303 Marine Fabric Guard prices!!!

[flyingnugget]

Sweet baby Jesus! I love this product and use it every year with amazing results. From my bimini to my mooring cover to my lawn furniture, it has been excellent BUT, The prices of this stuff is outrageous this year.

If anyone finds a deal/sale on this stuff please post it here. I buy it by the Gallon and I've been seeing prices pushing mid $70's per gallon. Ouch!

I bought 2 Gallons, 2 years ago on amazon and it was was $36 p/gal! ($76 out the door with taxes etc, on amazon).

Any help/luck on finding a good deal would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[drewkaree]

I'm guessing there was a deal at that time that you may not have been aware of. My order in 2020 was $78/gallon, so it would appear prices on this have been level. I recall it being slightly less, in the $50's in 2019 when I first got my boat, and being mad when I made my purchase in '20 that they were starting to raise prices that much. I don't recall seeing Fabric Guard for anywhere near the price you paid for quite some time.

I've got half a gallon left, and looking to use it up on the cover this year, so I'd be buying 2 gallons as well, if I could find it for the price you paid! Looks like everyone has it for $80/gal

 

[flyingnugget]

Oh it was a deal for sure…I knew it was when I bought it. I should have bought more.

But my previous purchases have never been this high..

just sticker shock(like everything else these days)!

Cheers ?

 

[2kwik4u]

I need to treat my mooring cover this spring.

Does 303 only offer UV protection, or doe it have some Hydrophobic qualities too? I'm trying to decide between 303 and NeverWet.

 

[The Canuck]

Very happy with 303. It has Hydrophobic qualities, and I have found that my bilge rarely runs when I turn the boat on after it's been sitting for a week (wet-slip). It would always run for a solid 30+seconds before. Debating if I will do it yearly, or every other year.

 

[Nivekot]

I read someone mention on the forums that 303 Fabric Guard is the same formula as the marine 303 Fabric Guard. I recently paid $65 on Amazon for a gallon of 303 Fabric Guard.

 

[drewkaree]

I read someone mention on the forums that 303 Fabric Guard is the same formula as the marine 303 Fabric Guard. I recently paid $65 on Amazon for a gallon of 303 Fabric Guard.

I recall the same thing, I thought someone smart found the msds for them to verify that they were similar, at least.

@2kwik4u, definitely sheds water if applied according to instructions. I sat under the cover in the rain to verify that I wasn't wasting my time and money. I also accidentally sealed in some dirt/grunge on the emblem before I realized it, and it's still there ?‍

 

[drewkaree]

@2kwik4u I looked at the NeverWet you were talking about, and realized the hydrophobic thing you were talking about may not apply to the 303, I'm not sure if it's apples to hand grenades comparison, or if it's light years ahead of 303.

I did find this blurb about coverage though, and at the higher end of the range (15 sq ft coverage) , the cost is going to be $160+ for a 19' mooring cover (~160 sq ft), and $175+ for a 21', but no info for longevity. If it lasts for over 3 years, great, but if it has to be reapplied every year, you're approaching the point of just buying a new cover for the same price, every 3 years... It looks a lot more time consuming and fiddly vs 303, but that's just from a cursory look, it may be easier than my quick eyeballing

If it's closer to the 10sq ft coverage, then you're looking at almost $250 for your 19'. At that price, I would need a definite 3 years of performance, as I could 303 my cover three times a year for the same price with a lot easier application

 

[flyingnugget]

Has anyone used and have a some feedback on Star Bright Waterproofing?

I absolutely love 303 products but I'm just having a really hard time with the price this year. $80 for a gallon is just sitting a bit heavy.

Amazon has the Star Bright on sale for $45 a gallon...

 

[drewkaree]

Has anyone used and have a some feedback on Star Bright Waterproofing?

I absolutely love 303 products but I'm just having a really hard time with the price this year. $80 for a gallon is just sitting a bit heavy.

Amazon has the Star Bright on sale for $45 a gallon...

