glad i bought top of the range!

[TF_shep2]

whilst sat biteless today watching the old nodding stick i noticed the plastic coming off the leg tightening knobs on my rive + it got me thinking with the initial purchase of the box+all the extra trays +attatchments ect i think it stands me at a grand + [not cheap] the drawers leaked water[that i fixed courtesy of someone on here]then i had to change the uncomfortable seat next the wheel kit attatchment snapped now im looking at replacing the knobs with the ally ones someones selling on here surely for a box thats supposedly the dogs its not right i read many a time on here folk slagging preston stuff breaking +milo hinges snapping ect but imo rive are no better anybody else unhappy with theirs

[disco pinkieParticipant]

i got rid of mine as it was the most uncomfortable box ive had and the leg screws kept breaking went back to my garbolino which also falls apart but at least it’s comfortable

[TF_maker]

Shep i bought the rx carbone with everything that goes with it 2 years ago, £1100, i kept it for 8 months, awfull box, ive had them all and this was the worst by far, think they are just living off the name now, as they used to do high quality seat boxes, i now have a garbo box, which aint the best out there, but im really happy with, pisses al over that rive, never again!

[TF_dellaboy]

Just used my fox box for first time today 5 star so far !!

[TF_Johnny Mac]

I think when people spend all that money, they just don’t like to admit that it’s not that much better than what they had before.

[MrFoxman]

@dellaboy wrote:

Just used my fox box for first time today 5 star so far !!

Is that the msb euro?

[Sammydimple]

I’ve used a Matchbox River box for around five years and, apart from the seat making my bum slightly numb after six hours sometimes, I can’t fault it.

Nothing has broken, all five drawers slide in and out easily, plenty of room for pole rigs under the seat and reels, etc in the base.

No, can’t fault it at all to be honest.

That doesn’t mean to say I wouldn’t consider a nice, new, shiney, Preston Space Station in the future.

I’m saving for a MAP TKS 625 right now though so the new box will have to wait.

Anyone have any opinions of the TKS625???

[TF_piperpilot]

Personally I’ve never had a problem with my Rives but I think that prices are getting totally out of hand. TBH I don’t think the quality has gone down but as most things they are NOT perfect but do most things very well,

[TF_thesaint]

My Rive, st Comp, IS GREAT….But i do have to say paying over a grand for the D36 range, is crazy..i’d expect a captains seat for that price…AT the end of the day its what we sit on and store winders in….

[TF_scizzers]

my 25y old ASI is still going strong no complaints

[TF_AnthonywatersParticipant]

Had a milo 3 years now a great solid box my mate looked at seatboxes at the time he was a time served joiner and hes said the Milos were well made he was right Ive had to replace the seat on mine water ingressed apart from that its solid.

[TF_Hillbilly]

As per scizzers my ASI is still fine. Had it 8 years and paid £80 for it off Fleabay.

[Anonymous]

had my platformuk box about a year and half everything still works the way it did at the beginning and the seat is comfy as hell,great box best I have had for sure

[TF_caster robParticipant]

“glad i bought top of the range!”

Glad I stad up to fish rivers and aren’t a lard arse.

[TF_shep2]

i echo johnny macs comment as for scizzers+neil its funny you should mention that cos stood at work ive a near mint asi i recently renovated+if anything else knackers up on that rive im having an asi coming out party~clap

[TF_ndm3108]

Every box I have ever owned has had design flaws, usually ones that are bought about by trying to reduce the cost of manufacture.
I love my Rive, in many ways it fits what I want out of a box perfectly, I disagree that it is just somewhere that you plonk your arse down on an store rigs. A good box will make you better because you should be confortable (allowing better concentration.) and have everything you need close at hand (Time in motion.)

One of the worst design flaws in my opinion is with the screws and knobs we use to attach items or tighen onto legs. I have had loads of screws and knobs round out so you cant tighten or loosen them, that’s why I have addressed this with making new all ali knobs for my rive. And I am hoping to get some m6/m8 screws sorted for all other attachments and boxes, but they are currently proving too costly to make.

