Nitro? Ranger? So confused now 2024
Dumbbass707 reply :
I know this topic has been covered before, but I wanted to present my specific "dilemma." I plan on pulling the trigger on a brand new bass boat in the next month or so.
I live in Northern California and will be fishing Lake Sonoma, Berryessa, and Clear Lake. I have few dealerships in my area and they sell Ranger and Nitro. I want to stick with a local dealer, just incase I need to have maintenance done or have any issues, so I'm not having to drive clear across the state to get it fixed. I've looked at, and researched, both the Ranger Z185 and the Nitro Z18. I know that Ranger is considered the "Cadillac" of bass boats, but your paying for that name and quality.
However, I didn't see a huge difference between Ranger and Nitro. They will both be rigged very similar, same motor, same electronics, etc. The Z185 is about $5k more than the NItro. I'm not a hardcore tournament bass angler, but will definitely be using the boat often and year around.
I'd like to hear your thoughts and opinions.
crypt reply :
this is one of those times when you trust your gut. can't go wrong either way.but what is best for you? they both are nice boats.no matter what anyone says it's all up to what sits better with you.
JLBBass reply :
insert guy eating popcorn here^^^^^
WRB reply :
You don't get credit for buying a boat from a local dealer with the service. Buy the boat where you get the best deal and prep. For example Anglers Marine in Anahiem may be able to save you $$$, factor in the 400 mile trip.
Before Mooris bought Ranger the resale would be a factor, now?
Tom
LoweStinger reply :
I would go with the Nitro all day long and 5k less for the same thing ? Easy decision in my book.. It actually gives you plenty of room to upgrade electronics to what you want.
Cory Doras reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 2:35 AM, Dumbbass707 said:I know this topic has been covered before, but I wanted to present my specific "dilemma." I plan on pulling the trigger on a brand new bass boat in the next month or so.
I live in Northern California and will be fishing Lake Sonoma, Berryessa, and Clear Lake. I have few dealerships in my area and they sell Ranger and Nitro. I want to stick with a local dealer, just incase I need to have maintenance done or have any issues, so I'm not having to drive clear across the state to get it fixed. I've looked at, and researched, both the Ranger Z185 and the Nitro Z18. I know that Ranger is considered the "Cadillac" of bass boats, but your paying for that name and quality.
However, I didn't see a huge difference between Ranger and Nitro. They will both be rigged very similar, same motor, same electronics, etc. The Z185 is about $5k more than the NItro. I'm not a hardcore tournament bass angler, but will definitely be using the boat often and year around.
I'd like to hear your thoughts and opinions.
So many factors are involved here.
Hulls..Rangers are hand laid hulls. Nitro hulls are made with chopped glass shot out of a chopper gun. Not exactly the strongest hulls.
Warranty...Ranger wins this battle as well for the moment.
Motors....Big chunk of the cost of a rig is the motor. I've owned every brand, some are great and others I wouldnt take it if it was free. Merc is the most common and are pretty good motors.
Resale....Huge when you want to get rid of it. Trust me, you will either upgrade or get out of boating.
Trailers...Channel is very strong. Tube is crap.
Now, if those two were my only choices. Ranger all the way. Nitro's are nice but they are not made very well. They are really low end cheap boats but are affordable.
Vexus is coming out this weekend with their alum line and glass boats in the fall. These will be the next generation of boats which we havnt had any major changes in decades.
Im currently in the market for a new/newer boat. I have a ranger now and Im hapy with it as its a 2001. Built well but the newer ones.....starting to hear some negatives from owners.
Vexus is on my radar as well as Bass Cat which is the best overall at this point.
My recommendation, buy a good used boat and you'll get more boat for a lot less money. Plus, some are loaded up with good electronics and poles. Plenty of babied bass boats out there.
Another thing someone wrote on another board...there has been no major improvements in bass boats since the late 90's. Very true statement. Vexus may change that????
Ok, now you guys can attack me for Praising one brand and putting down another LOL.
On 3/15/2018 at 2:51 AM, PolarKraft195Pro said:insert guy eating popcorn here^^^^^
Yup
fishnkamp reply :
First I suggest you sit in each one. Then go open every compartment, visualize how your tackle will fit or be organized.
