The Scoop on Stealth

KOB

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There has been much talk about sand scoops , which is best , brands , etc. Some are a little misguided here I think regarding Stealth scoops. This is from someone who has BEEN there a few months back. This is what I know.

About 6 years ago , I bought the 720 scoop. It came from there shop in the upper midwest. Absolutely awesome scoop. I've never met or spoken to the owner at the time. I believe though his name was Chuck. So I don't know anything about the man. Fast forward.

Now , I decide to buy another scoop. Googled it. Wow ! It's in Westminster, Ca. Not far from my home in L.A. When you pull up to the shop , there is no Stealth or Sunspot signage. Google it. This company bought out Stealth. They have retained the prior owner on a "consultant type" basis. This is what they told me. Westminster is known as a "little siagon" of Orange County,CA. The people who now run this are Vietnamese.

This is a metal fabrication shop. Repair bbq grills , metal chairs ,etc. They do it all ! Everyone in the shop was extremely nice. BUT , admittedly they themselves were not experts on the scoops. I was at the shop quite a bit dealing with them. They are actually under a different company name. They are also learning greatly about the scoops they sell. Also gave them advice and a new prototype.

Quality control could be an issue. They had problems with a supplier on the stainless steel. I was able to pick up a reject scoop at a crazy price that rusted fast. They had many. I also saw many returns for repairs and warranty. This is not a company that just does sand scoops. I learned a lot about this company and what they are about NOW.

Don't get me wrong... I still like the stealth scoops and recommend them. The people there are very nice and helpful. Just giving you some insight before you make a decision on a purchase. Go there yourself if you can !
 
I keep wanting to pull the trigger on a stealth for a few years now, i think i noticed last year they were no longer in MI and the sunspot URL is gone and replaced with the stealthscoop.com domain. I also thought there was an owl engineering name at some point. I assumed he sold the fabrication / tooling business and kept the scoop business in retirement.

I didn't realize it was also sold or outsourced. That's a little disappointing, more so with the QC you are seeing.

The building is nice looking:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.752...4!1siQqGCrOfVD4HQsdVZJYs0w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
 
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Kob

Thank's for the update , just as i suspected :worms: , nothing to say here , forcast for vacation :windy::windy::windy::windy::windy:----> XTREME :shock::urock::nothingtoadd::nicethread::goodluck: Have a nice day, i have to finish watching my Western movie :lol: , the possie is coming :hornetsnest::hide: :popcorn2:
 
yeah ive heard that the stainless being used now on the scoops is cheaper than what chuck was using not sure if i will purchase from them now that chuck sold the bussiness :(
 
Not sure if Sito scoops are sold in the USA? But I would say 80% of scoops I see on our local beaches in south australia are Sito. https://sitoscoop.com/our-story/
aab9440ce2bf9254d57245cc328a615c.jpg


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Sito

Old school screw hole in the goose neck , junk in my opinion . Once you go to a quick release goose neck , you never go back in time. This screw hole handle lock down is used on all low end , and some mid grade scoop's. Which should have disappeared in this decade to new, better technology .
 
Old school screw hole in the goose neck , junk in my opinion . Once you go to a quick release goose neck , you never go back in time. This screw hole handle lock down is used on all low end , and some mid grade scoop's. Which should have disappeared in this decade to new, better technology .

Absolutely ! In the last 6 months , I've also become more informed on the different types of stainless steel. I never knew and it's very important. Some grades are more susceptible to salt corrosion than others. Some have magnetic properties. Some stronger , etc. I learned this the hard way.
 
So let me see if I have my facts straight here...
A guy in Michigan sells his business to a bunch of Vietnamese guys in California that have no idea what a sand scoop is.. and at the same time a nearly identical scoop appears on the market a couple hundred miles from Michigan.

Seems those Vietnamese guys are really business savvy
 
There has been much talk about sand scoops , which is best , brands , etc. Some are a little misguided here I think regarding Stealth scoops. This is from someone who has BEEN there a few months back. This is what I know.

About 6 years ago , I bought the 720 scoop. It came from there shop in the upper midwest. Absolutely awesome scoop. I've never met or spoken to the owner at the time. I believe though his name was Chuck. So I don't know anything about the man. Fast forward.

