and if your not sure get a mate that's a welder to have a look also as dodgy stuff stands out to someone in the know.Cheer's Dan....................

mako_5.2
03-09-2007, 02:32 AM
stessco have nothing to do with stessl. they are made by albo marine at narangba and also make 4 seasons and oz craft

BOMBIE
12-10-2007, 08:27 AM
HI Herks ,just try and contact the manager of stessco/4seasons/albo marine and tell u have a fault to report ?!! MONTHS not weeks

mako_5.2
13-10-2007, 12:39 AM
Bombie

Have you tried taking it in to see them. they used to do repair work and mods on saturday mornings. I never tried on the phone.

nigelr
13-10-2007, 06:32 AM
Have a 4.2 Catcher.
Very happy with it, 3mm bottom as standard, certainly not the prettiest girl at the dance but a relatively deep vee for a production tinny, also an extra rib on some.
Cross the local bar in mine (only when conditions allow!), handles chop well at the right speed, always feels safe on the water.
Strong and well priced, but as stated above, with production tinnies check over the welds on each individual boat no matter what brand!
Cheers.

BOMBIE
13-10-2007, 09:12 AM
mako 5.2 when manager organised "repairs"x2 still not done .try to find supplier in cq area.!!!!::)

485hussar
18-02-2008, 01:00 PM
Im going through a little problem at the moment with my Stessco. It has minor hairline cracks on the transom which need to be rewelded & repainted. I am waiting for Albo to come to CQ to pick it up to take to brissie to fix them return to me.
I have no solid evidence yet but I get the feeling I am about to get the runaround very soon - calls not returned etc. Hopefully it all works out well because apart from the small cracks the boat is excellent, its just the warranty service which seems a bit sus.
Watch this space for more updates,

trev1
18-02-2008, 01:54 PM
I think they are a good looking hull with a good shape for a tinnie but the 1 I seen at a dealers showroom had 13 cracks visible in welds WITHOUT getting inside the boat. I asked the dealer and he said the manufacturer didn't want to know about the cracks and wasn't interested in fixing them.

marty+jojo
18-02-2008, 03:33 PM
I had a look at a 4.2 catcher and i told the guy at the shop i really liked the boat and set up, but i asked him if the apprentice built it? The welding looked sh#thouse, it was all stop start with big lumps everywhere,,, it looked so dodgy. I bought a Bluefin Mangrove Jack 4.2mtr, very similar setup, but far better welding and finish, 4 years on and no cracks.
Marty.

tin can marlin
18-02-2008, 09:05 PM
I have heard that the oz craft is built by there better welders because the dealer wont cop shit workmanship. So if you like there hull design look at the oz craft true blue.

tin can marlin
20-02-2008, 05:28 PM
A mate of mine just picked one of these up from wadell rd maine it was a cathcer 4.2 and he is wraped in it. Said the finsh wasent great but he also said he didn't pay top dollar for it. So he understands there has to be a happy medium.
Regards mark

basstabait
20-02-2008, 07:05 PM
i have a 2003 catcher rv i have no complaints with the build quality .
they reckon you shouldn't buy a car or boat made on a monday or a friday (mondayitas)haha :)

pursuit001
28-02-2008, 05:43 PM
hi they are built a little ruff but seem to be quiet strong every one i have spoke to is more than happy with it and found them well priced .
cheers

Crooked
28-02-2008, 06:45 PM
G'day Herks,
I've had a stessco catcher 4.2 SF for about a year now and love it. Yes some of the welds are not pretty but I didn't buy it for looks. It rides really well, stable at rest and has heaps of room, as Nigelr said it has a great hull for a prodution tinny and is dry also. Compare what you get with the stessco against what you would get with some of the other brands and there is no comparison.

I live in the tropics and after a month I wasn't happy with the quality of ply they used in the floor, it had delaminated and grown mold. I went back through my dealer and the floor was fully replaced locally within a month. I reckon that's not bad warranty service.

I have had no other problems and wouldn't change my decision.

cheers, Evan

Alchemy
28-02-2008, 08:15 PM
I have a 3.9m model, with front/rear casting decks. Reckon it's a great little boat!

Regards,
Dave.

whatscracken
29-02-2008, 07:29 AM
Hey mate, I've got a 4.2m catacher thats 5 years old. I've put it through its paces overs the years including being offshore and countless trips through the bay in less then comfortable conditions. I had a rib weld crack on the left side but I was on holidays and continued to use it a fair bit which I'm gathering put a fair bit of stress on the other welds. Long story short I ended up getting that rib and others welded up. Most just had hairline cracks.

