Aquacraft (Hobbico) Files for Bankrupcy

[RayR]

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-01-10/hobbico-files-bankruptcy-layoffs-next.html

[T.S.Davis]

Good time to fix the limited rules.

[raptor347]

Yup. In the works.

[RandyatBBY]

I have seen the ripple effect the Reno warehouse is closing and the local Hobbytown is closing too.

[ray schrauwen]

Looking to be a harsh a year possibly.

Kudos to those still banging away at it.

[CraigP]

It looks like a bad sign, this company had very good market penetration. I’m wondering if it reflects on less people getting involved in FE? We all rely on these vendors to support out boats. And, they are great starter boats to get folks interested in FE. I hope we don’t keep seeing this...

[ray schrauwen]

Yup. In the works.

Lol, make the diameter 37.6 just for me please. There's this outrunner I like...

[Steven Vaccaro]

It's very said. I see rtr boats as a thing of the past for these USA based companies. It's just not worth the headache for such a small share of the rc hobbies. More and more rtrs will be sold direct from China. For the simple reason that when someone gets a little stress crack they are not going to send it back due to the hugh cost of return shipping.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[CraigP]

So this will mark the end of the UL-1?

[Steven Vaccaro]

So this will mark the end of the UL-1?

I dont think so. Not yet.

They are restructuring and looking for a buyer. I hope they dont close down. But somehow I think that lots of their vendors will be screwed by this.

[CraigP]

Steve, I’m going to speak frankly about this. This problem to the greater extent, is caused by users that purchase these boats and the FIRST thing they do is hop them up! I think there should be NO warranty claims on a boat that was modified in any way outside of what the manual states. These users just need to put their big boy pants on, and owe up to the fact that running beyond the as manufactured limit is their responsibility. But they will lie about what they ran, because they won’t owe up to it!

As to spider and FG cracks, give me a freaking break! It’s a boat, it’s probably going to get tossed out on the water at some point. Learn to fix your spider cracks! Every hull will eventually develop them, so I think that’s a required skill set, and I enjoy working/fixing my boat. It’s a big part of the sport.

So, due to dishonesty in dealing with warranty claims, we are looking at a potential situation where RTR’s could possibly go away or become prohibitively expensive, because vendors/manufacturers have to factor in these losses to their required profit margins... Losing this will hurt the sport so badly.. It’s really too bad that people run to get warranties the way they do. It’s just another case of our current “pass the buck” mentality in this country. Rant over...

[Steven Vaccaro]

Steve, I’m going to speak frankly about this. This problem to the greater extent, is caused by users that purchase these boats and the FIRST thing they do is hop them up! I think there should be NO warranty claims on a boat that was modified in any way outside of what the manual states. These users just need to put their big boy pants on, and owe up to the fact that running beyond the as manufactured limit is their responsibility. But they will lie about what they ran, because they won’t owe up to it!

As to spider and FG cracks, give me a freaking break! It’s a boat, it’s probably going to get tossed out on the water at some point. Learn to fix your spider cracks! Every hull will eventually develop them, so I think that’s a required skill set, and I enjoy working/fixing my boat. It’s a big part of the sport.

So, due to dishonesty in dealing with warranty claims, we are looking at a potential situation where RTR’s could possibly go away or become prohibitively expensive, because vendors/manufacturers have to factor in these losses to their required profit margins... Losing this will hurt the sport so badly.. It’s really too bad that people run to get warranties the way they do. It’s just another case of our current “pass the buck” mentality in this country. Rant over...

I wish we had a thumps up button.

[ray schrauwen]

Fwiw, the only stress cracks in my DF 33 mono sre on the hatch. The hull is at least 10 years old and I abuse my toys.

Support Steve and guys like Remy at Aeromarine and start building your own. When you build it yourself there are few if any warranty concerns. Support America's retailers and manufacturers.

[raptor347]

Warranty claims on equipment that failed due to abuse has driven several businesses away from FE. We've lost some really good gear and more importantly, continued R&D because of this behavior.

[CraigP]

Yes Ray, it is very satisfying putting a hull together. I started with a bare hull DF Vortex 34 hydro because I didn't have the time to do a scratch build, and unfortunate result of life and a demanding job... Some day...

As to this situation, I think we all, as veterans of model boats, should take some responsibility here too. Far too often, we lend advice to the novice about making the boat go faster. I'm guilty here too guys... Maybe we should ask about the experience level first, how much time have they ran the hull, is it your first hull. Many of you do that and I applaud the insight that is shown in those instances. But I think we need to do a better job and help novice boaters first become comfortable with getting the most out of a stock setup, which is a great feather in the cap, BTW. So Steve, I apologize for offering bad advice and trying to bring someone along too quickly. I feel like in those cases, I've let the sport down. I will do a better job vetting the advice and hopefully instill an appropriate sense of accomplishment for getting the most out of an out-of-the-box setup. It's not easy taming down the hot rod blood in me!