Lets face it, your only engine choice will be between a Mercury Optimax or 4 stroke on a Nitro. Depending on your dealer you could get a Ranger with most any brand engine you want. Go look at things like how the rods for the passenger will lay. I am not bashing one or the other brand, but on last years Nitro Z18 the rod strap was put in a place that the passenger's rod would have to be running through the seat in order to have it function. Fact- not being mean! It is the little details that I pay attention to. I have a guide I use in TN and runs an older Z8. That boat fished and ran well. Anyway sit in each boat, think about how you would use the boat and pick the one that best suits you. $5000 is a good bit of money, but if financed it is a few dollars per payment. A wrong decision will seem to cost you more.
Russ E reply :
I priced the ranger Z175 and Nitro Z7 last year.
I have fished out of both.
the ranger is heavier and seemed more stable in rough water. It also did not get blown around as much when fishing in the wind. This was a big deal to me.
the Nitro was a little faster.
The ranger has true dry storage.
The ranger definitely has a better trailer.
neither are bad boats. It all depends on what features are important to you.
with the exact same layout there was not much difference in price. A lot of the options on the Nitro came standard on the Ranger.
I went with the Ranger.
nosdog2 reply :
Kevin Van Dam fishes a Nitro........
**sits back and waits for comments**
Justbass11 reply :
I’m getting more popcorn....
TOXIC reply :
Well, I have owned both and have a personal perspective that may be unique to me but here are my thoughts.
NITRO - I was on the old NITRO State Team through Bass Pro Shops and ran the flagship at the time (the 929). Loved the boat and eventually it became my guide boat when I went that route. That boat never failed me in the years that I ran it. It did lose its "showroom" look very quickly and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I am anal about cosmetics. Tracker does not stock parts. Get 3 years out and you are on your own trying to find them (boat parts). Overall quality was fair. I had some things that bothered me like the quality of the carpet, the trailer build (tube) and the fact that every other month I had to re-tighten the shoebox hull back together. Newer NITRO's may be better and I know that quality has improved.
When it came time to look for a new boat I had many friends that were in Rangers and it was not because they were smitten with the "status" of the manufacturer. They bought them because they held up, fished well and had customer service that was way above the norm. Not a Kool-Aid drinker in the bunch. A lot of my friends run big water and Ranger was the boat of choice. I decided to look for a used model since I didn't want to take the depreciation hit of a new rig. With used boats comes used problems. My boat was an FLW Pro's boat that had been sold to another individual and that person sadly passed and I bought it from the estate. Ranger has amazed me with their customer service and parts availability. They sent me, at no cost, 2 new fully dressed axles for my trailer when they had a bad run of axles. Go to any fishing site and you will see a lot of Rangers 10-20-30 years old still being fished and the great thing is that Ranger still carries parts for a lot of these models and they will actually manufacture a part for you in some cases. My friend that helps me with a lot of the mechanical repairs on my boat has had the opportunity to crawl in the guts of a lot of manufacturers models and he tells me that there is where a lot of the difference shows itself. Wiring, connections, bundling, material quality etc., is evident.
Bottom line, if I could afford either in a new model I would go Ranger only because they have earned my business both in product quality and service after the sale. That's not a knock on NITRO either. As for the Johnny Morris purchase, it is a non issue. The same folks in the same factory are building the same boats. It's funny because if the Johnny Morris purchase is a negative it's because everyone is afraid that the quality will go the same way as a NITRO. 
Fishing Rhino reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 8:19 AM, Cory Doras said:So many factors are involved here.
Hulls..Rangers are hand laid hulls. Nitro hulls are made with chopped glass shot out of a chopper gun. Not exactly the strongest hulls.
Warranty...Ranger wins this battle as well for the moment.
Motors....Big chunk of the cost of a rig is the motor. I've owned every brand, some are great and others I wouldnt take it if it was free. Merc is the most common and are pretty good motors.
Resale....Huge when you want to get rid of it. Trust me, you will either upgrade or get out of boating.
Trailers...Channel is very strong. Tube is crap.
Now, if those two were my only choices. Ranger all the way. Nitro's are nice but they are not made very well. They are really low end cheap boats but are affordable.
Vexus is coming out this weekend with their alum line and glass boats in the fall. These will be the next generation of boats which we havnt had any major changes in decades.
Im currently in the market for a new/newer boat. I have a ranger now and Im hapy with it as its a 2001. Built well but the newer ones.....starting to hear some negatives from owners.
Vexus is on my radar as well as Bass Cat which is the best overall at this point.
