I posted this review in the Falcon subforum but thought I'd share it to the wider audiences here, updated slightly. The 205 gets most of the press, and there's just not as much talk about the 195.
I made the decision to sell the 1987 Ranger 375v after my 1987 Yamaha Pro V started having issues. Compression was good and I maintain the motor myself so I knew the issue wasn't that serious, but I was outgrowing it and wanted something bigger and more modern.
I searched for about a month looking at used boats. Several caught my eye, all used. I was about to pull the trigger on a used 2015 Skeeter ZX225 before I saw a South Carolina listing a brand new 2018 Falcon for sale. It came with a Suzuki DF200SS and a very attractive price.
I made the 4-5 hour drive and picked the boat up. The transaction was not smooth, but I won't go over that here. Regardless, on Thursday I reached the 4th hour of break in and Saturday I was able to push it near WOT.
Boat Pros
-Exceptional handling, handled like my 17'10" Ranger. Unfortunately I can't say anything about top speed since I'm under-propped. On youtube Knot Marine ran one up to 62 mph. People on BBCBoards claim to get it up to 70+mph, which I fully believe. I could only get it to 53 mph at 5800 rpms (7% prop slip with the Suzuki 2.5 gear ratio). Definitely underproppeed with a 14.25x26p 4blade. More on that later. All I know is that throughout the power band I felt stable and in control, even in light chop. No chine-walking (but again, probably not reaching top potential speed).
-Wide and stable fishing platform. Nothing really special here, most 19 footers nowadays are plenty wide. Still nice that it's well within market expectations. You won't be missing out on space.
-Great layout and storage. This is personal preference, and I did a lot of research so I knew what I was going into. But the single console layout is excellent. There's a cooler and small day box. I would've liked to see plier holders at the recessed pedal. I love the padded material selectively located for rod tips. I also love the padding at the bow. If you're familiar with the 205 then you can skip the rest as it's pretty much exactly the same. Someone can correct me but I believe the center compartment is the same between the 205 and the 195. So besides the obvious size difference the 195 really isn't lacking in anything.
-Everyone knows about the unique rod compartments. I didn't really care either way, but after multiple days on the water I really appreciated them. I could sit at the deck step/cooler and operate everything very easily. As in I could open all my compartments well within arms reach, as opposed to reaching or stretching. Adding or removing rods with boat on trailer is sooo much easier because you're not blocked by the lid. No need to contort or hop on the boat. As far as opening them on the water with rods on top, I had no issue. You can do it with the rod buckles for security, but you don't have to. The best part is the rods stay in the same position when you put the lids back down. With traditional lids your rods will slide down and get grouped together. With these, you don't need to move your rods or reorganize them. Now some people stack rods, but I like laying everything flat and organized. I can lay 4-5 flat on each side comfortably. Maybe 6 with some creativity.
-Continuing with layout and storage, the transom lids are the best on any boat. I can access all batteries and switches easily on the ground with boat on trailer. If I wanted to check the onboard charger I only need to peak through the side lids. Love love this feature, feels like I've been using it for years. I tinker with my setup all the time. The only downside is the lid hits the rear pedestal seat if present and you have to hold it open.
-Single livewell with divider. I actually prefer this setup, more water volume for the fish. Not a fan of fully divided livewells. Plus, only one pump and valve to worry about.
-Comes with rocker switches. I actually prefer this, I don't like touch buttons. Rocker switches just have more positive feedback and clarity. Each switch is lighted. There is an overall power rocker switch in addition to the battery switch in the transom which I appreciate. Fuse box is easily accessible for me under the console, but if you're uhhhh.. say less limber, might be a little difficult. I had to lie on the deck to reach it.
-I got the base model, and it comes with standard features that mattered to me. Off the top of my head, it came a remote drain plug, retractable rod buckles, carpeted center storage, hot foot, custom boat cover, pro-trim. That the base model has these features is a huge plus, as they market these boats as a value option. I think these matter the most in terms of functionality. Obviously this is personal preference and anyone can look up standard features for various boats. In terms of value for what you get, imo the closest competitor would be the Skeeter ZX200, which is optioned out a little bit more but also more expensive.