My welder who has done work on a lot of alloy boats went right through it and commented that a few welds were a little underdone but generally was build well.

Apart from that I am more then satisfied with the boat and think that they are a reasonable boat for a reasonable price. If I had to buy a 4 to 4.5m tinnie again I would get a sea jay.

BOMBIE
06-03-2008, 09:13 PM
>:( HI team mentioned about this mob a while ago ! but price should NOT comprise safety & where is pride in "trademans" construction &&& after sales service ???????.it seems by many responces to be consumers the fault p.s. now they r trying to sell direct in cq local paper :-[ re web site :o bombie

tin can marlin
06-03-2008, 09:22 PM
Hi bomie what ad have they got in the paper to ring the factory direct or a dealer in brisbane. Regards mark

BOMBIE
06-03-2008, 09:32 PM
no mate they want to go direct re no local dealers . bombie

tin can marlin
06-03-2008, 09:53 PM
Gee that would not be great because you would be up there with no back up at all because ypu can go back to dealer if there is a drama sounds like a nighhmare what was wrong with you rig. Regards mark

BOMBIE
06-03-2008, 11:16 PM
MARK still in dispute but start with 1 paint 2 cracks 3 lack of after sales/warranty service not retailer but factory etc etc bombie

Dan5
06-03-2008, 11:31 PM
I've heard there abit hard to deal with,when we bought 4 of their boat's for guide work we asked about abit of a deal for some promotion and they said that they were'nt interested in doing deal's.So when it came time to upgrade the next year we sorted out a company that would do us a deal and they missed out on future sale's,but hey they chose that attitude not us.

Dan...

63eh
07-03-2008, 12:04 AM
Hey mate had one since 1989, 4.3 open, still no problems at all, maby build quality has dropped off over the years, but i cant complain
dan

philpy
07-03-2008, 02:00 AM
Herks mate just brought a Renagade.The boat is great good river and out side fishing boat.Plenty of room and storage which i love hate having shit lying around and with a 40 yamy on the back it goes well .BUT only 6 months of owning it the floor went rotten.Was ready to ring stesscos neck but rang them up and told them the problem and told me to bring it straight in>it was fixed in a day.mate its a personal thing some people love them some people love stacer.Other then that mate the boat is a dream.Now just need some good wheather

BOMBIE
07-03-2008, 03:55 PM
HI folks i am not talking about smaller tinnies 3.8/4.2/4.6 etc [nothing wrong with that]but 5.0+sea boats $30.k+ not small change for 12month warranty get that for$50. toaster ;D

tin can marlin
08-03-2008, 11:26 AM
A mate of mine just got a stssco from wandell rd marine a 445 side console with a 40hp merc and he is not happey because he went out the other day with 3 adults fuel esky etc not to overloaded and he could just get it on a plane. I don't no why the dealer would not have the boat around $1500 more and put a 50 on it. Because people will pay the extra if the salesperson tells them the truth. So maybe stesscos problems are more related to the dealers they have got. It is a fine line. Regards mark

Bowser
08-03-2008, 11:56 AM
I have a 4.45 that I converted to a centre console. Hull is bare aluminium and some of the welds aren't pretty but it certainly is a tough boat. We regularly, well not this year with the winds, but over the last 3 years, cross south passage bar and fish the 29's & 35's. Never had a concern that we wouldn't come home. It is a great down hill hull for it's size and I know that I can get home in a hurry if I need to. The current range have changed the side decks unfortunately in my opinion. But all boat builders are building them with clip together panels and not with extrusions these days. The extrusion is much stronger in my opinion. The range now includes a 4.6 m hull which is only slightly longer but signaficantly deeper and wider then the 4.45. I am in the process of getting one of these made into a bespoke centre console now. will probably get the side deck fully welded while thisis being done to add some strength and stability.

rcfisher
08-03-2008, 11:58 AM
Totally agree Mark, but being from Wondall Road Marine i am not supprised at all.