My recommendation, buy a good used boat and you'll get more boat for a lot less money. Plus, some are loaded up with good electronics and poles. Plenty of babied bass boats out there.
Another thing someone wrote on another board...there has been no major improvements in bass boats since the late 90's. Very true statement. Vexus may change that????
Ok, now you guys can attack me for Praising one brand and putting down another LOL.
Yup
Let's talk about the composite layup of the two boats. Both boats use mat and woven roving. Mat by itself is an egg shell whether it's hand laid, or blown into the mold with a chopper gun. What gives the composite strength is the woven roving and in both Ranger and Nitro that material is hand laid.
Mat is primarily a filler material, nothing more to fill in the gaps between the layers of roving. which provides the strength. I worked with fiberglass for over twenty years. The problem with a chopper gun is getting the correct ratio of resin to the fabric. Excess resin results in extra weight, which does not equate to extra strength.
Roving also is used for building thickness quickly.
"Built Tough to Reliably Compete and Win
Hand-laid fiberglass hulls are built with engineered, woven fiberglass fabric for strength and chopped fiberglass strand for puncture resistance, and then a custom-molded liner is bonded to the hull to provide longitudinal and transverse supports to the running surface. Extra-thick, molded knee supports reinforce the transom to hold outboards and shallow-water anchors."
https://www.nitro.com/quality.html
NHBull reply :
You can’t tell the cost of something until the accounting period is over.
Assume both boats were identical in every aspect....( they are not!)
Boat A cost 5K more
At the end of 5 years, boat A has a resale value 10K higher, clearly A is a less expensive boat.
J Francho reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 8:19 AM, Cory Doras said:Hulls..Rangers are hand laid hulls.
Nope. Also chop gun hull.
PECo reply :
Last year, I bought a Triton 179 TrX and two of my buddies bought Nitro Z18s. One got a single-axle trailer and the other got a double-axle trailer. For about the same money, my boat came with a Mercury 115 Pro XS four-stroke, while theirs both came with a Mercury 150 four-stroke.
Both of my buddies say that the weakest part of the Nitro package is the low quality of the trailer. The buddy with the double-axle trailer is afraid to step on the flimsy fenders.
Another weakness that I’ve noticed on the Nitros is the lower quality of the components used on the boat. For example, the rod straps are those silicone things that ALWAYS fail. If you look at the rigging in the Ranger and the Nitro, the Ranger is light years better than the Nitro. I love the Ranger battery selector switch that lets you jump your motor with one of the trolling motor batteries; I wish that my Triton had come with that.
However, none of that affects the fishability of Nitro boats, which is excellent. Nitro is a value brand and definitely provides terrific value for the money. If I had a bigger garage and my local Connecticut waters weren’t almost all speed-restricted to 45 miles per hour or much, much less, I might have gone with the Nitro, too.
fishnkamp reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 12:26 PM, nosdog2 said:Kevin Van Dam fishes a Nitro........
**sits back and waits for comments**
KVD is PAID to fish out of a Nitro!
Fishing Rhino reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 11:27 PM, fishnkamp said:
KVD is PAID to fish out of a Nitro!
True. But, if fishing out of a Nitro was a handicap, he'd use the "better" boat. Do you suppose that if he was paid to use a Popeil Pocket Fisherman he use it?
Russ E reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 11:32 PM, Fishing Rhino said:True. But, if fishing out of a Nitro was a handicap, he'd use the "better" boat. Do you suppose that if he was paid to use a Popeil Pocket Fisherman he use it?
neither will handicap your fishing. more than likely he gets a brand new fully decked out boat every year.
that is not the boat you see on the BPS showroom.
If you spend the money to deck out a nitro to match the ranger, the price difference shrinks.
he also does not have to worry about resale or trade in value.
Dumbbass707 reply :
I appreciate all the responses so far. I am starting to lean more towards the Ranger, based on what I've heard about the build quality. Also the Ranger dealership is less than 30 minutes away from me. I'm willing to pay a little bit more for peace of mind.
I would like to hear some (if any) negative things about Ranger boats.
J Francho reply :
On 3/16/2018 at 1:14 AM, Dumbbass707 said:I would like to hear some (if any) negative things about Ranger boats.
They're heavy and slow.
(Said the Bullet owner)
TOXIC reply :
Honestly, they are very heavy and unless you are going with a very recent model year they are slower. The new boats, once set up right are much faster. Complaint on the older boats is also a wet ride. I have been in rougher and smoother riding boats, Ranger falls in the middle. Rangers shine when the trolling motor is in the water. They are an excellent fishing platform.
