Considering the 20i a few ???'s

[wblanton]

I am looking at a few boats Skeeter being one the 20i in particular. I have a few questions if some owners wouldnt mind trying to help me out.
1. I have never had any dealing with Yamaha or Skeeter what are some opinions on dealing with these companies? No offense to the Yammie fans but it would be nice if Merc was an option on these boats (it would probably pickup a few MPH)
2. How is the fit and finish on a Skeeter?
3. Rough water ride?
4. What kind of speed can be expected with a 250 HPDI?

Last but not least why should I choose a 20i over Basscat Puma or Allison Bassport Pro?

[fish4bass]

To answer some of you questions. On a Skeeter the Yamaha will run as good as a Merc in my opinion. The Yamaha lower unit make the boat lift better than the Merc. That is the case on most heavier boats. I think you may see Yamaha coming out with some new HPDI models for 08. Fit and finish has gotten better year by year on Skeeter. I think you will see that continue for 08. Rough water ride on the I Class is much better than the older ZX Boat, so depending on what you are comparing it to they are pretty good in rough water. The 2007s with a 250 HPDI are running in the low to mid 70s depending on the load. The nice thing about Skeeters is the speed really isn't affected that much by the load. Hope this helps. Take care.

J.T. Garrison
Aim Marine
jt@aimmarine.com

[W.O.T]

here are my opinions... I have an 07 20i

1. I havent had any problems w/Yamaha and I've own 2 of these for about 5 yrs... now skeeter on the other hand seems, in my opinion very slow to deal w/issues, this coming from my dealer which may be the problem

2. From 0 to 10 I give them a 7. There is nothing special about them, sorry to burst everyones bubble, but compare the z20 and 20i side by side then come talk to me. The hinges and locker doors suck, they are outta alignment, dont lie completely flat and the locker latches are too tight and frustrating to open. The new console looks cool but I think thats the case cause its a new style. For $50K there should be no cheap plastic moldings and trim on the boat...

3. Compared to my other shorter skeeter it definitely is a better smoother ride, this portion is subject to the person driving and conditions you are in... this is a fact!

4. I have 26 hrs on mine and I get about 71 mph GPS... no tweeking of the jackplate or prop yet.

I thought hard about the Basscat but we have no dealer in my area. If you do, that would be a great side by side comparison.

Lastly, I would not spend the amount dealerships are asking... if you can get an 07 under $40K with all the bells and whistles I may take a look other then that I will go elsewhere.

[fish4bass]

I locker doors and lids for 2007 are much better than 2006. I agree they were off a bit but the thing to remember is that Skeeter buys the lids from a vendor and simply just installs them on the boat. So I could see why the first few were off a little bit. Don't get me wrong it is not right when speding $50k for a boat.

Also as far as from a customer service stand point or warranty alot of it will have to do with your dealer. I can tell you every time your dealer calls Skeeter there is someone they talk to and gives them answers. Whether or not the dealer is passing those along is up to them.

I have seen several 2005 Z series Tangers that the lids and locks had problems if they even worked at all. Now they are much better. If you want a good comparison take a 2007 Skeeter and a 2007 Ranger. Look at the fit and finish, price and then go for a RIDE! Then make you decision.

If the lids on your 2007 I Class are still not good I would talk to your dealer or maybe it would be better to talk to Skeeter and they will solve your problem.

J.T. Garrison
Aim Marine
jt@aimmarine.com

[W.O.T]

jt... if you went out and bought an Escalade, got home and realized the seats didnt match up or there was left over upholstery bits under the seats, the glove box was made of cardboard, one of the service guys had spilled some transmission fluid on the carpet between the two captains chairs and the doors scraped on the adjacent sheetmetal everytime they closed, what would you do? Who would you complain to?

[JJohnSind]

Sorry to hear about your problems, sounds like you have a bad dealer. I am not having any more issues with my 20i compared to my past Rangers and Stratos'; as a matter of fact, my delaer is the best of who I have dealt with so far.