BOMBIE
09-03-2008, 09:40 PM
people dont get me wrong, our 5+with 90 4str DID 33+knts handled & went well BUT that doesnt excuse lack of tradesmanship ,pride in quality of build and customer & retailer support went faults occure

BOMBIE
09-03-2008, 10:01 PM
people dont get me wrong our 5+ with 90 4str did 33 knts and handled a fare sea BUT that doesnt excuse lack of trademanship ,pride in quality of construction and a company that does not & will not answer to anyone including its watchdog body :-X .and it doesnt back its retailers went faults occure with there $$$ spending customers >:(

tin can marlin
11-03-2008, 07:51 PM
Hi bombie maybe you should try and talk to mick at river city marine real good bloke and he will sort it out for you. I meet him a bream tourdement and he told me all about how good a value the stessco's are and that sometimes they have a few issues but that is because it is a fine line between price and finsh good luck with it all and let us know how you go. Regards mark

BOMBIE
11-03-2008, 10:06 PM
Thanks Mark but it shouldnt be up to a retailer, they didnt "construct it "the MANUFACTOR should be a bit more willing to back its product & retailer and not be so willing to take the money & run ,at this stage negotitions ? are underway. just hope this let boaties know good from terrible i believe most are fair dincum & faults do occure & most manufactors do the right thing .WE just need to spread the word on all the dodgie suppliers an get them out of this industry !!! Bombie

tin can marlin
12-03-2008, 07:57 AM
good point bombie we would be better of with out them to. Regards clint

BOMBIE
12-03-2008, 11:01 PM
tin caN please check out & ADVISED HIM fleety77 just brought on of these rigs I wish him best of luck its BAD to see its NOT JUST ME bombie

485hussar
29-03-2008, 06:57 PM
SUCSESS!!!

howdy, Just letting you guys know that the problem I had with the hairline cracks in the ransom of my 485 stessco (see post #8) have all been fixed up. The manager/ part owner personally came up to Gladstone (7hrs from bris) to pick up the boat & take it back for repairs. Within a week they called me up to let me know it would be dropped off that afternoon. All up it took 6 days from pickup to drop off which I was very happy about. Rewelding & repainting came up tops and I found no other damage to t boat or paintwork (believe me I had a good look before & after just incase). The fellow that picked her up was happy to chat about the boat and explain to me how they would rectify the problem. I couldnt be happier cos im back on the water & caught a nice feed of muddies that weekend. Yew.
So all be aware that there are some good outcomes from this mob. From my point off view and exprience I am surprised to hear about those with bad experiences from these guys.
Just for the record I tried to sort out the problem with the retailer who put me on the manufacturer. Things stalled for 1-2mths and then i was fixed.

ctwaddle
30-03-2008, 06:19 AM
I have been in a 4.2m and a 3.75 and would have to say they have a fair bit of flex in the hull and the built quaility of the hulls isnt the greatest but it all come down to "you get what you pay for"


thanks

Skusto
30-03-2008, 03:33 PM
i had a look at the 640 oz craft a while ago i can tell u from wat i saw they arent worth the money at all the build quality just isnt there. i was lookin at on ein the yard that was app sold when i was goin through it with the salesman i found out that they hadnt drilled a whole foor the kill tank so u couldnt open it and one of the welds near in the cabin had completly broken off. wasnt to nice to see and turned me off those brands for good.

BOMBIE
31-03-2008, 08:27 PM
well team ours gets fixed & inspected this week after a long couple of years battle, still will sell it {i hope} after it comes back let u know how it goes .best of luck hussar

moater
22-05-2008, 10:15 PM
After reading so many negatives about Stessco quality I think I'll keep away from them..a bit sad as they look good and sound good with their specs but bloody hell...ya don't want a craft that's going to crack up on you..literally!

I've had some correspondence with a northern dealer (I'm in Vic) and he's answered my concerns with a statement about there being occasions where there'll be human error.Fair enough but why don't we hear of welds on cars cracking so much with the rigorous work that they're subjected to??

Just not good enough to have welds cracking and when I was doing a boilermaker apprenticeship my Serbian boss would've killed me I reckon if I'd produced such crap...a mad bastard and I didn't finish my training.I also did a lot of welding/metal fabrication when I was a plant operator in a bluemetal quarry so I've had a bit of experience.

No one should excuse poor welding !!!!!>:( >:( >:(

My two cents,
Darren

BOMBIE
30-05-2008, 10:21 PM
HI Darren there is NO excuse for shit workmanship/ quality in construction tried for 3 years to get a reasonable outcome but money & time ? maybe word of mouth can SINK them in CQ ; ps no dealers here !!!!