Boat Purchase Priorities

Being the titewad ( chuckle Dean knows ) that I am for me it comes down to used and the layout that works for me for the least amount of cash. I have never been an impulse buyer my last boat took me 4 years to find it, I have had it for 10 years and am just as happy now with the layout as when I first bought it. I new exactly what I wanted at a price that was reasonable. I believe the newer motors there really is not a bad brand anymore so for me that is neither here nor there. Even thou I buy used dealer service for the brand motor is huge to me.

If I were to ever buy new it would still be number 1 layout of the boat, fishability.

First off, Thank You for all of the replies!!!

Since I know several of you, I wasn’t surprised by many of the replies. I do find it interesting however, the neutrality of motor brands. I really expected more of the Ford, Dodge, Chev type comments with the aspect that the motor is roughly half of the expense of the purchase.

Thanks again everyone for sharing your thoughts!!!!

Dean, motor neutrality really just means that you have to pick the motor that matches your boat colors. Lol!

SuperDave1959 wrote:

Dean, motor neutrality really just means that you have to pick the motor that matches your boat colors. Lol!

LOL !!!!!

I think all 4 you listed Dean are important, really. But here’s my ranking:

1 Brand of Boat. Well, it’s really more about layout for the way I Fish. If brand X has it, I’m fairly open minded. I’ve even switched from glass to tin to find a deep V Hull with an open bass boat layout (wish Skeeter had this

2. Dealer/ Service after the sale. Wait til you have a problem and you’ll find out how important this is.

3. Price. However this can jump up the list considerably if your better half has a strong opinion

4. Motor brand. Yes, I was a strong Chevy-Ford debater until recent years. It had to be a reliable 4 stroke EFI. I was very partial to Yamaha and Suzuki because they were the first/most reliable IMO. I still think Yamaha is the standard to beat. However, I also think the others have caught up. I was always an anti-Mercury guy (too loud, fast, yet unreliable). But now I’m eating my words and enjoying my Merc 150 4s. Time will tell if it holds up like a Yammy, but I think it will. And yes, I would even buy one of the new Evinrudes if items 1-3 were met above.

1 Dealer
2 price
3 Brand of motor
4 brand of boat

Dean knows this out of me. Dealer #1!! Luckily I know two good dealers both that sell different brands of boats. Then it’s price.

I wanted a certain boat, but wasn’t willing to pay what my other good dealer wanted for it.

Motor and boat brand are kind of tied though. I am a Mercury guy but had to pull the plug as I got a new boat with a Yamaha. I believe all of the outboards make a great product so I was fine with whatever. I really wanted a Verado though haha.

Boat is the same thing. I like some more than others. But most make a good product.

So I leave those two at the bottom of the list.

I would divide the Dealer service into two categories. A. The quality of the mechanics and their experience. B. Their willingness to get me back on the water (if that was urgent – like an up-coming tournament) I had a motor problem which resulted in four trips to the Dealer. I give them an A+ for trying to address it immediately. But the fix’s never worked and I ended up replacing expensive parts that weren’t needed. Needless to say I had to find a shop that knew more. I’ll drive from Mpls to LaCrosse if I have absolute confidence in a shop. Last year another shop said, sure we can get that done very quickly – NOT, and to add insult, they waited three weeks to order the parts that they knew they needed on day One. Which of course were back-ordered. Boat brands, motors and price are considerations, but for me the main thing is a shop that deals more with guys like me. I was in a two day tournament up North and needed a throttle cable replaced. The area shop said – well we are busy winterizing boats right now, maybe next week.

I guess I have a different take on this. For me it comes down to price first and foremost. The fish really don’t care how expensive your boat is. As long as it floats and moves down the lake I can catch fish. As a family man my first priority will never be boats, bikes, Vikings tickets, or anything like that. I don’t buy things I don’t have the money for already, no way I’m going deep into dept over a boat.

SR

Steve thats not quite true. I have heard that Walleye have come over the side of BK’s new Skeeter and that never happened in the Lund. Now what I haven’t clarified if it was BK or his FW actually doing the catching.

Wow guys !!!!! I sincerely appreciate the great feed back !!!
While everyone posting on this has different takes on what drives them, it is a great reminder of how important, good communication is with each customer and never to assume what might be most important to them.

PS Dutchy, FW for sure ! :]

1. Boat lay out/brand. Fishability and ride.
2. Price. When I bought my boat a dealer 1 mile from my cabin was over 3 grand higher on the EXACT same boat outfitted with same accessories.
3. Dealer. I drive 4 hours for service and am happy when I walk out the door.
4. Motor brand. I think Yamaha is the benchmark that every other brand is trying to match. I think all 4 stroke brands are very close anymore.

1) Boat layout and style. I’m about as multi-species as one can get, so I look for something that can jig, drift, troll big water, work weed edges, etc.
2) Dealer. For me it’s a combination of service after the sale as well as quality rigging and knowledgeable fishing focused dealership. It’s a huge benefit having dealership guys that fish in the boat you’re looking at buying. Some of the ideas they had for rigging were things I wouldn’t have thought of and have worked out incredibly well. You almost can’t put a price on that, as re-rigging after the fact would be much more expensive.
3) boat brand and reputation
4) engine brand and reputation. I know most motors made these days are pretty darn good and I would consider most, but truth be told it seems like the used rigs with Yamaha’s seem to sell fast.

For me its:

#1- Dealer After Sale
Boats are big, fast and get used. I have owned every brand of motor and several brands of boats. If you use them they will need repair, some more than others but if the dealer doesn’t get you in and get your warranty work addressed then that’s an issue for me. Also I travel often so I want a dealer that’s close to my home. Basically I want to drop the boat off and pick it up Friday when I get home.

#2: Motor
If the motor isn’t working for you then your new shiny boat is out of commission. Also Warranty is important to me. Motors are very expensive when they break and a surprise 10k powerhead is never a fun situation.

#3 Brand of Boat:
They are all nice now days, I don’t think its a brand as much as the layout and design for how you fish. Honestly I would run whatever manufacturer my preferred dealer sells. They all make nice boats, and all have their positives and negatives.

4: Price:
It is what is, as I have gotten older I realize that what you want is never cheap, you got to bite the bullet and get it done. I love my glass boat, it comes with a price. I was really happy with Aluminum, cost a little less. But in the end with National Pricing on the major manufactures, when you compare size, features and HP they all competitive and in the ball park as far as price. Typically the resale values are proportionate to the cost, pay a little more and they sell for a little more so kind of a wash to me.

1. Rod locker size and amount of storage for rods. I have x4 9’-2” rods, x6 8’ to 8’-6” rods, and the rest are 7’ to 7’-6”
2. Price
3. Boat layout
4. Dry ride and quality of ride

#5 trailer If the boat is a pain to load and unload in current or wind you won’t want to go very often on a whim. I want to do this by myself. My most comfortable boat is also the easiest to load and unload but you better have 4wd to pull out of some of the ramps. I own half a dozen boats tin and fiberglass, something to consider.

Mike

Dean Marshall wrote:

Wow guys !!!!! I sincerely appreciate the great feed back !!!
While everyone posting on this has different takes on what drives them, it is a great reminder of how important, good communication is with each customer and never to assume what might be most important to them.

PS Dutchy, FW for sure ! :]

I think what you are learning Dean is that each potential buyer is quite different. Am I right?
This is good information to have at your disposal when working with potential buyers.