There's nothing wrong with Nitros in my opinion. My bil has a 482. Its a fine boat
There's nothing wrong with Nitros in my opinion. My bil has a 482. Its a fine boat
I had a Z8 and it was crap. I was all excited cause I was saving some money when I bought it. After I started fishing out of it and looking at it closer the more I realized I got what I paid for. I was even more excited when I sold it. Had several issues with it. I know every boat vcan have issues, my problem was nitro refused to fix them. Dealer even said they needed fixing but nitro refused. Finally after fighting with them for a year and getting an attorney they finally took it back to the factory for the needed repairs. Of course at the beginning of spring. If you read on here there are all kinds of problems. They may be better now. My 2010 was pretty pitiful.
2021 Skeeter ZX150
2020 Sea Doo GTI se 170
I'm still fishing out of a fiberglass Tracker boat that is almost 30 yrs old. When I'm ready for a new one, you can bet that I'm looking at Nitro first. I've been more than satisfied and I think I've gotten my monies worth out of this one.
Most of the time I hear, "I had a friend who knew a guy and his brother said he knew somebody that had one and it was junk"......Most of the people bad mouthing them, not all but most have never been in one, they just have a huge stigma against BPS in general. Every brand has its issues. If you like it, buy it. My biggest advise is to make sure you have a local dealer that'll stand behind what they sell reguardless of brand..
Not bashing Nitro but over a given period of time how many issues do you see when comparing say a Nitro vs a BassCat if looking over both boards/ forums and comparable models? I think it's quite obvious which has more issues vs the other and how they are resolved/ handled.Originally Posted by BMCD
It's like comparing a Honda Accord to a Nissan Altima. Both are fine cars but which notoriously has more issues and a quality question with the general public?
Having used my z8 approximately 220 days on the water and 28000 miles on the trailer the only issue I have had was I needed to add glue to the rod ramp area carpet, I found a bottle of spray in the bilge under the trash can. And like any boat I have had to tighten some hardware and latches as the carpet wears down they shut farther. And there is a little defect I. The carpet trim at the rear corner it kinda takes a short cut making a gap of 1/8th inch. I love my boat and having saved 10k over my other options in my demographic I can't complain for a second
I think really, with the price difference can you overlook some plastic verses maybe metal. Can you maybe see a difference in the grade carpet over what might be in a Nitro.
When I looked at all type boats I wanted, I found myself seeing a $10 to $15 thousand dollar difference and I really cannot overlook that part of things.
I had a Ranger back in the early 90’s and yes, it was a great boat, no complaints, but with the new Nitro I bought in 2015, it was bigger, wider, more storage and the Nitro cost me maybe $3,000 more than the Ranger I had bought new back in the early 90’s.
I really like my Nitro Z7, and too be honest, you can go with a better upgrade with the Z18 up to the Z21 if you want. (Well the Z18 is the same pretty much as my Z7.) The cost factor was the single most factor in me getting a Nitro. Ranger, Basscat, Skeeter boats are all great boats too but you will have to pay the premium price to sit in one.
IF!!!!! Money was all the same, I think I would have a Basscat but not for the better built boat, if really they are, just the layout on them are pretty cool, but having a layout being a little better was not worth $15,000.
That’s how I see it, I had to limit myself to a budget and I think I got a good boat in my budget range, no really I think I got a great deal.
More than half the problems I see are not even related to the boat itself.
My mercury compressor went out,,I hate Nitro!
My trolling motor has one speed,,I hate Nitro!
My NOCO charger lost a bank and won't charge,, I hate Nitro!
My surge brakes have issues,, I hate Nitro!! (FYI, a lot of top brand boats use UFP manufactured surge brakes on there trailers)
My boat hit the dock and damaged the gelcoat, any other boat this would not of happened,, I hate Nitro!
As far as stress cracks or gel coat issues, every manufacture has these issues. ALL of THEM!!!
Nitro sells so many more boats than the others, so there is bound to be more issues. But I bet if you compared the percentages, the issues are about the same as any other manufacturer.
I think the issue with this comparison is the fact that Nitro outsells Basscat probably close to 3 to 1. So you are going to hear more about issues with one VS the other. On the other side of that coin you will have more satisfied customers on one VS the other.
I never had a single Nitro issue with my 2006 Nitro 929 CDX DC and will shop Nitro first when I am ready to pull the trigger on another boat.
