Nitro vs ranger

[birdman11]

Time to upgrade rigs. Iv currently got a ranger z20. Love it- but the price of new rigs is taking me out of the ranger market more than I would like. I’m not looking for a bashing post, but has anyone on here went from ranger to nitro (looking at nitro z21). How did the ride compare and what was the pros and cons, if any if switching from one brand to the other? Thanks

[flipit]

Thinking about doing the same thing I will be following

[BMCD]

I have had multiple team partners with Rangers, my current team partner has a 08 Z20. The Z520 definetly rides better in my opinion. Rangers break waves differently, and to me ride is close to the same. But to me there is a certain wave height that Rangers do not do as well in, just because of there hull design. I think ull find in most cases its a toss up.

Fishability is good from both, livewells on any ranger are not as good as Nitros Z20/21. One thing I sell on a Nitro is how easy it is to get to everything when compared to any other boat.

[greg88]

I had a z8 and fished as a co this year trying to decide on a new boat road in two z521's and they both had a little better ride than my z8 but not significantly better than a z21 good luck about done trying to save up for a Ranger with the price going up all time and go buy a new nitro z20

[BearCreek]

Go look at one check out every little detail and make your decision.
I was in the market for a Z18 and I let all the good talk from here and Nitro Facebook page make my decision.
I’ve had the boat since May and im really wishing I would have spent a few thousand more and got a 1 or 2 year old higher quality boat probably a skeeter or falcon.
Im not a huge fan of the boat but it’s my first brand new bass boat so part of me still likes it.
The boat has been in the shop twice so far and believe it or not it’s been in the shop since last Monday.
Ive had issues with the motor Mercury rigging issues so they blame. It’s in the shop for the second time for this throttle problem.
The factory wiring for the graphs has a short in it and they won’t do anything about it. So I guess I’m gonna have to rewire it.
The left rod locker shock was mounted in the wrong place so it swings all the way open and looks like it’s gonna rip the hinges off every time I open it. They won’t move the shock because then there will be holes in it. SO PUT A NEW DOOR ON IT !!
The right side rod lockers shuts way to tight very hard to pull open now the lock and handle is about to pull out the locker
shop blames there’s a screw striped out on the lock/handle causing it to be loose. Nope the locker door shuts way to tight.
So that’s 3 problems that I can’t get fixed on a brand new boat.
Ive had about 6 small nuts Come out from under the console
One big thing is the floor is not near as solid as other boats I have been in. I’m a big dude but there’s a lot of give in the floors.
i can’t ever get the live well to drain all the way so I always have to take a shop vac in to suck out the water.
Any rain I get moisture in my center tackle storage and I have to take every thing out to dry.
plus the rear since the plastic boxes just sit down in the hull they always have moisture in them.

Maybe the more expensive Z21 is built better but I’m kinda disappointed in the Z18.
In my opinion There’s a huge difference in nitro quality vs any other big name boat.
Like I said maybe the Z21 is a different ball game. ?

ok my rant is over and I’m still stuck my my Z18 in the shop for things they won’t fix.

[Jimmybass]

At 52, I've owned 6 bass boats and 5 of them were Nitro. I'm a guy lucky enough to be able to afford any bass boat I want and each time I'm up for a new one, I look across the field to see what's new. Having said that, I feel Ranger builds a beautiful boat. They put a lot of work and effort into gel coat and features. The deal breaker to me is the rough water ride and the livewells. Lake Champlain kills a lot of boats every year and I fish there quite often. With the large Nitros, I have never lost a fish or not been able to make it back to the launch at Plattsburg with 5 to 6 footers out there. Again, I think Ranger builds a great boat, but I have seen way to many fish kills in them, and just as many fisherman hole up in a cove someplace because they couldn't make it back.

[06 SB]

I had one Nitro back in 2004 and it will be my last. There are just too many other good boats out there that are built better and ride better. I know the others cost more but for my money it is worth it.

