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Member
Posts: 2567
Location: Manitowoc, WI | This being the boat and sport show season, along with many of us rigging our boats and others looking to buy, I thought it would be helpful to start some posts in regards to the different boat brands that are available. In a short paragraph or two, tell us what you like about your Ranger. | |
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Member
Posts: 2567
Location: Manitowoc, WI | With the number of Ranger owner's who toot their horn in regards to their boats, I am disappointed that there haven't been any reports here. Does anyone have anything to add? | |
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Member
Posts: 42
Location: Fergus Falls, MN | Ok...
Was planning on getting a new boat for the spring of '04. But I got laid off of my job of 9 years on the 1st of December 2003. No warning. Merry f'n Christmas. So, my boat went on hold. Lund 1700 Pro Angler tiller.
I managed to land a job that paid me more than my previous job, 11 months ago. I had already worked out on how I was going to make that Lund Angler work at my old job and now I was making $5000 a year more... You do the math. So, last fall I started looking at boats again. Figured I could afford a Pro-V now. (is that the same math you came up with?) Researched on the net and in brochures. I had it narrowed down to the Alumacraft Tournament Pro tiller, Pro-V 1775 tiller, Pro-V 1800 tiller, Skeeter 1790 and the Ranger 618T. My buddy has the console 618 with a V-Max 150, and while its nice, I wouldn't want it. Almost zero storage, kinda cramped. Just isn't much there. I was pretty convinced that the either of the Pro-V's was going to be my next boat. Layout seemed to be very good. I really wanted glass, but didn't like my buddy's 618, didn't really like the layout of the Skeeter. So, while I wanted glass, I liked the looks of the Pro-V the most. Well, the time came to go look at boats. My wife wanted to be included in on the whole deal so I had to bring her along to look. I wasn't looking forward to that... She has a hard time understanding my addiction...
My wife threw out the Skeeter as soon as we looked at a few of the Bass boats. Fit and finish weren't very good at all and even she noticed that. The worst looking boats we looked at. Not by a little either. Crestliner was out because they don't have an upper end tiller. I did like the Alumacraft. Spent the most time with the Pro-V. (1775 console) And the Ranger. Looked them both over hard. Sat in each for a long time. My wife and I headed for lunch and talked. It was definitely down to the Pro-V or the 618. The 618 was sitting outside and had gotten wet from a rain the night before. Figured the Pro-V would be the boat because Rangers are so terribly expensive though. But to compare, I got some pricing on both. I already knew what I wanted in a boat and priced accordingly. Apples to apples. The Ranger wound up being less than $1500 over the Pro-V price + accessories, and the Ranger came standard with a ton of stuff that was extra with the Lund. Bunk trailer with brakes, 25" transom, cover, on-board charging... Extra, extra, extra with the Lund, standard with the Ranger.
I didn't like that the Ranger had a Johnson on it. I wanted Honda or Yamaha. But after I did some research, that was the best 90 tiller. The only 4-stroke EFI. Excellent stats. And actually, a Suzuki. I've loved my Suzuki dirt bikes. So suddenly that Ranger was looking better.
The next week the dealer drove the boat to my town, an hour away from the dealership, so I could test drive it. WOW! I was really impressed. My wife was very impressed. Much more so than she thought she ever would be. Smooth, stable, easy loading.
We went to another dealer a few days later, met my brother there to get his opinions, and looked at the Pro-V and the 618. They had a 1775 tiller. Wound up being even more disapointed in the Pro-V. It was sitting outside and some of the compartments had water in them. Didn't like the electronics console. Short little 7' rod locker. While there was a bunch of storage compartments they were tiny little compartments. My wife noted that the Ranger was sitting outside and it didn't have water in the compartments.
My wife was the first one to say it out loud on the way home..."I think you should get the Ranger."
A week later the dealer delivered the boat I test drove.
The Ranger just was laid out like I wanted. Nice high large front deck that continues down each side at one level. You can walk from the "console" to the bow of the boat and back down the opposite side of the boat without stepping up or down. One level. You can stand on the pads on the transom even. 2 rod lockers for all of my custom rods. If you put them in socks and double up in the tubes you can get 14 rods per locker. And not some measly worthless 7 foot locker either. 8 feet and 9 feet long!! I can get fully strung fly rods in there! Amazing fit and finish. Much nicer than the others we looked at. Digital switches. Huge storage compartments! The smallest one of the two is half again as big as the one in my buddies 618. The boat is 7 inches wider and 4 inches longer than his too. The big compartment will hold the contents of my Cabela's Super Magnum tackle bag plus my GuideWear plus my life jacket and a half a dozen towels, and still have some room. Every compartment has rubber gaskets around them and are bone dry. (during my first outing I got caught in a rain storm that dropped well over an inch of rain in under 20 minutes...water was actually standing on the floor...compartments were bone dry) Standard with all of the things I demanded in a boat/trailer. Every thing you look at in that boat/trailer you think "well done".
