Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post Reply
WhitBri
Rank: Just A Pup
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:58 pm

Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by WhitBri » Sat Jul 07, 2018 8:41 am

I know this might not be a fair comparison due to price difference but sell me on your kennel of choice.
Also size. I’m getting a male lab. Father is 75lbs. Which size should I get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar
Sharon
GDF Junkie
Posts: 9113
Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Ontario,Canada

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by Sharon » Sat Jul 07, 2018 5:10 pm

Welcome to the forum. In my opinion, the dog should be able to stand up fully and turn around fully to lie down.

Mountaineer
GDF Junkie
Posts: 1630
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:23 pm
Location: State?...The one where ruffed grouse were.

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by Mountaineer » Sat Jul 07, 2018 5:47 pm

Well......Ruff-tough.
I have a number of seasons use out of two of them and find little of which to complain.
One is a side-opener plus the end door and that permits me to place two Intermediates behind the front seat of the Tacoma. Leaving the topper area for two more when necessary.
Great ventilation as well.
Sturdy buggers....plastic doors of today eliminate the rusting of the old doors with the lickers.

However....I like the slam latches of the Gunner over the pinch latches of the R-T.
I may try one Gunner, just for the latch....simply not sure how well it holds up and know of no one with a lot of use out of one, tho I’m sure they are around.
I like the two door option on the R-T so, to me, Gunner also looks to need more ventilation, but that need would vary. No doubt a step drill would help.

Either should serve any dog and hunter well, imho.

I would likely go with a step above Intermediate for a lab but....???? However, I am not a fan of a lot of room in a dog box.
Difficult question in many ways, especially distance.

*I will add that the door rod pockets on the R-T were chaff collectors and I took a drill and drilled the pockets out....now the rods always seat fully, as the chaff falls thru.

User avatar
ezzy333
GDF Junkie
Posts: 16625
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Dixon IL

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by ezzy333 » Sat Jul 07, 2018 7:52 pm

What you need for a crate depends entirely on how you want to use it.

User avatar
Irishwhistler
Rank: Champion
Posts: 301
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2013 9:41 pm
Location: LAB LAND

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by Irishwhistler » Sun Jul 08, 2018 11:47 am

ezzy333 wrote:What you need for a crate depends entirely on how you want to use it.
X2

Mike

Flint
Rank: Just A Pup
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:51 pm
Location: San Marcos, Texas

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by Flint » Mon Jul 09, 2018 9:57 am

Gunner kennels are very well designed but very heavy. Not something you'll want to move around a lot but great for a dedicated spot.

RT is more versatile. The doors can open either direction & the double door option can be very handy in a lot of situations. The only down side for me is there is that while you can buy tie-down fixtures, they wouldn't stop someone from stealing the kennel from the back of a pickup.

Another option I've seen but don't have any experience with is : https://dakota283.com/collections/kennels

I believe the price point is in between Gunner & RT.

User avatar
DonF
GDF Junkie
Posts: 4020
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:09 pm
Location: Antelope, Ore

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by DonF » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:09 am

WhitBri wrote:I know this might not be a fair comparison due to price difference but sell me on your kennel of choice.
Also size. I’m getting a male lab. Father is 75lbs. Which size should I get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My dog's share the front seat with me! :-)

JONOV
Rank: 2X Champion
Posts: 408
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:26 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by JONOV » Mon Jul 09, 2018 1:40 pm

I just cannot square the price of the Gunner in my mind.

Compton30
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2018 5:17 am

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by Compton30 » Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:39 am

JONOV wrote:I just cannot square the price of the Gunner in my mind.
Same boat, but I also felt the same about Yeti coolers before there were cheaper yet equally effective products.

PoorMansWrangler
Rank: Senior Hunter
Posts: 135
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2017 5:51 am
Location: Ohio

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by PoorMansWrangler » Wed Jul 11, 2018 2:58 am

I have the large double door Ruff Tough. Initially I was set on the Gunner Kennel, but I just could not pay that much money. I ended up with the right side double door kennel, with the handle and tie down kit. I use it for transporting my dog to and from the dog park, hunting locations, training spots etc. I am very impressed with it. My dog is 65 pounds, and can comfortably stand up and lay down and turn around in the kennel. I transport him in my hunting rig, a 2000 Jeep Cherokee, so it’s a little tighter fit but we make it work

User avatar
Dakotazeb
Rank: 4X Champion
Posts: 671
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2014 1:10 pm
Location: South Dakota / Arizona

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by Dakotazeb » Wed Jul 11, 2018 6:30 am

DonF wrote: My dog's share the front seat with me! :-)
And how are those dogs going to do if your in an accident?

