Commander Boats Quality

[farmo83]

My Cousin is look at a Commander, I have heard the of the name but are they well put together ?

 

[RiverDave]

My Cousin is look at a Commander, I have heard the of the name but are they well put together ?

Short answer, No.. This will undoubtedly start a flurry of bullshit.. but the reality of it is, they are a shade tree above a Hawaiian.

RD

 

[Vmjtc3]

My Cousin is look at a Commander, I have heard the of the name but are they well put together ?

This is a tough question to answer. But I will give it a shot. Compared to some boats no compared to some boats yes. The best thing to do is take the thing out on the water. Crawl all over it, run it, have a survey done to check for hull anomalies and make the decision if the boat is but together well enough for YOU. Every one has different standards of what is acceptable for them. Plus its hard to say just by boat brand, ever manufacturer has put out the occasional turd as well as the occasional gem.............

 

[RiverDave]

This is a tough question to answer. But I will give it a shot. Compared to some boats no compared to some boats yes. The best thing to do is take the thing out on the water. Crawl all over it, run it, have a survey done to check for hull anomalies and make the decision if the boat is but together well enough for YOU. Every one has different standards of what is acceptable for them. Plus its hard to say just by boat brand, ever manufacturer has put out the occasional turd as well as the occasional gem.............

Well said..

RD

 

[Paul65k]

It depends on your point of reference as was said above. If you have a Bayliner you'll think it's surprisingly well put together. If you have a Schiada NOTHING else will ever be built good enough for you

Trust me I'm driving an Advantage these days and every time I get in I can't help but compare every bolt, screw (almost none of those on a Schiada) , lay-up as well as fit/finish with my previous Schiadas.......and it doesn't come close, but that doesn't mean it not a good boat. The deal was too good to turn down and the build quality is probably around a B-IMHO. Hallett, Schiada, Howard and some of the old time custom guys build (Built) each boat with care and attention to detail one by one for customers that order them in advance and these are in a different league all together.

At the other end of the spectrum are the mass production boats (Bayliner, 4 winds etc..) with the "Semi Custom" boats in the middle of which Commander, Carrera (dated now), Advantage and Nordic would in my opinion fit. You can argue where any given boat falls on the scale but some are C-'s and some are solid B's maybe even B+'s......the question is where Commander falls.

IMHO it depends on when it was built......early on they were built like Hawaiians (bottom of the barrel), later they got better....never great but better.....if it was built within the last 10 years much better than if they were older.

My .02

 

[PolarBearKing]

I love my Commander. It rides nice, has never left me stranded and looks good. But I agree that it's a mid level boat. If I had DCB or Eliminator money, I'd be seen driving one of those. But I dont, and I am very satisfied with my boat and I'd buy anoither one in a heartbeat.

 

[jsquaredgc]

Before my wife and I got married she owned a Commander, I will say this - my wifes boat ( she bought new) was a piece of shit. Sorry not to talk shit on Commander but it was garbage. I know people that are happy with their Commander - after transom bolts came out and the squirter was hanging on by a thread......since we both owned boats ....hers was GONE!!

 

[454Rocket]

I love my Commander. It rides nice, has never left me stranded and looks good. But I agree that it's a mid level boat. If I had DCB or Eliminator money, I'd be seen driving one of those. But I dont, and I am very satisfied with my boat and I'd buy anoither one in a heartbeat.

I wouldn't put Eliminator anywhere near a DCB, and I own one.

 

[Gelcoater]

I wouldn't put Eliminator anywhere near a DCB, and I own one.

Why?

 

[Jet-Daytona]

Why?

X2!!

 

[pronstar]

I wouldn't put Eliminator anywhere near a DCB, and I own one.

There's a member here who went from DCB, to Eliminator, and back to DCB. He said the same thing...but I doubt he will go anywhere near a thread called "Commander Boats Quality"

 

[PolarBearKing]

I wouldn't put Eliminator anywhere near a DCB, and I own one.

Hey Brian, how's the leg?

