Boat Buying Mistakes and lessons

[usngsm2]

I have been looking for a boat now for some time (I am in no hurry) and I started looking at the Rangers, Trition, and skeeter. Now I am looking into the Nitro 929 series. I wanted to know when you brought your first bass rig, did you buy it new or used and what mistakes if any did you make looking back? Why you chose that particular rig and what upgrades have you made since you brought it? Also what is your maintenace schedule and how expensive is it( please include whether you have a carborated or fuel injected engine and if you have to mix the oil in the gas or not). Thank you..

[bassbooger]

My biggest mistake when I bought mine (which was used) was the trailer had no title. North Carolina is the biggest pain in the @ss state I have ever seen in getting a title for a boat trailer. They want this, and that and want you to pay a bonding company to bond the trailer before issuing a title and that costs 100 bucks. What I did was just take off all the decals, removed the trailer serial number and registered it as a home made trailer, which was still a pin in the @ss. Alot cheaper though!!!!

Since buying that boat, I have added casting decks to the front and back. The engine has required some work, but nothing surprising since it is 33 years old. I have had to rebuild the carb, replace the impeller along with the plugs and plug wires. Oh, I had to rebuild the armature plate once. I guess I could probably consider myself lucky.

I chose this one due to the price and when I first saw it, I pictured what it could look like and not what it looked like then. It was just an empty hull with 2 pedestal seats mounted in it.

[1FASTLASER]

I have bought new and used on several occasions. As far as the maintenace schedule I am a stikler for maintenance. And it really doesnt cost you much if your rigourous with it. On the big engines a pump impellar and plugs EVERY year.It just makes sense to take care of the biggest expensise on your rig. DONT forget the trailer its the only way you gonna get her to the water.Again doesnt cost much as long as you keep the lights,bunks tires aired up and th ebearings greased. Replace the seals when you repack at the begininning of the year and no problems. Boat maintenace is prety straight forward..take care of it and it will take care of you. As far as your choice may I suggest to take a ride in that Nitro. They are good boats but can get a bit hairy to handle at 65+ if you arnt accustomed to big boats. Takes time to handle a boat like that. If your deadset on that boat PLEASE take a look at the Z9. Nitro FINALLY got it right in my mind. They have taken care of the handling issues by moving the center of gravity and using a much better layup process. I firmly beleive they are now building a top notch boat. It does cost another $2000. Any more questions just give a holler and I or some of the others will be more than happy to bend your ears.

[HOG Ranger]

I think the biggest mistake made in buying a new boat is not enough horse power. Some of the dealers make the price so attractive with a very under powered outboard and the boat will not perform to expectations. I would say buy less boat and more power but that is only my opinion.

[1FASTLASER]

And a opinion that well deserves people to listen. A undepowered boat not only perorms poorly it costs more to operate. So many times I have tried to help people with boat performance issues only to find out they have a 18 1/2ft boat and trying to run a 115hp. It just dont work

[bassnman30]

1st boat that I bought was basically worn out. It was Tide Craft with wood in the hulls. I "stumped" or put a hole in the bottum in a lake in LA. These lakes are full of stumps. Went and bought a new boat and it did OK It was 16.5' with an 85 on it.
Came to NC and bought a Ranger with a 150 on it. Had some problems at first due to the fact that it had been sitting in a garage and things started to go bad by not being used. Since then it has been a good boat. Runs 61 on GPS.

[Basscrazie]

If buying used be sure to do a lake test unless you get a steal.I have made that mistake.Hear it run and do a compression test if possible(added insurance)

[zooker]

brand new hands down the only extended warranty worth the $$$ is on the moter.. trust me.. i am going thru this right now 5 years after i bought it.. i added some things to have the marina guys do and after all said and done i will be out about $400.. not bad for a blown moter replacement huh..

zooker

[Basscrazie]

Zooker that is a good deal.The warranty is worth the money in the long run.

[bassnman30]

Thats a great deal there Zook. Wish I had a warranty on my old used boat.
I just have to use good ol' cash !

[zooker]

figure it this way most new boats have a 2 year warranty on the parts inside the boat -bilge,aeraters,battery chargers,ect..-really if ya think of it.. nothing except maybe the hydroilic steering unit. is costly -more than $500- and easily fixed by you.. my moter came with a 2 year i bought the extended warranty. for a total of 7 years of coverage. think the extended warranty was $600. i know for a fact that you can not replace much on an outboard for $600.. in my case i got a $3000 power head put on for my $25 deductable and tax..for that $600..deal? bet your a$$..

zooker

[Bender]

I am looking at a new boat, actually have a deposit down. Anyway it comes with the Yamaha VMax carbed motor. The HPDI motor looks like a lot more of an initial expense. I am not running around the big lakes so fuel economy is not the most important factor. Also I don't think I can change it since the boat is a show special and I doubt I could afford any more, but I am curious if this is a deal stopper or is it a similar comparison to cars?

