It’s groundhog day

[artboas]

Bit of a weird title for a post, but very appropriate.
Come aboard the boat.
Take groceries out of my bag
Open a cupboard, and….
SNAP
Another Southco latch disintegrates
Again..

It’s Goundhog day.

Like all Hunters, my boat has a ton of Southco latches. Every cupboard, drawer , etc. I couldn’t count them if I wanted to,
And at least one of them busts every week or two.
I purchase them by the bag
The small black cupboard latches just don’t last at all.
And the drawer push button latches aren’t much better.
Just wondering if others are experiencing the same level of failures on these????

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Is this the offending beast :

I've got two on the fridge lid and one on a head cupboard door and only replaced the one on the lid, donkey's years ago. For whatever reason, the small moving piece in the female section became lose and I tossed it and never gave it another thought. But many years later, not another one.

Are they disintegrating or just the small snap catch piece gives up ?

 

[JamesG161]

Replaced one. $9 each from SBO Stores
Jim...

 

[artboas]

These , along with the push button latches fail often.
The catches aren’t terribly expensive, but the push button ones are a little pricey,
It’s just a constant replacement with some of these

 

[artboas]

Is this the offending beast :

View attachment 209699

I've got two on the fridge lid and one on a head cupboard door and only replaced the one on the lid, donkey's years ago. For whatever reason, the small moving piece in the female section became lose and I tossed it and never gave it another thought. But many years later, not another one.

Are they disintegrating or just the small snap catch piece gives up ?

On the push button latches, the plastic tangs break off. I’ve been through a lot of these

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

On the push button latches, the plastic tangs break off. I’ve been through a lot of these

Is it possible it's just a sloppy installation from the factory on some of them that causes the breakage ?

 

[T J Furstenau]

On the push button latches, the plastic tangs break off. I’ve been through a lot of these

Art -

Like you, I bought a bag of these. There were at least 3-4 broken when I took ownership of the boat in 2019. Have probably replaced 2-3 more since. Not positive, but they seem to take more abuse if they get "locked" before the door/drawer is closed, and then they are pushed/slammed shut. Could also be a plastic aging thing, where the internals are just getting brittle/fragile from time, and since we have similarly aged boats, we are seeing it at the same time. From a "boat" perspective, this has been one of the easier and more affordable fixes that I've had to do, so have been okay with replacing as needed (as long as my bag of spares holds out). Would be open to a better alternative - either supplier or design, but in the meantime am making do with what i have.

T J

 

[Terry Cox]

Is this the offending beast :

Our 1991 boat came with a gob of these latches. In all these years only one has actually broken and that was several years ago. Durable things they are as the get lots of use. Purchased a few extras when I replace the broken one, but they still do the job.

 

[artboas]

I agree that from a cost standpoint, this isn’t a huge issue.
But, I go though a lot of the push button latches. It’s just not a great design by Southco.
Hunter switched to a different type approximately 2011, which requires you to twist to unlock. It’s a better unit, and I’ve got a bag of them waiting for me to figure out a refit template for drilling & installing.
ive just been busy on other upgrades, and haven’t prioritized this. It’s just been easier to pop in new cupboard latches.
The series I have actually come in 2 styles which have oval bezel plates. So, I need to have bags of both kinds.
The issue with these is that the plastic latch runs over the metal plate to lock, and when you open the cupboard, it definitely stresses the plastic latch
To be clear, I’m attaching a photo of the type I have.
The issue with the design is that when you open the cupboard / drawer, it really forces the plastic latch to rotate, and it eventually Jams up and breaks.
The annoying part is that that there are 2 versions which have bezels that are 90 degrees offset.
I’m always busting the ones that I have only one left, so I get in a panic to refill my “onboard stock”
There is nothing wrong with the way Hunter installed these. I just think the design is crummy. Hence, Hunter switched to a different Southco part which doesn’t have this deficiency.
Another problem with this particular latch is that it tends to let a drawer fly open if on a heel, and there is weight in the drawer or cupboard. This is not an uncommon problem on the 49s. Another incentive for me to switch over to the other unit which Hunter adopted on the 50AC models

 

[Justin_NSA]

My Hunter is 30+ years old and the latches work fine.

 

[NoReverse]

If not adjusted properly - they must meet exactly or they break. If not adjusted properly they also tend to "lock" without the tang being inserted and if forced will break (stick a screwdriver in and pry them open). I keep a few spares and replace 1 every year or so. Usually on my fridge because hinges always loosen up and alignment shifts (heavy top open doors). Age eventually gets them all with plastic fatigue.

 

[mschreib1]

Bit of a weird title for a post, but very appropriate.
Come aboard the boat.
Take groceries out of my bag
Open a cupboard, and….
SNAP
Another Southco latch disintegrates
Again..

It’s Goundhog day.

Like all Hunters, my boat has a ton of Southco latches. Every cupboard, drawer , etc. I couldn’t count them if I wanted to,
And at least one of them busts every week or two.
I purchase them by the bag
The small black cupboard latches just don’t last at all.
And the drawer push button latches aren’t much better.
Just wondering if others are experiencing the same level of failures on these????

I’ve had a couple of these elbow latches break. I found a very similar replacement but in aluminum from Home Depot. Here you go:

Prime-Line Cabinet Door Elbow Catch, Cast Aluminum, Bronze Finish U 10883 - The Home Depot

This Cabinet Door Elbow Catch by Prime-Line Products is constructed of cast zinc and it comes in a beautiful corrosion-resistant, bronze-plated finish. Typically it is used to keep cabinet doors and drawers

www.homedepot.com

 

[artboas]

Is it possible it's just a sloppy installation from the factory on some of them that causes the breakage ?
[/QUOTE
No, they are all installed properly.
The particular push button latch that they used has a subpar design, where the plastic latch part needs to bend backwards when opening the door. It’s the scraping plastic on metal action which just wears these down.
I understand why Hunter switched to a different version. If it was an easy switchover, I’d do all of them.

 

[NorthernBrewer]

I agree that from a cost standpoint, this isn’t a huge issue.
But, I go though a lot of the push button latches. It’s just not a great design by Southco.

Bingo! I've been looking for a source for these pushbutton latches. Where have you been buying them?

Cheers
--Neil
2008 Hunter 38

 

[quadrille38]

Bingo! I've been looking for a source for these pushbutton latches. Where have you been buying them?

Cheers
--Neil
2008 Hunter 38

The SBO store that sponsors this forum has a listing by boat model and they carry many OEM parts for your boat. If they don’t have it, they can often get it for you. The link to the 38 section is

Hunter 38 Parts

Hunter 38 Parts

shop.hunterowners.com

 

[NorthernBrewer]

The SBO store that sponsors this forum has a listing by boat model and they carry many OEM parts for your boat. If they don’t have it, they can often get it for you. The link to the 38 section is

Hunter 38 Parts

Hunter 38 Parts

shop.hunterowners.com

Thanks. I see them listed there now, though I swear that I've looked before.

Cheers
--Neil