-Ease of bow rigging. The bow dash is large and when you take it off everything is easily accessible. The transom doesn't have the same level of accessibility, but it's decent. I think Nitro is the best in the industry in regards to accessibility to rigging/wiring.
Boat Cons:
-Very slight gel coat imperfections. I could only find 3 spots and they are hard to see. When I say imperfection I don't mean gouges or bumps, just that it seems there's some tiny black smudges that got between the gelcoat and metal flake, if that makes sense. It doesn't bother me since it's very hard to notice. But I suppose if you're a super stickler it's worth mentioning.
-During takeoff the boat leans starboard. TBH i'm not quite sure if this is a true con, since I weigh 230lbs, and I have my heavy ass cranking battery on that side too. Also add on to the fact that' it's a single console. Once I plane out it stops leaning, so I chalk this as a minor issue.
-More backwash than I expected. Again, not sure if this is a true con, since I'm just getting used to the boat, but the first couple times I took it out I slowed down then feathered the throttle. I still got back wash onto my stern compartment. Today it wasn't as bad as I figured out how much throttle to give after coming off.
-Wasn't a fan of the rod tubes and rack. Odd stacking pattern and not enough tubes. A lot of people take the tubes and racks out which I easily did. I can fit my 18 combos in there with plenty of room to spare. 8 foot rods are no issue whatsoever.
Motor Pros
-I literally jumped 32 years in outboard technology, so this is gonna be hard for me judge effectively.
-Quiet purr like idle. Very impressed with how quiet and smooth the motor sounds.
-C10 gauges. The boat came with 2, which is awesome. These are NMEA 2000 gauges that show all the information you need including fuel consumption rate. I have it setup where the left one shows RPMs, MPH, and trim, while the right one shows voltage, water pressure, fuel consumption/level. There's a wealth information shown but it's all easily readable and grouped together. I don't have to monitor 4 different gauges across my console. They're almost perfect. Easy to read LCD screen and bright. Good customization. I firmly believe these are the best gauges on the market.
-Ease of standard maintenance. Oil changes are a breeze. Doesn't fling oil everywhere. Most service manual maintenance items are easy to access.
-Reputation of reliability. Time will tell on this one *knock on wood*, but there's a reason saltwater folks around here run Yamahas and Suzukis. My motor also comes with a 6 year warranty. I called Falcon about it, and they claim that their pro that runs a Suzuki never had a single issue and believe they are the most reliable. Gonna cross my fingers.
Motor Cons:
-Annoying how every time I turn on the motor it asks me if I added fuel. The tank isn't rigged with a sending unit, rather all the fuel consumption is calculated at the motor side. This is more accurate than a sending unit (honestly it's pretty cool), however you have to manually input how much you added every time you fill up. This is assuming you calibrated (which I have not). the C10 has the capability to read off a sending unit, but I guess my boat wasn't rigged up with one. (Wasn't in the options)
-It's hard to prop and based on my calculations and theorizing it will not be as fast as it's competitors. This is due to the high gear ratio. It's 2.5:1 which is a pretty big difference over say a Mercury Pro XS (1.85:1, or 1.75 with torque master). Deler put on a 14.25 x 26p 4 blade, and I could only get her up to 53, maybe 54 mph at 5800 rpms. Using a prop slip calculator, that's 7% slip, which is acceptable. Needless to say I'm under propped. Falcon recommends a 14.25x28p 4 blade. Theoretically that would should get me to the low 60s at 6100. The fact of the matter is it would be very hard to push 70 with this motor on this boat. I tried asking people in this forum but there's just not many people running this motor, so there's no baseline knowledge. If someone out there is running a 200 that can hit 70mph, please let me know haha, because the only way that's possible is to run a 30 pitch prop....
I'm very impressed with the Falcon 195. I love how it rides. I love the fishing logic in the setup. I love the minimalistic styling. The folks at Falcon are also very quick to respond and easy to interface with. I was looking at a Z519 before and was shocked at the price. Everyone talks about Ranger being the "Cadillac" of boats. Well I didn't want or need a cadillac. I just wanted something simple that worked.
I'm also pleased with the Suzuki. The biggest downside for now is top speed. That being said, when I bought this motor, I made the conscious decision to sacrifice speed for perceived reliability. I value reliability over all things. Time will tell if I made the right choice.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by printman71
