Price of new boats!!!

[Hoffer]

I was at the sportshow this weekend in Mpls.

I couldnt believe the price on the new boats!!

They had a 15 foot tracker plain jane boat with a 25HP merc and trailer for 11K!!

Last Summer I picked up a 2003 1650 mint condition crestliner fish hawk with a 70HP merc, black with matching black trailer, gps depth finder, bow depth finder, brand new bow mount troller, snap on cover in perfect condition, 2 props, rod holders etc...for 8K.

Why would anyone buy new in this current economic environment - and why are the boats priced so crazy in this tough economy?

[Charley]

Now is the time to buy. A great time to by new.

[bassphish2005]

same with vehicals.....no 'fire' sales yet>

[Hoffer]

Hey Charley - that was the point though!

I thought the new boats would be priced to sell in this economy - but they were super high priced - very surprising!

i would never buy new at those prices!!

[snowman678]

Not everyone had their boats priced that way. I picked up a new Ranger 1860 Angler for under 28K from one dealer, while the same boat was 35K from another. Just had to shop around and do a little talking.

[bassNspear]

Not everyone had their boats priced that way. I picked up a new Ranger 1860 Angler for under 28K from one dealer, while the same boat was 35K from another. Just had to shop around and do a little talking.

same options?

[snowman678]

Almost, about $500 difference by my calculations on the graph/trolling motor (which didn't matter to me, as I'm keeping both from my current boat), and about another 300 for motor based on price quoted by both dealers on the e-tech vs. opti (I went w/ the opti). So I guess I should have said $6700 not $7500 difference.

[senco 1]

I was looking at the same boat at the show. Very nice boat! Maybe next year? Did you get it with a 150 HP. Man at one of the dealers I had 3 or 4 salesmen bugging me!

[snowman678]

Yes, I went w/ the 150. I had done a fair amount of research ahead of time, and it sounded like the performance gain on the 175's just didn't justify the cost increase (for me anyhow). I figure w/ the extra $1500 I can buy a lot of tackle or some additional electronics. To be honest, I wasn't planning on buying until next year myself, but found a deal that fit my budget well and had the options I wanted on the boat, so I bought it a year early. I pick it up Friday, so I'm just praying for more warm weather and some open water.

[PerchJerker]

Not everyone had their boats priced that way. I picked up a new Ranger 1860 Angler for under 28K from one dealer, while the same boat was 35K from another. Just had to shop around and do a little talking.

Nice. You must be chomping at the bit waiting to get on the water. I have a similar boat, the 1850 Reata, and am very happy with it. I maxed it out with a 175 Opti. Good luck with your new boat!

[gregg52]

just curious what are they saying that opti will do top end??

how much does that angler weigh??

[PerchJerker]

I've heard the Angler is 1, maybe 2 mph faster than the Reata, due to the weight of the consoles being farther back in the Angler, and possibly a different windshield design.

The way I have my Reata propped now, my 175 Opti will run about 49.5 mph with a light load. With 3 big guys and a lot of gear and a very full load I run 47+.

For a while I was running a different prop that would let me hit 54 mph with a light boat, but I lost speed very quickly as the load in the boat got heavier, max with a load was about 45 mph. I tried some other props too but overall performance is best with my current setup.

The 150 Opti will probably be 2-3 mph less than the 175, but it really depends on the specific boat and motor setup, and how much weight you have in the boat, and where that weight is located, etc.

[snowman678]

What PerchJerker said is spot-on w/ what I was told for speeds. They said the 175 was generally around 2 mph faster than the 150. I was told w/ 2 guys and gear to expect mid to upper 40's depending on amount of gear and fuel load and w/ 1 guy and not much in the boat it may hit low 50's. Either way it's a big step up from my current 32-34 w/ my alumacraft tourney-pro. And yes PJ, I'm going crazy waiting to get it on the water; although I have a fair amount of rigging to get taken care of.

[PerchJerker]

I'm going crazy waiting to get it on the water; although I have a fair amount of rigging to get taken care of.

Warm sunny days, and no boat in the garage It's tough I'm right there with you!

[gregg52]

Thats fairly fast I guess I have 20 ft Yar Craft w/150 e-tec

top speed 44 trimed out flat water but out of the hole

the nose barely comes out I plane out in nano secs its 1850lbs

empty weight to

I agree with you guys mines back at the factory

wish it was here lots of things i want to do on it

i can drill on it this year 2nd year now lol

hate to start drilling on 38k right away lol

good to get a yr in to now i know where i want things and thought bout how to do it

i'm hoping it ready for a trip to rainy in mid april

[Sandmannd]

Prices of new are always up there. I think you are better off with items that depreciate (cars, wheelers, boats, etc) to buy one that's a year or so old. You don't take the big hits and you get a great item. That's just my opinion though.

[bassNspear]

You dont take a big hit on boats like you do car or a truck. You take a hit, but its not like the cars!

[Sandmannd]

Yep, I agree with you on that. Boats do hold there value better. But you do save if you get one a few years old that has been taken care of. If you can hold off till fall is when you get your big savings. Spring and summer the used prices up higher.

[bassNspear]

you will also save a ton if you buy a non current!

[snowman678]

Bingo, that's where I saved big time. It was a brand new 1 year-old carryover.

[elkhuntingfan]

One thing to remember on the price of the boat is that it is just an asking price. Sometimes they get someone in there who pays sticker price. Always start lower than you think they'll go. You can always come up. With the economy, the dealers are having a tough time making sales. In the past, I've figured out what I'm looking for and then called around to get the best price. I let them know I'm calling around, and I tell them they only get one shot at giving me their best price. I tell them I'll buy from whoever gives me the best deal. I've saved a lot on boats and cars doing this. If you're buying, take advantage of their slow sales..

[SkunkedAgain]

A buddy of mine was car shopping a few years ago. He got the email addresses for each dealer and then sent out one email to all of them, stating what he wanted and asking for their best price. They were all on the email and all competed.

[fishwater]

I wouldn't base a purchase of a new boat (or car) strictly on the lowest price. In all likelihood you will need to bring it in to the dealer a couple of times in the first few years for some sort of warranty issue. I would factor in reputation of the dealer and proximity of the service location to your home with the price you are getting.

Dragging a boat a couple hours away for a minor repair is pretty expensive and can quickly turn the best price into a stressful situation.

[CJH]

Shopping around can't hurt, but definitely have to take into consideration the dealer service and location. However, you can always leverage a lower price somewhere else to get a better deal where you want to buy it from.

You will love your Ranger. My father inlaw has an 1850 Reata, with I believe a Yammy 150, and that is a sweet ride. I think that gets up in the mid 40's. I have had it up to 43 just under full throttle. You should have a good season, congrats on your purchase!!

[chasineyes]

I would kind of hope the price of boats and everything else would go up. How else do we generate the wages necessary to live and play in this country??? Sure we all want a bargain, but do you really think the folks in New York Mills and/or Little Falls want to keep working for 9$ an hour.