[Jimmybass]

Having owned 5 of them, the older boats had some quality control issues but nothing that ever caused me to miss a tournament. The newer boats have been put together well and if I ever had an issue it was with the service center and not nitro. That problem can befall any boat dealer. My next choice was going to be a Legend V20 but as most know the company had major problems. If Ranger had deep livewells and a better rough water ride I would have considered them but they never seem to opt for improvement there.

[billspence]

I have a 2018 Z21 (for sale BTW), and have had 2 Rangers, 3 Bass Cats (Cougars), a Triton (TR-21), and a Phoenix (921).

If money were no object, I would get a Ranger. I think feature for feature they are the best boats out there. They are, however, not that much better than the Phoenix or the Nitro to justify the cost difference. Of all of the 20/21 foot boats I listed, these are the best in these categories in my opinion:

Fishability: Ranger (Phoenix close, Nitro close as well)
Choppy water ride: Nitro and Phoenix the same. (Ranger is okay but a bit wet and harder landing than the others)
Big waves: Bass Cat. Nitro and Phoenix tied at a distant second
Finish: Ranger then Bass Cat (Nitro close, but the plastic shrouds really turn me off)
Layout (storage, access to what I need, etc.): Nitro then Ranger

At the top tier of all of the companies, stuff like the trailer and cover are all great and none are better than the other by enough to make any difference. As I said, if I were spending someone else's money, I'd get the 21' Ranger, mostly due to the fishability aspect since that is why I have a boat. If I'm spending my money, I'd get another Nitro Z21 in a second. The Phoenix price tag gets close to that of a Ranger but there's nothing to a Phoenix that makes me want to spend that much on it.

This was my first Nitro and I am very impressed with the quality of the boat. There isn't a crack anywhere and I have a significant amount of hours on Champlain.

[Fistacuffs]

I’ve owned two nitros and fished from tons of rangers and like both. I think that nitro now makes a great boat that fishes really well with the trolling motor down, much like the ranger (and slow like the ranger too). Most who knock nitros have never fished from a current model... that being said, if money were no object, I’m going ranger. It is built well, looks amazing, fishes well, and maintain its value. I think nitro builds a great boat, but the price advantage is slowly disappearing with nitro when compared to other boats. When you add on the graphs, poles, ultrex, and cover the nitro is not priced much better or worse than a skeeter zx250 or Phoenix 721.


Most boats from from major manufacturers today are built well.... I think a lot comes down to personal preference and styling. If you like the way nitro looks,go for it, they are great boats. And if you dig the ranger styling, go for it, it’s a great boat still.

[birdman11]

Wow, lots of great information here. I truly appreciate everyone’s responses!

What year did nitro start building a better boat? I too have heard the negative remarks about them but have several buddies with them now who switched from ranger and say they’ll never own another ranger.

I’m actually a crappie Guide, so ride with the TM down is #1 for me followed by rough water ride. Livewells aren’t a huge factor for me because the fish are going in my clients belly’s! That being said I do worry about taking a hit on the price when it comes to resale where as the ranger holds its value much longer it seems. I have a month or two before I pull the trigger so keep the input coming. Thanks

[Dogfish_Jones]

I've had both a Ranger and now a Nitro. My Ranger was new when i bought it back in 1990, but I now have a 2015 Nitro. I think overall Ranger builds a better, tighter boat but it does come with a cost. My Ranger back then was a 17' 10" model with a 150. My Nitro is an 18' 8" model with a 150, overall the Nitro handles the water much better but the length does account for some of that ride smoothness.
You mentioned resale value, hands down the Ranger has that going for them.
I choose Nitro over other brands for price reason. I have not had any problem that any other boat owner would have...really I haven't had one that really would classify as a big problem, I'm lucky on that end.
All in all, its really two things, 1- what you can afford, 2- fishability or the ease of it that each boat offers. I would not hesitate one bit to buy a Nitro Z21, if I wanted a boat that big, that would be my choice.

[greg88]

Difficult to talk about resale value with such a huge price difference. Oh by the way I got $1,500 more for my Z8 than what i paid for it, and it was almost 7 years old given it was pampered i had to say goodbye.

