I am buying my first trailer, a 2H BP. Have looked at forum discussions and both Cotner and Hawk were generally well-reviewed. Any strong preferences?
I love my Hawk, which is now 15 years old. I don’t know enough about Cotner to compare the two.
We purchased a cotner 2 horse bumper pull last summer- it’s about 10 yrs old. I love it-it doesn’t have a tack room but does have a box built into the nose for storage along with saddle racks/bridle hooks. It was intended to be our “run to the vet/take to lessons” trailer instead of having to hook up the 4 horse gooseneck - I honestly haven’t driven the big trailer in months. The cotner feels very secure when pulling . That said I have many friends who have Hawks and love them
Cotner is made reasonably local to me. I had a 1974 Cotner for many years. IMO you are comparing a Honda to an Acura. The Cotner is a nice solid trailer. It is a nice Honda Civic. The Hawk is a huge step up including in price. The Hawks are really really nice and hold their value.
If you can afford the Hawk I would go with a Hawk. If nothing else the resale value on this trailer will likely be better. If Cotner is the top of your budget then Cotner will be a fine choice. They are a nice solid, safe trailer.
Hawk trailers use a galvanized steel frame, Cotner uses a painted steel frame . Hawk is the better trailer .
I have a Cotner that I love, but I like the Hawks very much as well. The standard Cotner is wider than a standard Hawk (I think) so if you need more room (and are buying used) that might be a consideration. But you can’t go wrong with either!
I have one of each. A Cotner bumper pull - the Squire with the dressing room - and a Hawk customized 2 + 1 gooseneck. One thing to note is that my Cotner is the lower-end model and is a 1996 while my Hawk is a 2007 and a higher-end model. I haven’t seen a newer Cotner so I can’t compare that to mine.
My Hawk has wider people/escape doors, the fit and finish is nicer, the ramp is lighter to lift and the ramp mat is much more grippy. The Hawk has more windows and has roof vents where my Cotner doesn’t have any roof vents. I’ve had minimal reason to contact Hawk but on the odd occasion that I have, their customer service has been good.
We are in the process of rewiring the Cotner (we are the 3rd owner and I suspect one of the prior owners was related to MacGyver) and for a 20-year old trailer it is holding up really well - the floor boards are in great shape, the structural beams are great and overall it doesn’t look nearly as old as it is. The people/escape doors on my model are essentially pressed Styrofoam coated in a fiberglass resin. They held up well until a horse kicked them. When I called Cotner about replacing the doors, they were extremely helpful and said that they now have aluminum skinned doors so perhaps they don’t use the Styrofoam version anymore. I haven’t purchased the new doors yet so I can’t tell you what the new doors look like. The trailer is quite light and it hauls well.
In my case, I’d say the Cotner is a workhorse of a trailer – it hauls great, the horses ride well in it, and a lot of the small parts are readily available (and I live quite a distance away from where they are manufactured). The Hawk is a little flashier, a little more polished in its looks and function, and also hauls well and the horses travel well in it. Either way, the both serve their functions and I’m happy with both.
Thank you to all for the responses. I plan to look at both trailers, and then consult my bankbook. Its very helpful to hear of your experiences.