 

[Bobby V]

I wouldn't put Eliminator anywhere near a DCB, and I own one.

Whats wrong with your pink eliminator..

 

[BACK2BIGRIVER]

I had a 21' conquest for eight years one of the best boats i have ever had. It always started and the gel coat was in excellent condition when i sold it. 400 hrs plus on the motor.

 

[Deleted Account]

Ed Ferro's Commanders were junkships. Sy showed up and wanted to change a lot, but it took quite a few years to get his laminations up to "his" schedule. Lot's of Ed's boys still in the shop there.

Sy was a very unique guy, and I, for one, could not wait to broom his business out of our shop. I can only say this, you get what you pay for...:skull

"I want Porsche quality, but given my volume, you will do this at VW pricing"...:skull:skull:skull

 

[SHOCKtheMONKEY]

My friend has a '96 with over 1000 hrs. still looks great and going strong :champagne: Replaced the outdrive around 900 hrs.

Works for me :thumbsup

 

[H20 Toie]

I had a Commander and would not ever recommend one to anyone, i would buy a Bayliner before getting another one.
Older boats (80's-90's ) are truly unsafe because of they way they were built
The newer ones were built better and i know a few peeps that have them and really like them.

As far as the engine and drive they worked perfect but the rest of the boat was junk

 

[smokinjoe101]

Is commander still in business making boats?

sj

 

[454Rocket]

Why?

X2!!

... All you have to do is look through my boat and a DCB... It's complete attention to detail (DCB) to eh,... ya, that'll work. I'm not saying it's a terrable boat... the thing runs bitchin, just not anywhere near a Hallett, DCB, or even my Carrera as far as I'm concerned.

Hey Brian, how's the leg?

Healing well... two more weeks and I'm free of the boot.

Whats wrong with your pink eliminator..

Nothing anymore! All the glass is getting cleaned up and a new floor is going in at Larry Cobb's shop as we speak.

Oh, and the trailer is no longer PINK :champagne:

 

[WTDecker]

Oh, and the trailer is no longer PINK :champagne:

Thats a Good thing,,,

 

[Ziggy]

I've had two and both were/are fine for me and my family.
Had my first one 10 yrs and sold it for a few hundred less than I'd paid new. Going on year 8 with my second and the only failures on this one have been Merc issues(outdrive seal,exh gskts). No issues whatsoever with the boat itself.

 

[lavey tom]

I bought a 1987 commander tiger new with a 150 hp evinrude. Never had any problems. Sold it about 5 years ago. Still see it on the river from time to time, the only thing that was changed by the new owner was the starter.

 

[Budafuco]

Not sure which model this one is (Cobra, Supersport, Mini-crusier, Newport, which are all 19' built in 1994 by Commander Boats). But i'm looking in to buying it and not sure I should after all the post regarding Commander Boats quality. By the way its running a 454 w/ jet. What do you guys think?

 

[Dave Wettlaufer]

Not sure which model this one is (Cobra, Supersport, Mini-crusier, Newport, which are all 19' built in 1994 by Commander Boats). But i'm looking in to buying it and not sure I should after all the post regarding Commander Boats quality. By the way its running a 454 w/ jet. What do you guys think?

Now they'll rag you because it's a commander and it's a jet...

 

[RiverDave]

If it were me, I'd just check it through and through, and see if it's falling apart or not. If it's not, you can probably through bolt everything as you go.

RD

 

[PolarBearKing]

Not sure which model this one is (Cobra, Supersport, Mini-crusier, Newport, which are all 19' built in 1994 by Commander Boats). But i'm looking in to buying it and not sure I should after all the post regarding Commander Boats quality. By the way its running a 454 w/ jet. What do you guys think?

I say it all depends on how well it's been taken care of and how well it runs versus how much you can buy it for.

If it still looks good and runs well while being well priced I wouldn't hesitate. I just wouldn't reccomend you buying my boat since I don't take care of my shiat.

...then again, my Commander is not for sale.