I think you have to be careful. You will find out that the "dissatisfied wheels" are almost guaranteed to squeak often and loudly, while the satisfied wheels rarely post anything. If you do any research before buying most anything (water heater, boat, car, screwdriver, computer, whatever) you will be convinced there is NO good brand to buy based on all the complaints. It becomes an art form to read through all the consumer reports type comments and try to decipher the truth. If you look at the "top 67 problems with mercury outboards" it sounds dire. But if you realize just how many Mercs are sold each year, that is a tiny fraction of the motors. I would certainly be concerned about some of the massive hull issues I've read about, much less so about a slight irregularity in the gel coat or a screw is not quite straight.
BTW I can't address the stress crack issue other than for my specific boat. Almost 10 years old, not a single stress crack anywhere around the transom or splash well. Wouldn't expect any with the transom BCB uses, solid fiberglass with no lightweight composite material sandwiched in. But do they hurt? Hardly. We all want our boats to be perfect. I've not bought anything "perfect" in almost 70 years of buying stuff.
2008 Bass Cat Pantera Classic
2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
Glad I read to the end to see your post because I was going to say the same thing.
Although I'd bet they outsell them more like 6 to 1.
You honestly don't go on a forum to tell everyone how wonderful your Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, Nissan etc. is. You go on the forum when something is wrong! And to find out if someone else has had the same problem.
I owned a towing business for right at 20 years. For the first 10 I owned, and drove Fords. Nothing but, and all with International V8 Diesels. Made a LOT of money driving Fords, and thought I might have had one till I died. Then came the Ford from Hell in 1994. That POS was in the shop over THREE MONTHS the first year. Things like 2 water pumps before 19,000 miles. Axle seals, injectors, electrical, driveline, alternators, it just never stopped. Finally walked away from it to the tune of a $30,000 loss! To this day I'll never own another one. Heck... my friends wouldn't even park one in my driveway for 20 years!
Funny that Ford thing though because growing up my Dad was an Oldsmobile man, then a Cadillac man. Although he owned a couple Toyotas later in life as well. I was (mostly) a GM guy with GTO's, Camaro's, Chevelle's and such, but my first car was a Comet GT (well two of them actually). The second one would pull the front wheels off the ground and ran 11's (and I drove it every day as my daily driver).
Replaced the Ford work trucks with GMC 6500's and it was the BEST FREAKING THING I EVER DID!!!!!
(Then GMC got out of the medium duty truck business.... dingle berries!)
Now that's not saying that someone else didn't, and couldn't get good service from a Ford. Just that for *ME* it wasn't happening again.
I can say that if I were buying another boat I'd look long and hard at a Nitro. Although I can't honestly say I'd *ever* recommend buying brand new. It doesn't matter WHAT BRAND you buy, when buying new, you're going to take a bath. A BIG BATH. Better yet... look at a 1~2 year old model, (of ANY brand) with low hours, and a warranty still in effect on the motor.
I have to say I literally STOLE my Z9 this year. It's a 2011, put into service in Jan 2012. All the depreciation had already taken place, and I took a chance on the Pro XS (with 221 hours). They were asking $32.8K and I offered them $28K. I've since replaced all the Lowrance units with Gen3, and 3DSS (plus TS on the front) and still don't' have $35K in it. (Even with the new tires I put on this week.)
Heck, I don't have that in it with buying a DOZEN new rods-n-reels, and enough tackle to outfit a proper bass boat.
I've priced the new Z21's, and for the same boat, single PP, upgraded electronics, 10" hydraulic plate, custom paint, and all the other goodies I'd be darned lucky to get out the door just under $70K. (Remember dealer fees, setup, delivery, sales tax/TAVT state tag fees all figured in as well.)
I'd not be ashamed to run a used Ranger, or a Skeeter, or a BC, or Legend for that matter. But Ranger is also BPS/Cabellas, BC and Legend doesn't have a dealer, and Skeeter is the only one I've found around Atlanta that does. But the only Skeeters I found that were even CLOSE to what I've got now were over $40K *USED*. (And they all needed some sort of upgrading as well.) Found some Legends in NC, SC, and AL with 400+~500+ hours that were MUCH NEWER than my boat, and cost more. (Although they were all beautiful rigs.)
So it really doesn't matter what you get, or when you get it.
Want to save ten grand... buy a Nitro.
Want to spend perhaps twice as much... buy a new boat.
