Kingfisher 2025 Escape HT question/advice

[barkerfam]

Thanks guys! I am kinda leaning towards no bulkhead, it might save some money.

How does the auto pilot work while trolling? I have never gotten to try it

the garmin reactor 40 kicker AP is a complete game changer. It's like having a full time driver who never has to take a turn!

HB

 

[westcoastathletics]

Nice looking boat! What are some examples of where the Hewescraft is better built than a Kingfisher? Curious to learn about this similar to the OP. Ideally for me neither boat would have any pai

 

[westcoastathletics]

I Had a dealer in vancouver put the hewes and the kingfisher side by side so i could look over both carefully. hewes is a 800 lb heavier boat and it shows. all welding was better, thickness of doors was better. the kingfisher doors seem to flex. ulta thin material. the hewes had more grab handles. welds were all better quality . seeing them both side by side made the decision a no brainer really

 

[walleyes]

I Had a dealer in vancouver put the hewes and the kingfisher side by side so i could look over both carefully. hewes is a 800 lb heavier boat and it shows. all welding was better, thickness of doors was better. the kingfisher doors seem to flex. ulta thin material. the hewes had more grab handles. welds were all better quality . seeing them both side by side made the decision a no brainer really

You’d literally have to be blind and know very little about equipment to think the Hewes is a better boat than the Kingfisher. The Hewes doesn’t even belong in the same class as a KF, and that’s a fact Jack.

 

[kaelc]

Where is my popcorn?

Owned a hewes and my brother owned a kingfisher.

I think a lot depends on the fabricator, welder and supervision, which changes from level of boat and year to year.

Like DJT after the shows they are not sending their best, so on the lot is the best place to compare.

 

[walleyes]

A Hewes is a Kingfisher 25 years ago. KF has so many features that Hewes doesn’t offer and most never even thought of. Some are small things but they add up to comfort and fishabilty. I’m not going to get into it because I don’t have the time and each to his own but making a statement like was made that Hewes is a better boat is just false and personal opinion and shows what a person knows about boats and equipment.

I’ll tell you one thing about Kingfisher. I owned one as is obvious, bought it new, owned it for 3 seasons took care of it then sold it for 10k more than what I had into it. How often can you own a toy for 3 years and sell it for more than what you had into it. Thats a Kingfisher.

 

[Rain City]

A Hewes is a Kingfisher 25 years ago. KF has so many features that Hewes doesn’t offer and most never even thought of. Some are small things but they add up to comfort and fishabilty. I’m not going to get into it because I don’t have the time and each to his own but making a statement like was made that Hewes is a better boat is just false and personal opinion and shows what a person knows about boats and equipment.

I’ll tell you one thing about Kingfisher. I owned one as is obvious, bought it new, owned it for 3 seasons took care of it then sold it for 10k more than what I had into it. How often can you own a toy for 3 years and sell it for more than what you had into it. Thats a Kingfisher.

Ok ok now we're getting a little silly. I could say that about my bayliner as well. That was inflation and covid related, nothing to do with the boat whatsoever. I'm not knocking them at all, but that argument for their quality is comical.

 

[walleyes]

Yah I don’t care either way really,, own what you want for what ever reason you want. I just hate it when people knock what someone else spent their hard earned money on saying theirs is better. Burns me but good and this site is ripe with those guys.

 

[Rain City]

Yah I don’t care either way really,, own what you want for what ever reason you want. I just hate it when people knock what someone else spent their hard earned money on saying theirs is better. Burns me but good and this site is ripe with those guys.

Fair

 

[ChilliSpoons]

Yah I don’t care either way really,, own what you want for what ever reason you want. I just hate it when people knock what someone else spent their hard earned money on saying theirs is better. Burns me but good and this site is ripe with those guys.

Didn’t you just do the same with a Hewes?

 

[Blue Hewes]

Didn’t you just do the same with a Hewes?

I was just going to say the same thing. I personally never considered the kingfisher equivalent to my Hewes so I can’t comment there. When I bought my boat in 2021, I found a deal on my Searunner that was at the top of my price range (A bit over actually) and I didn’t think spending thousands more for another brand would make a enough of difference in how I planned to use it. Now if there was a brand that guaranteed more fish in the boat that would be a different story . And yeah can’t make that resale comment during Covid as I sold my 16ft princecraft for $3k more than I paid for it and I had it for 5 years. I can say that after 4 years of owning my Hewes I don’t regret it one bit and my welds are holding up just fine .