No way I would pay 40K for that boat with only a 150 on it, a Triton TRX 18 with a 200hp is a far better choice.Originally Posted by FloridaFlyer
No way I would pay 40K for that boat with only a 150 on it, a Triton TRX 18 with a 200hp is a far better choice.
I am impressed with the Caymas 18 foot. Rigged with a 150 Merc 4 stroke, Ultrex and two 9 inch graphs has an MSRP of $45 K, may be able to buy for less.
Fit and finish is impressive and they are setup for the bass fisherman, might be worth a look.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a
thought without accepting it. - Aristotle
Not sure if you guys read it or not but he is in the 30-35k Range. I think in like 4 posts you guys have him spending 45k now
2008 Skeeter 21I. Yamaha 250 Series II.
2011 Toyota Tundra Crewmax 4x4.
Thanks for the advice. Do you think a SHO is better than the Merc? I see many more Mercs for sure. I’m still maybe a year away as I’m wanting to pay mostly by cash but may finance a little if I had too if a great deal comes along.
SHO is far better than a Mercury 4 stroke.
They both seem to be good motors and wouldn't effect my decision on the boat itself. If I was looking at two identical hulls but one had a Merc and one had a Yammie I'd choose the hull I liked the color of the best if both brand new. If both used it would come down to which boat was in better shape as a whole. And my opinion might be unpopular here but if given the choice I'd choose the gray F-series Yamaha over the SHO. Reason for that is the SHO is supposedly made to be run wide open all the time otherwise it will "make oil" worse than other 4-strokes. Running wide open all the time isn't for everyone and certain people on here continuously fail to understand that. Just like yesterday on the lake I could run wide open everywhere I went. Last week I had to keep the nose up in the air and ease over the swells the whole time I was out there. You know how the lakes you plan to fish can get and you're probably very familiar with running the conditions to keep you and your equipment intact.
2023 Xpress H18 with 115 SHO that's optioned to fit my wants and pulled by a little Ram.
Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Just smile and walk away.
Both the 150 yamaha and mercury are pretty dang bulletproof. I think the SHO is slightly more reliable than the Merc at higher HP now, but they are both pretty solid motors.
2020 Nitro Z20 Pro Package
Also you can flash an SHO to get more power out of it, a Mercury you can't.
Totally didn't think of that. Of course if you do that you might have to deal with the HP police at BBC
2020 Nitro Z20 Pro Package
Meh, just because you can flash something doesn't mean you should. Not everyone can handle a boat when it gets squirrly.
2023 Xpress H18 with 115 SHO that's optioned to fit my wants and pulled by a little Ram.
Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Just smile and walk away.
What you do to your boat isn't up to anyone on here.
I'm joking about the worriers here that are convinced if you flash your outboard you are going to immediately run into a schoolbus and condemn yourself to life of lawsuits and poverty
2020 Nitro Z20 Pro Package
Yeah some people get mad because your boat is faster than theirs with the same motor.I'm joking about the worriers here that are convinced if you flash your outboard you are going to immediately run into a schoolbus and condemn yourself to life of lawsuits and poverty
A buddy of mine has a Nitro z18 and it I am impressed at how well that 18’ 8”’ hull rides and fishes. Just under $40 new, so should be able to find a lightly used on in your price range
I remember a story my friend and his grandpa told me 20 years ago. It was mid 90's and grandpa had the XP150 on his 18' Charger wide open and trimmed out. All of a sudden a boat with an 88hp OMC passed them like they were tied to a stump. Their guess was it was a 140 V4 with an 88 cowl obviously on a boat smaller than that 18' Charger which wasn't a big boat either. The boat his grandpa had before that was an early 80's Hydra Sports with a 150 Johnson rebuilt by a co-worker of his to be a screamer. That boat would outrun just about everything on the lake back then but times were different on what was considered a big motor. If you had an 18' boat with a 150hp you were in the same class as those with a 20' boat and a 250hp today. If you had a hopped up 150hp you were "the man".
2023 Xpress H18 with 115 SHO that's optioned to fit my wants and pulled by a little Ram.
Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Just smile and walk away.
Big water like KY lake, glass without quesion. Small Lakes and shallow rivers, aluminum has the edge. Intended use always helps dictate boat choice.
I just trade a 2019 RT188 W/115 PRO XS for a 2023 Triton 18TRX w/200 PRO XS. Mine was not a "P" hull. The 188 and 198 both fish the same and ride the same. Naturally the 198 w/150 is faster. I fish solo 95% of the time and my 188 fished big. Meaning I had plenty of room and some to spare. I had plenty of storage for my tackle and equipment. Why did I trade? Ride and overall performance.
2023 Triton 18TRX
2023 Mercury 200 Pro XS (3B259485)
80# Ultrex IPilot Link
Solix 12MSI G3 & Garmin Livescope w/ 1242XSV GPSmap
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