Why does everyone hate nitro?

[Loomis88]

I was in a BP a few months ago and was looking at the Z21 on the showroom. I'm not looking to buy for I like my skeeter...I was just checking things out. I will say it was nice looking etc and their fit and finish has come a long way compared to early days. As I was leaning over in the boat I put my knee into the hull and could actually "flex" it. I heard fiberglass crunching noise on the inside. No thanks...they are cheaper for a reason!! Like most things in life you get what you pay for. Not bashing anyone's choice but not for me. Pounding on the water and trailering the boat alone probably cause premature damage. I would buy a used upper end boat before buying a new Nitro at same money without question

[plki]

I was in a BP a few months ago and was looking at the Z21 on the showroom. I'm not looking to buy for I like my skeeter...I was just checking things out. I will say it was nice looking etc and their fit and finish has come a long way compared to early days. As I was leaning over in the boat I put my knee into the hull and could actually "flex" it. I heard fiberglass crunching noise on the inside. No thanks...they are cheaper for a reason!! Like most things in life you get what you pay for. Not bashing anyone's choice but not for me. Pounding on the water and trailering the boat alone probably cause premature damage. I would buy a used upper end boat before buying a new Nitro at same money without question

Really????? I doubt that

[Walkabout7781]

I had one and it was junk. Trailer was junk. And they didn't want to fix any of its problems.

I bought a used 175TF (17.5', single console) with an XR-4 from the original owner. I think it was an '89, but I'd have to check the trailer registration papers to be sure. First time I was getting it ready for Winter, I pulled out the removable rear compartment liners (which I still have) and was going to vacuum out the bilge. Hmmm...splits in the fiberglass where the plywood floor was bonded to the inside of the hull, sort of under the driver's seat. Took it to the local Nitro dealer, and showed it to the guy there. His exact words were: "Shit!" I took it home and removed everything but the Merc and took it back down there, and they got it shipped to Ozark, MO.

Got a call from the factory, asking what color I wanted my new Nitro to be. Got that one, a '95 180TF. Took it out maybe a half dozen times and for some reason flipped the bilge pump switch, and it pumped...and pumped...and pumped. Put it back on the trailer, pulled the plug and drained the water out, put the plug in, strapped it down and backed it in again for a 10 minute soak. Pulled it back out, and water was running out of an 8"-9" crack in the transom at the inside fillet 1st step at the bottom of the transom. Well, isn't this familiar? Luckily, the local Tracker dealer was still in business, so I didn't have to drive too far. Sent that one back, and got a call from the factory. They were going to do an "autopsy" to see what went wrong. The factory said that somebody had left a piece of wood out of the transom. Hmmmm. That's a lie. There's only two big slabs of plywood in the transom; no way they could be left out. They're not bonded together or wrapped with fiberglass & resin. How do I know that?


Got a '96 180TF hull. Did you know that once the original hull warranty has elapsed, they only give you a 1 year warranty on the replacement hull? So, I had to pay to have the '96 transom rebuilt. I asked the local boat repair guy who did (a nice job) the repairs how much it would have cost the factory to bond and fiberglass the plywood together like he did. "A couple hundred bucks." OBTW, he said that he was tired of repairing Nitro hulls and I was afraid he wouldn't fix it. I should have bought a chainsaw and rented a dumpster. When I happened to drive through Ozark, MO in May 2012, I had my window down, saluting Nitro with one finger fully extended, horn blaring. Alas, it was Sunday AM, and didn't appear to be open.

Have they gotten better? I don't know. I'm not sure we have a Nitro dealer in the State, other than our only BPS, and I'm not sure they carry Nitros in the Tacoma store. I know that most the Tracker/Nitro dealers have had a hard time selling boats up here, thanks to many customers with experiences like mine. I think they make them just good enough to get past the 5 year hull warranty...if they're lucky. If you buy one, plan on keeping it 2-3 years and selling it with a clear conscience. OBTW, the wiring was a rat's nest in the '96, and there had never been any rats in it. Cheap and crappy = Nitro.

[Loomis88]

Sad but true

[Terry Mccamis]

I owned two bought brand new Nitros ,I usually try to keep a boat over five years Nitro told me on many occasions when I needed a OEM part they only provide them for five years! I purchased a basscat Puma 2007 six years ago and I can get anything I need as a second owner ,oh yes the warranty transferred to me and the boat to this day looks brand new!

[Phoenix Jim]

Maybe, But they still run and fish just fine. The fish don't care how refined your rig is.

course not but I do. Been there done that with nitro and oh boy did I upgrade! First with a skeeter and now a cat

[TMG]

Someone must be sneaking in to my yard at night and fixing everything while I'm asleep.

[creekchub]

I owned a 1999 Nitro Savage for three years and recently sold it. Not one stress crack anywhere- boat still looked showroom new and I was very impressed with everything about the boat. I did blow the powerhead and the trailer was junky but overall it was an excellent boat. Guy in my club bought it for top dollar and the boat still turns heads. I moved back into a Skeeter btw.
Just wanted to point out that some of the boats were excellent models.

Lastly I also have a 1988 Bass Tracker 18 foot fiberglass that is a electric reservoir boat and it also is till working fine with no issues.

Guess your lucky if you get a good one these days!

[dean c]

I bought a used 175TF (17.5', single console) with an XR-4 from the original owner. I think it was an '89, but I'd have to check the trailer registration papers to be sure. First time I was getting it ready for Winter, I pulled out the removable rear compartment liners (which I still have) and was going to vacuum out the bilge. Hmmm...splits in the fiberglass where the plywood floor was bonded to the inside of the hull, sort of under the driver's seat. Took it to the local Nitro dealer, and showed it to the guy there. His exact words were: "Shit!" I took it home and removed everything but the Merc and took it back down there, and they got it shipped to Ozark, MO.

