Trailcraft Profish or Quintrex top ender?

[Herby13]

Looking for a good alround boat still which can be handled by just the one person. I go barra fishing alot in the local dams, but also like chasing flatties, whitting etc around the estuary, but just moved to mackay now so also looking at going out to some of the closer reefs and the islands.

Just chasing a few recommendations on peoples experiences with the above boats, and any standout good and bad points they have encountered.. Any feed back would be great.

Thomas.

[Herby13]

Also i have seen in my looking around for boats a boat that is similar to the above ones but is a "4 seasons 4.45 Gulf Runner" which also looks ok, but i have never heard of that brand before. Has anyone had or ever been in one of these?

[boatie_72]

Check your pm

[finding_time]

i would go with the trailcraft. Reason? Do a search on Telwater( makers of Quintrex) on this site and you will know why!

[Greg P]

Get a little Webster cat 4.4m or 4.9. Heaps better boat than those two

[ratbag's]

greatest can of worms you could ever open! I have a quinnie TE 455, love it, no issues, yam 60hp, 4st. I bought it 2nd hand & tricked it up a bit. My trailer is a drive on/off and centres the boat. great for 1 person. You will get good & bad for every brand of boat in the smaller sizes. happy hunting! :jester:

[Kleyny]

i also have a quintrex and never had a drama with it.

I think you will find the telwater issues come from offshore rigs more than estuary.

a friend has a top ender and he has gives it an absolute hidding and his hasnt broken either.

neil

[patrol50]

hi i have a quin 470 millenium runabout / 50 hp 4 s efi merc and while its all ok and i have had no real issues with either the boat or the OB ( had a few with the dealer i bought it off though ) i would not personnally buy another quin as IMHO they appeat to me to be allegedly just thrown together using thinnest alum sheet possible and as cheaply as possible - i would go with the trailcraft if the alum in it is thicker sheet or have agood look at the sea jay equivalent if i was you - but then plenty of guys have quintrex boats but they really are just a bay and real close inshore range of boats - see you rob

[JB]

Mate i have had a 4.5 pro fish for 6 years now. What a versitile boat it has been. Pros: Well built (plate boat), versatile, easy to customise, will provide years of boating without a problem.
Cons: can be a wet boat at times but i use mine 90% offshore and everyone knows an open boat offshore is always going to be wet.

As far as quintrex go's i totally hate thier consoles.. these fancy plastic moulded things that you can't fit a decent sounder on etc, who needs a "sporty" console.. its a bloody fishing boat .. harden up LOL.

I remember looking at a top ender at the tinny n tackle show then looking at the trailcraft straight after.. my first thought was "that quinny felt like a toy compared to this " ..

Jas

[gucci84]

the only thing i'll throw into the soup is that all ally boats crack!!!!! even if you treat them nice you cant stop it, its just how ally is made and because of that fact i will never buy a boat with a sealed (welded) floor you will get years of use before having to cut a hole in the floor to reweld the ribs but you will have to one day(or sell it to some poor bugger if you can live with that)
have a good one
casey

[luskin]

I have had a Hornet Trophy and now a 540 legend and can't complain about either. good luck with yr search..

Cheers

Sy

;) ;)

[Flex]

2 totally different boats.

Im 99% sure the Trailcraft has a full plate 5083 grade bottom. with clinker sides.

The quintrex is all pressed like your typical tinny.

If you can get em at the same price, then go the trailcraft. A far better construction than the quintrex, but the Traicraft does run a 11deg deadrise so will bang a tad(no worse than the quintrex though really)
Their Millenium Hull is almost a total marketing ploy, it helps a bit in 30cm of chop but other than that it'll ride like most other tinny's

If your gunna get a quintrex look at other brands of Pressed Tinny's. alot better value for money around IMO.

I think the seajay range is fantastic(very high quality welds comparied to others at a good price). Mako craft and alley craft are also decent and will be alot cheaper than a Quintrex.


But I'd choose the Trailcraft over em all if Pricing was similar due to Plate construction.

[banshee]

I can't help but think if you buy a new Quintrex you'll regret it,I know I did,two years down the track and I've all but given up on geting the thing fixed properly.

[fish2relax]

G'day Herby13,
I have a 2.5yo Trailcraft 540 Profish and regularly take it out to Browns mountain one weekend and then up small creeks chasing flatty's the next. Its a great boat and stable with fishing 3 a side a breeze.
As others have said it does bang a little however is not as noticable due to the seating position so far astern.

I am still able to launch and fish solo when required too.
I am about to list it for sale and even though I am South of you it may be of interest?
PM if you would like.

Either way you go you will not regret a Trailcraft. I havent and it handles all I have put infront of it including some big swells.

Regards,
Ben

[Why Not]

I have a G.S Marine Xtreme. When looking around for a boat to fit my needs I compared Trailcraft, Topender and the Extreme. I couldn't go past the storage room I have in my boat. The topenders are light on in this regard and the Trailcraft I found near non existant in this department, but this is because of the sealed deck (big benefit). So what ever you settle on "its your boat", everyone is just jealous if they knock it.

Why Not

[JB]

the only thing i'll throw into the soup is that all ally boats crack!!!!! even if you treat them nice you cant stop it, its just how ally is made and because of that fact i will never buy a boat with a sealed (welded) floor you will get years of use before having to cut a hole in the floor to reweld the ribs but you will have to one day(or sell it to some poor bugger if you can live with that)
have a good one
casey

Thats a bit of an odd statement mate.. , for a start there are no ribs in the bottom of a trailcraft under the sealed floor... its a plate boat. And i've had mine for 6 years pounding the crap out of it offshore week after week and it hasn't cracked. ( i will admit there was a design fault in the very early trailcraft transom which i had to get repaired however since that was rectified there has been no problems) .

I just find the "all ally boats crack" a bit of a false statement, maybe you are referring too pressed alloy boats?

[Kev_McC]

I don't think you'll go wrong with either of them mate, they're both great boats. I own a topender and couldn't be happier with it. I fish with about 5 other blokes with quinnies and none of them have ever had a problem. Quintrex dominate the small boat market so by weight of numbers you would expect more problems with them. There are plenty of satisfied quinny owners out there. In saying that I do know 2 blokes who have had problems (cracks) with topenders - both of these guys fished differently to me, often heading considerable distances offshore in conditions I wouldn't go out in, in a tinny under 5m. I regularly fish 10-30km outside but I'm pretty picky with my conditions.
Most of my fishing is luring estuaries and inshore, plus some time on the dams - the topender is perfect for this. I am yet to fish from a boat with better stability for a lure fisher (and enough freeboard to fish outside), but I've never fished from a Profish.
On the millenium hull - all the guys I know with quinnies, myself included, have owned several different boats beforehand and believe me the millenium hull is a step up.
If I was in your shoes I'd be happy with either of them. If your going to be heading offshore more than inside work then maybe the Profish would have a nose in front due to it's heavier construction. They are certainly well made.

[Jarrah Jack]

the only thing i'll throw into the soup is that all ally boats crack!!!!! even if you treat them nice you cant stop it, its just how ally is made and because of that fact i will never buy a boat with a sealed (welded) floor you will get years of use before having to cut a hole in the floor to reweld the ribs
casey
B S I have a 79 quintrex fishabout never been welded and my alloy guy gives it another 10 years at least.

[Herby13]

Well cheers for all your thoughts, i have to do a lot more loojking into things by the sounds of it.