Best Tin Bass Boat?

[doddauto]

I have loved my SeaArk Stealth 210. Pricey but built like a tank.

[GeauxTide]

Xpress. I fished out of an X17 and an X19 from 2002 to 2019. Superb boats, but expensive. Price, in the absence of value, is not a consideration. I bought my 2015 in 2017 and had the first issue a couple weeks ago. The tach broke. I keep it in a boat port and a Ranger boat cover in the winter.

[tjsellsfords]

I'm sure the quality is good on the Xpress. I've only had 2 minor quality issues with my Crestliner in 4 years. Casting deck is a real good size. I can definitely recommend buying a Mercury engine.

[Hydro870]

Lund Pro V Bass if you want best riding and best in big water. Xpress or Gatortrax if you want more speed.

[kcinnick]

Check out Avid boats. My Avid bay boat is impressive, people don't even realize it is an aluminum boat until they are told or knock on it!

[fishingram24]

I've been an Xpress owner, 3 different models, for the last 21 years and now in a 2021 X18 with 150 on the back since Oct. of last year and never a problem with any of them. Xpress is built from thicker aluminun than many other brands and has a higher HP rating for its size plus the Sea Dek option. Solid, well built boats with an affordable price though none are worth what we pay today.

[wsdv135]

You can buy a brand new Vexus 1880 with a 115 hp engine in the mid $30k range - and a gently used one would be in the $20's. It is a great boat.

Damn I feel stupid, the angles on the hull make their glass look aluminum to me

[FloridaFlyer]

I bought the rig in '17 and have had to deal with the following issues:

Livewell pump not working properly
Bad Impeller
Bad Stator
Bow and Stern foot grips came unglued and flew off on the water
Both trailer guides (on the port and starboard sides) on the trailer snapped off at the welds for no apparent reason
Cracked cupholders for no apparent reason
Compartments not water - tight, rubber seals were peeled off after 6 months of ownership. Had to install new rubber material to keep water out.
Factory Cover does not actually fit the rig - constant water in back compartment - have to use extra tarps - very time consuming to put away after each trip.
Trailer lights seem to not function randomly, had to get wiring regrounded multiple times due to Road Armor messing with the ground.

?

Maybe the stator was major...I don't know the cost.....but the rest of the stuff you mention is not tough to fix. You have to work on boats and trailers as they age ---- or you have to hire someone to do it for you. Look at your complaint list.... they are things you could fix for the most part pretty easily. You bought the boat used in 2017....it is a 2013 boat probably made in 2012. That is almost 10 years ago.

There is not anything there that is not fixable. The water pump impeller for instance--you cannot complain about that. The trailer lights are known to be a problem with this year trailer....FIX THEM. Go buy LED lights and a wiring harness if it needs one ( BUT I bet the LED lights replaced properly will fix the problem. The boat cover...if you don't like it, go buy one you do like. That is not hard.

If you own a boat that you keep, you will have to work on it occasionally and replace some things and fix some things or hire someone to do it for you.

You cannot buy a boat and use it week after week and not repair some stuff for year after year..... You go buy a new boat and in three or four years, you will be back to the same situation.

The RT188 is a good hull. It has some drawbacks for sure ... NO boat is perfect and without issues year after year.

If the RT fits the water you fish as far as matching boat to size of water, I would keep it and put a couple of grand in it and use it. It has a front deck and fishes as good or BETTER than a lot of boats you will look at ...my $.02 worth.

[Johnnyred]

... agree with FloridaFlyer. Well stated.

[E-rude_Dude]

Maybe the stator was major...I don't know the cost.....but the rest of the stuff you mention is not tough to fix. You have to work on boats and trailers as they age ---- or you have to hire someone to do it for you. Look at your complaint list.... they are things you could fix for the most part pretty easily. You bought the boat used in 2017....it is a 2013 boat probably made in 2012. That is almost 10 years ago.

There is not anything there that is not fixable. The water pump impeller for instance--you cannot complain about that. The trailer lights are known to be a problem with this year trailer....FIX THEM. Go buy LED lights and a wiring harness if it needs one ( BUT I bet the LED lights replaced properly will fix the problem. The boat cover...if you don't like it, go buy one you do like. That is not hard.

If you own a boat that you keep, you will have to work on it occasionally and replace some things and fix some things or hire someone to do it for you.

You cannot buy a boat and use it week after week and not repair some stuff for year after year..... You go buy a new boat and in three or four years, you will be back to the same situation.

The RT188 is a good hull. It has some drawbacks for sure ... NO boat is perfect and without issues year after year.

If the RT fits the water you fish as far as matching boat to size of water, I would keep it and put a couple of grand in it and use it. It has a front deck and fishes as good or BETTER than a lot of boats you will look at ...my $.02 worth.

As soon as a complaint about a boat starts with a motor problem, I’m out of the conversation. If they don’t know they are manufactured and warranties by 2 different companies, their experience with boating screams uneducated novice. My advice is just say talk to your dealer.

[AZcal2021]

As soon as a complaint about a boat starts with a motor problem, I’m out of the conversation. If they don’t know they are manufactured and warranties by 2 different companies, their experience with boating screams uneducated novice. My advice is just say talk to your dealer.

[Hollopoint94]

Lund pro v bass

[PolarKraft195]

My favorite tin!!!

pk at dock 2.jpg

pk in gargae.jpg

pk at dock 3.jpg

[bassfisher444]

Tracker 195 with a 150 hp.

[Retire2fish]

I recently bought this new 2020 Alumacraft Pro 175 with Suzuki 90, and very happy with it. Budget friendly and has a nice layout, very stable in the water, fishes and rides well.

20210619_Pro 175 port side view.jpg

[PolarKraft195]

I recently bought this new 2020 Alumacraft Pro 175 with Suzuki 90, and very happy with it. Budget friendly and has a nice layout, very stable in the water, fishes and rides well.

20210619_Pro 175 port side view.jpg

I've owned 2 new Alumacrafts (1992 Phantom 170 & 2012 Competitor 175CS) and they are awesome boats! Built well!....and you'll LOVE that Suzuki!

[Extremeboating]

Personal opinion here:

The best tin boat is the boat which has the layout which best suits your needs.

The majority of them come out of the same factory, so quality and QC QA will likely be similar between brands at this point.

[Retire2fish]

Well said, Extremeboating - I concur, go for the one with functional layout and features that best suits your needs.

[cpd500]

If the hull is in good shape, run it as long as you can. I just bought a 2013 xpress x-19 on a tandem axle trailer that has 87 total hours on it. They are great boats, but hard to find.

[wsdv135]

Florida - thanks for the solid words of advice. I get it - break out another thousand isn't a saying for a reason - it just every time I take it out, something else breaks. That is not normal, even for a used boat. For the 4 plus years I have owned it, the motor has overheated/had a check engine light go off at least 2x per year. I can't even remember all the issues I've had with the Etec.

This was my first real boat aside from my 10ft jon boat i had growing up. Maybe it's just some growing pains and learning how to maintain/handle a boat - but I talk to the guys in my bass club and no one has had as many issues as I had these past 4 years.