I was poking around and happened upon Kaplan's yelp review to see these two poor reviews so I thought that since, I have done business with Ken off and on for over 10 years now both purchasing new motors and having repairs and regular maintenance performed as well, that I would give you my perspective.
Let me start by saying that unequivocally Ken Kaplan is as good as it gets as a mechanic. He is capable, detailed oriented, and extremely thorough. Ken does not cut corners and will not put out anything less than grade A work. Ken does charge a premium price for premium work...and perhaps that is sometimes where he perhaps runs into some problems when people come in and want the bare minimum they can get away with in terms of cost. Ken's years of experience have led him to the conclusion that discount work for a discount price is not something he is willing to do. On top of that, Ken's "bedside manner" and communication style leave something to be desired. Ken is clearly a genius when it comes to motors. He has a great deal of pride in his work and he is quick to snap when someone tries to beat him down in price or quality. His quick temper (which like his awesome dogs is more a bark than a bite) may explain why he is a "one man show". Not that he couldn't get someone to work with him but probably more that he likes it that way... which leads to the next issue with going to Ken. Ken works on Fleets (like "Fish & Game for instance), buys and resells equipment, and generally makes a greater profit margin on the more "equipment" oriented work as opposed to the labor intensive stuff. Not to say he won't take on your "repair" or maintenance work but his business model requires that he fit those in around his "equipment" oriented work. It does sometimes put people off when Ken tells them he cant get to their project for three weeks. It is especially "off putting" because Ken will probably give the short answer "call me next month" and hang up, instead of explaining what I just did. As long as you understand that Ken keeps his conversations frustratingly short, then you can appreciate the fact that he almost always answers his phone (no matter how greasy his hands are).
I don't know what happened in the case of Tobias C and his motor but I do know that Ken is not the type of guy who would get on the phone and tell someone to go buy a motor and put it on themselves. Ken sells motors... I am sure that if Tobias was willing to pay what Ken quoted him, he would have the perfect motor sitting on the back of his boat today for exactly the price Ken quoted him. (I have bought two Yamy 200's from Ken... i know what i am talking about) I am not a man of great means and like many boat owners try to get things done as cheaply as possible, so I admit that I don't always use Ken, but I thought you should all know that anyone who would accuse Ken of incompetence or dishonesty is way off base. I would not argue with you 00if you said Ken was an "a-hole". If you have a serious problem and are willing to pay for the best, not expect to have your hand held and understand that you may have to wait your turn (sometimes for weeks), Ken is the first place you should turn...you may not like what he tells you or (how he tells you), but you can count on the fact that what he tells you, is the truth. read more