Ranger 195VX or Nitro 901CDX DC - HELP!

[Matt Erickson2]

Hey Gang. It's been a while since I last visited this site. Some of you may remember, I owned a 700LX. Well, I sold it to buy a bigger boat - just to catch up with my dream.



Now, I need your help. I have a problem deciding on buying Ranger 195VX or Nitro 901CDX DC (both equip with 200 Merc Opti). Naturally, the Ranger one is somewhat more expensive, but the design in some area you can't really compare it with other boats. What I liked best about Ranger is the console -- allows for a depthfinder such as Garmin 250 to be mounted flush on it. The 901 won't allow that due to contours to only accept Lowrance 1440 flasher (I couldn't figure why Nitro would only limit that). Otherwise everthing looks good on both boats. If the Ranger 195VX is priced the same as the 901, I would go with Ranger in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, it's not the case, so I'm confused and need your help -- thanks!!!



- matt

 

[Pierre Voisine]

Matt,



This ones easy, between these two boats, I would pick:.....The Pro Team 175. Go tin my friend, remember, tin won the 2004 Nitro Owners rally hands down. I just painted my 'glass boat in aluminum clorous to try and get the mojo going.





Actually, all kidding aside, you are in a great predicament, only you could make the right choice kimosabby. But if it was me...Ranger if I was to keep it for many years, or the 901, I prefer the layoutand put the extra $ in extras, and change it again in a few years.



Pierre

 

[Matt Erickson2]

LOL! Actually I do own a tin boat - a 15' skiff. That would be enough... I don't think my wife would approve me having another tin boat, tho.



Keeping it for many years is one of my goals in the next purchase -- my wife is going to kill me if I ever suggest to sell it in few years.



Price itself is not a problem, the value is. I want most bang for a buck that I could keep it for a long time with low maintenance. And that will fit in my garage.



Additionally, if I go with a Ranger, I'm split between owning a 185VX w/175 Merc Opti and 195VX w/200 Merc Opti -- due to big swing in a price: approx. $5,000 difference. I like 200 Merc for two things - 3.0L block and has low water pick-up. I'm sure 175 Merc (the 2.5L block) is as reliable as the 200 Merc because I understand that 2.5L block has been around for a LONG time.



- matt

 

[Brian Bell2]

I own a Nitro also and love it, but if I woke up this morning and found 35K under my pillow, thats easy I would buy the Ranger. You cannot compare a Ranger to a Nitro (apples / oranges) There are few boats out there that you can compaire to a Ranger, Basscat and Tritons would be a couple, maybe the ZX model Skeeters. Rangers are in a class above most of the rest of the boats out there.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Jeeze Brian, I see Rangers marketing plan worked on you. LOL!! If the statistics were regurgetated again, you would find that they are very close and as time goes on they get closer. Not knocking Ranger but giving NITRO its due. My 929 is a 2000 and has been flawless. Anything that has been wrong, I have done and "some" would say the rough water ride and deck space just can't be matched. There are a lot of happy NITRO owners out there. More than you would think.



TOXIC

 

[Staci Matheis]

Is the biggest reason the placement of the depthfinder?



It may well be just because I'm short, but on both boats I've owned, I've found it hard to read the flasher that was placed directly behind the wheel. I actuall preferred having the depth/fish finder on the console because of this.



Further, should you get yourself a GPS unit, you wouldn't be able to get one with the built-in antenna.



Both are exceptional boats. You won't be disappointed with either.

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Boy would I love to have this problem..



Bill

 

[Brian Bell2]

Toxic, I LOVE my Nitro ( 04 NX750 ) and loved my 99 700LX. But I guess your right Ranger got me brainwashed... I have seen the light, if I found 35K under my pillow I would get a 2004 929 CDX with the 225 opti.. I am saved.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

LOL!!! Not saying it would be an easy choice but there is usually some discussion as to which is actually the best bang for the buck.....QUIET LaMoist!! HAHA.



TOXIC

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Matt, you ought to look at that 2000 929 SC State Team Boat in the swap & sell.. That's a great price.

Ok, I'm getting ready to fling that can of gas on this.

In my years past, I have always heard, read, etc., that Rangers were great, well-built boats with a wonderful resale but were heavy and slow. As for Nitro, I have always heard, read, etc., that they were not very well built and service was poor but the "bang" for the buck was hard to beat. Of course this may have come from Gambler, Stratos, Triton, Champion owners but more food for thought.



Bill

 

[C C]

One thing I have learned quickly is to also consider the dealer in the boat purchase process for the sale and mostly service. It can make or break how you feel about any boat.



The 185, 195 and 901 are all sweet rigs. I looked at the 185 & 195 during my shopping excursion and decided on the 180 which fits my friends/family and my fishing needs and the front deck with the extension in is 1" larger then the 185. I do know that from my own personal experience so far that if there are any problems Ranger will bend over backwards to make you happy.



