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im on the market for a boat, I want something that I can crappie fish and bass fish as well... im trying to stick around the 15,000 range and was needing some input on which would be the best.. a brand new bass tracker 175. or a 5 to 6 year old performance bass but such as a ranger or nitro with pretty low hours?
i would go with the later, the second a new boat leaves the lot it depreciates dramatically, the best bang for your buck is to shop around and find a good used boat that has been taken care of and one with a good motor. if you are willing to drive there are some amazing steals on ebay i see all the time, infact i found my boat on ebay. shop around, know what you want and figure out what the going rate is then find the better deal.
:hesaid:hesaid
I vote for buying a used boat as long as it is in good shape and the price is right. I had to drive about 7 hours one way to get my used boat and it only had 15 hours on it and even with the cost of travel I was money ahead. Good luck and I hope you find what you're looking for.
what they said, check Craigs list , Ebay or Boat Trader within the driving radius you are willing to drive and good luck. i have sold two boats and bought two thru Craigs list.
X5 - @ 15 grand you can walk away with a dandy of a boat & money to spare for the riggin. Insist on a test run and if possible take it to a shop for the once over. Other than the new smell the only reason to buy new is financing. If you got the dough and the patients you'll get way more boat for your money buying used.
My $0.02 -> wait till October-November, you'll have a lot more time to look and there will be more on the market + prices will come down.
what papadave said
thanks everyone this really helps a lot!..
Listen to these guys, they are savvy on buying a boat; a good used boat is the way to go, if you follow the rules.
Getting a reputable mechanic, one who specializes in the engine brand you are buying, can be the safety net between a good deal and a sucker deal. He can pull the plugs and inspect the cylinder walls with a fiber-optic viewer, check compression, test the ignition system, and check for known inherent problems with the particular engine that you are getting.
Buying in the late fall and winter will usually get you a better price and the mechanic’s business will be slower, giving him the time to do his inspection in more detail.
Again, be sure of the mechanic that you use; he is your only protection that you have from you taking home someone else’s problem. Don’t be in a hurry; the hassle will save you a lot of grief later on.
Good luck.
B-
yes im going to give some that i learnt the hard way i brought a skeeter with a 150 yamaha pro v had it chkd out checked fine went put ins on it two months later lower unit went cost 3700 to put it back together ins payed all but 100 if u get used boat get ins on it
I had my fill with used boats and I personally went with a new boat. Looked around and found what I wanted and got warranties with new. You can find a good used boat like the others said, but it is like Jiggshooter said better get insurance on a used one because you can have it checked out with a fine tooth comb and still something can go wrong.
what type of fishing u going to use the boat for?
I haven't heard of used boat insurance like that - is that something your local insurance co offers? Or is it more like a 3rd party warranty?Quote:
Originally Posted by jiggshooter
Hi the first thing you have to ask yourself is am I going to use this boat $15000.00 worth or is it going to set in the yard more than in the water? A boat is like a pet at first its all new and fun then the new wears off and you don't pay the attention to it that it needs.(sad but true for pets and boats). I bought my boat used and its an old boat but at the time it was all I could afford its a 1976 16' Quachita with a 115hp. mercury on it. I bought it from a guy that got in from the one who bought it new so I'm the 3rd owner. He wanted $1500.00 for it he had it for 5 years and put it in the water 4 times it was how ever under a shed and on a concrete pad. He told me the guy he got it from had all ways kept it in his garage any way he sold it to me for $1100.00 and I'm lucky I found it the motors worth that much the least compression on a cylinder is 119 lbs. any way buy what your going to use don't sink a lot of money in a yard ornament.
I went with your first option, but if I did it again I'd go with option two if I thought I was buying something reliable.
Used for me, but run that motor and have the compression checked.