7000+ people think it's worthy of 4.5 stars and have left reviews, for what they're worth ?‍

Coverage for the 303 ranges from 1.5x less, or more, likely depending on how it's applied (320-600 sq ft vs. 465 sq ft for the Starbrite). Starbrite listing says it should be used at full strength for best results, if dilution is required, mineral spirits must be used. A few people mentioned that it's a thin liquid, so I wouldn't think you'd need it thinned unless you were using a sprayer that required it (not likely, it should spray fine, just like 303). From Starbright's response to a question, I wouldn't apply this while on the boat due to this info:

"Here is what is listed on the Safety Data Sheet:
- Petroleum distillates, hydrotreated light
- Solvent naphtha, petroleum, medium aliphatic (1-5%)
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (0.0375%) see less
By STAR BRITE on February 12, 2019"

And this:

I used it on my boat cover ,but did drip some on boat finish and it does show

poppy rick
· November 9, 2020


In the grand scheme of things, I'm as cheap as cheap can be, but I look at it like this, that gallon of 303 should treat your cover at least twice, so $40 per application. Both products have been used by many, both have people who swear by it, and some who say it worked for crap. I think either product is 100% dependent on proper and thorough application, and both will work just fine. If I were you, and that $80 was a hard pill to swallow, the only way to know for sure if the Starbrite would work for you is to give it a shot. BOTH products seem to have plenty of people with differing opinions. Not really much help, but I found you some info to think about, other than that, I would still go with the 303.

 

[buckbuck]

This conversation prompted me to consider the condition of my boat cover. Last week I applied the Starbright Waterproofing using a cheap pump sprayer from Home Depot. I just spread the cover out on the driveway and soaked it. It took the whole gallon to do it. I am happy with the results.
I will say that I am a bit gun shy about 303, not because of the product but my own ignorance. Years ago I used the wrong 303 product on my cover which resulted in it disintegrating shortly thereafter. Again, this is not because it is an inferior product. Just a painful memory.
I will use Starbright Waterproofing from this point forward.

 

[drewkaree]

No judgement, just curious, since Starbright says their gallon should cover 400+ square feet, which is around twice the size of your cover. Did it take the whole gallon due to the sprayer and limited adjustability in how it applied, or did you make the decision to use it all due to age of the cover / extra application for trouble areas / cheap insurance?

I've never used it, and it seems like there's a smell associated with the Starbright, is it no issue when doing it outdoors, like many would do?

If someone were doing this in their garage, would you recommend a fan and/or leaving the garage door open?

Any flammability recommendations until it's dry?

How long did it take to dry when using the whole gallon?

 

[flyingnugget]

So, I ended up ordering a gallon of the 303 and a couple gallons of the Starbrite(its on sale). Just hate the 303 price but, I know what I'm getting and that will be used on the moring cover. I normally use every drop of a gallon(would like a bit more) on the moring cover each spring. It's been great so far and the moring cover is a pricey investment to experiment on with the Starbrite.

Starbright will be used on the patio cushions and bimini.

I use a pump sprayer as well for the morning cover and bimini.. Works great and definitely helps getting every inch of the fabric. It usually dries fairly fast. I put it it on during the later morning and its pretty dry by that evening when I'm wrapping up that days projects. Honestly, it seems to dry very quickly but I'm sure the "curing" time is different than what is visibly seen.

@drewkaree I would suggest a fan if doing it in the garage...even with the 303.

 

[buckbuck]

Hmmm...I think I used the whole gallon knowing the small amount left over would just go to waste. I really don't think it would have been enough for doing it twice. I sprayed it on so it soaked the cover. Some of it went through the cover on to the driveway which now beads water when it rains. I remember an odor but it was especially pungent. I would think the manufacturer would be the best source for flammability concerns. Mind you I did it in a warm TX sun and had the cover back on the boat a couple hours later. If doing it in Wisconsin you may want to wait until May or June. Or move to TX.

 

[buckbuck]

@flyingnugget Can you please post a picture of the 303 product you purchased? I want to file it for the future.

 

[flyingnugget]

Sure @buckbuck ...There was a thread about the Fabric Guard and "Marine" Fabric Guard and there is basically no difference. Just a marketing issue. I would have bought either one but the "Marine" version was a couple of bucks cheaper so thats what I bought.

303 Marine Fabric Guard.


Sorry, i just did an update on my iMac and I have no idea where my screenshots are going...LOL so there is the link

 

[buckbuck]

Thanks