Best Brand of waders

T

TA Smith

Active member
I need to purchase new waders. I currently have Cabelas Brush Buster and love them but after 8 years they are starting to fail.
I do not want to have to replace the waders after a year or two. I am looking for a 1600 boot and a pair that can take some abuse.
I appreciate your input and value the opinion of the members here.
Thank you,
Tom
 
If you got 8 years of use out of your Cabela Brush Busters, why would you even think of changing the brand? In my book, you were very lucky to find a product that stood up that long.
Al
 
I'm with Al, if you got 8 YEARS out of waders, AMEN. You found the holy grail of waders. My brush busters have 4 on them and this will be last. I paid $175 with coupon. $43.75 per year of use, to me that's value. You have $25.00 a year that's a box of premium shells. Also I think they upped the thinsulate grams in boots since your pair.

Gene R.
 
Aren't ALL brand of waders meant to be torn, ripped, and leak, about the 4th or 5th time ya use them? I mean as soon as ya buy em, ya KNOW something "not good" is gonna happen to them.......
 
I got a pair of brush busters about 9 years ago still wear them every once in a while rubber boot has a small leak. So two years ago I bought new ones, they lasted about two hours. I dont feel I was any rougher on the new ones. I did catch them on a stick but I dont think it would have done the same damage on the older pair. I am not sure if the quality has dropped, If I got a bad pair or if I got a really good pair or was I just lucky.
 
I just replaced my Drake Equaders....after four years. Still seeing how I feel about the 2.0 series. Drake did fix a LOT of the issues others were having. However, they are no QUITE snug. Noticeably more than the original series. However, they are well made, improved in response to hunter (not models), and willing to work to keep customers happy.

Mike
 
I hope that you all realize, ANY cabelas items are LIFETIME WARANTY, i bought a pair of cabelas waders 12 years ago, ive exchanged them about 4 times in those 12 years, made the first purchase with the coupon for around $175, now if theres ever a leak or issue i exchange them for the same ones at $0, i used the 5mm neoprene cold weather waders and they are the best ive ever used!
 
I hope that you all realize, ANY cabelas items are LIFETIME WARANTY,
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Not true!



GUIDELINES:
Cabela's brand clothing and footwear is guaranteed for the lifetime of the product under normal wear and tear and defects in workmanship.

All other Cabela's brand merchandise and National brand boots and shoes are guaranteed for one full year under normal use and against defects in materials or workmanship.
 
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My old styled LaCrosse waders have 8-9 seasons on them without issue. Not sure what I would replace them with. I hope when the time comes they will be having a model change again and I can get them at a discount
 
I recommend 3 or 5 mm Cabelas Boot Foot Neoprene and a cheap pair of wide bottom running shoes 1/2 to 1 size larger then your actual shoe size...The boots you can buy seem not to have the flexibility you need in the muck...


I have hunted with the Cableas boot foot 3mm waders for near 9 years...2012-2013 season was last season...Not going to lie but in the 5th season of use I had to use a two part wader sealant on some of the seams, mainly around the groin area...Randomly over the years added more...Unfortunately the seams will fail overtime but if maintained the neoprene will not break down and spread on you...

I religiously use the following:
1. Spray 303 Seat Cover Proctant (never use any petroleum based product on your wader) Let Dry! Hang inside your house not garage in cool place, don't fold, hang...Do this before the hunt several weeks in advance...
2. Wash them off after use no matter how tired you are at the end of the hunt. Remove as much mud with pond or lake water works best...Chlorinated water breaks down neoprene
3. Mid Season coat with another coat of 303 Seat Cover Proctant.
4. Keep clean and hang up to dry as soon as done...Don't be lazy and leave them in a wader bag.
5. Clean again and spray with protectant at end of season and hange inside closet in your house.

Clean them good at the end of season by filling a 5 gallon bucket with clean, fresh water from a pond or lake not out of the faucet...Let them soak for day...Spray with 303 Seat Cover Protectant...



Regards,
Kristan
 
Its really hard to beat LLBean waders in part because of their amazing product guarantee. In fact I recently received a new pair of breathables after mine started leaking after several season.
 
