Purchasing my first Tracker....opinions welcomed! 2025
dsidle61 reply :
So im about to pull the trigger on my first nice boat (previously owned a smaller Jon). Im sold on the Tracker pro 170 http://www.trackerboats.com/boat/?boat=3878
I was originally considering the 160 http://www.trackerboats.com/boat/?boat=3877 but after seeing them side by side I think the 170 is worth the extra money. Im not planning on racing someone across the water but I want to get on some of the bigger waters here in Minnesota. Here are some of my questions. 1. Is it actually worth the extra $$ compared to the 160? 2. To knock the price down a bit I was considering downgrading the 40hp to a 20 on the 170 (saves about $1700), the difference in weight is about 150lbs between the boats. Ill be fishing mainly by myself, occasionally a 2nd and very rarely 3 people.
Also I'm going to be financing the boat, I have a good down payment right now. Im considering putting down my wife as a joint applicant, are the any benefits to this? Or should I just do it on my own. And secondly have people had better success financing through tracker or going to their own credit union/bank.
Thanks for the help guys!
Further North reply :
I'd go with the 50 HP. If you go with the 40, you'll wish you had the 50 sooner than later.
Allen Der reply :
why limit yourself to a mediocre tracker? you're from Minnesota, home of 3 great boat brands, Alumacraft, Lund and Crestliner
EllisJuan reply :
Tracker has come a looooong way from mediocrity.
dsidle61 reply :
On 4/24/2016 at 10:51 AM, Allen Der said:why limit yourself to a mediocre tracker? you're from Minnesota, home of 3 great boat brands, Alumacraft, Lund and Crestliner
Trust me I've looked around, I really wanted a Lund. I had some very specific things I wanted, main one being a high casting deck. The Lund boats in my price range all have the sit down decks.
desmobob reply :
I have a Pro170 I bought new in 2014. I love it. The Mercury 40EFI is extremely economical; I am impressed with what little fuel it uses. I usually fish alone and have the boat loaded with lots of gear. It cruises at max economy at about 4250 RPM, which is right around 23 MPH with the Mercury Spitfire prop I have mounted (I think they come as stock now). Top speed is about 32 MPH. Having a second person in the boat was also a surprise; there is little difference in performance.
I'm into my third season and though I sometimes wonder how it would perform with a 50HP vs. the 40HP, I'm very pleased with the boat as it is and don't have any regrets. I love the huge rod locker on the boat.
The only thing I've been compelled to upgrade is the sonar. I added a Garmin 93SV.
That said, you mention wanting to get out on the "bigger" water. How big? The hull of the Pro170 is not really suited for rough water and you may want to consider something with more "V".
Tight lines,
Bob
slonezp reply :
If you do nothing else, make sure you upgrade from the 12v trolling motor to the 24v. We spend mort of our day on the trolling motor, that needs to perform flawless in all situations
dsidle61 reply :
On 4/24/2016 at 8:52 PM, desmobob said:I have a Pro170 I bought new in 2014. I love it. The Mercury 40EFI is extremely economical; I am impressed with what little fuel it uses. I usually fish alone and have the boat loaded with lots of gear. It cruises at max economy at about 4250 RPM, which is right around 23 MPH with the Mercury Spitfire prop I have mounted (I think they come as stock now). Top speed is about 32 MPH. Having a second person in the boat was also a surprise; there is little difference in performance.
I'm into my third season and though I sometimes wonder how it would perform with a 50HP vs. the 40HP, I'm very pleased with the boat as it is and don't have any regrets. I love the huge rod locker on the boat.
The only thing I've been compelled to upgrade is the sonar. I added a Garmin 93SV.
That said, you mention wanting to get out on the "bigger" water. How big? The hull of the Pro170 is not really suited for rough water and you may want to consider something with more "V".
Tight lines,
Bob
Great info thanks Bob. I'm more looking to get out on bigger lakes (tonka, medicine, waconia) not so much rougher lakes! Being as I had a smaller Jon before I was always really cautious about going out in rough windy conditions. So I don't see that changing.
A-Jay reply :
I did read that you have checked out the Lund Line however when I was shopping and looking at the boats at the outdoor shows this winter I was impressed with the Lund Fury XL SS. http://www.lundboats.com/boat-models/1625-fury-xl/
For a 16 footer it seemed to offer quite a bit. It was laid out nicely and for the $$$ presented a very attractive boat, motor & trailer package.
A-Jay
dsidle61 reply :
On 4/25/2016 at 12:36 AM, A-Jay said:I did read that you have checked out the Lund Line however when I was shopping and looking at the boats at the outdoor shows this winter I was impressed with the Lund Fury XL SS. http://www.lundboats.com/boat-models/1625-fury-xl/
For a 16 footer it seemed to offer quite a bit. It was laid out nicely and for the $$$ presented a very attractive boat, motor & trailer package.
