The tart in me has me thinking about getting a bait boat.
There aren't many models available here in the U.S., but the Ridge Monkey is one of th3m, a5 a decent price too.
The others I have found are the basic and plus models of Boatman Actor boats and a couple of pretty expensive models by Bear Creaks, who I have never heard of.
So, if anyone can weigh in with experiences good or bad with the RM Hunter , it would be most appreciated.
I am tempted by the Actor, but it seems the vendor over here has had them on the shelves for quite some time, probably well over a year, which has me wondering if the boat batteries would still be good, as he doesn't offer spares or replacements.
So what do you all reckon would be the best buy ?
There aren't many models available here in the U.S., but the Ridge Monkey is one of th3m, a5 a decent price too.
The others I have found are the basic and plus models of Boatman Actor boats and a couple of pretty expensive models by Bear Creaks, who I have never heard of.
So, if anyone can weigh in with experiences good or bad with the RM Hunter , it would be most appreciated.
I am tempted by the Actor, but it seems the vendor over here has had them on the shelves for quite some time, probably well over a year, which has me wondering if the boat batteries would still be good, as he doesn't offer spares or replacements.
So what do you all reckon would be the best buy ?
In reply to Post #1
Stay away from it nothing but trouble...
Stay away from it nothing but trouble...
In reply to Post #2
Think I would agree
Think I would agree
In reply to Post #1
Get an ND2.
RM loads being sold cos they are useless
Get an ND2.
RM loads being sold cos they are useless
In reply to Post #1
Vernon
save yourself a load of trouble RM bait boats have a very poor reputation
but if you can buy a New Direction baitboat ??
thats the one to spend your money on LINKY POO
Vernon
save yourself a load of trouble RM bait boats have a very poor reputation
but if you can buy a New Direction baitboat ??
thats the one to spend your money on LINKY POO
I think instead of saying they are crap or useless without clarification I will help a bit
I don't own one but a friend of mine bought a brand new one and on the first outing
It wouldn't drive in a straight line (didn't matter what I did to it I couldn't get it to go straight)
The thumb control fell off
There was a couple of other niggly things but I can't remember what they were.
The best thing about it was you open a lever and put the line inside rather than underneath and through (like an angling technics boat Not sure if any other brand uses that system)
It just didn't feel very sturdy when you opened that lever either.
As with everything ridgemonkey probably best to wait for mk2 or 3 I guess
I don't own one but a friend of mine bought a brand new one and on the first outing
It wouldn't drive in a straight line (didn't matter what I did to it I couldn't get it to go straight)
The thumb control fell off
There was a couple of other niggly things but I can't remember what they were.
The best thing about it was you open a lever and put the line inside rather than underneath and through (like an angling technics boat Not sure if any other brand uses that system)
It just didn't feel very sturdy when you opened that lever either.
As with everything ridgemonkey probably best to wait for mk2 or 3 I guess
In reply to Post #6
Or best just not to bother
i was in france with a mate who had just bought one in the spring
Carry handle snapped, he could not get it to go remotely straight and it randomly disconnected twice about 40yds from the bank so he had to wait for it drift back in when we had a cross wind on 190 acre lake
Total junk. He left it in a bin on the site
Or best just not to bother
i was in france with a mate who had just bought one in the spring
Carry handle snapped, he could not get it to go remotely straight and it randomly disconnected twice about 40yds from the bank so he had to wait for it drift back in when we had a cross wind on 190 acre lake
Total junk. He left it in a bin on the site
In reply to Post #7
Yes
That was one of the other things
Had to keep turning it off and on..
Yes
That was one of the other things
Had to keep turning it off and on..
In reply to Post #8
Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I think I will give the RM a swerve.
I have been in touch with the U.S. distributor for Actor boats and it seems he does indeed have epwres, upgrade kits etc, so I am considering either the standard boat, with gps and sonar, or the Plus with gps.
Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I think I will give the RM a swerve.
I have been in touch with the U.S. distributor for Actor boats and it seems he does indeed have epwres, upgrade kits etc, so I am considering either the standard boat, with gps and sonar, or the Plus with gps.
In reply to Post #9
Get the actor plus which is what I have now much better with the longer hopper which is remote opening and closing . I did consider the smaller double hopper actor but glad I went with the actor plus . I had the hunter 750 previously and found the steering was crap with the low down joystick ridgemonkey left paying customer to find the thought with the crap steering before they bought out the newer remote with raised joystick plus their has been many other problems reported about them water inside the boat , inside battery compartments
Get the actor plus which is what I have now much better with the longer hopper which is remote opening and closing . I did consider the smaller double hopper actor but glad I went with the actor plus . I had the hunter 750 previously and found the steering was crap with the low down joystick ridgemonkey left paying customer to find the thought with the crap steering before they bought out the newer remote with raised joystick plus their has been many other problems reported about them water inside the boat , inside battery compartments
I think there's enough evidence out there ( and on here) to avoid the RM bait boats 
I must admit when I see one on eBay for sale - always near new mint condition- going for a fair wedge, I wince and wonder why it's for sale
In time RM may produce a good boat, maybe even a spectacular one, but it's going to take time to recover from their reputation of producing (buying in from China) ***** ones.
