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On buying a "DEMO" kayak...


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So i've recently acquired a Hobie Revolution 13...



my girls could reach the pedal and steering it was much more manageable than the standard paddle kayak.


plus, it offers me a diverse option for those "fishing" outings...


well, i just wanted to share some of my experience.


Sunday:



drove down to a vendor that had the Revo 13 in Hibiscus (color of choice by my kids)



picked up a "RETAIL" kayak... they took it off the wrapper and everything was "NEW"


brought it home and placed it in my garage for a once-over... 


then i realized that on the rear right side, there is a "DEMO" branded into the gunwale of the kayak...



hmm... hmmmmmm...



then i proceeded to take a closer look...


1) immediately under the center hatch, noticed that a large section (bout 8" dia) of plastic was ground down or resurfaced inside the hull...



ok, outside seemed to not show any repair marks but inside does... 


2) flipped it over on my sawhorse and began inspection of the hulls... noticed that some areas are quite soft... i mean very soft...



yea you can push the hull with the thumb... but this was more like pinky finger pressure and the hull was flexing in and out...


i get it, rotomolded meaning materials melts and coats the mold as it is moved around... hence impossible to get 100% consistency on hull thickness... even my ultra 4.3 have thicker and thinner areas... but this made me feel a bit uneasy...


3) i guess summer heat and being in the wraps, and laying on racks, some "oilcanning" (?) where there are indentations on the hull where the yak made contact with the rack... ok, youtube vids, this can be taken care of...


 



but in the end, paying retail and getting a "DEMO" and furthermore, noticing these points made me uneasy...


Monday & Tuesday:



called the shop, explained them, and drove down there to exchange for a different kayak...



no grinding marks in hull, no high-flex area in the hull, and no branded marks... 


overall, "satisfied" with my experience, the vendor was courteous and the exchange was without hassle...



only spent a bit on gas money, and time off from work... but that's all.


 


now, here's what made me think about purchase of "demo" boats... 



during the exchange, one of the person stated that they come from Hobie as "demo" boats...


so my guess is, ok, so production defects that does not pass the QC gets branded and sent to vendors as "DEMO" boats... 



makes sense... can't sell it, too costly to recycle it, so why not... i would...


so in the end, despite the brand we purchase,



if one is to buy a demo boat, yes there is a price incentive... we should have a more "meticulous" inspection and see if the bargain is really, a bargain... 



i mean when i am yak shopping, i am tempted... demo, a RETAIL yak used for demo purposes and then sold for certain percentage off the RETAIL MSRP... 



but shouldn't the MSRP base be cheaper than the retail on a demo boat? if it was indeed a factory 2nd quality product?


 



thoughts?


 



just wanted to share my experiences, thoughts and opinions...



no way reflect any opinion on a certain brand as this issue applies to all mass produced products...



if it floats, i love it...



just don't tell me to load a PA on a FJ! 


Yellow Eyed Devils
There's no Sense in Nonsense!

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KH,

 

The ground, sanded area inside is supposed to be normal as per Hobie, something about releasing from the mold.

 

I agree wit you that if there are demo boats leaving the factory, that msrp should be a certain % off below the msrp of a 1st quality boat used for demo at the retailer.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by staktup View Post

KH,

The ground, sanded area inside is supposed to be normal as per Hobie, something about releasing from the mold.

I agree wit you that if there are demo boats leaving the factory, that msrp should be a certain % off below the msrp of a 1st quality boat used for demo at the retailer.



staktup,


i'm sure the grounded and sanded area inside the hull did not impact the performance of the hull... but funny thing is that this "as per Hobie" statement is not consistent as it is not on all the boats i've seen... the PA 12 and the new Revo13 does not seem to have it...


anyways, i think, as always, buyer beware is always best when buying anything used.


Yellow Eyed Devils
There's no Sense in Nonsense!

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The thing that bothers me is I consider a DEMO to be a first quality boat that was used for some amount of time and has marks on it , that I would also get in a period of time , really a used boat. A boat coming from any factory that did not meet QC as first quality should be stamped as BLEM or SECOND. SHOW SAMPLE is another term I've seen recently while looking for another kayak, again I would assume first quality that has been dragged around the show circuit getting marks on it.

So only one thing to say...................................CONGRATS ON THE NEW RIDE!.........................jack

Just wanna fish!
DMS#1157    NCBBA#11293     NJBBA#4597

Yellow Eyed Devil from the beginning!

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When we order demos boats before the season we get a small discount on them from Hobie. They stamp them with a branding iron and we are suposed to use them as demos and are not allowed to sell them prior to the end of August. Ive never seen any defects on a demo boat. If they are present they are so subtle that they are not noticeable. When I sell one I will remove the demo stamp if the customer wants me to using a red hot butter knife.

BARRELL
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The thing that bothers me is I consider a DEMO to be a first quality boat that was used for some amount of time and has marks on it , that I would also get in a period of time , really a used boat. A boat coming from any factory that did not meet QC as first quality should be stamped as BLEM or SECOND. SHOW SAMPLE is another term I've seen recently while looking for another kayak, again I would assume first quality that has been dragged around the show circuit getting marks on it.

So only one thing to say...................................CONGRATS ON THE NEW RIDE!.........................jack

 

Hahaha!

Thanks Jack!

 

Took it out in my family summer outing and I have to say, it is fun...

My kids loved it... They should be able to keep up a bit longer...

 

Need to get used to not having the ample room we have on the 4.3... And at the moment, the 4.3 is still much more comfy...

 

Going to get it on the pool and play around some more...

Yellow Eyed Devils
There's no Sense in Nonsense!

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