JONOV
Rank: 2X Champion
Posts: 408
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:26 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by JONOV » Wed Jul 11, 2018 7:48 am

Compton30 wrote:
JONOV wrote:I just cannot square the price of the Gunner in my mind.
Same boat, but I also felt the same about Yeti coolers before there were cheaper yet equally effective products.
That's my struggle. I have a hard time swallowing the Gunner price, when I don't see huge improvements over a Dakota 283 with the new door or a Ruff Tuff.
The Yeti was a struggle for me, because I have no need to keep ice for more than a few hours. But, I would have bought one if I did. And I know guys that camp for a week at a time fishing or hunting that would realize that benefit.

While the Gunner is incredibly well built, I can't imagine that my dog is inherently safer in one vs a different kennel, nor do I see them lasting so much longer as to recoup the added cost. They do weigh a lot more, and I can see that being an advantage in an accident, where the kennel is less likely to bounce around, but they're usually wedged in and strapped down enough that I'm not overly concnerned.

Mountaineer
GDF Junkie
Posts: 1630
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:23 pm
Location: State?...The one where ruffed grouse were.

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by Mountaineer » Wed Jul 11, 2018 7:50 am

Dakotazeb wrote:
DonF wrote: My dog's share the front seat with me! :-)
And how are those dogs going to do if your in an accident?

Uh-oh.


It’s nice that so many options exist for each of our birddogs and to help achieve a best fit for each of our needs.

Basically, I can’t quite combine every like and desire in a scattergun so not sure why I would expect that in a portable kennel.
Again, options are nice but none define perfect for everyone.....at least, I hope not.
My...how boring that would be.

JONOV
Rank: 2X Champion
Posts: 408
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:26 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by JONOV » Wed Jul 11, 2018 9:30 am

Dakotazeb wrote:
DonF wrote: My dog's share the front seat with me! :-)
And how are those dogs going to do if your in an accident?
Mine will do poorly. I try and keep him lying down on the back seat.

But right now, $300+ for a kennel is a tough sell to my wife, and the kennel doesn't really fit upright in my vehicle anyway. The current Kennel I have he escapes from. Actually, most of them save for Dakota 283's, Gunners, and probably a RuffTuff with the door kit, he'll escape from. Because he can. He doesn't do anything, just gets out and lies down on my couch. I had his half sister for two weeks and she figured out the door on her kennel at 9 weeks old. Must be genetic.

EAM
Rank: Just A Pup
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:05 pm
Location: Savannah GA

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by EAM » Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:24 pm

If you go to the gunner website they are hitting kennels with a sled and the gunner does much better then the ruff tough and the other kennels. Its a stronger kennel. I believe if you go to the ruff tough website, they are doing something similar, but the gunner kennel isn't part of the test. That doesn't mean you need a gunner, I have a rough tuff, but I don't doubt it is a better kennel.

birddogger2
Rank: 3X Champion
Posts: 544
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:15 am
Location: Lower slower Delaware

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by birddogger2 » Wed Jul 11, 2018 7:32 pm

Personally I have a hard time paying $100 for a piece of molded plastic. The raw materials for any of those kennels cost about a buck, perhaps two... when purchased in quantity.

Building the molds, setting up the production facility, distribution facilities and advertising costs money, especially for a (relatively) small volume item like these molded dog kennels. I get that.

One thing that no one has mentioned is that while one of these "indestructible" kennels may well survive a horrific crash or other disaster, what would have happened to the flesh and blood animal that was inside. I strongly suspect that the animal inside will not do as well as the container in most collision type accidents, since it is not restrained inside the box and will get slammed around.

Sooooo, in some situations, the relative strength of the container is kinda irrelevant.