With Stratos' recent price increase, Skeeter is becoming one of the better bang for the buck boats out there, but I wouldn't expect a loaded 20i below $40,000.00 - that would be below the dealer cost.

[fish4bass]

I would complain to the dealer without a doubt. It is funny you mention the Escalade becasue I know a guy that works for a Cadillac dealer trust me the cars and SUVs don't come in perfect. The rigging dealer needs to P.D.I. the engine, rig the boat and detail the boat. When rigging if they notice the lids are not matching up or if there is any problem at all with the boat they need to fix it. Atleast that is the way that we handle things. If there is a problem that we can't fix in time the customer is going to know about it and will have an appointment to take care of it when the parts arrive. Skeeter builds 2,500 boats a year and a very successful dealer will sell 300 boats a year. Those 300 should leave their dealership perfect.

I am in no way making excuses for Skeeter but the last one to touch the boat before the customer is the dealer and the only way to get it fixed once there is a problem is through the dealer.

Other than your lids how do you like the rest of your boat? As far as ride and handling?

J.T. Garrison
Aim Marine
jt@aimmarine.com

[Skeeter Madness]

I guess I must have gotten one of the "few" good '06 20I's as mine is a dream. I had to make some adjustments to my latches, had the locks retrofitted to the '07 style, had the back door not fitting correctly and Skeeter sent me a new door (when it was new), but everything else is perfect. As well, I have one of the early '06's and don't have the hull reworked, but it runs as fast as any of the speeds I've seen others post about their '07's. I must be missing something.

Drop in to the Ranger page from time-to-time and I think you'll find that they are not without issues as well. I compared a Z20 and a 20I when I bought mine, and the Skeeter was the answer for me. I guess it's like the debate between Ford/Chevy/Dodge.

[wblanton]

I appreciate all of the replies the information has been very helpful. Some of you guys kept comparing to Ranger but Ranger was not on my list of boats I was considering. BassCat Puma and Allison Bassport Pro were my other two options. I have had some BassCat guys said they switched from Skeeter and are glad they did is there any Skeeter guys that have switched from Basscat? If so are you are you happy with your choice and were the boats of equal size and age?

Basscat wins so far in,
Fit and Finish
Speed
Customer Service
Merc is an option

Skeeter wins so far,
newer looking design
dealer choices in my area

Ohh one more thing on Mercs and Yammies,
In a side by side test by BWBMag Merc's 250XS bested Yamaha's 250HPDI in every catagory except hole shot, including MPG, Top End, Mid Range this was on a Stratos which should weigh in the neighborhood of a heavy Skeeter.

The fact that you guys spent more time defending Skeeter's flaws than praising their qualities really helps...

Again thanks for the info, but I think I hear a Big Cat Purring.... (well with the Merc on back maybe its more of a growl)

[W.O.T]

wblanton... have you been in any of the exact boat/motor setup you are considering? thats definately worth the price of gas! forgive me for bashing the skeeter, but it gets very frustrating when the boat is constantly in and out of the dealership for repairs, etc.... and with its issues I still am happy how the boat rides and fishes, you cant beat the size and layout of the deck.

jt... yes, I am happy to have my boat as mentioned above, the dealership does need some help, not sure where tho... feel free to IM me and we can talk... sometimes its hard to see the rainbow after the storm, if youre not lookin for it!

good luck on your purchase

[Real Deal Tungsten]

I have a ZX225. I've fished out of just about every brand there is. ranger, champion, nitro, bullet, bumble bee, pro-craft, tidecraft, bass cat, javelin, hydrasports. I would not trade mine for any of those. Champion is the only one that might have a better rough water ride. Boat is smoother, more stable, faster than all comparable brands in weight, and is the most stable I have fished out of. I fish many shallow stumpy lakes and it fishes shallower than any I have fished out of. My dad just bought a new 519 ranger and it feels like you've been beat to death after a windy day.

