Seattle Sports Deluxe Boat Cart - Special Buy

Comments about Seattle Sports Deluxe Boat Cart - Special Bu:

I bought this product the last time it was offered at REI outlet, and it has served me well through one kayaking season. It is sturdy, fairly lightweight, and the large tires make it easy to roll over sand, rocks, grass or the silty mud of my favorite river. It has made it possible for me to go out when the mood strikes, instead of relying on another person to help me get my boat in & out of the water. On the down side, I can only get the tires in my (really quite large)hatch, the frame is too big and must be strapped on top. The placement of the valves make filling the tires challenging. It has a bit of a learning curve getting the boat secured, but once I figured it out there have been no problems.

Comments about Seattle Sports Deluxe Boat Cart - Special Bu:

I am using this cart with an Old Town Dirigo tandem - a large kayak. It takes numerous tries to get the kayak onto the cart. The kick stand folds too easily, or the cart collapses closed when attempting to set the kayak onto the cart. The tires deflate easily. The stem on the tires is horribly inaccessible. I have to pull it out and hold it with needle nose pliers while attempting to get the air pump onto the stem. It is necessary to strap the kayak down very tight to keep the kayak from twisting/slipping on the cart. In hot weather, this causes the kayak to bend. Overall, the cart gets the job done, but these issues are very annoying to deal with each time it is used. Improvements are needed.

Comments about Seattle Sports Deluxe Boat Cart - Special Bu:

This is the second kaykak cart I bought. First one came recomended by a clerk at another store and was totally wrong for my 12 foot rec boat. So I ordered this one from rei, and it was so easy to get my boat on it. So easy to attach to the boat and haul. And saved my back dragging it back to my SUV. This is perfect for my wide rec boat. Exceeded my expectations.

Comments about Seattle Sports Deluxe Boat Cart - Special Bu:

I found this product better than some of the more recent reviews. I bought it based on price and feel that I received my moneys worth. It is easy to use and durable enough for my 13' Pelican Apex Kayak (66lbs). My son is able to transport the kayak to a cove about 0.5mi away with no difficulty. We have used it several times with none of the incidents in some of the other posts.

Comments about Seattle Sports Deluxe Boat Cart - Special Bu:

Paddleboy's been making wheelies for 15 years, constantly proliferating and refining designs, including this one. Last year's Deluxe (a wider Mighty Mite) differs from current production so things could change, but the trend is decidedly downward. Cheap tires on cheap wheels attached with cheap cotter shackles are filled via valve stems too short to accept a pump head. Drillings are oval. Axles don't line up. Kickstand bushing detents do not engage tubing. (The first thing you should do is remove the kickstand, spread it slightly and turn it over so the open ends are up. Put ABS tubing over the ground contact. Those mini crutch tips are for showroom floors, not beach sand.) Quality engineering is evident but execution is poor. Seattle Sports sent a photo to China and asked for something made to look exactly like the picture. The result actually functions as intended, as most ersatz reproductions do, but don't expect it to last. Other models may be better. The steel versions look sturdy, may actually stow in a kayak (this one: ha!), and Galvanic corrosion is obviated, but of course they cost and weigh more. For undemanding use where a cart is convenient this one is adequate but if you need your cart, you need a better cart.

Comments about Seattle Sports Deluxe Boat Cart - Special Bu:

We tried to use this cart on the Bowron Lakes Circut in British Columbia.Big mistake!It did not survive the first three portages a total of about 5km.

Manufacture's web site said this cart is rated to 200lbs. We used it to carry a heavy kayak(60lbs) plus gear (aprox.60-80lbs)

Cons:
Val stem too close to rim to inflate with most pumps, I had to use extenders.

Kickstand would not stay in retacted position so it dragged on the ground and had to be tied up.

Even tied up the ends often snagged on rocks, roots etc. so I had to remove it.

Wheel retainer pins kept comming off.

Bearings came loose and self destructed.

Axle bent

Comments about Seattle Sports Deluxe Boat Cart - Special Bu:

Makes portaging very easy. The unit stores easily in the canoe or car trunk. The only problem i had was with the "white metal" buckle; It broke in half when I yanked in the strap to tighten the unit down. Darn good value for the money.

Comments about Seattle Sports Deluxe Boat Cart - Special Bu:

Collapses easily when attaching kayak. Twists easily on the kayak when it hits a small bump. One tire tube failed after one year of occasional use. Difficult to find these tube - I finally had to mail order one. Seattle Sports doesn't sell them. Very difficult to change the tube as well. Agree that valve configuration makes inflation difficult, and the valve stem prone to damage. Tires not really large enough for sand.

Not terrible for the outlet price; if you want something that is great I'd consider the Wheel-eez carts.