 

[TBI]

Well said..

RD

Nicely put...

 

[jetboatmatt]

There are a lot of used boats on the market right now. I would look at getting one of the better manufactures!! JMO!!! Goodluck!!!

 

[Tom Brown]

Nicely put...

Good comment.

 

[Tom Brown]

......early on they were built like Hawaiians (bottom of the barrel), later they got better....never great but better.....if it was built within the last 10 years much better than if they were older.

Things really improved when Wheeler took over their mud and tape department.



Disclaimer: I have no opinion on Commander boats. nor do I know anything about them other than the fact they make some pretty nice looking boats that make their owner's happy. I'm just here for my own personal amusement.

 

[angiebaby]

I had a 21' conquest for eight years one of the best boats i have ever had. It always started and the gel coat was in excellent condition when i sold it. 400 hrs plus on the motor.

I'm sorry, wasn't this thread about commanders? What the hell does your conquest have to do with anything?

Is commander still in business making boats?

sj

No. They moved the molds to the property next door right before the banks came and locked the gates. Not sure what happened to the molds. This was about 3-4 years ago.

 

[Deleted Account]

I'm sorry, wasn't this thread about commanders? What the hell does your conquest have to do with anything?

Conquest model was one of Commanders biggest sellers...:thumbsup I think this is one, LMAO...

http://www.commanderboats.com/showroom/21conquest.html

 

[PolarBearKing]

No. They moved the molds to the property next door right before the banks came and locked the gates. Not sure what happened to the molds. This was about 3-4 years ago.

Hmmm, I'm not so sure it's that black and white. I spoke to Sy a couple of weeks ago at his shop and although he wasn't currently building a boat he's hanging on...whatever that means. LOL

http://www.commanderboats.com/index.html

 

[Gelcoater]

Hmmm, I'm not so sure it's that black and white. I spoke to Sy a couple of weeks ago at his shop and although he wasn't currently building a boat he's hanging on...whatever that means. LOL

http://www.commanderboats.com/index.html

Last time I drove by it was locked up tight. Where is his new shop? Is it next door?

For what it's worth their quality had improved in the last years before they shut down,most of the older ones were complete shit. I have much respect for Sy and what he has done,a classic example of living the American dream.He left his home land and the job he had studied many years for(a nuclear physist) (sp?) (really,no bullshit) to come to America,and bought of all things a custom boat building company,and built it up.

 

[Lue]

I own a 26 Signature. The boat itself has been fine. The only issues I have had were on the Mercury side. Apart from the bow rails coming loose, I don't have anything to complain about. I've had it for 6 years now and it's still runs as good as the day I brought it home.

A lot of people on here will talk shit on Commander without even riding in one. If it fits your friends needs and budget, I for one will doubt he'll be dissapointed with the purchase. However, do keep in mind that he is paying for a boat that was not built with the attention to detail of other more expensive builders. Commander was not a high end builder. Good luck to your friend.

 

[PolarBearKing]

Last time I drove by it was locked up tight. Where is his new shop? Is it next door?

For what it's worth their quality had improved in the last years before they shut down,most of the older ones were complete shit. I have much respect for Sy and what he has done,a classic example of living the American dream.He left his home land and the job he had studied many years for(a nuclear physist) (sp?) (really,no bullshit) to come to America,and bought of all things a custom boat building company,and built it up.

He's off of Third in Corona, by where the 15 & 91 meet. It wasn't a showroom or a manufacturing place. Just a large building with a few old boats and his sons 32' Cat (the one you see in all his ads with the pirates & skulls paintjob). He's said he's storing his molds in another warehouse and doing some work at a third shop. Said his rent on all three locations is cheaper then the utility bill of his old Perris location.

Who knows if he was just talking shit or not? But he's a smart guy and he's hoping that the economy turns around so he can build again. Said he had some "ideas", but did not elaborate. I think he said that he is (will?)only building custom order boats now. The days of building boats and keeping them on a showroom floor waiting for a buyer are long gone.

