Only issue I have on my Z19 is the metal fenders, you have to back trailer in shallow and power load. If you back in too deep or it is rough and a wave pushes boat to either side the lip on edge of hull will catch and run across the diamond step pad on top of fender. My wife now refuses to load boat after it happened to her and it has happened a few times to me when its rough and in a hurry. They should make the fiberglass fenders standard.
bought a custom 2020 Z 21 my second nitro love it as good if not better than any other boat on the market and i have had a few and rode in almost all of them nitro is the way to go if you want speed get the Z 20 with the 250 pro xs if you want the ultimate comfort with some speed get the Z 21 for a little more with the 250 pro xs i will keep buying them the best boat and value on the market no one else compares not even close
I have a 2016 Z20 and there have been zero issues. These things take a pounding so each brand you can find flaws in. Most of what I didn't like was tied to workmanship and I just over-engineered it myself as a long term fix.
I love the lay-out, speed is enough for what we do and I have had zero issues with the Merc or any of the electronics that are not necessarily tied to Nitro. I've been in others and would buy another without hesitation.
I have loved both of my Nitros. Took good care of them and never had any issues.
I just ordered a 2021 Z20 Pro Package. My first glass boat, traded in my RT188. So psyched and can’t wait to see it.
2020 Nitro Z21 Pro | Mercury 250 Pro XS |Ultrex 36v 112 MDI | Solix G2 chirp/mega SI 10 and 12 |Garmin 93sv UHD w/LiveScope| 8' PowerPole Blades
2020 Nitro Z20 Pro Package
My 2019 Z20 has been in the shop for almost 2 months waiting for lower unit seals, and answers from Tracker marine whether or not they are going to cover issues with the trailer. First response was operator error on the surge brakes, however they had no explanation for what that error may be. With what I have seen in less then a year of ownership from Tracker Marine I would look else where.
Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089
Under warranty so Bass Pro is doing the work, unknown where they are getting the seals. I assume Mercury. The surge breaks activated while on the freeway for no reason. By the time I noticed all four brakes were bellowing smoke. Not noticeable under power and speed. Bass Pro had one other trailer with the same issue prior to mine, and one after mine. Manager at Bass Pro have no issue fixing the brakes and actuator and confirmed the issues. However nothing can be warranted without approval from Springfield. Their only reply so far, in almost 8 weeks, is that the brake issue was operator error. When I asked the manager what they said I did in error, he said they didn't.
I also has damage to the lower fiberglass on my boat due to the the exposed hex head screws on the inside of the side bunks. This damage has been discussed by other on the forum with some being covered, and other not. This also has been verified by the manager, but not cleared through Springfield HQ.
It appears that local shops cannot make any decisions without approval from Springfield even if the manager confirms that it's a warranty.
So with this issues with warranty work I would not recommend Nitro boats. I do like my boat, but customer service matters. It looks like my trailer warranty will be up by the time it's out of the shop, with the brake issue occurring on the 5th trip out. Not good.
I agree, take the engine to a mercury dealer. Does not have to be the dealer you bought the boat from.
As far as the surge breaks activating.
I know enough about hydraulic surge breaks to say..they did NOT just activate going down the free way, it is impossible for that to happen.
Something had to happen to cause it, dangling saftey cable?? Not sure...
My guess is you saftey cable got pulled, and the brakes were activated the entire time while driving down the highway, and finally got hot and started smoking.
Not trying to argue or anything.....also because I have been there.
In my case, I must of tripped on the saftey cable while fueling up, and then on the highway I noticed it seemed I had to give her more gas to pass. Pulled over and found what I had done, saftey cable activated.
Rvan, not trying to argue and I'm sorry for you situation but to you and anyone else, Mercury would do warranty work on you motor at any real Mercury shop. There may be politics involved if it's a rush season and you didn't buy the motor from us. But it would still be faster than the chain shops. Also if you would buy at an independent company like (example) pros choice marine it is possible for them to make their own decisions and start work in the mean time to remedy your issues and get you back on the water, then afterwards they try and get the money back from bps, like a scratch on the bottom of the hull is probably 35 minutes of work and 5$ in materials. They may just do it to please you and argue with bps later. But only because it is so irrelevant vs an Angry customer.
Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089
I had a 97 procraft 180 bass and my surge brake would be activated on my way home. I pump grease out of the bearing system the one time when coming home. Is what happen in my case the rod on the front of the actuator stuck in the on position and that is what happen to me. I don't know why it was always on my way home but that is how it happened in my case. I got a new actuator and installed it and that fixed my problem.
Since I had the trailer work that need to be fixed I had the 20hr service done also. That's when they found the issues with the seal, and ordered the parts. To late to take any where else.
No the cable was not activated, that of course would lock the brakes up. I did not have to release the lever on the top of the tongue, it was where it need to be. I did have to place a piece of concrete in front of the front tires to release the brakes as a drove against it. That was recommended to me by the service manager who I spoke to on the phone. He was aware of the issue because of an earlier trailer coming in with the same issue, and one after mine. So yes it did activate, or not release when I slowed or coasted on the freeway. Either way its it's something that should not have happened anytime let alone after only a handful of tows.
I ordered a 2019 Z19 and took possession May of 2019. Love it so far. The layout and storage are amazing for a barely 19' boat. The hole shot w/ the 200HP 4S is out of this world. I try to describe it to guys and until they ride in it they just don't get it. Once they ride in it they're ready to go buy ProXS 4s. My only complaint is the trailer is pretty cheaply built. I can already tell you the boat will far outlast the trailer.
I owned for Z19 for about 2.5 years. It rode in big water very badly. Lots of slap and the hull felt super hollow. I used to joke with my friends I would take advil at the beginning of tournaments when I would have to "run" on Champlain. Other than the rough ride, the trailer was garbage. I had more warranty issues with my trailer that literally kept me off the water for months over the course of ownership. It started with inner bunker liners falling off, the day it happened the trailer was backed into the water and I didn't see the side come off. rode my boat right up onto it and gouge a huge chunk of fiberglass out of my boat(first two months of ownership). Then about 4 months in, one of the fenders started shaking real bad on one side and ended up breaking the welds on the step(replaced twice since they replaced it once and it occurred again). They also fixed the fiberglass under warranty since the bunker came off caused the damage. Never looked the same after since it was in the glitter part of the gel. After about a year the plastic leaf suspension bushings were blown out and the amount of popping and noises coming out of the suspension would scare me(spent my own money and did the dexter upgrade). Gel cracked in every corner where latch covers came down. Tackle compartment was the worst.
Two things I loved about the boat. Massive deck and I personally think the 2017+ livewells are one of the best out there. Never had a fish die.
I own a Phoenix now and you cant even compare. Ride is 1000% better than any Nitro I have ever ridden in including the Z21. For big water I think its the only boat to own. I rode in a TRX 18 Triton that rode much better than my z19. So odd, the hull just seems hollow. But again, not many people have to deal with the big water conditions and to them, a Nitro is probably just fine.
Phoenix 2021 721 ProXP
250 v8 ProXS SN#2B780777
Lowrance HDS Lives
I bought second hand a 1997 Savage 896 in 2006. had to upgrade the original Rude 225XP to a Gen1 E-Tech 225 in 2016. LOVE this boat and motor! my wife complains I love the boat more than her! I keep telling people I ride the boat HARD, put her away WET, and get NO COMPAINTS! I have worked on a number of other Bass boats for friends and family, and I think Nitro is a good boat compared to many others.