[HOG Ranger]

The engine on my Ranger is a 2001 model 125 HP carbed and I do sacrifice some fuel economy but there is much less to go wrong. The injected motors have many good points including cold starting, less emissions and better throttle response. But, with anything electronic the service costs can be much greater if you have a problem.

I would not let this stop you from a great deal if you are willing to give up a mile or so per gallon of fuel.

[zooker]

bender break it in by the book -seriously- and get either ring free or seafoam run this in EVERY tank full of gas.. i belive it is 1 ounce per gallon.consant mix a shock treatment every 3 months -i use mine year round- changing plugs after every shock treatment..

as for mix-injecter- oil i am not ofond of paying $34 per gallon -for yamalube- on the oil. i use pennzoil full synthic.. this covers your butt while under warranty.. if it was not under warranty i probly go with amsoil..

trust me carbine build up is the leading cause of moter failure with a yammaha..

for get about eletronics going bad on a yamaha it don't happen...

zooker

[Bassin Bigdog]

Wattanties are a must if you can, as BassCrazie said hear it run or run it on the water if at all possible. Then try to get as many things on the boat that fit how you fish, (storage, trolling motor 12 or 24V etc.)

Just remember the Nitro's rod box won't fit any rod over 7', and for those of us that luv to flip and pitch a 7'6 or 8' will have to stay on the deck.

[revrat]

If you do buy used, get two seperate bills of sale. One on the hull, and one on the rest of the boat package(motor, trailer, electronics, and everything else). No sense in going to motor vehicles or wherever you go in your state to register it in your name and having to pay sales tax on anything except the part which is registered to you, which is the hull. Save that other tax money for gas and oil.

[Bender]

I'm going to pick up my boat tomorrow and I just talked to the guy. The extended warranty is $999. I wish I knew that before hand or could have added it into the cost of the boat or something. Now I am seriously thinking about not getting it. Do you have to buy it at the same time as the boat? I know the one on my car I could buy any time before the factory warranty ran out. A thousand bucks is quite a bit of repairs, especially when I had not planned on it right now. The boat will keep really low hours since I will just be on smaller inland lakes about once a week. Somebody push me one way or the other please!

[1FASTLASER]

Bender lemme tell ya bud the extended warranty on the motor is just plain good sense. Smap a motor and your out $100 a horsepower. You do the math my friend. Get it and no worries if she snaps.

[zooker]

mine was added into the price of the boat -i insisted-

zooker

[HOG Ranger]

They should be able to add it to the price of the boat and make it part of the financing if that was your intention. That is a pretty good buck but a peace of mind is a good thing.

[Bender]

I already did the financing outside of the dealer so they had a check for the full amount and then they added lien added to the title. Luckily I sold my VW Cabrio this week for $1000 and this was $999 so I was able to swing it. Do salesman have X-Ray vision to see how much money you have?

[zooker]

yeah and a forked tounge.. all boat salesman are like a snake in a fancy suit..

zooker

[commanche]

i have a nitro 17 ft basstracker ..everywhere i go people say i got best size boat here in pa.i have 90 hp mercury on it.

you dont need brakes on trailer and its not heavy to tow..if i was looking at bassboat i would get nothing bigger than 18 ft.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by commanche

i have a nitro 17 ft basstracker ..everywhere i go people say i got best size boat here in pa.i have 90 hp mercury on it.

you dont need brakes on trailer and its not heavy to tow..if i was looking at bassboat i would get nothing bigger than 18 ft.

your right if all you fish are small lakes. if ya went to the great lakes or so yeah a 21 foot would be better..

but if you ever run the troller on a big boat they are like manuvering a 79 chevy suburban.. even with a 103 pound troller on a ranger z21 it still handled like a barge...

zooker

[HOG Ranger]

Originally Posted by commanche

i have a nitro 17 ft basstracker ..everywhere i go people say i got best size boat here in pa.i have 90 hp mercury on it.

you dont need brakes on trailer and its not heavy to tow..if i was looking at bassboat i would get nothing bigger than 18 ft.

This was my take as well. When I bought my boat I could have went with the 19 footer but I didn't want a boat that big. Like Zooker said, if I was going to put it on Erie or Michigan I would without a doubt want a bigger boat but there are also drawbacks to a boat that size.

I have plenty of storage and the 125 pushes it fine.