 

[mark49]

If i was him just hire a shitload of illegal?s, smack in 350 chevy create, all jets and sell 19' footers inc single axel galvanized trailer for 8K... Recession special, he cant hurt his reputation any

 

[angiebaby]

Conquest model was one of Commanders biggest sellers...:thumbsup I think this is one, LMAO...

http://www.commanderboats.com/showroom/21conquest.html

My mistake. I thought Conquest was another brand altogether, out of AZ.

 

[Ziggy]

My mistake. I thought Conquest was another brand altogether, out of AZ.

It ishttp://www.conquestboats.com/
.
This is the other conquest by commander http://www.commanderboats.com/showroom/21conquest.html

 

[Ziggy]

Hey look!!!! Check out who they still got on the customer gallery part of website

 

[Blu Ballz]

My room mate had a Commander. We spoke and I told him I would go in halves on it after I took it out for a spin etc. He needed cash and I wanted a boat at the time. I took it out one trip and that was the end of that. I'm sure they have built some decent boats, but personally I would look for something else. Just my two cents....

 

[C-2]

He was in Riverside for a few years but pulled out of the location several months ago...and must have moved to Corona. The location was shop with a bunch of boats laying around, a few Commander signs and what must have been that Orange cat. Looked like they were more of a repair type shop than a showroom. I heard it was Aftershock and Commander.

That was Riverwalk/Pierce, across the street from my daughter's school. But he was definitely there and must be doing something right.:thumbsup

 

[dancudmore]

Hey look!!!! Check out who they still got on the customer gallery part of website

I have seen that boat somewhere :headscratch:

 

[3wheels4life]

IMO, so many of these companies share hulls, molds, materials and have the same Merc drive equipement, that its hard to tell that much of a diff. When your talking brands from Commander, Essesx, Ultra, Eliminator, Nordic, Magic, Conquest, Laveycraft, Warlock.....etc, they are all so close, its all about inspecting it, doing a suvery and really check that specific boat out to see how well it was rigged. Keep in mind that each company could have had a crappy employee the month your boat was made and build details suffered. Just check it out close to see if that hull, motor package and rigging have ever had serious issues and make a decision.

 

[Gelcoater]

Well this thread is about to take off.

 

[rivermobster]

Well this thread is about to take off.

 

[hallett21]

IMO, so many of these companies share hulls, molds, materials and have the same Merc drive equipement, that its hard to tell that much of a diff. When your talking brands from Commander, Essesx, Ultra, Eliminator, Nordic, Magic, Conquest, Laveycraft, Warlock.....etc, they are all so close, its all about inspecting it, doing a suvery and really check that specific boat out to see how well it was rigged. Keep in mind that each company could have had a crappy employee the month your boat was made and build details suffered. Just check it out close to see if that hull, motor package and rigging have ever had serious issues and make a decision.

I don't know If I can agree with that. I think that when you get into the caliber of boat that lavey hallett howard schiada and any other top quality brands, the boats are held to a higher standard. I don't think any of these company's presidents let sub par (par is defined by their personal standards) boats go out of their showroom. After all I'd bet that 80% of business comes from recommendations from previous owners.
Just because a boat looks good doesn't mean it was built well. That's the huge selling point of higher caliber boats is that they spend more time putting the boat together the way it should be done not the way everyone else is doing it. And I would be very surprised if work of crappy employes was not double if not triple checked from superiors.

 

[hallett21]

Well this thread is about to take off.

im sure you can elaborate better than me lol

 

[Gelcoater]

im sure you can elaborate better than me lol

I think you did just fine.

 

[OCMerrill]

I tried to make a deal with Sy on a used boat some 5+ years back. We could not keep the numbers straight so I walked on. That's my only dealings with him and that was off the 91 there at Lincoln / Maple.

Some of their later gel schemes were a love it or hate it deal with all the day-glo colors. I personally liked a great deal of the designs.

We had a friend that had one of their OB 19's with an open bow. This was back in the early 90's and it seemed fine.