I picked up my new 520R from Pro Choice on Saturday. I thought I'd share some initial thoughts on the boat.
First, Pro Choice is first class. They knew I was driving in from Arkansas to sell my boat and then to Texas after I picked it up and they made everything efficient and quick. Pete is first class all the way and I would highly recommend those guys.
As for this boat, the trailer gave me no issues on the 400 mile drive home. I took the boat out on Ray Roberts Sunday morning for a few hours, just to see how it performed. It came from Ranger with 3 hours, so I didn't have to deal with the first 2 hours of break-in and I greatly appreciated that. I know Pete is on here, so I'll let him explain why it had hours on it, but he said their head of engineering took it out to test the boat, since this was one of the first ones.
The storage is absolutely next level in this boat. I loaded it down with 30 rod/reel combos and all my tackle. In my Z521L, I couldn't fit that much in the boat and use the rear compartments for my hard baits. Not in this boat. I didn't even fill up the center storage. I never keep that many rods in my boat, but I just wanted to test it out. The center storage seems even deeper than I remembered from the Classic. The port side storage shelf system makes it easy to get a rod from the bottom shelf or any shelf for that matter and the starboard side has a similar shelf system, but I'm using it for cushions and life jackets. It's just a fantastic design all around. The cooler is deep and performed well. You can actually put a plug in the bottom, which is different from my 521L.
I opted for the removable console and it's great and very easy to remove. I removed it at my boat storage, just to see how easy it was. Simple and not heavy. The wiring under the console is very clean and labeled. I included a picture. I wondered why I had a Lowrance GPS puck on the rear deck, but it goes to the new touchscreen, as it has a directional function. The seats are fantastic. I seem to sit a bit higher in the seat than my old boat, but I liked it and the seats are the most comfortable boat seats I have sat in.
First fish button was a nice feature and worked well. The rest of the touchscreen was really cool to use and the key fob was also awesome. No more 1234 codes. The phone charger is a nice feature and works.
Now for performance, the boat will jump out of the water. Keep in mind I had a 521L, but guys, it jumps up out of the water. Pete told me to try 3 1/2" for my initial run and with both consoles and fully loaded, I hit 72 easily and I think it had more. Some chop on the water and headwind. As far as how it turns, I couldn't be more happy. It slices through the water. The boat also will stay on plane at 18 mph.
Overall, I absolutely love the boat. The only thing I need to get used to is the paddles for the trims. I couldn't get my SI to work and while I was running across the water with the map displayed, the SOLIX unit kept telling me my DI signal was lost. I wasn't using DI, but it looked like when you power down your front unit with 360, but still have the two on in the back, it says it has lost the 360 signal and I just cancel. Seems a bit off.
If you love Rangers, you will absolutely love this boat and it is not slow by any means.
If you have questions that I didn't cover, let me know. I'll do a video when I go back up to my storage unit tomorrow.
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