New Boats

[Crow Terminator]

Have been looking hard at getting a new boat. I know it is going to be an aluminum model, in the 18 foot range. Just a few years ago, these jokers were just like $11-14k new. Now they have shot up to $25k easy, without any big addon options.

I was initially looking at the Tracker Pro models. I have liked their looks for a while and fished out of a few of them that friends have. They aren't perfect but they get the job done. Right out of the gate though, it would require some immediate upgrades...primarily to the trolling motor. I fished out of a 175 Pro TX that had a 45 lb thrust trolling motor on it and I thought it would do a great job but that thing really struggled, and in a little bit of wind, my buddy was on the trolling motor the whole time trying to keep the boat steady. He went ahead and put a 24 volt motor on his, and says that they should come no less than with a 70 lb thrust. I agree. The rod locker area on them is also very small. But the biggest gripe I have with the Trackers is that they still have wood in the flooring and decks. At one point I was told that they had gotten away from this, but as of my last trip to the Tracker dealer, they said they still have wood. That is a big no no for me.

So now I'm looking at other models. Triton, Ranger, Vexus, etc.

This gets tricky now because Tracker basically has a monopoly on the boat companies. They pretty much own them all, and have it setup to where you can't really deal or haggle with dealers any more. The set price is the price, in other words. I'm not a fan of that but it is what it is. The Ranger and Triton are basically built side by side now, and are the same boat hull...just minor tweaks to the layout.

Sea Ark and some of the other brands are much nicer but they are also out of my price range.

What do you guys think. Any suggestions on what to look for, or places you have dealt with that you recommend? Better yet...places to stay away from.

I know deals can be had for used boats. I just know how people are, and nobody is honest about how they've treated a boat, vehicle, etc. You for sure don't get the full story of it....especially the stuff on what you really would want to know. Most of what I see in my daily Craigslist browsings are the Trackers. Very rarely do I see a Triton or some of the others.

 

[ImThere]

See how much it is without the window sticker for your truck?!!!!! lol

Honestly the prices have skyrocketed because the economy is doing so good! IMHO
damned if you do damned if you don't!

Good luck maybe you can find one a year old with the options your looking for?

 

[Crow Terminator]

That's the other thing I have ran into with buying used. People financed them for 10+ years to get a low monthly payment and all they do is pay the bare minimum. Basically all they have done is paid interest for however long they have had it and got nowhere on the loan principal, and thus they still basically owe what the boat cost when they first signed papers. Especially if it's 2 to 5 years old. The "new" has wore off for them and they've usually found some other thing they want by then, and just want out of the payments and just seek the payoff amount...which a lot of times is the same as what a brand new boat would cost you. Problem for them is...their boat is now 2 to 5 years old and the Bluebook price is thousands less than what they still owe. I've been looking at new and used ones for about a year now, and I see that a lot. Heck, I've seen some with 7 to 10 year old boats, asking prices within a few hundred dollars of a brand new one. Thus why I have only looked and not bought.

 

[WTM]

yeah the prices have gone up because of every body and their momma has one or wants to buy one, demand.

if i had it to do over i would have probably bought an Xpress when i got back to fishing. not that i dont like the pt175, but a little more people capacity, since my son has gotten into fishing, and a little better build finish. i do miss fishing out of my Skeeter. crestliner and lowe are made by the same company and they seem to be popular up north.

good luck.

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

XPRESS!!

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Crow Terminator]

Sea Ark and Express are probably the Cadillac of aluminum boats IMO but are way out of my price range. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be able to get one.

I'm bound to the bank and it stinks. There's a YouTuber from around here called Catfish Dave that exclusively fishes from the bank and catches some really nice fish. So it can be done.

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

Sea Ark and Express are probably the Cadillac of aluminum boats IMO but are way out of my price range. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be able to get one.

I'm bound to the bank and it stinks. There's a YouTuber from around here called Catfish Dave that exclusively fishes from the bank and catches some really nice fish. So it can be done.

What's your budget. I shopped for 3 months before I found mine and got a good deal.

Got to remember boats are cheaper during the winter!!

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Crow Terminator]

Yep I'm in no big hurry to get one. I figure my best shot at a used one is going to be when the warmer weather subsides and nobody really has boat fever.

I did revisit the Xpress website though and found out they do have a model that must be their model to tap into the Tracker/Triton/Ranger slice of the entry level budget. I also found out there is a new (to me) dealer that carries them. At one time there wasn't any Xpress dealers close to here to even go look at them. They also carry Sea Ark so with just two dealers, I can go look at all the models I am interested in, so that's cool.

When I get my Polaris Ranger paid off, my next purchase will be a boat for sure.

 

[Andy S.]

SeaArk, Xpress, Alweld and War Eagle are all made in Arkansas. Drive to the factory and avoid delivery fees etc. Some of the guys I know have done that.

 

[Westtnduckhtr]

I would not let the wood floor in a Tracker stop you from buying one. I have had Trackers from the early 80's until the my last boat mixed in with other brands, glass and aluminum, had maybe 6 of them and have never had a problem with the floor. Most were bought used as I continually trade boats. Current boat is an aluminum Ranger.

 

[JAY B]

No regrets whatsoever with my 2072 seaark I bought a few years ago!

 

[Crosshairy]

I've seen quite a few good deals on Craigslist over the years. With the wood decking boats, you are mainly looking for evidence of good storage out of the weather.

Another tactic is to find an all-aluminum boat with a motor that's not running well (or at all), and you'll often find that those will go for much, much cheaper. Then you either overhaul the motor or replace it with new. That's mostly what you're paying for, anyway. A do-it-yourselfer person can save a pile of cash on those deals, and mostly it's just carburetor rebuilds anyway.

I suggest that you widen your search radius to include nearby cities. I got a fantastic deal on a jon boat with a low-hours motor by driving out to Jonesboro, AR. I could probably sell it now for most of what I paid for it 3 years ago.