Wanna spend enough to buy TWO used Nitros.... buy a new BC, Bug, or (enter your preferred brand here).
Later,
Dixie Chicken
12 Nitro Z9 DC, 4 Color Flake
250 Pro XS, SmartCraft Gauges
Bobs 12" w/Hole shot plate
NightFishion HD8 rubrail, W/Nav Lights
Oznium Red/Blue 10mm/6mm LED Bolts
4-Channel Remote Lighting Control
HDS Gen 3's, TotalScan, 3DSS
Red Power Pole 10' Blades
KVD Edition Hydrowave
Have to agree with flipping & Dixie.......I have a 2004 929CDX DC & it has been a great boat. I can't say anything bad about it. No it doesn't get the oohs & awes at the ramp or other places like it did new but it has never let me down (yet). Has a little over 600 hrs on it. I have done a few things to it since I bought it. Upgraded the motor few years back (2009 250 ProXS) upgraded trolling motor 109MG, upgraded electronics to Lowrance HDS10s, smart craft system, agm batteries, 4 bank charger, & so forth. But these were by choice, all the original stuff worked fine so I can't say Nitro put a bunch of junk in it. Never had a problem with my wiring or any hardware. Even the original compartment lights still work fine. Maybe I should change them to leds, lol. Nah. Oh, and you will not find one stress crack anywhere on it or any rust on my trailer, however I am changing the brakes on it. The key to it all, IMHO, is taking care of it, which I have. It still looks good to me & I'm the only person I have to impress. Now is it the perfect boat? No, they don't make one. Do I look at the new boats ( Ranger, skeeter, BC, etc) & think about a new one, of course, who doesn't. Just hope when I die my wife doesn't sell it for what I told her how much I have in it. Anyway, best advice.....get the dang boat you want & can afford, you're the one that's going to see it everyday.
Cheers
Hey Tracer.....
You're not going to BELIEVE THIS, but it was MY WIFE that said we were getting a bass boat!
Last year we were looking for a new truck, and she said we needed a 4WD. I said "Hon' why do we need a four wheel drive truck? We've not had one since 83."
To which she replied... "Well you need a four wheel drive truck to pull that bass boat you've always wanted".
My reply was to take my cap off, and say (without falling to my knees and licking her feet) "YES MAAAM!".
She set the budget, and SHE constantly comes home from different stores with crank baits. So once I'm dead and gone.... she can sell it for whatever she wants!
Later,
Dixie Chicken
12 Nitro Z9 DC, 4 Color Flake
250 Pro XS, SmartCraft Gauges
Bobs 12" w/Hole shot plate
NightFishion HD8 rubrail, W/Nav Lights
Oznium Red/Blue 10mm/6mm LED Bolts
4-Channel Remote Lighting Control
HDS Gen 3's, TotalScan, 3DSS
Red Power Pole 10' Blades
KVD Edition Hydrowave
Wow Dixie, you are one lucky man, God has blessed you. When I bought my 1st bass boat ( shortly after the wheel was invented), which was a Ranger, she asked "what do you need that for"? For once I was at a loss for words. After a few minutes to regain my composure, I told her it was for "us". Her answer...."oh OK".
Buying Crankbaits, mine has trouble buying a hammer & screwdriver. Once she asked me for a piece of sandpaper for a project. Shortly after she said the sandpaper wasn't doing right. I looked down at her & told her to turn the sandpaper over. But same as the Nitro, she a keeper.
Brother I *TOTALLY* agree!
OTOH... we fish... well... we fish because those women in the Viagra/Cialis commercials DO_NOT_EXIST_IN_THE_WILD!
If they did... I'd be married to one!!!!!
But on a more serious note. After losing both her folks last year inside 3 months, she decided that we needed to go fishing. Her Daddy brought her up fishing, as did mine. We've always had some poles around (mostly Zebco's with a few scattered spinners) but put aside fishing for the last almost years or so to raise kids. Only time we'd fish is if we rented a house at the lake...... just didn't have time otherwise.
So now, we MAKE time.Try and go as often as possible, sometimes twice on a weekend.
Can't catch for chit (compared to I'd say most here on BBC), but we have fun at it, and look good doing it.
As for the fishing though.... It's just something that we've always wanted to do, just didn't have (or make) time. Been stocking up this year for sure. Loving that Gander Mtn going out of business sale. So far that's cost me a good 4K. (Beats twice that though!) Between them, me, her, and forum sponsors we're blowing through our kids inheritance like it's a contest.Heck... went from NO baitcasters to I dunno' 8 I think in 3 months.