Prior to my purchase I started corresponding with a few Ranger owners, ok I am reading another message board, there it's out and I feel so much better now. Ok, back to the point, when they have an issue it gets taken care of without any arguments. From all of the reading I have done Ranger customers never get BS from the factory because they stand behind their product 100% no matter if you are the original, second or even the third owner they treat you the same.



I will admit that is one of the other reason why I bought into the so called Ranger marketing brain washing scheme, after hearing from Ranger owners vs. hearing all of the horror stories about Trackers/Nitros it's a no brainer.



Sorry Tox, I am not bashing but answering the question asked with all sincerity and honesty from personal experience just as you did. I know who's house I am in and would never disrespect that or any, ummm.... well most of the people here. I do agree with the statement of which is actually the best bang for your buck, this would need to include warranty, customer service and re-sale values.



I will also add that my own Tracker/Nitro experience was wonderful, a couple of little issues but the dealer resolved them immediately without question. I consider myself lucky to have a great Tracker/Nitro dealer in my area. So back to my original statement, "consider the dealer in the purchase process".



Good luck no matter what you decide you will be happy.



Cass

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Hey Cass, I know the feeling but you said it yourself,



..."will also add that my own Tracker/Nitro experience was wonderful, a couple of little issues but the dealer resolved them immediately without question"



You are right, the dealer makes or breaks any deal. We have discussed that there are a lot more NITRO's on the water so you are going to hear a lot more complaining and that Tracker Marine has not always been the easiest to work with....but I gotta think that there are a lot of happy people out there with no reason to doubt that NITRO is #1 in their book. Going on price and looks alone NITRO is a player and if you have a good dealer then you are set.



I had a problem with an oil warning on my 929 went to my dealer twice and finally discovered that my "on engine" reservoir had a hairline crack in it. Replaced out of warranty FOC...He pulled another tank off of a brand new opti to get me back on the water.



I think those that have a reson to gripe i.e., bad treatment by a dealer or the factory should voice their concerns, but those that don't have a gripe should also (like you) say so. That would be fair reporting. Then the consumer can make an informed decision even though we all know those who have a gripe are usually the loudest and most vocal.



All that being said, I don't think that Tracker is losing any business (or sleep) over these issues. I would like to think they are listening though.



TOXIC

 

[TrepMan]

Pierre - " tin won the 2004 Nitro Owners rally hands down. I just painted my 'glass boat in aluminum clorous to try and get the mojo going."



BBWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA



See Matt you just need to by my PC 175 so I can have a down payment on a 21ft Tundra and a new Dodge Hemi to tow it with!!LOL



I would LOVE to be in your position! My only question is how did you narrow it down to just the Ranger and the Nitro? Why not Triton? BassCat?



You all know my feelings, i've had the most unbelievable POSITIVE experience with my dealer and not one warranty issue! Infact in January when the boat hits 5 years i will have WASTED $$$ on the extended warranty 'cause nothing broke!!! LOL

 

[Jim B]

My take is both are good boats, neither is perfect. I would ask around about each of the dealers an dbuy from the one with the best reputation. As it was stated above the dealer can make all the difference. as far as warranty issues are concerned i dont think that Ranger is any different then anyone else in the marine industry. I know plenty of ranger owners that complain about thier boats and about not getting anywhere with ranger on getting it fixed for some reasoin they dont go on the net and complain loudly. Most of the nitro "bashing" i see on the other boards are from people who dont even own a boat. you get stuff like "my cousins buddies brother had an issue that i heard about tenth hand so the boats are crap". my experience with nitro on getting warranty stuff fixed has been ok not great but ok. It really helps to have a dealer that cares, i happen to have one. Would i buy another ? i sure would. Back when i had my champion i found them to be harder to deal with then nitro. my dealer had gone under and while they responded to the little stuff fine like my bad fuel sender when i had a bigger problem like a seat and armrest that fell apart after 3 months because it was put together poorly they didnt want to replace it without me having to fight with them.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

 

[Jim B]

Rob, BJ Laster went from a Ranger to a Nitro so you have one for your list and im sure there are others we will never know about. As i said above i dont think rangers customer serivice in any better then anyone elses. If it is a want proof of it. I can give you a good example of why i don tthink they are. A guy in my club busted th etransom on his 195vs and they refused to fix it until he had a lawyer write them a letter with a threat of a lawsuit. his transom had a massive air void and they wanted no part of it. This guy was a 3 time ranger owner and i dont think he will ever buy another because of the way he was treated. Im not saying hes going to buy a nitro but i can tell you it wont be a ranger.



