176/186XT performance question

[Acuna]

Hi All,

New to the forum. I post on other forums so if you recognize my handle, its probably the same me.

At any rate, I am starting my quest for a bass boat and while it will probably be this winter before I buy something, you can't start gathering information too soon in order to make a well informed decision.

I am looking HARD at the 176/186XT and was wondering what kind of performance you get with the various motors on these boats? Also, for those who have them what is the ride like?

It seems like most people who end up purchasing one of these boats are satisfied and you have to like the price.

Your input is much appreciated!

Acuna

[Darth VMAX]

186xt
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/as...r.pdf

176xt
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/as...r.pdf

[Todd Morgan]

I'm biased as I'm a supplier.

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head.....everyone who has one seems to love it. Still none as a trade in...........ever!

The used boat pages are full of all kinds of boats.....but not 176's.

[Acuna]

What kinds of speeds are you getting with various loads?

[Todd Morgan]

The engine tests listed above tell the story.......33 w a 50 Yamaha. 75 is 40 ish. on the 176.

We've not run the 186's except for 115's......right at 50.

[plki]

Where did the max HP ratings for the 176 come from. 75hp max for a 17'6" boat is weak. Did they cheap out on the transom construction?? The Nitro 640 is rated for 90hp and it's a foot shorter. Just does not make sense. I know it is an entry level glass boat to compete with aluminum but the choice for more HP should be there. It is a sweet looking boat but kind of slow for 17'6".

[Jason Phillips]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by plki &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Where did the max HP ratings for the 176 come from.</TD></TR></TABLE>

There's plenty of posts about this elsewhere in this forum. Do a search and you'll find several.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by plki &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Did they cheap out on the transom construction?? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Absolutely not. These boats are built strong just like all Stratos boats.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by plki &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I know it is an entry level glass boat to compete with aluminum but the choice for more HP should be there. It is a sweet looking boat but kind of slow for 17'6".</TD></TR></TABLE>

You answered your own question.

The choice for more HP IS there. It's called a 275 XL. 17'6" and rated for 125.

[Darth VMAX]

And that 275 is the BIGGEST 17.5 footer I have ever seen or been in! Talk about a w i d e and stable platform for a small rig! If you are looking for a 17 ft rig but want more than 75 hp, this is what I would suggest you look at.

[F150owner]

To add to Jason's feedback, the 176XT and 186XT are very efficient with the lower hp engines. The skiff type hulls do very well with the power. A major selling point is that the 176XT and 186XT will be more stable at rest than a competitor's 17ft "V" bottom bass boat. Also, competitors "V" bottom 17ft boats will plow water with low hp engines like the Yamaha 50.

These boats are not targeted at the go-fast bass boat crowd. The hulls are not designed for higher speeds or to handle the larger 3 liter engines. The price point, engine power, options, and layout are all directly targeted at the aluminum segment. Kinda slow? Well, for me, yes. But, to the guy that just wants to get out on the water to do some fishing, who doesn't want a big honkin bass boat, wants a new boat but lives with a budget, and who was initially thinking about a Bass Tracker, this is the boat.

[Acuna]

In an attempt to steer this thread back on topic (and perhaps to clarify my initial question):

What effect does the load have on the overall performance (1 vs. 2 people, full vs. half tank of gas), etc.

Second question: What do you think of the trolling motor that it comes with? Would you have upgraded to a larger trolling motor? How much fishing can you do on a 12V system? Is a 24V system possible in this boat?

[norcal bass]

I have a 176xt with a 75 Optimax. I can do about 45 mph with 3/4 of a tank, myself and a partner, and full gear. If you are concerned about performance on this little boat, then I suggest you look somewhere else. This is a great starter boat for the price. It handles great, rides smooth, and fishes excellent for such a small package. I have had mine for a year and a half and love it.

I had my dealer replace the 12V trolling motor with a 24V right out of the chute. They had to make a plate for me in the rear compartment to fit in an additional battery, but it fits fine and works great. I can fish three full days going hard on the trolling motor and never need to charge. The 12V system won't be able to do that. Either way though, I am sure it is fine.

Good luck.

[crazymex]

I bought this boat back in February and have been extremely pleased with its performance. With a 75 hp E-Tec, I ran 43 mph (GPS) with 2 people, fully loaded with gas, food, 12 rods/reels, and in 10-15 mph winds. The ride is real smooth I think, though I haven't been in any other bass boats to compare. Ride is dry as well, gets on plane fast. With my 40lb thrust trolling motor and 12v system, I can use it for a few trips without experiencing any drag, but I don't run it on speed 5 all day.

Also, many people seem to think that it wont hold rods that are 7 feet, but in mine I put my 7' rods in the center of the rod organizer and there is 4-6 inches to spare.

Hope this helps!

-JJ

[Todd Morgan]

Good info!

[Lockjaw]

I looked over a 186 at my dealer the other day. Nice looking boat.

I'd put a 115 yammie on it, and let Hydrotec mod it a little bit.

[strick9]

I have the 176XT with a 70hp Yamaha 2 stroke. With a full tank of gas and all my gear (8 rods and a full tackle bag) it will do 40 mph. With a fishing partner and his gear 36 to 38 mph. As far as the 40 pound thrust trolling motor, I have no issues with it. Plenty of power and I usually fish 5 to 6 hours at a time and the battery charge will last several trips, but like crazymex I don't run at 5 very often because I don't need to. The ride is great, gets on plane quickly and is a pretty dry ride. I use mine on 200 to 600 acre inland lakes in Michigan and this boat is perfect for me, not sure how it would handle bigger water. Overall I think it's an awesome boat!!!!

[menoceros]

My partner has an 186 with a 115 Opti. He told me with him, his grown son and grandaughter, 2/3 fuel and gear for two he was doing 52 at WOT according to his GPS.

[Jackpot19]

I bought my 176XT last September with a 70 Yamaha TLR and I get it up to 40mph with me and my buddy. On the other hand go with a larger trolling motor, the 40# is not enough for the areas that I fish in central Wisconsin. On windy days, I need to run it at 4 to keep me where I want to be and the battery weakens in 3 hours. This week I am adding another battery and wiring together in parallel and next year I'm going to go with a 24V trolling motor but don't know which one yet. Good luck with your quest.