Pros and cons of 18 TRX

[tinybounce]

I will actually be up there April 23rd at Gaston. Have a club fishing tournament there, would be more than happy to let you ride in it. I totally get what the other guys are saying, would I like a 200hp on it absolutely !! But the year my was produced the 150 was the max rated for the hull, so by their standards my boat is MAXED out with HP, but 2 years later they raised the hull to 200hp capable.

But when I first got the boat it was a truly 59-60 mph boat pretty loaded. But I wanted Dual Poles real bad !!! so with that extra weight and I put some BIG/HEAVY batteries in it brought it down to where it is at now. But please understand I am a BIG guy, my son 220lbs. And have everything in the boat I may need. I don't pack lite !!

[Jaredn]

I will actually be up there April 23rd at Gaston. Have a club fishing tournament there, would be more than happy to let you ride in it. I totally get what the other guys are saying, would I like a 200hp on it absolutely !! But the year my was produced the 150 was the max rated for the hull, so by their standards my boat is MAXED out with HP, but 2 years later they raised the hull to 200hp capable.

But when I first got the boat it was a truly 59-60 mph boat pretty loaded. But I wanted Dual Poles real bad !!! so with that extra weight and I put some BIG/HEAVY batteries in it brought it down to where it is at now. But please understand I am a BIG guy, my son 220lbs. And have everything in the boat I may need. I don't pack lite !!

the 18trx was always rated for a 200 ever since it came out in ‘15

[Jaredn]

With the $5,000+ difference in initial price from the 150hp to the 200hp the fuel economy isn't that much better with the 200hp. Also I got a GREAT DEAL on my rig, guessing no one else wanted the 150 either, but in 2016 that's all it was rated for anyways.

No…it wasn’t. Every single 18trx ever Made has been rated for a 200, including my 2016

[bware]

No…it wasn’t. Every single 18trx ever Made has been rated for a 200, including my 2016

His boat is a 189, not an 18Trx. Same hull design but different HP rating

[Jaredn]

His boat is a 189, not an 18Trx. Same hull design but different HP rating

Yep. Read that now. Just assumed he was talking about an 18 since the thread is asking about the 18. Also don’t know how he priced a $5000 difference on his boat with a 200 seeing how his boat couldn’t come with a 200. It’s apples to oranges because it is a different model albeit very similar

[1Holeshot]

No…it wasn’t. Every single 18trx ever Made has been rated for a 200, including my 2016

And that is why I am driving an 18 TRX.

Rode in a friend's 189 TRX with 150 Pro XS 4 stroke and loved the hull but wanted more than 150-175 h.p. and 18 TRX with 200 h.p. rating qualified.

[bman5150]

I’ve got a 2008 18x2 and it is also super similar to the modern 18TRX. I have never had a jackplate and used to have a Merc Opti 150 on it. Best overall performance was with a 22p Tempest Plus. Decent hole shot and about 58 mph at 950’ elevation here in the Midwest. I ended up putting a Merc 175 PROXS 2s on it. Best ever top speed was 66 on a cool Michigan morning. Typical is 62-63 mph. Holeshot is slightly better than the 150 Opti I used to have on it.

I like my current boat, which means I like the 18TRX. The trailers are WAY better than my Marine Master painted boxed steel frame trailer. Fit and finish also seem noticeably better on the new 18TRX hills I’ve seen compared to mine. I would get one with a 175 or 200 when I buy my next boat.

I also love the low seating as I’m 6’ 3”. By the way, I loved just about everything about the Caymas CX 18 GTS but my legs were super-crowded in the drivers seat. So much so that it would give me pause buying one. If Caymas ever addresses the leg room at the console, it would be hard not to buy their 18’ boat when the time comes. It is a seriously great looking boat with excellent fit/finish and thoughtful touches throughout the hull. I like the Ranger Z518 but felt like you sit on top of the boat when riding, and I just can’t imagine that hull being a better ride than the Triton TRX or my 18x2. The Tritons have deeper hulls than most bass boats in the market-hence the above-average ride in the choppy stuff.

[VA Bass]

I would have bought a Caymas cx 18 but they only put a 175 on them. And i wasn't paying that much for a boat with a 175.

[Jaredn]

I would have bought a Caymas cx 18 but they only put a 175 on them. And i wasn't paying that much for a boat with a 175.

yes. It also seems smaller than the trx to me

[bware]

I don’t like that the trolling motor mounting location is tilted downward. It points the trolling motor transducer rearward when deployed, and when the motor is stowed it doesn’t lay flat and low which causes some visual obstruction from cockpit view. For I think $200 there is a wedge available from AMP to address this.

[MetsFan9]

I have the 18xs with a 150 I don’t feel like it’s way undersized. I can get 58 out of it, sure the 200 ups the performance but the 150 works just fine.