The ONLY thing I liked better about the Pro-V was the in-floor tackle storage.
My only complaints about the Ranger are measly integrated tackle storage and a misprint in the catalog/web site that shows a 3-bank charger is standard. It came with a 2-bank. Those are my ONLY complaints.
My dealer replaced my 2-bank with a 3-bank for me. They knew that was an option that I needed and part of the reason I picked Ranger. Ranger wasn't too interested in doing anything, but my dealer was. They also provided me with extra fabric so I can have a local company modify my cover for my bowmount.
Crystal-Pierz in Fargo, ND. In case you didn't hear me...Crystal-Pierz in Fargo, ND.
I can honestly say that I got the best boat for me. I have absolutely NO regrets and I am looking forward to enjoying this boat for the next 10 years. I always kind of poo-poo'd Ranger because there is this sterotype associated with them. But I went shopping fully expecting to get a Lund or a Skeeter and came home with a Ranger. And it was by far the best boat for me. Ranger ran away from the competition.
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Member
Posts: 194
Location: Northern Illinois | I like to use a boat for several years, for the enjoyment and functionality that I require on both rivers and big water. My interest is not to sell in three years, deal with depreciation and buy new again. Having said that, I chose a 2003 Ranger 619. Service, mechanical and customer, is very important to me. I spent 2-3 previous years scheming for this boat, and working the wife into the decision. I looked hardest at Lund Pro-V and Ranger. 2 different boats, but I was very open minded. I thought about others, having come off Crestliner, which I really liked. Looked at Crestliner, Triton, Tracker, Alumacraft, Tuffy and Skeeter. What I saw, or did not see with either the boat or dealership swayed me to Bedford Sales Ranger 619 and Bobs DeKalb Pro-V 1800. Lund did not have a trailer with a swing tongue that could fit in my garage with a 1900, thus having to go with a Pro-V 1800. Yet a Ranger tandem trailer with a 619 could! Both sales staffs are very professional and knowledgeable....good people.
Yep, I paid the most with Ranger but I believe that for my applications and use, Ranger was the best value. A lot of small things entered into my decision. Service ability, belief of the mfg'ers survival. Belief that the dealer is in business to stay. Ability to get the boat into my garage and frankly, not a huge price difference between the two finalists if you consider the number of years that I will keep the boat. Boat layout and storage. Have an Opti which runs terrific. I would probably have been equally pleased with a Yammie. I was and continue to be real happy with the solid feel of the 619 in heavy water.
When I have needed either service, warranty coverage or additional rigging, Bedford has been very efficient. Ranger/Bedford has treated me very well. Good luck... | |
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Member
Posts: 376
Location: Menominee MI, In Da UP Eh? | Can a guy who had two of them weigh in?
Ranger makes an awesome boat, to be sure. Solid, stable and dependable. They really do go the extra mile in building their rigs. I loved the two I had and would not hesitate to fish from one again.
I also belive Ranger is one of the companies that is always either raising the bar higher or holding the bar high on what a quality boats should be. Price is not always higher either, just depends on a lot of variables.
Ranger themselves have always been great to work with and issues with my rigs, always rather minor by the way, had always been resolved well beyond expected. The same goes for the dealership that has been my pleasure to be involved with for many years. The guys and Girls at MW Marine are just plain super.
Bottom line, test drive one and decide. It may be the boat for you, and it may not.
Edited by Nofish 2/15/2005 12:03 PM
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Member
Posts: 105
| I ran a crestliner for 6 years and I really liked it, yes it was a little wet and it pounded in 3 footers but it got the job done and was in good shape when I sold it. My fishing partner bought a new 619 in 2000, after the first tourny running that boat I was sold,I had to have one. Now I had ridden in tuffys, warriors, yarcraft and skeeters before that and while I liked all of those boats none of those forced me to go home and tell the boss that the crestliner was history and that I needed to put an addition on the garage. I love the way my 619 handles fit and finish are great as always, the seats could be higher but other than that I am very satisfied with the boat, hopefully in a couple years I will buy a new one probobly a 620 this time. Kitch | |
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| Mattman,
My dad bought this same boat last year with the same motor. Absolutly love the boat!!! Ranger has is all figured out all the way down to the wheel hubs on the trailer!!! I caught the 3 bank charger thing when we ordered it and it got a 3 bank put in it right from the start for nothing. There was one other thing that was wrong on the specs but I can't remember what it was. | |
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| I am pleased and proud to be a Ranger dealer. As a boat dealer, my biggest concern is how well a boat company stands behind their product and their dealers. Ranger is absolutely excellent in both of these areas.
I can be assured in the fact that any customer who bought a Ranger from me got excellent product and if any issues arise in the future, neither he, nor I will be left twisting in the wind.
That is paramount, in my mind. | |
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Tell us your story: Ranger