I have Cabelas waders, they have to be on their fifth year by now, if you got eight, I don't think I'd look much further than the same, but Lacrose has a good reputation of being tough.

As far as Cabelas warranty, I think it is sorely abused, and we, the consumer, are paying for it. I have also heard they are more strict now than they used to be, but often in retail when a customer is in the store.making a stink, they just want to hush him up.

My philosophy on the warranty for my waders:

If they failed (not I ripped them) in the first two years, I would take them back.

If they failed year 3-4, I would probably buy another brand.

If they failed now, I would go back and buy another pair of Cabelas brand.

Am I a schmuck? Maybe, but its a small.price to sleep.at night.
 
TIMB IT IS TRUE, ive been buying items at cabelas for about 15 years, i have YET TO BE REJECTED of an item, ive brought back in store and online items oike waders, shirts, hoodies, jackets, gloves, decoys, camo, fishing poles, blinds, calls, all these items either broke or ripped after a few months to well over a year, EVERY ITEM was exchanged with no questions and if they longer had that item, they'd replace it with something comparable at my liking!
 
The lifetime of the product........ I have a couple pare
I will sell you cheap! $200 dollar waders that I will ship to your door for $80! You have to send me a check before I ship them. "Help Me Help You!"



TIMB IT IS TRUE, ive been buying items at cabelas for about 15 years, i have YET TO BE REJECTED of an item, ive brought back in store and online items oike waders, shirts, hoodies, jackets, gloves, decoys, camo, fishing poles, blinds, calls, all these items either broke or ripped after a few months to well over a year, EVERY ITEM was exchanged with no questions and if they longer had that item, they'd replace it with something comparable at my liking!
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Im all set, as i stated before, i buy all my items from cabelas, whatever breaks/malfunctions gets taken back for a full exchange, been doing it for years and never been questioned or given a hard time, they have great customer service!

The lifetime of the product........ I have a couple pare
I will sell you cheap! $200 dollar waders that I will ship to your door for $80! You have to send me a check before I ship them. "Help Me Help You!"



TIMB IT IS TRUE, ive been buying items at cabelas for about 15 years, i have YET TO BE REJECTED of an item, ive brought back in store and online items oike waders, shirts, hoodies, jackets, gloves, decoys, camo, fishing poles, blinds, calls, all these items either broke or ripped after a few months to well over a year, EVERY ITEM was exchanged with no questions and if they longer had that item, they'd replace it with something comparable at my liking!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
In ct our cabelas wont hold up their lifetime warrenty on clothes/footwear everytime. Twice they said they would give me an instore credit for 1/2 the price of new waders i just kept going back and trying to exchage them. It finnaly worked but from now on ill buy from llbean.

I have the 1600 mag waders they are extremely warm , but the boot gets serious stress cracks and i cant get a pair to last more than a year. I spend at least 100+ days in them between hunting, scouting, fishing, working for fisheries.

Holes in the actual waders are easy to repair ( i had a quater sized mouse hole in the leg that was repaired with aquaseal that lasted until i finnaly got cabelas to give me a new pair).

The aquaseal lasts for about 2-3 weeks on the boot. Cabelas ran out of aquaseal though and im limping this pair through this season by any sealent i can find (vinyl pool patch,rtv sealent, gasket maker, etc) nothing works as well as aquaseal

good luck with your purchase buy 2 thats the best way to stay dry
 
I agree with the cabelas return policy being abused. If there is a major assembly defect in the waders or they do not hold up for "normal" wear and tear for 2 years I would expect a refund or at least a partial. Anything beyond that, I feel, is the users responsibility. I know everyone's definition for "normal" wear and tear is different but if you're climbing through brush and a stick pierces them, that's on you. Just be thankful they were in the way and there's not a limb sticking into your leg.

I look at waders like tires. Sooner or later they are going to wear out and your going to have to "fix a flat" every once in a while.

I'm on my fifth season of frogg togg breathables. I resealed the crotch seams before this season and have just started to develop a boot leak. If I can find a good sale on the cabelas super mags I will probably buy a pair for next year.
 
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