[tinybounce]

Yep. Read that now. Just assumed he was talking about an 18 since the thread is asking about the 18. Also don’t know how he priced a $5000 difference on his boat with a 200 seeing how his boat couldn’t come with a 200. It’s apples to oranges because it is a different model albeit very similar

Never said my boat was rated for a 200hp. I just priced new Merc 200 pro xs vs 150 pro xs, Merc dealer showed a $5k difference.

Don't see how its apples to oranges.... Exact same hull I interior practically. My boat was special order and has every upgrade/options you can get on it, so what would a 18trx have mine wouldn't beside a 200hp. I see a lot of them a the local ramps.. I park right beside them

[Jaredn]

Never said my boat was rated for a 200hp. I just priced new Merc 200 pro xs vs 150 pro xs, Merc dealer showed a $5k difference.

Don't see how its apples to oranges.... Exact same hull I interior practically. My boat was special order and has every upgrade/options you can get on it, so what would a 18trx have mine wouldn't beside a 200hp. I see a lot of them a the local ramps.. I park right beside them

It is apples and oranges. You’d have to ask Somebody at Triton why there was a 189 and an 18. I never understood it personally but somebody must’ve

But the year my was produced the 150 was the max rated for the hull, so by their standards my boat is MAXED out with HP, but 2 years later they raised the hull to 200 capable!

NO they DID NOT. Both the 18 and 189 came out in 2015. The 18 was rated for a 200 from day 1. The 189 was NEVER rated for a 200

My boat was special order and has every upgrade/options you can get on it

Also I got a GREAT DEAL on my rig, guessing no one else wanted the 150 either

????which one is it?

[tinybounce]

It is apples and oranges. You’d have to ask Somebody at Triton why there was a 189 and an 18. I never understood it personally but somebody must’ve



NO they DID NOT. Both the 18 and 189 came out in 2015. The 18 was rated for a 200 from day 1. The 189 was NEVER rated for a 200



????which one is it?

Well when I say raised to 200hp I am referring to the 18 trx being rated for a 200hp. Exact same boat hull so saying if will hold it the other will too.
But no the coast guard label s 175 on the newer boats, mine max is 150hp.

And yes I got a HELL of a deal on my boat... 2017 Triton 189trx with every upgrade option Triton had available brand new pick up from the dealer cost around $8,500. So yea I got nice boat at a deal (still have 2.5 yrs of Mercury Warranty) . If was rated for a 200 would I like a 200 hp on it , shine yea !! But I don't need it. My last boat had a 225hp on the rear, fast but costly. You can out run me all day long around the lake, even ack to the bot ramp.... and I could still take your money. So just keep over looking the want to be fishermen with those cheap raggedy 150's.

[Jaredn]

Well when I say raised to 200hp I am referring to the 18 trx being rated for a 200hp. Exact same boat hull so saying if will hold it the other will too.
But no the coast guard label s 175 on the newer boats, mine max is 150hp.

And yes I got a HELL of a deal on my boat... 2017 Triton 189trx with every upgrade option Triton had available brand new pick up from the dealer cost around $8,500. So yea I got nice boat at a deal (still have 2.5 yrs of Mercury Warranty) . If was rated for a 200 would I like a 200 hp on it , shine yea !! But I don't need it. My last boat had a 225hp on the rear, fast but costly. You can out run me all day long around the lake, even ack to the bot ramp.... and I could still take your money. So just keep over looking the want to be fishermen with those cheap raggedy 150's.

once again…they never “raised” the HP limit of the 18. I’ll say it again. Your boat (189) and the 18 both came out in 2015. The 18 was a rated for a 200 in 2015…what are you talking about two years for? You are talking circles and that’s where the confusion stems from. Pretty bold to say you could take somebody you don’t know’s money based on nothing other than they have 50 more horses than you…

nobody has said a thing about “looking down” on you because your boat is rated for a 150 so I don’t know where that is coming from.

[bware]

Shouldn’t this conversation be in the Lounge?

[Rigit]

After reading some other posts it reminded me that I think the driver seat sits too low. I am 5’10” and at times I had to lean up and forward to see over the windshield.

I am 5'10" also and have a 2021 189Trx (exact hull as the 18TrX) and have been trying to figure out why so many people have a problem seeing over the dash. I know some friends that have added the huge fish finders (triton is popular around here) and have mentioned seeing over those but that is really all I have seen. My wife is shorter than me and she has no problem seeing over the console. I have a 9 inch HDS Live on a Gimble mount on console with no problems. With that said, the seats do sit lower that say the nitro z18. Sitting in the nitro I had to lean forward in the seat to drive it because the seat sits so high and the thighs of my l legs were higher than the side of the boat. Kind of unnerving to me but I do like to sit in the boat instead of on it too. I was fortunate enough to drive a buddys z18 before buying and after running running up the river for a while i had to give up the drivers seat due to having to lean forward to hold the steering wheel. The drivers seat was one reason several reasons I chose the triton.