[jtrac]

Not quite the same league as the Z21 you are asking about but I traded a 2013 Ranger Z118 for my Z19 last February. I have not had a single problem with the boat. I find it to be very solid and handles and fishes as well as any boat I have ever owned and that includes 2 Ranger's, 2 Triton's, 2 Stratos and a Skeeter. When I first got the boat there were a few things I thought were a little cheesy, like the removeable storage trays in the rear. But now I think it is a great idea as it gives you access to an area that was unreachable on my Ranger. One area that is a little less quality is the trailer. I wish it was a C channel and the bunks are 2X4 instead of 2X6 on my Rangers, but they work so no complaints. I got my Z19 for about $10 to $13k less than a comparable Z519. Some of that is the difference between a 225 and the 200 but even with that it is still a lot more.

[1stindoor]

I previously had an old Procraft 1750 that I sold when I bought my 2006 Nitro 911 CDC. I have fished out of a ton of different boats as a non-boater, but when I went to buy, I looked at getting the most boat for the money without regard to resale value. My 911 CDC never had any issues beyond batteries, one of my pumps going out, bunk boards needing to be replaced, etc. Minor stuff that occurs over 10 years of ownership. I traded that one in for my Z21, again because I was looking at the most boat for my money. I don't fish tournaments, and probably half the time I fish alone. But I like nice things. If money were no object I might have gone with a Ranger, but I'm not complaining one bit. In the two years I've owned the Z21 my only issue has been a broken fender on my trailer after I ran over a piece of retread on the road. I would absolutely buy it again.

[framer]

I've been a bass fisherman for 50 years. Had Sturys and Hydrosports. 391 Ranger, great boat. Triton TR21, great boat with a better ride. Right now I'm ready to make a new purchase and like the Nitro. $20,000 less than the Ranger. We have a dealer that's close and I like the Z20 with the 250. If I fish 20 days a year, it's a good year. I'm gonna try the Nitro. Hope to show you a picture. By the way, I only learned of this site 2 months ago. Can't get enough. I like the engine, depth finder, and boat reviews. Great distraction at work!

[Nitrojohn]

From my experience, I think both brands build great boats. Was in a Ranger 620 for 13 years..awesome boat from new to day I sold it. Because of a move and where and how I fish, decided to make the change to a bass boat this year, and am now in a new Nitro Z21. Fit, finish, and handling/performance in the new Nitro are awesome. The test in my view will be longevity and how the Nitro holds up in the long run (with the same level of tlc the Ranger got !). Bottom line, both companies building awesome boats in my opinion.

[BrianFLA]

Have owned a couple nitro' s in the past along with a couple tritons as well , my last 3 boats have been rangers including my current boat. All good boats , but I feel ranger is a step a step above in fit and finish, and materials used, lids , transom , floors , gel coat , etc....I looked real hard at nitro before ordering my 2019 , but the ranger fit my needs better. Good luck with your decision and buy what you like and suits your needs.

[HGD]

I have had 8 Rangers, 2 Tritons, 2 Skeeters and an older Nitro. I currently have a Z20 Nitro and there is no comparison to the older Nitro's. They all make good boats. I never had a problem with any of my Rangers. My Z20 is my favorite boat I have ever fished out of though. I have ran it for almost 2 years and haven't had problem one. And I use it hard. The livewell's are by far the best I have ever had in any boat. The boat rides great and fishes even better. After running this one I really like the way they u sit up higher in the seats. It feels funny at first but I hate sitting down in the other boats now. For the money I think it's the best boat on the market. I will run another one and I could get in any boat I want.

[KCLOST]

Have ran Ranger, Triton, Stratos, Nitro and have just ordered my 2nd Nitro.

All these boats are good boats. They each have some characteristics that are better or worse than the other. But do your research.... Look at all the variables, layout for you and a partner, big water ride if that is a factor for you, speed, warranty, storage capacity, etc. We pretty much put the same electronics, trolling motors, and most of the time engines on them so that should be a minor issue.... Oh, I almost forgot, PRICE....

Good luck and have fun deciding.