A-Jay
This is the Lund I really looked at. The biggest thing that made me pass this up was the size of the back deck. If you put a seat up there and sit facing forward your feet are just dangling which to me is strange. I don't know why they didnt even that deck up with where the cup holder is in that picture you posted. The trolling motor is also an add on so by the time you put it all together it runs about 1500-2000 more than the tracker.
A-Jay reply :
On 4/25/2016 at 3:07 AM, dsidle61 said:This is the Lund I really looked at. The biggest thing that made me pass this up was the size of the back deck. If you put a seat up there and sit facing forward your feet are just dangling which to me is strange. I don't know why they didnt even that deck up with where the cup holder is in that picture you posted. The trolling motor is also an add on so by the time you put it all together it runs about 1500-2000 more than the tracker.
Great Point.
Does seem a little strange.
Good Luck with your purchase
A-Jay
dsidle61 reply :
On 4/25/2016 at 3:13 AM, A-Jay said:Great Point.
Does seem a little strange.
Good Luck with your purchase
A-Jay
This video is what made me look at this model the most. The back deck on this is perfect, its a 2014 so I dont know if they took this out in the new models or if its an add on now but if this was standard this would be a perfect boat.
A-Jay reply :
On 4/25/2016 at 3:19 AM, dsidle61 said:This video is what made me look at this model the most. The back deck on this is perfect, its a 2014 so I dont know if they took this out in the new models or if its an add on now but if this was standard this would be a perfect boat.
Since you'll be fishing mainly by myself, occasionally a 2nd and very rarely 3 people, I'd still seriously consider it.
How much fishing do you do from the stern ?
May be too good a ride to pass up for the possibility of a rare fishing partner.
A-Jay
John LaBelle reply :
I would not recommend getting a smaller motor. I bought my Tracker back in 2002 and upgraded to a 40hp and glad I did, and often wish I went a little larger. I'd definitely look at V hulls if you will be in larger waters. They don't make my model anymore (Pro Angler V16) but it does good in choppy water and still can get in the shallows. You may want to see if there are any leftover 2015 models. When I bought mine I was able to get a leftover 2001 model with a 2002 motor and saved a little cash. Good luck.
Allen Der reply :
On 4/25/2016 at 3:19 AM, dsidle61 said:This video is what made me look at this model the most. The back deck on this is perfect, its a 2014 so I dont know if they took this out in the new models or if its an add on now but if this was standard this would be a perfect boat.
the aft flip up seats are about a $400 option that can be added to almost any lund model with a console. I have them on my Rebel 1650. Alumacraft and crestliner also have that as an option for their boats. I know Alumacraft has a aft deck extention option without the flip up seats for the Classic 165 CS
Klebs01 reply :
We have the flip up seats on our crestliner and it makes a nice large casting deck when it's just me and my wife. It's nice to be able to flip the seats up if we want to bring other family or friends out for both fishing or just an evening cruise.
WIGuide reply :
A few things to add, don't downgrade motors, you will be kicking yourself if you do.
Also in reference to the small back on the Lund, they do that to keep it more of a multi- species boat. Those who want to troll don't want a big deck, because they need the space to get up and move around to get to rods and what not.
fuzzion reply :
dsidle61,
I have a 2015 pro 170 and I'm very happy with it. It is definitely a lot more boat than the pro 160 and well worth the extra money. In addition to having a lot more storage it also has a wider beam and is quite stable. I have the 40hp and fully loaded with 2 men it hits a comfortable 32mph. It's a good boat and I have no regrets.
Good luck with your decision.
A-Jay reply :
On 4/26/2016 at 4:45 AM, fuzzion said:dsidle61,
I have a 2015 pro 170 and I'm very happy with it. It is definitely a lot more boat than the pro 160 and well worth the extra money. In addition to having a lot more storage it also has a wider beam and is quite stable. I have the 40hp and fully loaded with 2 men it hits a comfortable 32mph. It's a good boat and I have no regrets.
Good luck with your decision.
Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~
A-Jay
Further North reply :
On 4/24/2016 at 10:51 AM, Allen Der said:why limit yourself to a mediocre tracker? you're from Minnesota, home of 3 great boat brands, Alumacraft, Lund and Crestliner
Tracker makes a fine starter boat - there's an awful lot of them out there that are meeting the needs of a lot of fishermen...that are clearly doing more than just a couple things right.
Are they as well built as a Lund, Crestliner or an Alumacraft? Probably not...but they don't need to be. They get the job done and done well for a lot of people.
gimruis reply :
Dsidle61, I would probably go with the 170 if you're able to comparing it to the 160. Generally Tonka, Waconia, and Medicine aren't going to get real rough even though they're all pretty good sized lakes in terms of acreage. I see you're from Plymouth, MN - I'm from Wayzata. Tonka is mostly just a bunch of bays and canals anyways so its not going to get like the great lakes or anything. I would put the biggest outboard motor on the boat that you can - max it out. Both are 4-stroke mercs so they'll be very fuel efficient and quiet. Might be worth upgrading the trolling motor if you plan on using that a lot too.
