Flatrock

Its a done deal... Made him an offer, he accepted. (YaY) Its been a long yr searching but I'm very pleased with this deal... for my 1st boat. I realize some are rolling their eyes because its not a $60,000 Triton fiberglass boat, but I think I can suffer thru it.. LOL

Yes there are thing I could do, but would you spend 13 grand for a 2 yr old boat that is this beat up ? I'm sorry I can't. I'm going to take a look at this boat tomorrow 2018 BT Pro 175 Team w/75 Merc aprox 20 hrs

I see no issue, it is just a motor. Fire it up and let'r fly

I have some creme worms ... still

Only $825.00 at your local Bass Pro shop for a 5.5" lift And T-H marine has a 10" lift for a mere $1157

I was going to say a small honda generator or solar panel.. they have really come a long way

Speaking of grease, does anyone use synthetic grease like Mobile or just use marine grease ?

I have been looking for a boat for better than 6 mos... I started looking at small puddle jumpers, then realized I would be limited where I could go. So I started looking at Bass Trackers, Alumacraft, Lowe,ect... Most everything on the market is 25-35 yrs old. I have a suspicious nature, why are so many boats at this age for sale ? I missed out on a several super buys because I'm on the road so much due to work. Then I decided, because of this site, that I need to bite the bullet and buy a newer boat, one that I know will be reliable. I mean what is the sense in buying a 25 - 30 yr old boat for 3-4 grand and finding out that the motor is bad... Also most of these guys don't have the titles which limits to whom I can sell to. So I had this guy offer me a 2016 Lowe for pay off or 12,500 . I looked the the review and fell in love with what I saw... Side note; OK at this point after looking at older boats, these new ones have come a long way... Anyhow, He said it had it had a couple scratches , but it was in good shape and the boat was going to come with everything and some. He did tell me he fish several times a week and hunted from it, so I expected some wear. The boat is in another state. Today he sent me detailed pictures of the hull and the outside of the hull. Now I believe a man pays for his boat he can use it any way he see's fit... But I never seen a hull so scratched up and gouged, even the port side was all boogered up. I just can't bring myself to pay that kind of money on a boat that looks like its been dragged thru a gravel pit. My heart just sank more and more as I looked at each picture. Needless to say I sent him a note declining his offer. I realize paint is just cosmetic, but I'm anal about my things... not OCD level. I might have been able swallow the bottom of the boat being scratched up, but 6" gouges on the bow and dings and paint chip on the sides was too much... sigh. On a bright side I did find a 2018 Bass Tracker 175 Team w/ a 75 Merc for 15K , used 4 times (so he says) and its located 40 miles from me. From what I can see, its garage kept and in immaculate condition. I'm not going to make any claims at this point, but I did tell him I wanted to see the boat and talk to him after Christmas... So we'll see. Buying a boat should not be this hard...

Don't get me wrong, I like a Bass Tracker but it does has a lot of wood were as a Lowe is all Aluminum and no wood to rot... That is what I'm looking at. Also I have read on another site where the BT used open cell spray foam and they discovered it was waterlogged. That in itself, I thought, was crazy... Why would a company use open cell spray foam where it would hold moisture ?

I've noticed there is a good following towards Bass Tracker.. I admit they are a nice boat, but eventually you have to rebuild them. With that being said, Why isn't there a following for Lowe boats.. Is it because they as costlier or they are heavy... Can't be construction, they are made out of all aluminum.

Thanks... I have been wanting a boat all my life, but I work too much to justify the expense, but the past couple yrs my interest of getting back into fishing has been getting stronger. This yr I made a good effort in trying to fish my all I managed to do was catch rocks on the bottom and no catfish... never mind bass. I just needed something to get me out there where they are... thus the slow process of looking for a boat. 1st was a small puddle jumper, then I thought that wasn't going to work in a lake, so I thought about mid size boat like BT/ Alumacraft/ Lowe, ect... The one thing that I kept asking myself is why is everyone selling their 25-30 yr old boats ? Then you have the "I don't have a title, but you don't need one" (Tenn is a registration only state) ... When this guy approached me and I found this review, I just knew this was it... No worries about floor rotting and having to rebuild floor or transom to replace... its all aluminum. I shouldn't need another boat at my age...

Hello, new to the board, first time poster... I found this board purely by accident and I have been looking at/ for my first boat as well for 6 mos now. I read this post and someone made the comment of staying away from older boats, look at 2-4 yr old boat instead for reliability. It really resonated with me and caused me to do soul searching on what I really wanted and if it really was about money or my trouble finding a boat was really about reliability. The answer was reliability... A gentleman approached me with an offer for a all aluminum 2016 Lowe Striker 175 w/60 hp efi Merc. It has upgraded warranty til 2021, upgraded 24v 80# trolling motor, 3 battery bank charger and a 2nd $700 fish finder.... Based on NADA and boat trader prices, its a very good deal. We had a very good conversation this evening and a deal was struck. Now its all about the details ... I'm hoping I will be in possession of this beauty in the next week or two. Thanks for the advice given here...