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Hey guys .. new to the board.. I'm looking at buying one of these boats but i'm kind of stuck betwen since they are both good boats for the fishing I do up here in Ontario. Any suggestions on whether I should go with the toon or the Stratos.
I'll post this in the Triton board as well to be fair..
Thanks
Only you can determine that......no amount of posting here should sway your trying both boats and making an informed decision.
All I can tell you is that you need to take them both out. The 186xt really impressed me with how dry of a ride it was, how it handled the chop, how stable it was at rest, how easy it was to maneuver, and so much more. It was fun watching dealers take the 186xt and 176xt out, stop on the water, and get up and stand on the sides of the boat to see if they were as stable as the advertisement photos show.
I will not talk down about the 'Toon, as I'm sure it has it's positives, but dollar for dollar I guarantee you will not go wrong with the 186xt. http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif
One thing that you need to look at is the type of boat you are buying. With the 176XT, Stratos is going to have more experience in the "affordable" bass boat market. Another thing you need to consider all things being equal is the dealer that you are buying from and their service reputation.
Stratos targeted the 176XT and 186XT directly at the aluminum segment, not other fiberglass bass boats. It's a simple fishing boat and it doesn't pretend to be something it's not. Stratos saw the niche in the market first and developed a product that is the same price point as its aluminum counterparts (namely Tracker Boats).
You can get Yamaha's, Mercury, and Evinrude engines on the 176xt and 186xt, something that may not available on other brands.
There are many happy 176xt owners on this board. Do a search and see for yourself, then go ride in both of the boats you're considering.
Good luck!!