Hi folks, I have been offered a pretty good price on a Lowe FishFinder 170SE.

http://www.lowe.com/fishboats/fishfinder/170se.html

I think it would be all the boat I will need to fish in my local lake but someone questioned the stability after looking at the beam 71"" and bottom width 48"".

If you have any remarks about this boat I would greatly appreciate hearing them.

Thanks

DaveJ

Hi Dave, don't know this particular boat on this side of the pond but I've been running aluminium boats for a number of years and given the choice I'd always have a welded hull rather than a riveted hull. A welded hull is much more secure and less liable to leak. When rivets get damaged they can give problems. They dont always but theres always that risk. My two pennyworth (sorry two centsworth )

Lowe has an excellent reputation. The boat should be fine, as long as you don't expect it to exceed its' capabilities. I wouldn't want to take it on a really large lake/reservoir with open water and long runs to fishing locations, or on a river with fast current. On a sheltered lake or slow lazy river, assuming you don't take the defensive front four of the Miami Hurricanes out with you, it will prove stable.

A person capacity of 685 lbs. will allow you and a buddy to fish with capacity to spare. I wouldn't try to fish three people from it from a "too many trebles flying through the air in too small a space" perspective.

Bottom line, if you know the boat will be safe to operate on your home waters, and you like the package and the deal, I'd go for it. No matter what you buy, someone will always point out there is something better, for a few dollars more, to infinity.

Good luck.

*someone will always point out there is something better, for a few dollars more, to infinity.

That is for sure.  This started out as a search for a nice little jon boat and just kept growing.  I can purchase this boat for less than a lot of jon boat equipped the same.

I also was a little shy of the riveted thing but it looks like all the major seams are welded with the rivets used to install decks/trim etc.

I'm going to trade down for a 9.9 so speed won't be a problem.  I don't want to go fast, I just want to go fishing.

Thanks for the input.

DaveJ

I have fished out of a 17' bass tracker with the same diminsions of the Lowe's your looking at . We fished OHIO RIVER and large lakes with no problems at all. If your getting a good deal, go for it . The boat will serve you well.

Unless you're on a lake with a size restriction, that 9.9 is way too small. I've got a 9.9 on a 12' aluminum v-bottom gamefisher, and with one son and me, (total around 400 lbs., plus 3 gal tank plus battery for running lights and accessories, that puppy is a pig.....It plows rather than planes, and in any kind of heavy water (wind, boat wakes) it can get hairy. Alone, it's fine for a 12' boat.....A 40 is probably about right for a 17' aluminum V bottom. The bare minimum I'd go is 25, and I really think that's too small.....

From what I've heard Lowe makes a pretty tough boat.

Thanks folks I think will go for it.  After all it's not as if I have to keep it until it is 18 and send it to school.

The folks around here have a pretty good opinion of Lowe and it sounds like most folks in general feel the same way.

The local lake has a 10 hp restriction and going larger would mean that 95% of the time I have no motor at all.   That is subject to change after I really try this.

Thanks Again

Dave J