Got a call from the factory, asking what color I wanted my new Nitro to be. Got that one, a '95 180TF. Took it out maybe a half dozen times and for some reason flipped the bilge pump switch, and it pumped...and pumped...and pumped. Put it back on the trailer, pulled the plug and drained the water out, put the plug in, strapped it down and backed it in again for a 10 minute soak. Pulled it back out, and water was running out of an 8"-9" crack in the transom at the inside fillet 1st step at the bottom of the transom. Well, isn't this familiar? Luckily, the local Tracker dealer was still in business, so I didn't have to drive too far. Sent that one back, and got a call from the factory. They were going to do an "autopsy" to see what went wrong. The factory said that somebody had left a piece of wood out of the transom. Hmmmm. That's a lie. There's only two big slabs of plywood in the transom; no way they could be left out. They're not bonded together or wrapped with fiberglass & resin. How do I know that?


Got a '96 180TF hull. Did you know that once the original hull warranty has elapsed, they only give you a 1 year warranty on the replacement hull? So, I had to pay to have the '96 transom rebuilt. I asked the local boat repair guy who did (a nice job) the repairs how much it would have cost the factory to bond and fiberglass the plywood together like he did. "A couple hundred bucks." OBTW, he said that he was tired of repairing Nitro hulls and I was afraid he wouldn't fix it. I should have bought a chainsaw and rented a dumpster. When I happened to drive through Ozark, MO in May 2012, I had my window down, saluting Nitro with one finger fully extended, horn blaring. Alas, it was Sunday AM, and didn't appear to be open.

Have they gotten better? I don't know. I'm not sure we have a Nitro dealer in the State, other than our only BPS, and I'm not sure they carry Nitros in the Tacoma store. I know that most the Tracker/Nitro dealers have had a hard time selling boats up here, thanks to many customers with experiences like mine. I think they make them just good enough to get past the 5 year hull warranty...if they're lucky. If you buy one, plan on keeping it 2-3 years and selling it with a clear conscience. OBTW, the wiring was a rat's nest in the '96, and there had never been any rats in it. Cheap and crappy = Nitro.

So you bought three?

[188Musky]

I'm always tempted to walk up to a Z-21 or Z-19 owner and ask "is that a Z-20? How do you tell them apart?"

[BMCD]

I don't hate nitro, but the are priced low until you match up equipment and then the are no cheaper than any other boat!!!

I guess if we are talking non current models u might have a point. In my last post Skeeter and Nitro rigged almost the same 10k less. Its actually more of a diff cause the Skeeter price did not include a dual console.

Heck we do this all the time vs Ranger. As long as you compare an apple with an apple.

We can sit here and argue, they all build good boats. And no one is gonna change there mind.

I can buy any bass boat I want, I guess If i were to have a major problem they would not resolve it for me, I would be in a different brand. But I have not, and they have taken care of the little things to date.

I have heard it all, I have people telling me the Mercs on Nitros are not the same as a Mercs on Rangers and Tritons.
I here all type of things, mostly not true.

[DixieChicken]

..... I have people telling me the Mercs on Nitros are not the same as a Mercs on Rangers and Tritons....

Say WHAAAA?


Oh yeah, I remember... it's those 'mass produced' Mercs. Yeah, that's the ticket. (Playing off an old Saturday Night Live skit.)

[Sooner496]

I think the Nitros look sexy!

[Milehibird]

In Colorado we have Nitro (BP only) and a Ranger dealer. That's it. I've sat and drooled over the Nitros many times in BPS over the years, and given the option of being stuck on the bank or in a new Nitro, you bet I'd take the new Nitro in a heartbeat. That said, like anything, there's always something to be disappointed in. Every Nitro at the BPS by me has had something wrong with it, but nothing that would stop me from buying it. I think more people don't like Nitro either because of these little issues existing just sitting on the dealer floor, or from internet horror stories.

I'll admit, I've only ridden in one Nitro, and he had just bought the boat a year before and was his first non-Triton. This was my first ride in any bass boat, and the lake just had a very light chop, but looking back now it rode really rough.

Last year when I started looking at boats, I considered used and new. I ended up getting a used boat for 1/4 of what I was going to pay for a new one, but one thing stuck out. Equally equipped, I could get a Phoenix was $2500 cheaper than a Nitro. Same graphs, trolling motor, motor, same size boat. But if it gets you off the bank and it's worth it to you, go for it. The motor warranty alone could be worth it.

[TritonTRXV8]

For a company that builds such junk its amazing how its still owned by the same owner since 1989 and still growing. Too bad alot of the "top tier" companies cant say the same.........

[alli ss]

So you bought three?

He got the hull warrantied on a used boat!

[Bradley Lane]

I have never owned a Nitro.But a few of the guys in my bass club do. All seem to be very happy with their Nitros. If you like the boat that is all that matters.

[TritonJT]

For a company that builds such junk its amazing how its still owned by the original owner and still growing. Too bad alot of the "top tier" companies cant say the same.........

It's not owned by the original owner. Alan Stinson's started Nitro, and sold it to JM.

[mikepags]

It's not owned by the original owner. Alan Stinson's started Nitro, and sold it to JM.

Well there goes that claim

[TritonTRXV8]

It's not owned by the original owner. Alan Stinson's started Nitro, and sold it to JM.

I stand corrected thanks I thought he founded that too looks like owned since 1989.