[TF_dirkdiggler]

rive are touted as a top of the range box with a price to match.
however apart from the problems mentioned in this thread they are too big awkward to get in the car and way too heavy.
i can’t for the life of me figure out why no one makes a superlight carbon fibre light aircraft grade alloy box yet ( as it’s what we deserve for £1000 )
i wonder if the trolley was uninvented we’d have one by now ~think

[TF_Decaff]

Having allowed myself to get talked in buying a Rive,it won’t be long before i get rid.
Although that’s the case they certainly do have their good points.I don’t agree that they are uncomfortable,in fact i would say that it is probably the most comfortable box i have owned,once you get used to the heel seat.I no longer have backache when pole fishing,which is something i have suffered from with every box i’ve owned.The winder storage system is excellent & when the box is at your peg it is without doubt the most stable you will ever sit on!
They are big,heavy & awkward to transport,i don’t like the way the platform fails to slide under the box completely,due to the feet getting in the way,the side trays sit too far away for me,due the footprint of the box & yes they are expensive,surely though some of that is down to exchange rate?
I have experienced no build problems yet though,but by the time they surface,i will have another box,hopefully!

[TF_Average AlParticipant]

Good to read an honest oppinion warts and all on what is a very expensive bit of kit. Johnny Mac is spot on!!

[Snaggyswims]

I paid around a grand for my RX2 carbon box. Overall i think the box is fantastic. From a functional point of view the 1 inch side draw always leaks water and i end up with all my bits n bobs being soaked. The thin plastic rive silver bit at the back of the box was covered in big cracks after my first weeks use of the box! and i had to take it off the box because it looked a mess. Although i am really happy with the box i certainly feel that the box was overpriced by at least 3 hundred quid! So unless you enjoy blowing your hard earned cash like me think very carefully before you purhase one!!

[TF_ndm3108]

Why do you think I bought one second hand? Paying £300 for a box with everything I will ever need is better than paying the best part of a grand and still needing to spend more on it.

[TF_Gillbo]

Unless you have the money second hand is the way to go. I have a 2 year old D25 ST with a large amount of extra trays and drawers and did not pay much more than the cost of a fully kitted out space station or daiwa tourney box. IMHO they are the best box on the market by a mile. Only 2 minor things let them down which is the hand screw knobs and the wheel kit. If you get the machined set of knobs off Nick and a space shuttle or penrose barrow then nothing else comes close. As for the foam pole heel seats they are the only seat you can sit on fishing shallow all day at 16m and not feel a twinge of back pain the next day.

[TF_redarmy]

a simple rule i employ buy what suits you not what others say.i bought a rive xt500 carbon 4-5 years ago and i can honestly say its the best box ive ever owned and ive tried them all.i only paid about £450 new and i havent had a single problem,this model is also very light.its the most comfortable and stable box ive ever fished on and i save a lot of expense by using the onbox fittings

[TF_squatt]

£1000 for a foreign box, I don’t even buy French apples. Next you’ll all be buying poles for £2500 lol.

[TF_piperpilot]

The ST Competition Club range is a fairly reasonable way of building up a system and if you can resist the ‘I want it all NOW’ instant gratification we almost ALL crave it’s an excellent starter box. I’ve always bought the base ‘Normal’ standard silver box and built it up to my own spec. Personally I can’t see the point in paying shed loads for the anodised versions which offer very little more then the ‘Base’ models,

[TF_macca63]

I bought one of the first boxes back in the day (1986 I seem to recall) after seeing it on display at the Doncaster show a much lighter option to the ASI I had at the time – the drawers were cr*p then and wouldn’t open if you were sat down, also leaked water so it seems after 20+ years the frogs still haven’t cracked it.