Some of my older vari-kennels are getting kinda tired and Cabela's was running a sale. I had a couple of gift cards for judging at trials,so I went and bought an intermediate Ruff Tuff. Turns out that they also had a promotion where if you spent $200(maybe it was $250??) they would credit you $50 on your next purchase, so I went out of the store with one crate and a few other things I just HAD to have, and then went back in and bought a second one for the same sale price and got the $50 rebate.
I have been using them for the last three months on the back of my K mule to schlep the dogs out to the training field and back. Aside from some mud and slobber on the floor of the crates, they look new. The plastic composite doors seem to be holding up fine, but we'll see in a few years.

I had a 2 hole crate that was fabricated from embossed aluminum sheeting and riveted together. It was light enough for one person to lift it in and out of a pickup truck or station wagon(SUV) bed. I used it for about 20 years and then gave it to my son. He still uses it to haul the dogs hunting. Unfortunately, nobody makes anything like that today. At least I have not seen anything like it advertised.

Trying to move the 2 dog units made out of welded aluminum diamond plate would give Mr. Clean a hernia. They are solid and pretty indestructible, but waaaay too heavy and clumsy for one person.

RayG

JONOV
Rank: 2X Champion
Posts: 408
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:26 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by JONOV » Thu Jul 12, 2018 12:21 pm

birddogger2 wrote:Personally I have a hard time paying $100 for a piece of molded plastic. The raw materials for any of those kennels cost about a buck, perhaps two... when purchased in quantity.

Building the molds, setting up the production facility, distribution facilities and advertising costs money, especially for a (relatively) small volume item like these molded dog kennels. I get that.

One thing that no one has mentioned is that while one of these "indestructible" kennels may well survive a horrific crash or other disaster, what would have happened to the flesh and blood animal that was inside. I strongly suspect that the animal inside will not do as well as the container in most collision type accidents, since it is not restrained inside the box and will get slammed around.

Sooooo, in some situations, the relative strength of the container is kinda irrelevant.
Yeah...Its why cars crumple.
"Speed never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you." -Jeremy Clarkson

I'll pay to have one piece construction with plastic. I don't mind the $1 worth of plastic if its a one piece kennel with a nice door. That's my complaint, the door. I don't want to spend a bunch of money only to have the same door (or mechanical operation) as a WalMart Kennel (trigger spring), and a door that's no stronger. Some dogs, once they learn they can escape, will do everything they can to escape. I've seen them buck against the screws holding the clamshell style kennels together, rattling them til they get enough leeway to pop the door. My dog can work the trigger, and will simply let himself out, it takes no more than 5 minutes. My current foster GSP bites the door, and pulls it open. I reinforce with zip ties, and he manages to bust a zip tie.

The Gunner checks all the boxes, but its weight is such that it puts you into welded aluminum territory.

Ruff-Tuff has a door I'm not happy with, but they do sell a reinforcement kit that I'd have to see before buying.

Dakota 283 has a good door available, and they have what they call the "alpha" which is for Police/Military type applications.

User avatar
BuckeyeSteve
Rank: Senior Hunter
Posts: 158
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 10:09 am
Location: Valencia, PA (north of Pgh)

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by BuckeyeSteve » Fri Jul 13, 2018 6:05 am

Look at Dakota 283 for the same price point as the Ruff Tough, but with WAY BETTER customer service and a few nicer features. I bought both at the same time and compared them side by side, returned the Ruff Tough. I thought I wrote a review, but now I'm thinking I never actually did that. I'll post some pics of the two together with a list of the features of each when I get a little time.

j d patrick
Rank: Just A Pup
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun May 13, 2018 3:39 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by j d patrick » Mon Jul 16, 2018 4:01 am

I have a ruff tuff intermediate for my dog,,,,I like it fine - way better than the petco styles (two peice),,,and my 55 lb do fits it fine.

the gunner's do seem better, but at an increased cost

if I had the extra when I got them, I would have gone gunner

BPeterson
Rank: Just A Pup
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2018 2:18 pm

Re: Gunner or Ruff Tuff

Post by BPeterson » Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:49 am

BuckeyeSteve wrote:Look at Dakota 283 for the same price point as the Ruff Tough, but with WAY BETTER customer service and a few nicer features. I bought both at the same time and compared them side by side, returned the Ruff Tough. I thought I wrote a review, but now I'm thinking I never actually did that. I'll post some pics of the two together with a list of the features of each when I get a little time.
I didn't check dimensions on the two, but the medium Dakota is double the price of my medium Ruff Tough. It does look nice though and I like the door latch a lot better than the RT.

Post Reply