As for the Lund Fury XL SS, its a nice all purpose boat if you do more multi species fishing. One thing I noticed is that they do not offer that boat with a swing away tougne so its another 16 inches in length in storage than a comparable boat of that size.
dsidle61 reply :
On 4/26/2016 at 7:57 AM, gimruis said:Dsidle61, I would probably go with the 170 if you're able to comparing it to the 160. Generally Tonka, Waconia, and Medicine aren't going to get real rough even though they're all pretty good sized lakes in terms of acreage. I see you're from Plymouth, MN - I'm from Wayzata. Tonka is mostly just a bunch of bays and canals anyways so its not going to get like the great lakes or anything. I would put the biggest outboard motor on the boat that you can - max it out. Both are 4-stroke mercs so they'll be very fuel efficient and quiet. Might be worth upgrading the trolling motor if you plan on using that a lot too.
As for the Lund Fury XL SS, its a nice all purpose boat if you do more multi species fishing. One thing I noticed is that they do not offer that boat with a swing away tougne so its another 16 inches in length in storage than a comparable boat of that size.
Nice you are just down the street from me! I went and looked at a 2010 Lund the other day and noticed the no swing away tongue as well. It wouldn't even fit in the garage.
On 4/25/2016 at 9:21 AM, Allen Der said:the aft flip up seats are about a $400 option that can be added to almost any lund model with a console. I have them on my Rebel 1650. Alumacraft and crestliner also have that as an option for their boats. I know Alumacraft has a aft deck extention option without the flip up seats for the Classic 165 CS
I just did a check on this and found the add on option. The back deck is a 705$ add on. Kind of ridiculous if you ask me. All it is is a piece of plywood and 4 brackets.
Nice_Bass reply :
to beat a dead horse, and also answer a couple of questions.
One, go with the bigger boat and bigger motor. $1700 financed is nothing to your monthly payment.
I currently have a tracker 175txw for 6 years different boat, but I regularly take mine on lake of the Ozarks. no issues whatsoever, just learn how to use your boat the right way.
As far as having your wife on the loan it will do you no good if you are already approved. A cosigner will not improve your rate only help you qualify if your credit or debt ratios are off. DO go to your local credit union or bank and do not use tracker financing.
Junk Fisherman reply :
If you are handy, a lot of guys build back casting deck extensions and get carpet that matches or just about matches. You could make it removable. For a long time I thought I was getting a Crestliner Fish Hawk and that is what I planned on doing. And in terms of advice, go with the bigger engine. If you think of how long you'll own the boat and what it would cost per year to have the bigger motor, it becomes an easy decision. Good luck with your purchase.
Allen Der reply :
On 4/27/2016 at 12:39 AM, dsidle61 said:Nice you are just down the street from me! I went and looked at a 2010 Lund the other day and noticed the no swing away tongue as well. It wouldn't even fit in the garage.
I just did a check on this and found the add on option. The back deck is a 705$ add on. Kind of ridiculous if you ask me. All it is is a piece of plywood and 4 brackets.
you need to go to a good dealer get actual quotes. Tracker doesnt haggle on price but every other brand does and you'll likely find that once you start messing around with the Tracker "package" boats, their price advantage starts to disappear. Go find a Lund or Alumacraft dealer and get some "real" numbers, not some MSRP off a boat builder website
dsidle61 reply :
On 4/27/2016 at 3:06 AM, Nice_Bass said:to beat a dead horse, and also answer a couple of questions.
One, go with the bigger boat and bigger motor. $1700 financed is nothing to your monthly payment.
I currently have a tracker 175txw for 6 years different boat, but I regularly take mine on lake of the Ozarks. no issues whatsoever, just learn how to use your boat the right way.
As far as having your wife on the loan it will do you no good if you are already approved. A cosigner will not improve your rate only help you qualify if your credit or debt ratios are off. DO go to your local credit union or bank and do not use tracker financing.
Thanks for the input. I wish you would have posted yesterday! I just went through Tracker financial and I couldnt help but laugh when he read me the offered interest rate. And just for the record I have a good credit score and my debt/income is nothing that would raise a red flag. Just sucks bc now they ran everything so Im going to wait a week or so and head to my local bank.
On 4/27/2016 at 6:52 AM, Allen Der said:you need to go to a good dealer get actual quotes. Tracker doesnt haggle on price but every other brand does and you'll likely find that once you start messing around with the Tracker "package" boats, their price advantage starts to disappear. Go find a Lund or Alumacraft dealer and get some "real" numbers, not some MSRP off a boat builder website
I went to a dealer to look at the Lund. Didnt seem to interested in haggling but I am going to go back and give it another shot. Thanks for the info!
Wileyw reply :
At $12,995, I don't know if you will be able to find a comparable new boat for that price, but there are some wonderful boats out there that are only a year or two old that can beat that price, and any credit union can beat boat manufacturers financing.
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