Aluminum boat shopping

[titanxt]

Hello all! This is my first post and I need a bit of advice.

I would like to purchase a used aluminum hulled fishin boat - something like an Alumacraft or a Lund. I do not know a lot about boats, but would like to know that I am getting the most boat for the money. How does one learn how an older model Alumacraft or Lund compares to a newer model Tracker or Lowe? What is the best way to locate a good used boat?

Thanks!

 

[reddogg]

Re: Hello!

Re: Hello!

Hiya and welcome You can look look in your local paper, try out craigs list for your area (they have a boat section) or evan e-bay. Also go to some of your local marineas and look around as well as your local dealers, most dealers have a for sale bullitin board or might know someone selling. As far as price goes, it's all about the condition of the boat/motor/trailer and age of the stuff. The nicer, newer ,and cleaner a boat is usually indicates a higher price. If you are mechanically inclined, you might get one that needs some work at a good price and than work on it yourself. When looking at a used boat first enshure it has a clear title and that the numbers on the title match the numbers on the boat. Look at the condition of the boat taking into consideration corrosion (since u want an alum boat), if it has a deck, are there any soft spots in the deck indicating rot, look at the transome for any rot. Does the boat look like it's been taken care of? a scruffy lookin boat indicates neglect. Play with the switches and knobs making sure they all work. Above all insist on a test drive. When on the test run ask yourself is the engine running well? did it start easily? does it respond well to the throttle? does it shift well? is the stearing working good? did the boat have a good hole shot and plane out in a reasonable ammount of time? Does the engine provide enough power for the boat or is it under powered? If it has trim/tilt, does that work well? Rarely are you going to find a used boat with no problems at all so it's really a buyer beware market.

Red

 

[lncoop]

Re: Hello!

Re: Hello!

Welcome aboard titan. One nice thing about buying a metal boat in the secondary market is you don't have to worry about issues associated with glass boats. As reddogg says, check CL, your local paper, boat dealers, etc. on a regular basis. Iboats also has an extensive and searchable classified section. You can dial it in by brand, style, location, price, etc. Here's the link. http://boats.iboats.com/ It would be helpful if you'd add your location (general area is fine) to your profile because usage and price are very dependent on geograpy. I won't get into what to look for when examining potential purchases because that's covered extensively on the boards and the info can easily be retrieved with a search, but I will say if you run across something you find compelling feel free to post a link and ask for input. You'll get all you can stand.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

1st, welcome aboard titanxt.

By your posting I'm thinking you already know more than you give yourself credit for. Why? Because the first two boats you referance are in my opinion already Top of the Line brands. They both have been in business for many years and they just know how to build boats. I'm also thinking you may already have a couple models or sizes in mind.

I myself have a 27 year old Lund that is still as seaworthy as the day it was built. No leaks, no rattles. I would still prefer ny 27 yr. old Lund over a new Lowe or Tracker. I have looked at the new Trackers and was not impressed.

So what are you looking for? Pure fishing, more creature comforts or Fish and Ski? How bigs the budget?

Lund for instance has used the same 3 basic hull designs for many years. They have just expaned the length or widened the beam for different models and changed floor plans. Pretty much the same thing for Alumacraft.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

Lots of good Starcraft aluminum hulls out there cheap, if you want to customize it a bit they aren't bad to work on.

Sea Nymph, Sylvan, Smokercraft, Lund, Lowe and a few others are all pretty well-built boats.

Lunds are tough to find cheap, but since you're paying I say go for it

 

[MacDaddy21]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

I have a 1979 Lowe Line deep v 16' and love it. It is in great shape for a 32 year old boat.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

I'll add a few things.

Stay away from boats that "just need a tune-up", if it just needed a tune-up the owner would do it himself and get more money for the boat and sell it quicker.

When you go to look at a boat, feel the engine to see if it's warm. Warm engines start easier than cold engines and you want to make sure the engine you buy will start fairly easily when cold.

Look at the hull. If it has a sloppy or non professional paint job, or other type of coating, or the rivets have goop smeared on them it means the boat more than likely has leaking problems and you'll have to remove whatever paint or crud on the hull to fix the leak(s).

Some owners will let a boat sit for years without doing anything to it before they decide to sell it, this means engine work right off the bat... but you can get some good deals like this too.

The best time to buy a boat is late fall( when the boating season is over for most people) until the first of the year... especially right before or right after Christmas. Boats will be considerably cheaper then, but the price goes back up after the first of the year in anticipation of Spring.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

As far as I am concerned I wodul take a 20 year aluminum boat to any new boat made even a new Lund, they simply don't make them like they used to, I run an '81 Sea-Nymph that is still as tight as the day she was made, the new stuff has rivets to far apart and you can just tell the bean counters had alot to do wioth the design and I am an aluminum welder and have seen very few welded boats that I would trust, shoot, alot of the Trackers crack welds before they ever even see water.

The best way to find abot is to put in alot of time and miles looking, it took me almost 3 months to find mine but once you see it you just know it is the one, I actually lucked into mine, saw an ad in a local freebie paper for boat parts and called, the guy had a boat and he was thinking about selling it but hadn't made up his mind, I geuss the pile of Franklins help make his decision.