Lots of others brands to choose from to suit your needs
I must admit when I see one on eBay for sale - always near new mint condition- going for a fair wedge, I wince and wonder why it's for sale
In time RM may produce a good boat, maybe even a spectacular one, but it's going to take time to recover from their reputation of producing (buying in from China) ***** ones.
Lots of others brands to choose from to suit your needs
In reply to Post #11
It's probably user error the same as it was with the stoves
It's probably user error the same as it was with the stoves
In reply to Post #12
You say user error with the stoves...knocking a cannister over and setting your entire bivvy alight because of the resulting flame isnt user error, it's a lack of a safety feature that stoves from 20 years ago have
You say user error with the stoves...knocking a cannister over and setting your entire bivvy alight because of the resulting flame isnt user error, it's a lack of a safety feature that stoves from 20 years ago have
In reply to Post #13
They blamed the user
They blamed the user
In reply to Post #14
Oh, you were being sarcastic! Sorry
Oh, you were being sarcastic! Sorry
In reply to Post #1
Vernon,
The Actor is a tough little boat.
Lorenzo is also a very responsive US agent.
I'd suggest it's a good choice for you.
Vernon,
The Actor is a tough little boat.
Lorenzo is also a very responsive US agent.
I'd suggest it's a good choice for you.
In reply to Post #16
Yeah, I have now been in touch with him and will likely be buying from him.
Yeah, I have now been in touch with him and will likely be buying from him.
In reply to Post #16
Yeah, I have now been in touch with him and will likely be buying from him.
Yeah, I have now been in touch with him and will likely be buying from him.
In reply to Post #16
Yeah, I have now been in touch with him and will likely be buying from him.
Yeah, I have now been in touch with him and will likely be buying from him.
In reply to Post #2
See from what I've seen online I would agree BUT a few lads have it on my syndicate, they all bought them after the handset change and I'll be honest they haven't had one problem at all, they love it and it works in all weathers without a problem and they have had it for a while now all of them still work perfectly
See from what I've seen online I would agree BUT a few lads have it on my syndicate, they all bought them after the handset change and I'll be honest they haven't had one problem at all, they love it and it works in all weathers without a problem and they have had it for a while now all of them still work perfectly
I must be the only one on here who doesn't like the actor boat? Alright little boat did what it was meant to do but just felt very very cheaply made and just didn't get on with it, always felt like something will break on it. Sold mine and got a different boat!
Ended up with a Xboat but if I was you I'd spend a little more and go for a cult ranger or even the ND boat
Ended up with a Xboat but if I was you I'd spend a little more and go for a cult ranger or even the ND boat
My friend has the RM hunter 750, and likes it alot,
no problems and using it every week,
myself waiting for possible upgrade version with gps & mapping,
for most lakes this is the best size boat with its 41 cm lenght, light, small, agile & useful.
Continental big lakes will demand larger boats, but these are a lot bigger, heavy,...
Had RT4 & AT microcat, good boats with lots of options, but sold them being to big & laboriously, now using AT procat IV with deeper.
no problems and using it every week,
myself waiting for possible upgrade version with gps & mapping,
for most lakes this is the best size boat with its 41 cm lenght, light, small, agile & useful.
Continental big lakes will demand larger boats, but these are a lot bigger, heavy,...
Had RT4 & AT microcat, good boats with lots of options, but sold them being to big & laboriously, now using AT procat IV with deeper.
Vernon if your only availability choice is Actor bait boat or Ridge Monkey ?
then 100% its got to be the Actor bait boat
just wondering if ?? you can get hold of a Lake reaper bait boat though ? they do 2 boats both very good and easy to open and service yourself
over here think the main distributor is Howes Models LINKY POO
then 100% its got to be the Actor bait boat
just wondering if ?? you can get hold of a Lake reaper bait boat though ? they do 2 boats both very good and easy to open and service yourself
over here think the main distributor is Howes Models LINKY POO
In reply to Post #22
I also have no problems with my RM750 it's absolutely perfect for the lake I fish, no problems controlling it, doesn't always go in the straightest line, but it depends how you load it and where you put the lead, it's not designed for big windswept pits, I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones who has had no problems
I also have no problems with my RM750 it's absolutely perfect for the lake I fish, no problems controlling it, doesn't always go in the straightest line, but it depends how you load it and where you put the lead, it's not designed for big windswept pits, I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones who has had no problems
In reply to Post #1
I'm guessing if you are in the states that you will be fishing the larger waters , I would therefore look at something big and sturdy like the waverunner MK4.
I'm guessing if you are in the states that you will be fishing the larger waters , I would therefore look at something big and sturdy like the waverunner MK4.
In reply to Post #23
I did send Howes an email, no response yet....
I did send Howes an email, no response yet....
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