Gotta' say I love the Tatulas (3 latest ones) and even made sure *she* got one in R-hand. (Which of course I use 5 times as much as she does.)
Later,
Dixie Chicken
12 Nitro Z9 DC, 4 Color Flake
250 Pro XS, SmartCraft Gauges
Bobs 12" w/Hole shot plate
NightFishion HD8 rubrail, W/Nav Lights
Oznium Red/Blue 10mm/6mm LED Bolts
4-Channel Remote Lighting Control
HDS Gen 3's, TotalScan, 3DSS
Red Power Pole 10' Blades
KVD Edition Hydrowave
I always hear "resale value isn't there". It's not there because you save minimum $15k over the other brands when you buy new. That shows later as they are still priced about that much less 2-3 years later. Need to compare apples to apples when talking "resale"
If you look at my avatar that is the boat my dad bought and I inherited when he died at 46! he loved that cedarstrip and so did everyone who looked at it! BUT it was shit to fish out of!!LOL, I looked for a used boat for about 8 years, looked at them all, and usually walked away disheartened due to the mistreatment the previous owners did to them! then I found a guy who fished more than his wife liked and I stole a 1997 Savage 896 due to HIS divorce 14 years ago! It has been my dream boat ever since, I did have to replace the original 225XP last year with a 2006 225 Etech! holy shit what torque! have yet to top it out speed wise, truthfully, I am AFRAID!!! can't figure all the boys on this board who want and do everything to get a few extra MPH!!! I drive at half throttle and do 45MPH, good enough for me and my grandson!!! When I first got it I needed to get some keys, called Nitro customer service, the lady bent over backwards to get me a spare ignition AND locked keys. mailed them to me in Canada, and did NOT charge me a cent! and I was NOT the original owner!! then I called about getting some schematic/wiring info, received the e-mail while I was still on line with them! I love my aircraft carrier, it has mucho room to move around, storage out the wazoo, and comfortable! IF and WHEN I need to replace it I would NOT hesitate to go to another NITRO!
2015, 2016, 2017 sales report for all bass boat company's http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment....3&d=1500056061
2015 Ranger Z119c / 2015 Merc 225 Pro XS
And the reality is even though a Nitro will bring less money it doesn't continually drop and drop and drop.
My 2011 Z-9 was bought new in 2012. I think the purchase price then was somewhere upper 30s maybe... maybe. I'll be surprised if it broke 40 out the door.
In March this year, it being 5 years old (6 by model year) they were asking $32,600 I think for it and I offered them $28,000 and negotiated a little from there. I was still out the door well under $30,000. (And as I have mentioned before I don't have $35,000 in it with all new Lawrance upgrades and all the rods, reels, and tackle this far. (We didn't own a bass boat prior so we're having to buy a crapload of tackle!) ;-)
As for Nitro supporting their boats. I had a little plastic plug fall out back there by the splash tray so I called Nitro and they immediately connected me with what I thought was their parts department. Come to find out that connected me with the closest dealer to the factory. I explained that this was a little 7/8 inch plug with holes in it and it was black and there's two of them at the back of the boat. The lady on the other end figured out what it was I needed and said they buy them in bags of 20 and she had 4 left how many did I want and I'm talking there we're not even a buck apiece.
Bottom line is... I made one phone call and got instantly connected with the dealer not only found the part I needed but had it in stock and fedexed it to me and I had it in two days.
I can't complain about that at all. :-)
Also Fuzzy... GREAT catch there dude! Wes Ranger selling 33% more votes than Nitro, that being 3000 versus 2000 it'd be pretty doggone hard for Nitro haters to start complaining about mass production at that point wouldn't ya' think?
There is no way you're going to pump out 3,000 boats a year and not have a factory production floor that's doing them as fast as humanly possible.
And you got to wonder why all Johnny Morris bought Ranger.
Sent from space via my S7 Edge.
Last edited by DixieChicken; 07-16-2017 at 11:30 PM.
Resale....I bought a 2006 Nitro 929 CDX DC in September of 2010 for $22,500....sold it in July of 2015 for $24,000. I updated the graphs and put a set of Power Poles on it.....but by the time I sold it the graphs were 4+ years old. I took very good care of the boat and performed all the maintenance to it. I am still in contact with the gentleman who purchased it from me and it is treating him very well.
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