Want To Buy: Want to Buy CPT Autopilot

[onestepcsy37]

I sold my unused "cruisers kit" to jthaw for $650. He needs to buy mounting brackets and a wheel pulley. He will have a new "old style" CPT for maybe a bit over $1000. I think that was a fair price as a new "new style" unit costs about twice that much.

In almost everything I buy I figure that if I have to pay more than half the price of a new one i would rather buy the new one. Almost everything. But Jthaw was smart enough to check with CPT to see how much the additional parts would cost before we settled on a price. Smart buyer.

I sometimes lust after the new CPT, but not enough to replace my old one.

[a64pilot]

The CPT's seem to be in high enough demand to get high prices.

Seems a little odd, but that seems to be the way it is.

[onestepcsy37]

Not really odd. It's unique among autopilots today. Not a below decks so it's easy to install and maintain. But much more powerful than any of the other above decks pilots, which all seem to have a limit of about 8 tons of boat. Doesn't have the bells and whistles of the newer high tech pilots like tying to your gps or some other gadget, but perfect for the sailor who just wants a pilot to steer a heading reliably and well.

Been using it maybe seven years now and love it. And it's never broken a belt or a pin in all that time. And the manufacturers are terrific guys who actually want to make a good product and give good service.

[SV.Maverick]

[QUOTE=onestepcsy37;2026828]I sold my unused "cruisers kit" to jthaw for $650. He needs to buy mounting brackets and a wheel pulley. He will have a new "old style" CPT for maybe a bit over $1000. I think that was a fair price as a new "new style" unit costs about twice that much.

Wow that's a great deal if I had known you would take 650 I would have jumped fast and I already own 2 other used CPT's!

[SV.Maverick]

[QUOTE=onestepcsy37;2027251]Not really odd. It's unique among autopilots today. Not a below decks so it's easy to install and maintain. But much more powerful than any of the other above decks pilots, which all seem to have a limit of about 8 tons of boat. Doesn't have the bells and whistles of the newer high tech pilots like tying to your gps or some other gadget, but perfect for the sailor who just wants a pilot to steer a heading reliably and well.

I couldn't agree more. Now I don't know how many new ones they sale at $1900 a lot of what I see is people without all the bells and whistles on their boat looking for cheaper means of autopilot systems so they chase these down used. Only problem is most sets are only partial and end up costing more than they thought it would before the unit is complete and functions correctly.

Having said all that if Jeff and the guys at CPT ever run a sale on the new system I would sure like to try it!

[a64pilot]

I say odd as you don't see that many out there, you see for example maybe 100 Ray wheel pilots for every CPT, and people have a tendency to equate them as the same, they aren't of course.

Plus I'd expect to see other high power wheel pilots, but you don't. The thing isn't rocket science, I believe unless I'm mistaken the drive motor is an OTR truck windshield motor for example, Bosch 24V maybe?

So how hard would it be for example if Raymarine wanted to for them to come up with a high torque wheel pilot? But they don't, and to me that's odd.

[onestepcsy37]

A64, no disrespect meant when I said "odd". And yes, Jeff at CPT told me they use a Bosch 24 volt windshield wiper motor. He tried to explain to my feeble old mind that running it at 12 volts increases its power somehow. My problem with the other wheelpilots is that they have plastic parts in critical places.

[onestepcsy37]

[QUOTE=SV.Maverick;2027415]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Wow that's a great deal if I had known you would take 650 I would have jumped fast and I already own 2 other used CPT's!

I originally asked $800 because I thought the missing parts cost about $200 from CPT. But since my old CPT refuses to break I havent been on their website for years. Jthaw found it was more like $350. So I dropped the price accordingly. This was a "cruisers kit" which was only the drive box and compass, but it was new and unused in its original pelican box. He had to buy brackets and the wheel adaptor and j bolts.