Cruzpro

[southernman]

Well this is a product review forum and product and service review I will do. While offshore curising this year our Cruzpro alternator regulator nearly burnt our yacht down - smoke was pouring out of the yacht and I was struggling to turn the engine off. The offending regulator was removed and I manually rigged a reostat.

The product was returned to the supplier who advised it was not worth repairing and was out of warrenty (by a few weeks) but offered to sell me a replacement unit for half price claiming it was the wiring on the yacht. No way - this was the second time this unit had played up and the second time it had been back to the supplier. I cut my loses and bought an ample power solution which works great (obviously not the boat wiring). I had my father in law (a electrical engineer) look at the unit and he advised that the product (SAR20) has no heat sink and couldn't handle the heat. Interestingly the alternator supplier would not warrenty the alternator using a Cruzpro regulator.

This supplier provided poor back up in my opinion and also a poor product - spend the big bucks and get a proper product. I will never and I hope my friends will never buy a Cruzpro product.

Cheers Southernman

[seafox]

I just paid over $200 for a BEP Marine gas detector. I saw Cruzpro advertising on our local www.trademe.co.nz site one under $150. I was a bit miffed when I saw that. Now after reading your review maybe I got the better deal afterall!

[Alan Wheeler]

Yeah the Cruzpro detector is a very basic unit. I think you will find the BEP to have more options and be far supperior in both quality and finish. I have a cruzpro Anchor control monitor. I have had no problems with it at all. It has worked flawlessly. The only issue I have had is that the control unit is to damn small for my fingers. You need to be a pixy to operate it. They could go a long way by just putting thier equipment in more professional boxes. Heck it can't add that much to the price surely. There have been a few things they make that I have been interested in, but the cheap look has simply put me off.

[southernman]

totatlly agree with you Mr. Wheels. The box's they put their gear in are rubbish! I'm not anti Cruzpro they have some good products but the build and design quality is not there. I have some cruzpro on the new boat that works well - the log is Cruzpro.

My dad is pulling his boat out in your hometown in Feb and I'm giving him a hand so I should come down and find you - are you in the marina? He's just bought a fero that needs a bit of work - moored out in the sounds.

[Alan Wheeler]

That would be so cool. Keep in touch. I may be able to give a hand as well if you need. I have a reasonable engineering shop, Mechanical shop and woodworking shop where I work, with reasonable spare time to do things.
What's the boat and where. I may know it. And what's your dads name? PM me if you would rather that info not public domain.

[dkall]

And what Cruzpro products do you have experience as being good. I was thinking of the depth sounder but in seeing how the company supports its own products have been having a second opinion.

[Alan Wheeler]

Well actually Dave, that is a question that needs clarification. Southernman, did you buy from a supplier or from Cruzpro direct. Was it the supplier that gave you this info on warratny being out or Cruzpro?? Because Cruzpro now deal direct and direct to suppliers. They used to sell through a distributor, but took that back as they did not feel their product was being sold as well as they thought it could be.
As I said, I have had no problems with my chain counter, it's just the stupid little interface that is a pain. But apart from that, it has worked flawlessly.

[seafox]

my BEP detector had a fault. The guy I dealt with, Ian Hunt at BEP was real good to deal with. He sent me a replacement (without even looking at my receipt) together with a reply courier bag to send him back the faulty one.
Took one day from emailing him to get the replacement from Auckland to Wellington. Top service.