[wblanton]

I have not yet, I will be testing all three before I make my final decision. I am a little confused on the speed thing you mentioned above. From what I have seen, Skeeter is slower than Stratos and BassCat, I have also talked to some EX-Skeeter oweners who now own BassCat in one of their words "it's like apples and oranges you cant compare, the BassCat is a much better product" Has anyone here switched from Basscat to Skeeter if so you might have the same opinion and I would like to hear it. The Skeeter drafting shallow is definately a plus I fish shallow alot and my Blazer drafts super shallow, I can get places most other people cant. The 20i looks like an awesome boat, guess I will have to drive them both to see about the rough water ride, how shallow they draft, handling, stability etc. Again thanks guys for all the postings it has been helpful.

[Real Deal Tungsten]

my max speed is 75.5. haven't played with it much. Springtime can run 73 to 74 tournament load and summer temps around 71.5 to 72.5. A note on the merc. yammie motor, if yamaha would let their rpms run more around 5900 or 6000 the motors would be equal. the speeds i posted are 5600 to 5700 rpm.

[skeeterrulz37]

Morning! I cant comment on the bigger boats but for my HARD earned dollar I went with a Skeeter . Previous boat was a Hydra-Sport and it was ok , but the "bug" I never knew how much difference there could be between boat makers !! Catch where I am going with this !!??A post earlier said something about "apples and oranges" or " ford and chevys" you know the old arguments! I can tell you this though my little 18.5 Skeeter does all I need and then some and the little ole 150 Vmax is easy on the pocketbook!!WHen I see those guys gassin up one of those 2fittiys , all I can say is "whew" I put a full tank in and can fish 3 to 4 trips to the lake before I have to gas up again .Not brag just fact !but I digress ~ my little Skeeter is all I need ~~OH yea SKEETERRULZ!!!

[MD 20i]

here is my opinion. i have a 2004 Skeeter ZX225/225HPDI

1.) bass and walleye is full of crap. you cannot compare the Merc 250 ProXS to the Yamaha 250 HPDI. the merc is a racing motor built by Merc Racing, thats were the added $3000 comes from. Take your 250 Hpdi and put $3000 of Hydrotec upgrades to it and then you have an equal motor to compare it to and the yamaha will beat it in every category other than gas mileage. Plus B&W ran the HPDI at 5500. If they would have run it to 6000 , the Yamaha would have been pretty close. I will say this though, the merc will get better gas mileage.

2.) The fit and finish of all the major boat makers are a joke. yes, you spend 50K on a boat, i dont wont any cheap crap on it either. but, if they didnt put the cheap crap on it, you would have a 65k boat. every boat maker does it.

3.) anytime you buy something you are going to have to make adjustments to it. car, boat, or truck it doesnt matter. if you complain about having to adjust a linkage on a rod locker handle, you dont need a boat then. you show me a boat that someone has never had to do something to it in the first 10 hours and i will apologise. i hear people complain why do we have to do the break in on the motor. it should have already been done. i didnt have to do it with my car. so what!!! look at it this way it give you chance to get use to how that boat drives and hadle and time for you to figure out have all the button work on it.

4.) best thing to do is find the 2 boat you like and go look and drive each of them. i am a skeeter man but there are thing i like about skeeter and things i hate about my skeeter. same goes with basscat, ranger, or whatever

[JJohnSind]

Regarding that Bass & Walleye Boat article, it was clearly noted that the test was not entirely fair. B&WB magazine has a policy when comparing boats to only use factory props with the same brand motor. Mercury has a racing division so it had all kinds of props avaiable for the 250XS to use. In this test, it used a $1,200.00 lab finished Mercury prop (meaning blueprinted). Put that same prop in the other motors and where would the speeds be (My Evinrude 225HO ran best with a Mercury prop)? Also, B&WB magazine do not over rev the motors when determining the top end speed. They qualified the results by stating that the Yamaha could go almost as fast (with stock Yamaha prop) as the Mercury if the engine was taken to 6,000rpm. Now the Yamaha reccommended rpms is 6000 so where would we be? Personally, I think the motors themselves are too close to call; now, consider the fact that that 250 XS needed to run on premium gas and only had a 1 year warranty, to me Yamaha seems the better choice.

