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Starcraft Super Fisherman 17 ft 115 Merc


Ranckenstuff

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I have a friend with one and I have fished with him several times on Mille Lac and Red Lake. We have been out on some very windy days and the boat handled it quite well. He has a 125hp on his and I feel its plenty for the boat but he feels that he should have gone with the max rating of 150. He loves his boat and would not trade it for any thing else. Ken

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I bought a different model last year. I have the 175 Starfirsh SC with a 115 Merc Optimax. I like the boat, but if I had the money, I would have bought fiberglass. The Merc trolls to fast for my taste. I re-propped it and that helped, but I still need to throw out a sock to slow me down (forward or backwards). My model has a ton of storage and I especially like the center rod storage. I won't own another boat without it. I can handle rough days on Mille Lacs, but not always at higher speeds. On a calm day, I can run 42 or 43 MPH GPS. My only complaints are the Starcraft seats (could be better), the bilge pump is weak, and I wish the logos were under the clear coat rather than just adhered over the top. Overall though, it is a nice boat to fish out of and I think it is a great value when compared to the better known brands. They are made in Indiana and they can still use marine grade plywood, which the MN boat manufacturers cannot do. My boat is not as deep as the one you are looking at, and I still consider my boat a deep V. It should handle well. I get a ton of compliments on the black / silver color scheme. Good luck.

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They are made in Indiana and they can still use marine grade plywood, which the MN boat manufacturers cannot do.


Are you 100% certain about this? Lund claims they use marine grade decks and floors... and the other thing that Starcraft doesn't do is offer lifetime warranty on the floor...

marine_man

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Yes - lower profile. I wasn't that hot on the Merc either, but it was part of the package. I didn't have any problems with it. The Optimax is quiet and very fuel efficient. It was also really easy to winterize with the DFI. Overall, I have been happy.

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While shopping for boats, I was told this by several different people. If I am wrong, then I was told bad information. I am pretty sure that Lund does not use marine grade plywood. I was also told they quit before it became law due to the expense of disposing of the scrap. If I am wrong, I apologize, but until someone can prove otherwise, I am going with it.

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Well, the Lifetime Warranty is fact, per their HSOforum.

I think Lund might be in a grey area regarding their marine grade decking (since they don't say marine grade plywood outright) but the claim I posted above is on their HSOforum.

Not trying to pick a fight.. just trying to get the facts (whatever they are confused.gif) straight.

marine_man

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I was told the same thing, due to the aresnic in the treated wood. The sawdust and scrap are considered hazardous waste. Now that alone brings up another topic. Do the states down south not care about these poisons? Maybe thats why their children grow up aspirering to live in a trailer just like their mom-sisters?

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All I can say is I don't care what they use for wood if they don't warrenty the floor for a life time what difference does it make. All wood will rot in time. I would hardly buy a starcraft over a Lund because they use marine grade wood for the floor.

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Ranckenstuff... I bought the Starcraft Starfire 170LE new in '99 and still love it today. With the deep V it handles all kinds of water with no problems. The only thing I would change on mine is the 90HP motor to a 115 fourstroke. The f/s was a $3500 upgrade in '99 frown.gif All in all I would definitly buy a Starcraft...Quality Boats! grin.gif

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I have owned a 19' SFM since 1998 when I bought it new and think it's a great boat. I have a Mercury 115 on it, which is not exactly overpowered, but it has been very reliable and has been in the shop zero times. I fish Rainy Lake a lot and have been in pretty rough water and have never been concerned. It rides pretty smooth and dry. After almost 10 years I'm still happy and have no interest in shopping for something else.

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I have a 1990 Superfisherman 1850 w/a 90HP Merc. Although the models have changed over the years, I still love my boat just the way it is. I have it in 6' rollers on Lake Erie and it has handled wonderfully. Although tempted by the newer boats, I still can't find any reasoning to spend the money. If I were to buy a new boat, I would first look at the Starcrafts.

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It is good to hear that not everyone drinks the Lund Kool-Aid and pays 25% to 30% more for the same class of boat. The Lund owners get very emotional about this topic. I wonder why.... There is a reason they can afford to give lifetime warranty's on inferior material, advertise, sponsor the number of events, tournaments, and TV shows that they do and it is because they charge more for their boats.

Maybe Lund had to give the lifetime warranty to get around the marine grade plywood issue. If you think about it, the people it will mostly effect are those that store their boats uncovered outside. I can only guess, but that has to be less than half of all of the boats they sell. Smart marketing, but it didn't work on me. During my research for my boat purchase, Lund finished pretty far down the line when I compared what you get for the money. Starcraft, which is the oldest aluminum boat manufacterer in the U.S., has a quality product as a fair price.

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I've got a 99' 1750 with a 130 honda and love it.Havent' had any problems except last season the fuel gage went out,I think it's the sending unit but havent had the time to figure it out yet. I would't mind having a little bigger motor but I wouldn't say it's under powered. In my opinion a 115 is on the light side but you have a money issue as always. By the way I've had it on Vermilion tons of times!(I see you are on Hinsdale)Good luck J.P.

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Quote:

It is good to hear that not everyone drinks the Lund Kool-Aid and pays 25% to 30% more for the same class of boat. The Lund owners get very emotional about this topic. I wonder why.... There is a reason they can afford to give lifetime warranty's on inferior material, advertise, sponsor the number of events, tournaments, and TV shows that they do and it is because they charge more for their boats.


While this may all be true... my only point here (and no, I don't own a Lund Boat, I just don't like to see the wrong information passed along) was to clarify what Lund's warranty / materials are... that's it...

I have nothing against Starcraft and think that they're a pretty decent boat... that all.

marine_man

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I went from the 19 pitch Black Max that came with the motor to the 17 pitch. I lost about about 2 to 3 MPH (GPS) on the top end, but I was much quicker out of the water and for trolling I was able to slow down from 1.7 mph to 1.2 mph. Backwards went from .9 to .7. I don't recall the exact RPM's, but I know that I still had a little wiggle room at the top end. Enough that I am tempted to try an even smaller pitched prop. Overall, I was happier with the performance on the 17, but would be open to even better performance it is possible. My top end alone in the boat went from 45 mph to 42 mph.

If anyone has any experience with this motor and different props, it would be great to hear about it. Thanks.

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