Ranger makes a fine boat, there is nothing wrong with them but i dont think there is anything wrong with owning a nitro either



Like i ave said before i switched to a nitro from a champion. Some people hold the champ right up there with ranger and triton and skeeter etc. I went to nitro from a champ and i dont regret it. When i got mine i felt the champ wasnt worth the 10e k more it would have cost for a boat in the same size class, i still feel that way today. I would buy another champ if the prices were more reasonable.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

And Rob, as soon as Ranger hit's the "#1 in boat sales" as in most units sold, I'll believe that nobody is buying NITROS. If I remember, there are a couple of members here that sold their Rangers and got NITRO's. My point is you will always be able to back up either so, to each his own.



You sold yours yet to get the new one?



TOXIC

 

[Mark Gross]

RANGER..for the quality,for the customer service ,the legand continues!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

 

[Bob G.]

Rob,



If I buy a Ranger, can I join your "Ranger is better than Nitro" club?? LOL!!



Bob G.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

You gettin squemish Rob? Or did you unload on me????LOL



TOXIC

 

[Jr. Dunn]

I only read 3 or 4 of the replies and wasn't going to say anything but just couldn't help it. I looked at Ranger & Nitro before making my choice and I have no regrets at all. Both are good boats but the attention to detail and quality of the Ranger is far superior. Look at them close and you will see. Also, I wouldn't go with the "black" motor and you can't get the V-Max on the Nitro. (That's just my two cents)

 

[Matt Erickson2]

Thank you gang! I am surprised to see this kind of response - overwhelmly unbiased. I'm a step closer to owning a Ranger... I probably will place an order on a new Ranger boat tomorrow - and will take 10 to 14 weeks before I'll see it.



To answer few of the questions above:

1) Depthfinder on dash. I do not like how Nitro "contoured" the dashboard to only take Lowrance 1440. That limits the expandability and seriously limit me from installing the box depthfinder like Garmin 250 without looking out of place. I prefer to reserve the space on the gunnel next to the console for a GPS. With a depthfinder on dash and a GPS on the gunnel leaves uncluttered feel of the helm. The same for the bow dash - same problem! I find that the depthfinder mounted on the carpet area of the bow can get in the way, esp. in a smaller boats. The Ranger offers space for the depthfinder to be flush mounted on the bow dash - that is a big plus.



2) Toxic's 929 for sale is darn good deal. This won't work mainly because it won't fit in my garage. I even had a Nitro dealer to come over and try to test fit a 911 about two hours ago. 911 is smaller boat than the 929, and the 911 barely fit with few inches sticking out. That might be a problem for me trying to store a 901 or a 195! Since they're only 3 inches shorter than 911. Drats! Hopefully tomorrow I can get a 195 to test fit my garage. I might be forced to downsize to a 185. No way I'll go with NX series, because I want to keep the boat for a LONG time this time around. No offense to any of you NX owners, they're great boats, it's a matter of preference.



3) Why don't I want a Triton or a BassCat. Believe me, I have checked in many, not all, manufacturers before I narrowed down to these two. First of all, the Tritons are a little ugly, no offense intended, but that's only my opinion. I have rode and driven in TR-21 before, I can tell you it rode awesomely and very easy to drive even at full speed hovering mid-70's. There's no BassCat dealer close here which is why I didn't go with it. Same true for the Bullet and other brands that I do like. Nitro, Tracker, ProCraft, Ranger, and to name a few are available very close to my home and because I had a positive experience with Nitro (700LX) and has heard a lot good things about Ranger (evidently true on your responses).



4) Why I would go with "black" motor? First of all, I have positive experience with Mercury and have seen two blown Yamaha powerheads from two different owners. One was 250 HPDI, and another was 200 Saltwater Series II (I believe OX66 EFI). Also, Mercury offered SmartCraft gauges that I could monitor the motor's health while underway is a big plus for me. I'm deaf and could easily overlook the siren and damage the motor. It happened to me once with 700LX, but I was lucky this time because I had a hearing buddy going with me and heard the siren -- the motor was overheated due to a shopping bag got caught and clogged the water intake. I was lucky this time, but could not be lucky the next time around. SmartCraft package and a warning light installed is a must with a $30K rig. Yamaha does offer, but not as sophiscated as Merc.



I hope I have respond to all of the questions. Thanks again, gang! If you have not responded, and want to respond on my initial request - go for it, not only me but many others would want to hear yours.

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Oh for Pete's sake Matt (and I have never quite figured out just who Pete is?), build a bigger garage



Bill

 

[Matt Erickson2]

:-D Bill, I wish! My house is a large one story and built from the building line to another on the lot that leaves me no more room to expand wide-wise. On the sides between my home wall and the fenceline is approx. 7.5 feet wide. I didn't think of that when I built the house and now I regret it.



- matt

 

[Greg Meyer]

Easy...do what I did... got a bigger boat... told the wife we had to move... we did!

 

[Matt Erickson2]

Actually, we thought about it, but... letting go of a mortgage at 5% rate and house prices around here has risen so much to the point it's not worth moving, at least for now.