All that said, Basscat probably has a faster hull (at least it has a reputaion of a fast hull). The 20i is no slouch and when choosing a bass boat I think you would have to consider all other aspects of the boat. Everyone has different personal priorities in this.

[wblanton]

Well I am glad to see someone passionate about their Skeeter. As far as the Merc vs. Yamaha war we could discuss that forever and never get anywhere. However I will say when I purchased my Blazer with a 250XS the warranty was a one year but now it is a two and they make a Pro XS that has a three. It also was no where near $3000.00 difference between the Yamaha HPDI and XS. All that being said I am a Merc man and you are a Yamaha man and we will just have to agree to disagree. I will say they all have their problems I just put a $1200 compressor on my motor so I am not blind to the fact that they all have problems. I just like stirring things up sometimes. Thanks for your replies...

[jmzx225]

I've had a bullet, Allison, triton, Basscat and now a skeeter. I'll compare the basscat and the skeeter since I live on a rough water lake the allisons and the bullets are what I consider river boats. They were fun while I was young.

Skeeter- 2005 ZX225 - 225 HPDI
Personally like the looks better
Fishes better and is more comfortable (wider deck = more room)
Handles the rough lake well
Seems to be a well built boat. I'm constantly in 3 footers and still have not found a stress crack.

BASSCAT - 1999 Jaguar - 250 Merc EFI
Very well built boat. Had a few stress cracks but I was the second owner and don't know how much punishment it took before.
Not as much fishing space (front deck is not as wide)
Rides a little better.

My Skeeter runs 74 mph as compared to my friend's puma with a 225 pro xs that runs the same so I really don't know think the basscat's are faster with the same HP engine. My Jag w/the 250 would run 79.6 GPS.

I have always had mercs and this is the first Yamaha. Unless something goes wrong in the near future, I will go with another yamaha. The yamaha is a very smooth running engine. The Merc Pro XS, I think, will be a tad bit faster. I think you will be splitting hairs on that one.

I have had great customer service from both companies.

I can't compare the I Class since I've not fished out one.

Bottom line is they are both top of the line boats and I have no regrets going from a basscat to a skeeter. From my experience, I would buy the one with the closest dealership.

Just went back and read the shallow water deal and thought I would add this.

Fished a BFL earlier this year and was drawn with another boater who fished the day before in his BLAZER. We fished in my boat for the tournament. We went to a spot that he had fished the day before and got to the point where he had to turn around due to the water being too shallow. I simply raised the trolling motor and went thru the shallow mouth and kept fishing. The skeeter definately drafts shallower than most boats including the Basscat.



Modified by jmzx225 at 9:32 AM 5/29/2007

[wblanton]

thanks jmz your information has been very helpful, I would be very impressed if a Skeeter would draft shallower than a Blazer. I can basically raise my trolling motor to where the blade is barely surfacing and roll, if the trolling motor raised that high doesnt touch she will roll right through. My 202 drafts shallower than my 210 did so it depends on models as well. Again thanks for your information, you guys have been very helpful.

[JJohnSind]

Actually, I'm not a Yamaha man. If I had my choice, the Merc 250XS would have been my next motor. I did want to point out though that I believe all three motor companies are a lot closer nowadays and equally dependable. Looks is about the only thing left for me to choose a motor on and, to me, black goes with anything. Length of warranty is definitely a bonus given today's repair costs.

I have to admit though, I've owned 2 Mercury's, 3 Evinrudes, and 2 Yamahas and I have had the least amount of problems (actually none to date) with the Yamahas. Both Mercurys and one Evinrude blew up to the point of being unrepairable.