ZX200 advice

[5 Alive]

I'm looking at buying an 07 ZX200 w/200 HPDI and would like to hear some opinions and actual speeds. Also is the ZX225 worth the extra money?


Thanks for the help...

[chris@airportmarine]

there is only a few inches difference between the 2 boats, and 25hp, since the new 200's are 3.3 motors now the speed is close, ive spent alot of time in both boats and i break it down like the.

if your a tournament fisherman, fishing tournaments every weekend and fish on large bodies of water the 225 will be worth the extra money , especially in rough water on long runs, bigger boats just do better all day long in those kind of conditions

if your a weekend angler fishing tournaments every now and then like myself, then the 200 will do fine, we have had a few of our tournament guys downsize to the 200 from the 225 and have no problems, the even like the fact that the shorter boat does better in tight spaces like around timber and weeds,, go sit in both boats and see if you want to spend the money difference.

[BigBassBrent]

I can keep up with all my firends with 225's with my 04 TZX 200 with the 3.3L 200. I kill them out of the hole. This little boat screams. I put a lot of time into setups and props and can hit 70 fully loaded, livewells, 2 anglers and all gear. Light I can get 73. All speeds GPS.

I've been on Amistad in 4-5 foot rollers and never had a hard time due to the size of the boat. A lot of the ride is in how the boat is driven. I had one draw tournament partner on Amistad who fished with someone in a ZX225 they day before and they told me they got the crap beat out of them. They told me my ride was much more comfortable. Go figure.

I think you would be happy with either boat.

[5 Alive]

Sounds good...

I'm going to run both boats this weekend and make up my mind. I'm coming out of a 95 Gambler and need more room for my co-anglers. The ZX200 has the room I need I just hope I don't regret going for the big boy down the road. Any options you would recommend or not recommend?

The 200 HPDI is 3.3L now? The 2006 was 2.6L, so how much faster am I going to get to the little green fish now?


Modified by 5 Alive at 5:25 PM 10/24/2006

[ChrisH]

i believe they went to the bigger block in 2005. i think you could get both sizes that year

[BigBassBrent]

I believe you are correct Chris! I actually got to choose if I wanted the 2.6 or 3.3 when I bought my 2005 TXZ 200. That was a no brainer. The nosecone on the 3.3 with the low water pickups is awesome!

[looking4five]

You can easily expect to get 67-69mph out of a ZX200 rigged with 3.3liter HPDI. That's loaded up heavy with gear, 2-medium sized guys, 50-gallons of fuel, & one full live well. Mine will run just over 71mph with just me, my gear, one full live well & approx. 30-gallons of fuel. One of my best friends has an 06' ZX200 with the 2.6 liter 200HPDI, and it is only about 1-2mph slower. The 3.3liter does holeshot much better than the 2.6 liter though. I plan to try a different prop on mine soon. It came with the 25-T1, I have heard the 26-TXP may be slightly better??? The ZX225 is very nice, But I just could not see enough extra boat, for the extra cost (8"-longer, & 2" wider beam). They are definitely fine boats, and I'm sure they would ride better in the rough stuff. I am very pleased with my ZX200 so-far....Good Luck on your decision.

[JohnPZX]

Personally - I think the 20'2" boat is the PERFECT all around bass boat size. My buddy has a 22' Ranger.... Way too big unless we are fishing a huge impoundment and it gets rough enough to sink the Titanic. My other club partner had a ZX200. We always used my ZX202 (same hull as ZX225) and he eventually moved into a ZX225. I'll bet if you set them next to eachother and stood on the decks - you would go with the ZX225 considering all around use. The 200 is a great boat - but by seeing how the majority of guys are - they seem to wish later they would have moved up.

[Matt Plapp]

The ZX 200 is AWESOME. I had one as a demo last year with a 200 HPDI and loved it. We got as high as 74 but I can't tell you how much stuff was in the boat. I usually don't carry a lot of tackle only 1 bag and about 4 rods and I did't run long distances with it a whole lot either. We got 73mph pretty consistently. I've seen a bunch running 71 loaded up.

Depending on how much you trailer your boat you may want to go with a tandem axle. For some reason most of our Skeeter ZX 200 customers get the tandem axle and our Triton 196 customers get a single axle. I've not yet figured that one out yet, but the tandem is an option.

The ZX 225 is the Cadilac of boats. It's a bigger jump from the 200 in a lot of categories, but if you have the budget I'd go with it. Probably the 2 biggest advantages though for the ZX200 are better resale becuase more people buy 18-19 ft boats used and hole shot. The ZX 200 is a rocket out of the hole.

Good Luck,
Matt

[5 Alive]

Thanks for all the good advice...I'm itchin' to get out this weekend and run them both so I can make a decision.

[BigBassBrent]

Please come back and let us know what you think.

[5 Alive]

Well I got to ride in both the ZX225 and 200 today. Went out in the 200 first and wind was blowing 2 to 3 footers down the lake. The boat ran high in the water but took the waves without and pounding. I had a little prop blowout jumping on plain and some porpasing until we got going, but I think that could be fixed with some set up time. The 225 was next and I could feel the little extra weight and length when we hit the rough stuff. Just enough to keep the boat settled. Also ran level, the 200 wanted to lean to the left. Storage wise they looked the same other than the 225 had a wider rod box that was flat the entire length. The 200's rod lockers has a rise in it from the hulls curve underneath. Both could turn on a dime and had no back splash. All in all I was impressed with both but the 225 just has that extra comfort.

[ChrisH]

i dont think you could go wrong with either of them. i would have to get a 200 because the 225 would fit in my garage. my 190 barely does

[reelman]

Good posts, not much to add...71.1gps light load kool water... 69 otherwise...25T1 prop... great layout...I prefer the single console and single axle so got them...good luck...