Russ E reply :
On 3/16/2018 at 1:23 AM, TOXIC said:Honestly, they are very heavy and unless you are going with a very recent model year they are slower. The new boats, once set up right are much faster. Complaint on the older boats is also a wet ride. I have been in rougher and smoother riding boats, Ranger falls in the middle. Rangers shine when the trolling motor is in the water. They are an excellent fishing platform.
I agree, the older rangers had a wet , fairly rough ride. The new boats have a much smoother and drier ride. From my own experience smoother and drier than a comparable Nitro. Honestly you may lose a couple mph, but like you mentioned, where a ranger shines is when the trolling motor is down. That extra weight gives a stable platform, especially in the wind.
fishnkamp reply :
Here is two rather informative boat reviews on the two boats. Looks like the Nitro was all tweaked out using an 8 inch jack plate, I believe the Ranger could benefit by adding one. But the speeds are what they were. The Ranger was about 8 mph slower. I bet with some prop changes and a jack plate you could make them much closer to each other.
My Nitro z18 airing it out ???????? Running a 23p Tempest 2 1/4 under the pad 8 inch slidemaster plate Top Speed 60 loaded 62 light by myself
Cory Doras reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 9:21 PM, J Francho said:Nope. Also chop gun hull.
They were hand laid but now that BPS owns them, Im not surprised. There are videos on youtube of the factory but I believe they were shot awhile back.
Cory Doras reply :
On 3/16/2018 at 1:14 AM, Dumbbass707 said:I appreciate all the responses so far. I am starting to lean more towards the Ranger, based on what I've heard about the build quality. Also the Ranger dealership is less than 30 minutes away from me. I'm willing to pay a little bit more for peace of mind.
I would like to hear some (if any) negative things about Ranger boats.
As someone wrote on another thread about Rangers, "Tanks"!
They are not the fastest boat on the lake but who cares. I'd rather have a well built functional boat any day over a rocket.
RB 77 reply :
They both seem like very nice boats and good luck and tight lines with which ever one you go with.
PECo reply :
I was out on the Connecticut River in my buddy’s Nitro Z18, yesterday. The air temperature was in the high 30s and there was a steady 15 mile per hour wind raising breakers as it blew straight down the river, but the boat was solid and comfortable as we ran up and down the river. The Mercury 150 four-stroke sounds like a quiet diesel-electric locomotive, unlike my Mercury 115 Pro XS four-stroke, which always sounds like it’s working a lot harder, because, well, it does.
The boat needs better rod straps and the trailer fenders are a little flimsy, but you won’t go wrong with the Z18 if you’re looking for an excellent fishing platform.
Oh, although the redundancy of two axles might be great if you do a lot of trailering, it sucks every time you’re trying to maneuver the trailer in tight spaces. Plus, those fenders. . . . I’d go with the single-axle trailer. And Nitro offers the best front trailer step option I’ve seen on any boat trailer. Check it out.
J Francho reply :
Anyone that recommends single axle trailers has never had a blowout. They're fine for small boats, below 1500 lbs., but anything heavier, get a tandem.
webertime reply :
I own one of the classic old Rangers. I live on a body of water known for breaking boats. I see a good # of Nitro's around, a couple pushing 20+ years. Tons or Rangers too.
I have seen transoms on Rangers crack from the hull to the top cap, heck I saw one sunk. I've been in Nitro's that you could feel twist in 2-4 footers (2017 model). Neither is perfect, especially now. Where you USED to be able to get a lot of parts for Rangers they have stopped making parts and don't have sources anymore. (Front panel for a 300 series, Inserts for many models aren't made anymore). That being said, that's really old stuff to stock or keep track of, so it's not anything I'd call a deal breaker. Most recently the fit and finish of Rangers seems to be slipping. I just don't see anything special about them anymore, and a lot of guys feel that way. Especially with Pheonix, Bass Cat, Skeeter upping their games performance wise while being cheaper.
Nitro's remind me of Honda Civics. Yeah they aren't the worst, and you can add bells and whistles to make them really fast/perform well. But in the end, they are still Honda Civics. I fished a BASS Open a few weeks ago with a Nitro guy. He said, that especially now with electronics being so expensive, that owning a Nitro and loading it up is not a sound financial decision.
