Originally Posted by
smp005
I have owned Tracker, Javelin, Nitro, Ranger and now Champion... Like yourself, I'm not a brand specific person. I am also not a performance boat guy. I look for 3 main things on a used boat: A good trailer (I do prefer tandem), good motor and little to no wood. All the electronics, trolling motors, etc. are easily upgradeable so I leave them out of an initial search. Quality is somewhat subjective - I ran a Nitro 911 CDC for 5 years and was very pleased with the quality (wish I had not sold it), had a Ranger 488VS and had no complaints and now my Champ 206 Elite is a fine boat as well. I'm not well heeled enough in boat design to understand the difference in the various hulls and such - I just fish from them :-)
I am fortunate that I could write a check today for a new Ranger or Skeeter if I wanted to but if I were looking to buy a new boat or a almost new boat today I would probably search for a 2014 or newer Nitro Z21 with low hours. I think that would on average deliver the most value for my dollar unless I fell into a crazy deal somewhere. Definitely picky about the motor though!!! Merc Optimax (EFI is rock solid but getting a little long in the tooth) is what I look for in a 2 stroke, Verado or Yamaha in a 4 stroke.. I'm not comfortable with the Evinrudes but I admit I have never owned one..
Now - If I was buying a boat where I was concerned about maximum resale value, I would look for a Ranger, BassCat or maybe Skeeter..
There are good deals out there for sure.. My buddy and I discuss the Pros / Cons of buying an obvious tournament boat as the assumption is the Pros beat the snot out of them... I would consider one but would be very cautious...