Panther, Diamondback or Elite?

C

cwodavids

Member
I am looking at my first airboat and was wondering what the opinions are on Panther, Diamondback and Elite boats?

I have done a lot of research and Google searches over the last month or so, but I am still no further forward in deciding so I wanted the help of the seasoned pros :)

If you have some thoughts on the following questions I would really appreciate the help as my head is all over the place trying to decide.

1. How good are each of the boats in terms of quality and handling?
2. What each of the companies are like as I know some car manufacturers are a nightmare after you drive off the parking lot?
3. What are the reputations of the companies as they have all been around for a while?
4. How reliable are they?
5. How easy is it to get parts/servicing?
6. How long will I wait to get it delivered?

Any help you have would be very much appreciated
 
Firstly, where are you going to run the boat? Terrain wise, lakes, rivers, swamps, sloughs, snow, ice, cow pastures, palmetto, brush, willow strands?

Now, take into consideration the automotive aspect,,, buy a $×××,×××.0 Lamborghini to drive from the parking garage to the bistro on park Avenue New York and back, that racehorse deserves to be on the Autobahn, not a grocery getter.
So the main question, what is your intended purpose and the design of the boat will fulfill said purpose, not just builder(s).
 
The boat will be run on water and swamps almost all the time. I cant see me bothering to take it out when there is the risk of ice :)

In terms of size, it would me and my family of 4 using it for fun and fishing/hunting so I wont be needing anything too big.

I am more concerned about buying from a company that is great and then see what they have that would fit my needs. I have bought some great looking cars over the years, but those cars have been junk and spent more time at the dealer than on the road.
 
Ok, I would suggest a 7'x13'6 hull. Now as far as hunting, are you wanting to hunt for avgas or car gas?
 
John Fenner said:
Ok, I would suggest a 7'x13'6 hull. Now as far as hunting, are you wanting to hunt for avgas or car gas?
Click to expand...
I am not so worried about size or engines right now, I was hoping to understand what the top 3 manufacturers are like, then worry about what boat to buy.
 
cwodavids said:
I am not so worried about size or engines right now, I was hoping to understand what the top 3 manufacturers are like, then worry about what boat to buy.
Click to expand...
Well in my almost 40 years in this craft I have not yet to see any one of the 3 you named last over 20 years unless they were pampered, soft bottom materials, multiple heavy stringers, overkill on the rigging, grassrakes that weigh more than a race hull.
For instance, I just re coated the bottom of a hull that was built 45 years ago, still in great shape, aircraft aluminum riveted hull not welded.
Good luck!
 
cwodavids said:
Are they all the same? What are the pros and cons of each manufacturer though?
Click to expand...
Well I can tell you this, they all promote say an 8'wide boat, but that is measured at the top "beam width" you throw a tape measure at the bottom and you'd be lucky to see 6'8" of width if that, then the high sides with all the weight, they take a lot more to get on a plane.
I've watched these style boats many times and shook my head at how much throttle is needed to get up on plane.
Displacement is key. I could put you on a 7'4" wide by 13'6" with the exact same powerplant as one of "theirs" and a blip of the throttle you are on plane while theirs is still revved up and climbing out of the water.
 
John Fenner said:
Well I can tell you this, they all promote say an 8'wide boat, but that is measured at the top "beam width" you throw a tape measure at the bottom and you'd be lucky to see 6'8" of width if that, then the high sides with all the weight, they take a lot more to get on a plane.
I've watched these style boats many times and shook my head at how much throttle is needed to get up on plane.
Displacement is key. I could put you on a 7'4" wide by 13'6" with the exact same powerplant as one of "theirs" and a blip of the throttle you are on plane while theirs is still revved up and climbing out of the water.
Click to expand...
Thanks.

It still doesn't answer the question of the pros/cons of each manufacturer though.
 
John Fenner said:
Go with Diamondback, they build most of FWC fleet for the biologists and techs.
Click to expand...
Whilst I understand your viewpoint, I never trust anything that is used by the government as being good.

EVERYTHING the government buy is made by the cheapest bidder, almost without exception.

I spent 21 yrs in the Air Force and the crap kit we had to endure boggles my mind. If you have served then you will know be nodding your head in agreement 😀

Is anyone else able to offer insight?
 
