Lowe Stinger

[Marky1]

Does anybody here own a Lowe Stinger ? Likes/ dislikes regarding this line of boats .

[Madeintheshade]

Had a stinger 175
nice boat , fished good, warranty was great, ride was a little harsh in rough water.

[Redback]

Had a Stinger 18hp. Agree with everything Madeintheshade said. Will add that only true dry storage was under the driving / passenger seats. You get wet easily in a chop. Warranty was outstanding. Had some issues early on but never had issues with customer service dealing with them. My boat was a 2014 so maybe they have changed some things by now.

[Marky1]

Been doing some research , lots of boats out there (brands). The Crestliners, Lowes look very interesting.Will be checking out the Ranger RT'S, seems like there a lot of problems with the welds cracking on the hulls. I really like my(2000) Ranger Cherokee 217, it is getting heavier every year as I get older, looking to downsize a bit. I had a 2000 Tracker 175 ,... hated it ,so not interested in getting another one.

[Madeintheshade]

Welds crack just happens.
Happened on 2 separate occasions on my Stinger. Boat was 1 year old , but second hand to me. My local dealer and Lowe took care of it both times. Neither had to ! Currently in a rt188p. I like the boat better , but it’s almost 3x the $ also , and I’d bet I’d be hung on the warranty

[Marky1]

Leaning towards to Crestliner XF79, a little smaller than my 2000 Ranger Cherokee, should be good enough for me .... unless I find something that will change my mind .

[GeauxTide]

Had a 2014 18HP and concur with Madeintheshade. Loud hull slap in chop, and surprisingly tippy for a 90" beam hull. I was surprised at the lack of lift from a pad hull, even with a Jack Plate and Spitfire prop. Glued some tubing around the storage compartments to keep dry. Owned by Brunswick, so warranty claims handled well. 5 years ago, there was little difference in price between Lowe and Ranger, but a vast difference in quality. Price, in the absence of value, is not a consideration.

[alanhore]

Leaning towards to Crestliner XF79, a little smaller than my 2000 Ranger Cherokee, should be good enough for me .... unless I find something that will change my mind .

I have a Crestliner vt17 which I believe is the old generation of the boat you are looking at. Been a good boat, and I run it pretty hard. My only advice is to max out the hp rating.

[Will188]

Own a 2017 Stinger 188 and love it!! Much Much better then a Rt188 from Ranger! The front deck is massive and rides good in the water. I Take it to upper Michigan, St Clair or Canada every year to fish for smallies. You won’t be disappointed in it.

[ChooChooSnakeMan]

I wanted a smaller tin boat to leave in my garage ready to go for those spur of the moment trips. In early 2013 I found a lightly used 2011 model (32 hours) Lowe Stinger 17HP with a 90 Optimax. I still have the boat and probably use it more often than my 21' Skeeter. My impressions are:

My boat is not a speed demon but I don't think tin boats are in general. I can run low 40s wide open and cruise comfortably at 4500 rpm at around 33 mph. The 90 opti gets great gas mileage.
My boat has a 75lb 24v trolling motor and I use it to river fish. 75 lbs of thrust and 24v gives me plenty of power. When not in the current I just use speed 1 of 5 and it pushes the boat great.
The single axle trailer is not bad and the whole rig is light enough that I can move it by hand in my garage.
For a 17' boat and one that isn't super wide I don't have a problem with it feeling tippy. I've fished (3) out of it many times and it works ok although it really is a two person boat.
The ride is what you would expect from a 17' tin boat but I will say I've had it out on Chickamauga on the weekends and as long as you don't get crazy with speed it has never felt unsafe. Yes it slams some on big waves but I think the stinger HP is better than a lot of tin bass boats.
Rod storage isn't very good - I try to limit the number of rods to about 6 and I keep them on the deck. The rod locker has some sharp uncovered edges up under the front deck that will scratch your rods so I'm not happy with the rod storage.
The livewell is basic, no pump out, no switch to close it off. It uses a manual plug. It does have a recirculate pump with timer. On the positive side my 17HP has a big livewell (40 gallons I think), it is deep and long. I've never lost a fish in it and there is not switch with cable that can mess up. The boat has under seat storage, a big middle storage area on the front deck and a smaller 17 gallon areated live well on the front deck. This livewell can be used for storage or I often use it when panfishing as it is so convenient to just throw the crappie or bluegill in the little live well up front. It is a good size for panfish. There are also two smaller storage boxes on the back deck. For a 17' boat I think Lowe did a great job with storage.
As with all tin boats or at least the smaller mid powered ones the hulls just won't run bow high. My 17' boat in order to have a reasonable size back deck puts the driver more in the middle of the hull. The engine just can't lift the boat nose and the driver sitting almost in the middle. The boat requires very little trim and likes to run flat. Over trim, even a little causes the dreaded porpoise. I've learned to live with it. It is is what it is. I can cruise in the low 30's which really isn't to bad.
The paint on my hull, the seats, and the carpet have all held up very well. I do keep in in the garage and I do take care of it. People at the ramp often can't believe it is a 2011 model boat.
All in all I love my little tin boat which I call "Pokey". I would give it a grade of B+. It is great for river / rip rap fishing. It doesn't cost much to run or insure. There isn't a lot on it to break. I've never had any issues with the welds on the hull. Lowe makes a very solid boat in my opinion, at least for 2011 models. Knock on wood the little 90 opti has been bullet proof. I feed it ethanol free gas and Premium plus oil with Quickleen in every tank. I change the filters and the lower unit lube. I wouldn't want to be without my little friend!

[shoreline51]

I'm also i in the market for a new tin boat. Been doing a ton of research. Finally narrowed it down to the Crestliner XF179. I will say the Lowe Stinger 175C was my second choice. I think both of these are great boats... but I do think the Crestliner is still considered the top of line for tin boats (along with Xpress). Both the Crestliner and the Lowe Stinger are made in the same plant in Lebanon, Missouri. Specs are very similar except the dry hull weight of the the XF is 100 lbs. heavier and it will max out with a 90 HP... while the Stinger is maxed out with a 75 HP. Both companies are owned by Brunswick. I do prefer the console on the XF over the Stinger. I think both are great boats... but I'm getting the XF with the 90 HP on it. My last boat was a Nitro NX750 (fiberglass) which was a decent boat.... but I'm not going to buy fiberglass again. Don't want to deal with the extra weight and gelcoat issues / cracks you get with fiberglass.