Where I live, there are NO bass boat dealers, there are guys that CAN GET Nitros, or Skeeters/G3's, or Lunds, but NO Dealers within 3 hours. SO a lot of our guys go to Penn/CT/Kentucky for boats and have a shop around here that does the work on the engines. It works out well for our locals. I wouldn't be too tied to a dealer, but I would be tied to a got mechanic.
PECo reply :
On 3/19/2018 at 9:06 PM, J Francho said:Anyone that recommends single axle trailers has never had a blowout.
I HAVE had a blowout on a single-axle boat trailer. Actually, it was worse than a blowout, because my hub failed. A buddy and I had to swap it out on the shoulder of the highway.
However, I prefer to make decisions based on the 99.9 percent usage scenario. I’m a grown-up; I can deal with any problems as they occur.
J Francho reply :
On 3/20/2018 at 12:22 AM, PECo said:Actually, it was worse than a blowout, because my hub failed.
Ouch buddy!
I just wouldn't want to deal with my 22' boat and trailer getting out of control at highway speeds. They only time I have an issue maneuvering the trailer is when it's NOT hooked up to the truck. It just doesn't move side to side. When it's on the truck, it's just a bit slower to respond to turn input than a single axle, and that probably has more to do with length. My other boat was an 18' Xpress, with a single, for reference.
PECo reply :
On 3/20/2018 at 12:37 AM, J Francho said:I just wouldn't want to deal with my 22' boat and trailer getting out of control at highway speeds.
I didn’t think a single-axle trailer would be an option for any bass boat much over 18 feet. It IS on the Z18 the OP mentioned, though. You gotta pick your poison.
J Francho reply :
Also options on the Z19 and Z519. Most companies put their 20+ footers on tandems.
38 Super Fan reply :
I guess if I had to choose between those two I'd have to go Ranger... and throw a V-Max SHO on it. 
Cranjus McBasketball reply :
Maybe I'm in the minority here, but my 2007 Nitro 591 (18ft) has been d**n good to me. No trailer problems, no Hull issues. The only issues I have had with her is the Optimax loves to go thru water pumps. One of the selling points to the 591 was the 96" beam. Handles the rough water well and feels stable in the water. I just don't think there is really a "bad" boat out today. Do what you feel gives you the best deal.
scbassin reply :
In 1974 I bought my 1st bass boat it was a new Ranger DTR-10. Since then I have owned 3 more Rangers. I up graded to larger boats each time & am now running a 2008 z-21. I sold the 1st 2 for more then I paid for them. My grandson is fishing out of the 3rd one which is a 2002 185 vs. A Ranger boat that is taken care of will last & have excellent resale value. Plus I have had always had excellent service from Ranger.
tcbass reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 8:19 AM, Cory Doras said:So many factors are involved here.
Hulls..Rangers are hand laid hulls. Nitro hulls are made with chopped glass shot out of a chopper gun. Not exactly the strongest hulls.
Warranty...Ranger wins this battle as well for the moment.
Motors....Big chunk of the cost of a rig is the motor. I've owned every brand, some are great and others I wouldnt take it if it was free. Merc is the most common and are pretty good motors.
Resale....Huge when you want to get rid of it. Trust me, you will either upgrade or get out of boating.
Trailers...Channel is very strong. Tube is crap.
Now, if those two were my only choices. Ranger all the way. Nitro's are nice but they are not made very well. They are really low end cheap boats but are affordable.
Vexus is coming out this weekend with their alum line and glass boats in the fall. These will be the next generation of boats which we havnt had any major changes in decades.
Im currently in the market for a new/newer boat. I have a ranger now and Im hapy with it as its a 2001. Built well but the newer ones.....starting to hear some negatives from owners.
Vexus is on my radar as well as Bass Cat which is the best overall at this point.
My recommendation, buy a good used boat and you'll get more boat for a lot less money. Plus, some are loaded up with good electronics and poles. Plenty of babied bass boats out there.
Another thing someone wrote on another board...there has been no major improvements in bass boats since the late 90's. Very true statement. Vexus may change that????
Ok, now you guys can attack me for Praising one brand and putting down another LOL.
Yup
Think the Vexus will come out with anything truly new or better?
Further North reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 8:19 AM, Cory Doras said:Trailers...Channel is very strong. Tube is crap.
Man...that's gonna be a shocker for the 10s and 10s of thousands of folks running decades old tube framed boat trailers around the Midwest...
