Question on a new boat?

[brandonjames]

I have been wanting to get a bass boat for quite some time now and I finally got the ok from the boss (wife) and have been looking at bass tracker as they really seem to be nice boats for the price. Now I need something light for duck and goose hunting and the model I have been looking at is the bass tracker pro team 170 tx W/ 25 mercury 4 stroke and that runns about 10K. I have found pretty much the same boat that is a 1999 but has a 50 mercury on it. All the rest of the specs are prety much the same but the older boat is only $4200. I have found more than one of these so my question is why should I buy new? What are the pros and cons here? This will be my first boat so I am trying to do my homework right. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Brandon

[zooker]

a tracker new has the warranty and you can get an extended warranty on the moter..-i would get a 50 horse minimum-if it breaks they pay for it for 2-5 years..

used you don't get the warranty they may have busted welds -common on trackers- that could leave you sinking in the middle of the lake..

personally i would get either a lowe or a g3 both are good boats..

zooker

[Jackl]

BRANDON,
I hae owned both Tracker and Lowe boats, and have looked hard at G3. I would recommend the G3, and as Zooker said, 50 HP minimum, with 65 preferred.

JackL

[FlyRod]

I echo!
A 25 HP, unless you are fishing TINY water, will be a huge disappointment and potentially unsafe when you need to flee bad weather, get an ill or injured partner (or self) to help, or dodge some (possible moving) hazards. Also, it will seriously harm resale prospects.

Another thought; Would the spouse screech if you saved up and bought a glass boat, something used, maybe in the 10K-20K range? Not only would it be a safer rig, but there's another downside to aluminum boats that will dog you seriously on all but the calmest days. That is the fact that even gentle breezes will push most tin boats around like a leaf in the wind when on the trollmotor. That can be frustrating and ruin many trips.
If possible, save at least 35-50% of the target price, then finance the rest for NO MORE than 4 years.

Good luck!

FR

[brandonjames]

Yes it is possible to do that but to be truthful I really dont want to go that route for two reasons. The lakes that I fish up in my area are small and I think the closest big lake would be lake michigan but my brother has a boat up there and that would be the only big lake that I would fish becuase I have alot of small lakes that are great to fish. The other reason I am leaning toward a alum. boat is becuase I do alot of duck and goose hunting and the lighter boat always helps when pulling it on shore with all of my decoys and my dog. I think what I am having a hard time with is how much of a difference is price there is between new and used. I would perfer to have a new boat becuase of the waranty and with used you really never know what you are getting but that is a huge price difference. Thanks for all the help.

[FlyRod]

Brandon,

While the risks are fewer with a new boat (they still can have issues, but at least there's a warranty.) you can reduce the risks of buying a used boat of you do the following;

First, YOU closely inspect the boat for evidence of abuse, excess wear and tear, etc. If the boat was always garaged when not in use, that's a plus.
Second, Insist on a test drive.
Third, if the boat passes muster as to #1 and #2 above, and THIS IS CRITICAL, have the boat thoroughly inspected by a certified boat mechanic. As part of the process, be certain to have all cylinders checked for compression.
Have the hull closely inspected as well, especially if wood was used in the construction.
Third, have the trailer checked out thoroughly for rust (internal too, if it's a tube trailer,) brake and bearings, lights, and tires.
Fourth, make sure there are NO issues with titles on the boat, engine, trailer. They should all have VIN numbers or the equivalent. If the boat was bought in a state that does not require titling (Tennessee, as an example,) there may be some difficulties in titling in your home state.

Good luck.

FR