Huron had a good list of boats but there are alot of them, when you find one put it up and see what we think.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

For resale it is Lund, Alumacraft, Crestliner and then all the others. Tracker for the most part are entry level boats, and most are underpowered just to get the price point down. There are lots of good boats out there and if buying used, condition tells a lot about its care. As was mentioned, "all it needs is a tune-up" is a dead giveaway that something is amiss. If that's all it was, the owner would have had it done. If you are not boat savy -- take someone with you that is -- VERY savy that is.

 

[beckoning]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

I'll add my 2 cents. I've bought and sold various boats. Everything the folks have said on this thread are correct. I would start with 4 things: 1) decide what you want to do with the boat most of the time and where you want to do it, such as big lake, Great Lakes, ocean, bay, river. The what and where all make a difference in what you want to look for. If it is fishing in heavy water, look for something with minimum 24" inside freeboard for safety. 2) Decide if you want outboard or IO. 3) Whatever you decide, look at NADA for used boat values. Type in some examples and see what you get. You'll get an idea of price ranges, and 4) choose 10 people who have different types of aluminum boats and pick their brains. Overall, doing the type of research you're doing and talking to people can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of grief. Good Luck.

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

If it don't leak it's good
Got at 30 year old 16 foot seanyph, that I beat the heck out of. duckhunting. no leaks.???
I'm sure that does'nt help.

 

[a2tripp]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

my dad has the 20ft model lund, very nice skiff.. very light and nimble though. We have had some quality issues but mostly due from the dealer. We beach my dads all the time on stoney and sand beaches, rivets and such still look new.
Up north here most people go with Hewes / Hewescraft, Alumacraft is also popular. People that own the Hewes say its the best

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

Sea Nymph, Sylvan, Smokercraft, Lund, Lowe and a few others are all pretty well-built boats.

Have to agree on the first four, 5th one I know very little about

Lunds are tough to find cheap,

Relative to what? They are out there. Just need to look. Had my eye on a Mr.Pike for a very reasonable price. Only thing that held me back was the wife. To quote her, "IF you want a new one fine. But one has to go 1st!" It was sold long before I could sell mine. So the ones that can be found don't stay available long. So you really need to act fast!

 

[Captain Caveman]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

I do not know a lot about boats, but would like to know that I am getting the most boat for the money. How does one learn how an older model Alumacraft or Lund compares to a newer model Tracker or Lowe? What is the best way to locate a good used boat?

To answer your first question, you know that you are getting the most boat for your money by doing lots of research and looking at lots of boats. Go to boat dealers and look at what they have in stock for used boats. That's also a great way to answer your second question about how older ones compare to newer ones. You'll see that they are laid out differently and that new boats have more gadgets, but that could be a negative too depending on your point of view. Aluminum boat hulls last forever, but as stated by others, the wood decking can get soft, the transoms can rot if it's a wood core with a metal face, and certainly the wiring can go bad but that's easy to replace on the type of boat you're looking to buy.

While you are checking out boats in person at the dealer's lots, start looking at boats online as well. You'll start to understand the differences between models a bit more, and also the pricing available. The longer you look, the quicker you'll know a good deal when you see one.

IMO - Tracker and Lowe don't compare to stalwarts like Alumacraft and Lund, but over time they may. You'll see that reflected in the prices too. You'll likely pay more for the Alumacraft or Lund versus the other boats, whether it's based on perception or actual quality is subjective.

As for your final question, you can locate a good boat as stated previously by shopping the boat dealers, the dealer's websites, online classified ads, local newspapers, and by taking some nice drives around your neighborhood and others. You'll find boats for sale in people's yards. The best places to find those are near lakes and rivers, since a higher majority of homes around there will own a boat.

Overall, the more boats that you see with your own eyes and read about online, the more knowledgeable you'll be....and keep asking questions on the forums!

 

[titanxt]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

Man, that is a lot of good information. I have update my profile to inlcude my area, which is central Indiana.

What I would like to have in a boat is one that can do some serious fishing (bass, walleye, etc.) on smaller lakes, as well as handle bigger lakes like Kentucky lake or some up north in Michigan and Wisconsin. I have two young kids who have tasted being pulled by a boat on a tube and are addicted, so a fish/ski model might serve us well, though I am torn as to how the other windshield will limit some of the fishing and storage area. In a perfect world, I would like to find something along the lines of a Lund or Alumacraft that is 16' or so in length, has 90 HP or more in motor, has been treated well and is under $10,000. I did see a 2002 Lund "Mr. Pike" for sale in Oklahoma for just under $8,000.00 that had more to offer than other boats I ahve seen, but it sold fast and it was 500 miles away...

Thanks!

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

titanxt, this may be something you might be interested in. It's located in Elgin Illinois.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/boa/2505054024.html

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Aluminum boat shopping

Craigslist is probably your best bet, I just picked up a Smokercraft last Friday, with a 9.8 Mercury, gas can and oars for believe it or not $200.00 not as pretty as they come, but it floats, took it fishing this last Saturday, seaworthy, no leaks and was just a fun day..