On 3/19/2018 at 9:06 PM, J Francho said:Anyone that recommends single axle trailers has never had a blowout. They're fine for small boats, below 1500 lbs., but anything heavier, get a tandem.
I've had a blowout, on a single axle trailer...at 70 MPH...well, actually...the wheel came off...
I still prefer single axles. Doubles are a PITA to move around, and heavy to tow...
But...and this is a significant point: my boat maxes out at 2,800# with every lure I own, all my gear, a full tank of gas and my buddy's gear on the way to Canada...
Further North reply :
On 3/19/2018 at 11:56 PM, webertime said:Nitro's remind me of Honda Civics. Yeah they aren't the worst, and you can add bells and whistles to make them really fast/perform well. But in the end, they are still Honda Civics.
I'm trying to figure what you're comparing Honda Civics to...
They are great cars, some of the best in that class of vehicles.
...for reference, We have three Fords, one of which is a Focus...
Dumbbass707 reply :
I went with the Ranger Z185. Having Lowrance Elite TI 7" put in the console and bow. Now comes the task of filling it up with "stuff."
Russ E reply :
On 4/14/2018 at 9:33 AM, Dumbbass707 said:I went with the Ranger Z185. Having Lowrance Elite TI 7" put in the console and bow. Now comes the task of filling it up with "stuff."
Congratulations. I bought a Z175 last year. Love it.
have fun filling it with "stuff"
Redlinerobert reply :
You're in my neck of the woods, although I'm a little south of you.
I recommend Ranger. C&C Marine has two local dealerships. Great service. I've bought 3 new Rangers from them and they've always taken good care of me. I've never had any issues with any of my boats, at least nothing they couldn't take care of.
I've dealt with Richard in the Modesto store. He's always been fair.
Further North reply :
On 4/14/2018 at 9:33 AM, Dumbbass707 said:I went with the Ranger Z185. Having Lowrance Elite TI 7" put in the console and bow. Now comes the task of filling it up with "stuff."
Enjoy it...and filling it up!
Redlinerobert reply :
On 4/14/2018 at 9:33 AM, Dumbbass707 said:I went with the Ranger Z185. Having Lowrance Elite TI 7" put in the console and bow. Now comes the task of filling it up with "stuff."
Nice floating tackle box. That's the fun part. Fillering her up!
JDFMTX reply :
I struggled for a year looking at all of the boats out there. Skeeter, Nitro and Ranger were my three finalists, I ended up with a 2018 Nitro Z19 Sport. It has the same hull as the Z19. It has a Mercury 150 4 Stroke. It will top out about 57 mph, but at 60 years old that is more than fast enough for me. Trailering the boat is so easy, I don’t have to worry about going in off the mark it straightens out great. The ride is so smooth and dry. Since it is a fish n ski I don’t have the rod storage like I would with the regular Z19, but I fish local tournaments and haven’t had much issue with that. It handles the big water lakes of Texas just fine. If I was 10 years younger and had to make this choice, I may have gone with the Z19, but I am not at all disappointed with the Z19 Sport. I also added a MK Ulterra iPilot Link and two Humminbird Helix 7.
Ranger and Skeeter were tied for second as both were definitely more expensive.
Fishing Rhino reply :
Congrats and best of luck with your new vessel. May she serve you well.
RHuff reply :
On 4/14/2018 at 9:42 AM, Russ E said:Congratulations. I bought a Z175 last year. Love it.
have fun filling it with "stuff"
I'm looking at the Ranger z175 myself for next year. I currently fish from a 2007 Triton VT-17 with 50HP. This would be my first leap from aluminum to fiberglass. Would you mind giving me your thoughts on it? Is the 115 a big enough motor? I like the z185 with 150hp but I don't know if I can justify the extra $8,000 for one.
Russ E reply :
They are about the same boat only difference is z185 is rated for 150 hp, it is a foot longer and a lot heavier.
I pushed both of them around on the cabelas floor. The 175 was much easier to move around by myself.
That was a big issue for me with a suburbia garage and I usually fish alone.
Plus the largest lake I fish is 10,000 acres. Most are much smaller.
I have the 4 stroke mercury pro xs 115. It will run 48-49 mph. I switched from the factory 24 pitch fury prop to a 23 pitch tempest prop. It gave me 2 mph and brought wot to 5800 rpm. It also has a lot more low end power.