[TF_shep2]

so thats it then some people are happy most are not well the good news is if your one of the unhappy ones your on the right website someone will tell you how to stop it leaking water ~clap someone will make you a comfy seat~clap someone will make you replacement knobs~clap theres even a bearded bloke will help you fill the trays up~clap maybe geeps could set up a “rive clinic” section im sure there would be plenty of interest~naughty

[TF_Gary]

My Dad bought one of the big Rive systems and gave up on it. Too heavy and cumbersome.

I am still using an old MAP box with a cross drawer that opens and does not leak, four front drawers that do not stick and a padded seat that is comfortable enough to sit on for 6 hours. It cost me £200 brand new from the Doncaster show about 10 years ago and I have no desire to replace it until it falls apart!

To be fair, if I was 18 stone or needed an oil rig to fish from, I would think about it, but for (non-obese) people who just fish commercials from well-built platforms, I do not know why you would ever need a Rive?

Each to their own though!

[TF_Hillbilly]

macca I had one of those early ones. Like you say draws would not open when sat on and allowed water in. Also all the draw catches broke so when I tried to carry it the draws flew open and all the contents went on the floor. Then the hinges started to fail and the base leaked from day one. The final straw was when the strap broke and I had to carry it over a mile along a canal bank back to the car. I got home that night removed all my gear and did a Basil Fawlty on it with a 4lb lump hammer until it fitted nicely into the dustbin. Felt so much better after. ~clap

[TF_Fred Davis]

I was tempted by a Rive, however seeing one of the lads footplates stick and the resultant disaster he had with trays flying off and gear all over the tow path (obviously used too much force) when he tried to remedy the situation before wheeling the kit back to the car was enough to turn me off them, the size was an issue especially if you take a mates box as well, I have the tourny pro/boss box and it’s been superb ok the footplate ain’t a cassett but then it don’t stick either, stacks of storage and rock solid, i also had an AS1 for many years and again a mate still uses one but for me external legs and the advantages that gives you with add ons like keep nets spray bars feeder arms etc means that the old AS1 as good as it was is not as versatile as modern boxes, still even they had there faults.

[TF_drawbag1967]

I brought a Milo Tardis Match Plus off a guy on ebay for £220 after selling my X5 to some mug for £270. The guy I bought it off said he was upgrading to a Rive, he rang me six weeks later and told me he wished he’d never sold it, apparently the first time he used it on walking to his peg the wheel kit just collapsed on him for no reason his box came off and cracked the silver panel at the back. I’ve had the box about a year now and everything is still intact like the day I bought it. ~clap ~clap ~clap

[ForestEverForestParticipant]

@Hillbilly wrote:

The final straw was when the strap broke and I had to carry it over a mile along a canal bank back to the car. I got home that night removed all my gear and did a Basil Fawlty on it with a 4lb lump hammer until it fitted nicely into the dustbin. Felt so much better after. ~clap

Brilliant! lol

[TF_proper tidal boy]

long live boss boxes admitely its my river box cant fault it or break anything on it and has lasted the distance well similar to the reliable asi who needs new boxes????????

[TF_Chum MixerParticipant]

@Johnny Mac wrote:

I think when people spend all that money, they just don’t like to admit that it’s not that much better than what they had before.

Not really JM I had a Preston TX space station and after 18 months of cracking plastic I decided to buy a Rive because it’s metal, however, I have owned two Milo’s previously before the preston and found they also had there share of problems, to date everything is going fine but ask me in another couple of years lol

[TF_respect]

I cant help but laugh at all the tackle tarts out there with more money than sense.
I dont know why Brilo boxes are so unfashionable,i have had mine 8 years now,it fits into any motor easily,no knobs have broken off,it doesn`t leak in water,the drawers slide easily as good as the day i got it,the strap hasent broke,you can build them to your spec and keep adding to them,the seat is comfortable,all the modern attachments fit on easily,it wont break the bank to buy one,it does what a good box should do.
The best part is that its British.~clap

Pete

[TF_AnthonywatersParticipant]

Pete I had Brillo box and to be honest it was quite the opposite of yours you needed a shoe horn to open the wooden draws when the box get wet the small round alliminium legs marked very badly with regular adjusting they looked and performed awfully the foot plate was the type that slides onto two dowel type attachments what a c%nt that was to fix on every time you went fishing.I swapped that box for my ASI and wished I hadnt.