Now , I decide to buy another scoop. Googled it. Wow ! It's in Westminster, Ca. Not far from my home in L.A. When you pull up to the shop , there is no Stealth or Sunspot signage. Google it. This company bought out Stealth. They have retained the prior owner on a "consultant type" basis. This is what they told me. Westminster is known as a "little siagon" of Orange County,CA. The people who now run this are Vietnamese.

This is a metal fabrication shop. Repair bbq grills , metal chairs ,etc. They do it all ! Everyone in the shop was extremely nice. BUT , admittedly they themselves were not experts on the scoops. I was at the shop quite a bit dealing with them. They are actually under a different company name. They are also learning greatly about the scoops they sell. Also gave them advice and a new prototype.

Quality control could be an issue. They had problems with a supplier on the stainless steel. I was able to pick up a reject scoop at a crazy price that rusted fast. They had many. I also saw many returns for repairs and warranty. This is not a company that just does sand scoops. I learned a lot about this company and what they are about NOW.

Don't get me wrong... I still like the stealth scoops and recommend them. The people there are very nice and helpful. Just giving you some insight before you make a decision on a purchase. Go there yourself if you can !

Well that would have been helpful info in my post a few days ago! I just purchased a stealth 720 hybrid. I like the weight difference of the stealth compared to extreme, lets just hope the SS holds up as you mentioned. Ill report back on any imperfections or rusting.
 
Old school screw hole in the goose neck , junk in my opinion . Once you go to a quick release goose neck , you never go back in time. This screw hole handle lock down is used on all low end , and some mid grade scoop's. Which should have disappeared in this decade to new, better technology .
Why quick release? Once it's on its on. Fiberglass/aluminium pole weighs all most nothing. Ubolts weigh more then the shaft
cbfc3e3903fe17b9512a8ef6ab40dbd1.jpg


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Well that would have been helpful info in my post a few days ago! I just purchased a stealth 720 hybrid. I like the weight difference of the stealth compared to extreme, lets just hope the SS holds up as you mentioned. Ill report back on any imperfections or rusting.

You should be ok. BUT , if you have a rust issue , it will be in the first 2 or 3 heavy hunts in salt water. My old 720 never rusted. Wish I still had it. Sold it to another guy on the beach who paid more for it than I did.
 
The Dane

Technology in the past 10 year's have come a long way , when i started water hunting in 2009 , they had the screw in goose neck's, the U bolt 90 degree design's, i still have 3 SunSpot U bolt design's with a 20 degree bend in the Carbon Fiber- wood mix, 2 Quick release - a SunSpot 920IX and a Xtreme Surf Master X3 all in 304 Stainless, ONE Stavr M-9 with the screw hole which i drilled through, and also added another bolt and nut all through , a Old school design , which- I don't like, owning Quick Release head's i found easy to change, on the bottom of the X3 it has a Bolt and washer also , no slipage , No screw, allen bolt , welded nut, no screw into the handle, over the year's i discovered this is the best of the best in my opinion, after owning all head's in all three- handle lock down systems, the screw hole is cheaper to manufacture, but the worst in my opinion, happy hunting. As far as the difference's between 304 stainless ,and 316 Stainless that Xtreme is now making 316 with a chemical Molybdenum, is added to help with better rust corrosion far superior - than 304 , The Differences in this write up --- https://www.buyfittingsonline.com/p...tainless-steels.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrqHosO Down the road if i purchase any more scoop's , they will be 316 SS, or titanium, i am waiting to see XTREME's Titanium scoop in the work's , most likely my next scoop.
 

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720 & 920 owner here. Purchased from Chuck. I sent the 920 in for service in CA and it's performing very well.

That said....

My next scoop purchase (if needed) will be from John Voltek at Xtreme Scoops (TX).
 
See the New Titanium is ready, Earl should have one soon...
 

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Wow, nice scoop, and weighing in at 2lbs! Sweeeeeeeet! Wonder what the price tag will be...

Guessing, double the price of the SS? No word yet. Hoping Earl would be one of the first to know.
 
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