Talked to a guy that has the 185 he gets 52-53 mph. Mine burns a lot less gas.
In my opinion the extra 4mph was not worth the extra cost.
After 2 1/2 years, I still have no regrets.
RHuff reply :
Thank You Russ for your feedback! My wife gave me the green light for the spring of 2020. Gonna be a long year to wait! I’m gonna trade in my Triton Aluminum plus put back a couple of thousand this year to go down on top of the trade in. I’m gonna start a savings fund and if I get any tournament winnings this year I’m gonna put down with it.
NorthernBasser reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 12:26 PM, nosdog2 said:Kevin Van Dam fishes a Nitro........
**sits back and waits for comments**
Did somebody say....Van Dam(me)?
Sorry, I have nothing else to add. This mere mortal fishes out of a Crestliner.
East Iowa River King reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 2:35 AM, Dumbbass707 said:I know this topic has been covered before, but I wanted to present my specific "dilemma." I plan on pulling the trigger on a brand new bass boat in the next month or so.
I live in Northern California and will be fishing Lake Sonoma, Berryessa, and Clear Lake. I have few dealerships in my area and they sell Ranger and Nitro. I want to stick with a local dealer, just incase I need to have maintenance done or have any issues, so I'm not having to drive clear across the state to get it fixed. I've looked at, and researched, both the Ranger Z185 and the Nitro Z18. I know that Ranger is considered the "Cadillac" of bass boats, but your paying for that name and quality.
However, I didn't see a huge difference between Ranger and Nitro. They will both be rigged very similar, same motor, same electronics, etc. The Z185 is about $5k more than the NItro. I'm not a hardcore tournament bass angler, but will definitely be using the boat often and year around.
I'd like to hear your thoughts and opinions.
Rangers are flat out the best built boat in the industry. If you are not experienced in what exactly to look for when purchasing a new boat and you buy a nitro you will have the worse buyers remorse you've ever had. There are things that you cant see initially that will show up in the future as you use the boat more. If the difference is only 5k i would say the ranger is a no brainer. Even if its 10k, the ranger will hold its value MUCH longer.
blanked reply :
Rangers have 2 different lines. About $15,000 difference for the same boat size and motor. Is it mere bells and whistles or the boat itself
Jig Man reply :
I had the same issue. I went for the Nitro. Big mistake. If I had do overs I would be in a Ranger.
clark9312 reply :
On 6/1/2019 at 11:04 PM, Jig Man said:I had the same issue. I went for the Nitro. Big mistake. If I had do overs I would be in a Ranger.
Im in the market, do you mind telling what went wrong?
Sam reply :
Dumb, here is the deal.
Ranger is a very nice bass boat.
Nitro is a very nice bass boat.
Nitro is supported by Bass Pro Shops and you know they stand behind their products.
I am not a fan of their service department. Too expensive and the guys are not factory trained. I will not take my Ranger to them any more. I go to a local guy who works on boats and motors at his house.
So factor in who is doing the service; what you get with the warranty; and the final price and make your decision.
Then send us a photo of your baby!
J Francho reply :
On 4/14/2018 at 9:33 AM, Dumbbass707 said:I went with the Ranger Z185. Having Lowrance Elite TI 7" put in the console and bow. Now comes the task of filling it up with "stuff."
Why are we making recommendations on a year old thread? The OP bought a boat. If there are new questions, start a new thread. Thank you.
Zachh Nute reply :
I don't know if you have already purchased or not. I worked at a dealership that sold Ranger and Nitro. The Nitro boats look better than the Ranger's in my opinion, but the Rangers out perform the Nitros. It is literally night and day between the two. I can say that The Nitro has a bigger front deck. But, if you're looking at the smaller details, the Ranger is a winner. Another downfall to the Ranger is obviously the price. But, with the price tag out of the equation, Ranger should be your choice. Nitro customers ALWAYS come back to the dealer to get this fixed in the first couple months of owning their boat, whereas Ranger owners usually don't.
Just to let you know, I'm a Triton guy. I wouldn't buy either of these boats, but you asked about these two manufacturers in particular so I am giving my opinion of them both! I hope this helps.
Brent Christian reply :
On 3/15/2018 at 11:27 PM, fishnkamp said:
KVD is PAID to fish out of a Nitro!
exactly lol
For the durabilty and craftmanship standpoint Rnager all the way! Ride is way better, and handles wind awsome!
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