# Why are poling platforms so expensive?



## floridanative1028 (May 30, 2009)

You're right, it is just a stool with a turnbuckle.  I'm guessing the market price was set by those made of anodized aluminum because not only is the material expensive, not many people can properly weld it.  Then you add whole marine factor and that at least doubles the price.  

If you want it cheaper wait for a good used one to pop up. If you can get it done for a decent price, go to a metal fabrication shop and tell them you want an aluminum stool with a ring to attach a turnbuckle to, go to Home Depot and get yourself a stainless turnbuckle, go to Marshall's and get a big cutting board that you can cut for your top, and if you really wanna be cool go to Birdsall and get yourself the little removable flush mount for your turnbuckle.


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

The material and labor alone required to make a decent platform is really what you are paying for. Aluminum material is pretty expensive and the equipment to weld aluminum like a mig spool gun setup or tig machine are also costly. Add in the proper fabrication machines like benders and the hourly labor rate and you are well over a small fee. The prices seem high to the consumer for just a "simple" platform but in reality, the actual builder is not making a huge profit. If you are looking for a simple and cheap alternative then my best advice is using a cooler. That's about as cheap as your going to get.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Why so expensive? Simple, it's a luxury, not a necessity.


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## SilentHunter (Jun 14, 2010)

steel and power coating would work just fine. just make sure the pipe ends are closed and sealed. theres the same platform for 1/3 of the price.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I would definitely not use a steel platform....



Anyway, a great product for a fraction of the cost is the XXL platform offered by Strongarm Products. Great product, great customer service, and some of the best prices. I've had my platform for over a year and love it....

Strongarmproducts.com


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## jhorrell (Jan 13, 2012)

Thanks for all the input, I really want one so I will check out the strongarm products for the back and consider a 50 qt yeti for the front. Speaking of yeti that's another product that seems very overpriced but will at least serve multiple purposes.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> Thanks for all the input, I really want one so I will check out the strongarm products for the back and consider a 50 qt yeti for the front. Speaking of yeti that's another product that seems very overpriced but will at least serve multiple purposes.


Yea, my Yeti holds ice as long as my $20 walmart igloo marine cooler did. 

I guess it's just a thing like I could afford $300 on a cooler, so I bought it.


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## levip (Dec 4, 2010)

Lagoon, i agree with you that these things are expensive HOWEVER im a union pipefitter and i can honestly tell you that welding aluminum tubing and pipe isnt easy and neither is tig'ing stainless it takes a highly skilled craftsman to do either and just as im sure you demand a fair wage for whatever it is you do so too does the welder who welds these "luxury items" that stool probably has 2-3 hours of labor (@25-30bux an hour) in it alone add to that work comp paid on that wage, benifits and such and youve got a large chunk of money and you havent even paid for the materials and trust me when i tell you you dont wanna have some lacky welding your aluminum whatever together cause if it isnt done right IT WILL BREAK maybe the firsttime you use it might be the 100th who knows ? 
craftsmanship is a dying art in this country and it pains me deeply to see it but unfortunately because we live in the walmart age we expect things to be cheap with no concern for the person that made them nor how much they got paid to do it and youll never have quality craftsmanship without a fair wage


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## [email protected] (Jun 23, 2011)

> craftsmanship is a dying art in this country and it pains me deeply to see it but unfortunately because we live in the walmart age we expect things to be cheap with no concern for the person that made them nor how much they got paid to do it and youll never have quality craftsmanship without a fair wage


Well put, If it were up to me there would be no walmart. All the cheap imports and outsourced slave labor is what is taking our jobs.
Either pony up the bucks for new or look on craigslist for a used one, they pop up all the time. 
Happy hunting...


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## oysterbreath (Jan 13, 2009)

> craftsmanship is a dying art in this country


True, soooo true...but some of us ARE trying to bring it back.

This post makes me wonder though, how much would it cost to develop these "highly skilled" welding skills. Up north, they used to have some pretty reasonably priced adult welding classes. I have yet to find that down here in central Florida.


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## floridanative1028 (May 30, 2009)

Look around at some of the community colleges in your area. I know my school offers TIG and advanced TIG classes on the weekends. Just go learn the fundamentals and how to set the machine up from a pro then buy yourself a used Syncrowave 250 off of craigslist and practice till your eyes bleed.


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## oysterbreath (Jan 13, 2009)

> Look around at some of the community colleges in your area.  I know my school offers TIG and advanced TIG classes on the weekends.  Just go learn the fundamentals and how to set the machine up from a pro then buy yourself a used Syncrowave 250 off of craigslist and practice till your eyes bleed.


a coworker of mine showed me how to do a little stick welding. Ever since, I've been curious about learning more. I'll keep that syncrowave 250 in mind...


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I've been welding arc and mig for about a decade. Have only welded aluminum a few times with a spool gun. Haven't really gotten much more into it though. My expertise is spraying paint. So I'll leave the metal work to Bob's guys over at Strongarm Products.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

A few years back I had to have a new poling platform built for my old Maverick (we'd re-welded the old one just one too many times...). Since it's an old boat (at 24 years old it's just getting comfortable) this wasn't something you could find ready made - it was going to have to be built from scratch. Like many I figured that most of the price is because of the limited number of shops (or welders) that do that kind of work.... I was wrong. The guy I used was nice enough to take me through the measurement and design process needed to make sure the thing fit right the first time and would meet my needs (and tried to explain things like tumblehome and proper reinforcing).

The bottom line was that I got a very good tower, for less than I expected, and it's getting the hard work it was designed for. I won't be complaining about the price if I need another one built, since you just won't find many who can do a first rate job...


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## levip (Dec 4, 2010)

weve got a bunch of those technical school welders in our local probably about 50 but only a handful are any good and most of those have alot of on the job training... we're talking 5+ years OJT as for the rest of them i cant really say theyre mostly first and second year apprentices. most of them went to tulsa welding school @$15k each which is a highly renowned program but it goes back to what a journeyman weld told me when i got in the trade.... "theres welders and theres fitters and VERY rarely can you find someone who can do both well" 
it takes a special kind of welder to do aluminum and the guys that know how to do it PROPERLY know that there's not alot of em around


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## jhorrell (Jan 13, 2012)

I had no idea it was such a specialty and though i would love one i dont think its in my budget. I still need to buy an outboard. So I am thinking about building one myself using PVC , pvc flanges and starboard with seadek. I'm sure someone has done this before, so I am wondering if there are any major issues to consider. I am pretty heavy about 240 pounds but I think schedule 40 would be strong enough since it will not be very high.


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## Bissell (Feb 27, 2010)

PVC wasn't such a good idea for me


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2012)

Sounds like you are talking about a "casting platform". I have seen a lot of nice used ones as low as $100(craigslist/ebay)


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