Horse Tack Review
SporTote
Deluxe Trunk
Tack Room
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Manufacturer: SporTote (View all products by SporTote)
Model: Deluxe Trunk (View all Deluxe Trunk reviews)
Category: Tack Room
Purchase: After six months of frustration with a Rubbermaid container, I decided to splurge on a real tack trunk. The SporTote Deluxe was the largest non-custom trunk available through my local saddlery, and I liked the features that came with it- the sliding tray and grooming tote, bandage net, and mirror/white board. While I purchased my trunk several years ago, I believe that its price of $290 is current retail.
Likes: The Sportote trunk is big enough to hold all of my equipment, from Absorbine liniment to zip-up half chaps- and, when rearranged and packed to the brim, I can even fit my 17" saddle inside. I use the included divider to separate my clothing and saddle pads from the rest of the trunk to keep them clean. I keep my horse's boots and polo bandages in a rack by his stall, so the bandage net is put to use holding those small, easy-to-lose items- I think there are three hoof-picks, one spur, a few horse-show numbers, some ear plugs, and a pair of gloves in there right now. Even after three years, the white board still wipes clean easily, which I can't say about any of the whiteboards in my house! And I love the wheels included in this trunk- they make moving it so much easier.
Dislikes: I suppose my biggest problem with this tack trunk is the placement of the handles. Though large, the handles are placed just a few inches below the lid, and are not very broad, so moving this trunk involves pulling it backwards down the barn aisle and taking mincing steps to keep the trunk from banging against your legs. And if you're subject to inferiority complexes, this trunk is not for you: though more practical, when sitting beside the fancier vinyl-coated or wooden trunks, the DuraLite construction of this trunk makes it look unfortunately tacky. (But hey, that's what trunk covers are for, right?) Also, while this trunk is lockable, it is difficult to fit a regular padlock through the attached metal plate- which unfortunately can be pried off easily.
Quality: This trunk has held up very well through repeated abuse, including being used as a step stool for hanging blanket racks and as a toy for a bored horse who got too close. My only disappointment is that the thin lid became permanently warped in its first year after a friend of mine took a nap on it. (So if you're going to sit on this trunk, sit on the edges!)
Summary: It may not be pretty, but I love this trunk! It's served me very well over the past several years, and I have the sneaking suspicion that it will continue to do so.
Rating: 5
Author: Renn
Date: 2004-11-25
Usefulness Rating: 3 out of 5.
1 reader(s) voted.
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