I can tell you this, after owning 2 Diamondback airboats, I'm not sure I'll own anything else. They are tough, dependable, and have exceptional quality to detail in all their work. They also work well with the customer, and are friendly to deal with. I don't abuse a boat as bad as some, but I'm not gingerly with mine either and I have put a lot of miles on the front seat of a Diamondback with little to no issues. I understand the government agency comment, but I had family work for FWC, they don't skimp in the airboat department.
 
cwodavids said:
Whilst I understand your viewpoint, I never trust anything that is used by the government as being good.

EVERYTHING the government buy is made by the cheapest bidder, almost without exception.

I spent 21 yrs in the Air Force and the crap kit we had to endure boggles my mind. If you have served then you will know be nodding your head in agreement 😀

Is anyone else able to offer insight?
Click to expand...
Well first off, thanks for your service!!🫡
I did not serve, but understand how it works, 3 quotes from companies and the lowest bidder wins the job, was at Florida Forest Service for 5 years, same BS, FWC had 5 new boats built by DB brand new Re-manufactured 540s, all were dropping valve seats, cause they run car gas not avgas, I told them to drop timing back, no more problems.
 
hlb2 said:
I can tell you this, after owning 2 Diamondback airboats, I'm not sure I'll own anything else. They are tough, dependable, and have exceptional quality to detail in all their work. They also work well with the customer, and are friendly to deal with. I don't abuse a boat as bad as some, but I'm not gingerly with mine either and I have put a lot of miles on the front seat of a Diamondback with little to no issues. I understand the government agency comment, but I had family work for FWC, they don't skimp in the airboat department.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this insight, very helpful.

Can I ask if you have owned any of the other manufacturers boats to compare notes or are you DB only?
 
John Fenner said:
Well first off, thanks for your service!!🫡
I did not serve, but understand how it works, 3 quotes from companies and the lowest bidder wins the job, was at Florida Forest Service for 5 years, same BS, FWC had 5 new boats built by DB brand new Re-manufactured 540s, all were dropping valve seats, cause they run car gas not avgas, I told them to drop timing back, no more problems.
Click to expand...
Ouch!

That is engines 101, run them on the fuel they are set up for 😀
 
cwodavids said:
Is anyone else able to offer insight?
Click to expand...
John is giving you good info, even if he is biased. Full disclosure, I share some of John's biases. All of the companies you mention are well known airboat manufacturers and do not come with "Scam" warnings. You can also add Alumitech in Orlando to the mix. Diamondback is probably the largest.

But the key point that John alludes to is the materials and manufacturing methods. All of the above build welded hulls, John and other smaller builders build Riveted Aircraft aluminum hulls. The difference is huge, as is the labor to build one. A welded hull (just the hull) can be cranked out by a single welder in a day or two while a riveted hull is gonna take at least 2 guys and a few weeks (I'm sure John can argue the rivet time, but it's still an order of magnitude more...).

Companies get big by building lots of product and selling to lots of people. Most people won't spend the money or wait the time to get a premium riveted hull, so the companies mentioned crank out the welded stuff. They work well enough and they manage to not get stuck most of the time. They are also easy enough to repair.

The difference between the final product though is significant. Riveted aircraft aluminum is about 6x stronger than welded aluminum, so the riveted hull can be built with lighter materials while handling my kind of abuse. In the airboat world (like aviation), weight is huge.

As this is your first airboat, you can be confident in purchasing from any of the mentioned companies that the boat will run well enough and they will stand behind it. Just realize you are purchasing a Dodge Ram vs. a Lambo.

Finally, it sounds like you are up north (you should add your Location to your signature). Assume that once you figure out what one of these fan boats can really do, you will be running that thing on Ice in no time, might as well plan for it now.
 
cwodavids said:
Thanks for this insight, very helpful.

Can I ask if you have owned any of the other manufacturers boats to compare notes or are you DB only?
Click to expand...
I have owned a Combee and a Gore, but the Gore was not built by a manufacturer, it was a backyard build. Loved the Combee too, they just went out of business. Bought my 1st DB in 2005, and it did so well for me that I bought another one in 2020. I figure if it ain't broke don't fix it!
 
If you realy want something to last talk to John about one of his boats. He will put you in something you won't want to ever get rid of.
 
If your gonna run freshwater then yes a riveted hull is great, but for a lot of saltwater running not so much in my opinion.

There is also Hamant and Alumitech which are my 2 favorites.

Seen a couple nice Poor Boys airboats as well.

I have a 27 year old alumitech I fish the gulf with, been beat to hell and back, patched a number of times and still runs nice on the water. It is also a .125 bottom and sides hull.

Good luck with your quest
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top