I was originally going to build my own dock but work has gotten really busy and while I am by no means rich I have more money than time at the moment and am considering buying a dock.
I was looking at this one from pond king. I have seen one in person and they are nice.
http://www.pondking.com/product/deluxe-steel-floating-dock/I like the rails, awning, etc. Are they any other competing products that are similar I should consider before I pull the trigger?
I have a new EZ floating dock and am happy with it. One thing to keep in mind: Make the walkway wide enough for handicapped people (4 feet wide). A little more expensive, but worth it.
Are they any other competing products that are similar I should consider before I pull the trigger?
Pond King appears to make a nice product. Not sure where you are in Texas. I recently bought a small floating dock/pier from Hotwoods who last year opened a company store in Emory, Texas. Hotwoods also has a large display space every month at Canton Trade Days. Hotwoods has been making mini-pontoon boats and docks for decades in Nebraska. Call Dan in Emory if you are interested....Dan is a great guy.
http://hotwoods.com/docks.htmHere is mine...sorry I don't have a side view picture yet. They make docks in many configurations and will customize pretty much any way you want it...like I got a 5' wide walkway so I wouldn't need handrails.
Menards has 4 x 10' sections that are prebuilt. I bought one prebuilt and three that I put together. After all was said and done, I am not sure if I got the best deal. I like the dock, but I ended up spending over $3,000. They have 11% off going all the time.
The dock is made by someone else. (Playmore, or Play-something). You might be able to get a better deal, if you went direct..
Good dock though. All aluminum, an heavy gauge. Treated wood.
SetterGuy...you're right Menards has everything dock-wise!
Menards Docks (there are no Menard's in Texas, but I assume they ship)
I don't know if they will or not. We found them to be somewhat difficult to work with. They are store centered, meaning we couldn't find anyone at a home office, or central location to work with. We ended up getting parts from three different stores. There was a huge difference between stores. The store in Quincy IL was fantastic. The two in the St Louis area, not so much..
I would guess you could put five or six sections (in kits) on a 20' trailer. Also, the 11 to 13% off, if you get a big card, comes in store credits. So, maybe order all but one section, then use the credits to purchase the last section.
Just try to find a good store.
Bdog -
If you order that dock, I'd love to hear what you think and about your experience with Pond King. I've thought about that same dock myself but haven't moved on a dock yet. I like the cover on it to help with the Texas heat!
I bought my supplies from Dock on Demand in Benbrook. You might call and get a quote.
http://www.docksondemand.com/