[TF_scizzers]

Fred the answer to useing a ASI successfully in todays age comes from one of it bad points (heavy) it needs transporting to your peg combine it with a pembrose barrow/platform and its a near perfect system with four external legs and if you have a spair set of 36in legs for the front you can set it up on the side of the Eiger and be comfy and safe, two british design classics sadly gone

[TF_scizzers]

Just to add in its day it was top of the range and priced similar to todays rives must have meant something back then as people are still useing then thirty years on

[TF_dellaboy]

@MrFoxman wrote:

@dellaboy wrote:

Just used my fox box for first time today 5 star so far !!

Is that the msb euro?

Yes mate msb euro system 1 but changed a few bits added a couple of trays and removed deep bottom tray as it would of had no use !!

[pigslayer]

im not guna say this box is the best,cos i no its got faults but for fishing the long pole the garbolino is the only sure fire way to get comfy.use the side foot plate and then turn the seat and you can have the pole across both legs.

[TF_macca63]

@Hillbilly wrote:

macca I had one of those early ones. Like you say draws would not open when sat on and allowed water in. Also all the draw catches broke so when I tried to carry it the draws flew open and all the contents went on the floor. Then the hinges started to fail and the base leaked from day one. The final straw was when the strap broke and I had to carry it over a mile along a canal bank back to the car. I got home that night removed all my gear and did a Basil Fawlty on it with a 4lb lump hammer until it fitted nicely into the dustbin. Felt so much better after. ~clap

Yeah but I bet you didn’t pay £1300 for it? I paid £115 for mine included a double drawer unit and 4 trays, only fished venues with even banks in those days though !

[BiffParticipant]

I bought a Milo box about three years ago,found that the sliding footplate was rubbish so converted it to a hinged set up and never looked back. The tolley system supplied with it wasnt very good but with a little work I fitted the box onto a Fox trolley and I can wheel the lot to my peg and start fishing with wheels still attached.Give it a wash off with the power washer and it looks good for a long time yet.If you are looking for the best box,going for the most expensive is not really the best way to go. ~think ~think ~think

[TF_feeder]

i will stick to my beloved matchbox that i bought when clint had the firm.5 drawer canal spotless never let me down or broke anything on it.and english made.

[TF_Slider]

I have recently retired a VERY good matchbox pyramid ( British Built)and bought a 2nd hand RIVE D36

I love it, its far more stable and comfortable than the matchbox, when I fish the canal I dont need a platform HOWEVER

The build quality is terrible, the draws are crap, I have had 2 break and they let in water. The wooden fronts are far better but they no longer make wooden side drawers.

The footpalte system will end up sticking and the catches that secure it both in use and in transit are crap, the extra fittings and attatchemtns are crap and well overpriced, £100 for a side tray ?? JOKE 30 odd quid for pole winders ?? seriously.

Now I bought mine 2nd hand for a shade over 300 quid so im very happy with it at the price, it was in good condition from the previous owner, however If I had bought it new it would have been sent back rapidly with a pretty shitty letter attatched.

I would never buy a new RIVE system but would probably never have another box, so all in all they are top 2nd hand purchases when they come with the right bits and pieces for your own fishing.

[TF_Fred Davis]

Scissors you obviously have rose tinted glasses, Your AS1 was obviously better than mine, I had a wealth of problems all fixed by plastic padding and touch up paint lol the footplate could only be angled up, not adjusted up or down, ok if you have long legs! and the way it was attached onto the box meant the metal side plates cut into the fibreglass,
the bait tray if overloaded would ping off the two metal clips depositing all your bait in the drink,perfect system your aving a laugh, however there longivety does not come into question had mine for near on 15 years before I got shot of, give me a modern box anyday, comfort wise and user friendly far superior and far more stable.

[Author]

Posts