# Ranger Bass Boats



## Miguel Cervantes (Jan 12, 2010)

What is your opinion? Thinking about upgrading to the Comanche. Or would the VX touring edition be better? BTW, money isn't an object for this choice.


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## Judge (Jan 12, 2010)

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?id=4225196


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## Miguel Cervantes (Jan 12, 2010)

Judge said:


> http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?id=4225196


 
I'm not worried about a chapter 11 in the corporate world. There assets will be secure and it is merely a restructuring opportunity, and trimming of the fat. Ranger should be secure in this action.


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## bbf (Jan 12, 2010)

I would chose the Z Comanche series. Either Z519 or Z520. My reasoning for the comanche over the vx/vs series #1 they have a wider beam(to some it dont matter)and #2 they have a higher horsepower rating for a smaller boat. Ex. a Z519 is rated for a 225 and to match that in the vx series you have to get the 208vx which is over a ft. longer. My personal choice would be a Z519. Thats just my opinion.


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## afishaday (Jan 12, 2010)

Though I drive a VS... and it is just right for me (fish alone and just for fun)... I would certainly go to the Z Comanche if I were fishing big or different water... had others in the boat with me often... and wanted to be as competitive as possible. BTW, for what is is worth... today I would hang the new 4 stroke Yamaha on it.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Jan 12, 2010)

afishaday said:


> Though I drive a VS... and it is just right for me (fish alone and just for fun)... I would certainly go to the Z Comanche if I were fishing big or different water... had others in the boat with me often... and wanted to be as competitive as possible. BTW, for what is is worth... today I would hang the new 4 stroke Yamaha on it.


 
I am definitly a Yamaha fan.


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## alexmlane (Jan 13, 2010)

Sparky1 said:


> What is your opinion? Thinking about upgrading to the Comanche. Or would the VX touring edition be better? BTW, money isn't an object for this choice.




If you are dead set on a Ranger you want the Z boat for sure. I would also highly recommend a Yamaha and will not have anything else. As big as a fan as I am of Yamaha I personally wouldnt go for the new SHO 4 stroke just yet. Everything new like this will take a little time to work the bugs out. It will have a warranty though so you might not care. 

Rangers are awesome boats no doubt but I would encourage you to test drive several boats if you havent already. When I purchased one 9 months ago it came down to a Z520, Skeeter i-class and a Bass Cat Puma. They are all great boats but after driving all of them there was absolutely no comparison. Check them all out and see what best fits you. If money is no object check out the new Skeeter FX which is now the top of the line boat for Skeeter/Yamaha. Retail is $70k on them but nobody pays that and I hear you can get them in the mid to high $50's depending on how you rig it. Here is a link to the performance bulletin on it. Pretty impressive and a couple of MPH faster then the Z520 with the same motor. 

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/assets/products/otb/bulletins/bulletin_4stroke_hpv6_turbo_sa1740.tmp.pdf

Good luck!


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## Bear 75 (Jan 13, 2010)

If you are worried about the Chapter 11 and the condition of Ranger then I would stay away. Serious though Ranger and FLW are hurting bad, people are droping out of the tour at all levels. 

 I have a BassCat and will not own another boat. There the only Family owned and operated bass boat company out there and there been around for 35+ years. 
  Every boat is custom ordered, Life time transferiable warrenty to every owner, bonus bucks for any tournament. Serious though when you are talking about spending 30K+ do some deep research. Ride in many boats.

BassCat has won the JD Power and associates award for the past 5 years. Where do you live, let me know if you want a ride some time. I'm in the centeral GA lakes almost every weekend. 


www.basscat.com
www.impactfishing.com

http://www.basscat.com/images/Wallpaper/PumaFTD800.jpg
http://www.basscat.com/images/Wallpaper/CougarFTD800.jpg


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## JigNchunk (Jan 13, 2010)

If you are set on getting a Ranger and it sounds like you are, then you can't go wrong with the Z520. It's the best boat Ranger has ever built. I know where the are 2 '09 Z520's with full warranty for $39500 each.


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## Team3D (Jan 13, 2010)

Z520 and a 250 Yamaha!

Very good boat...

Be asured Ranger boats will be fine.... and it will take time to adjust for for the Tournament trails....


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## gahunter12 (Jan 13, 2010)

Ranger makes a great boat, so does Bass cat and many other companies. I would go try them all out first before buying. I have owned Rangers, Tritons, and Skeeters and the Skeeter is by far the best boat I have ever had. The only boat out there now that catches my attention is Phoenix. Phoenix is a good mixture of Triton, Stratos, and Bumble bee. The people that started the Phoenix line came form those companies and designed a boat with what fisherman want.


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## riprap (Jan 13, 2010)

I test drove the Z21 and while fast, I didn't like to when I was idiling around or going slow with a little chop on the water. I was getting a little spray in my face. I went with the 520, which is now the 208. They make the 208 in a commanche and it is the exact same thing. The Z520 has the hull of a 520 and inside like the z21. That Z520 would be my choice if you like the inside layout. My 520 is not fast, but the ride is excellent and you can fish in very shallow water. The front deck is longer on the Z's, but the deck on mine is perfect for me. I have the HPDI 225 and it has been great and comes out of the hole good too. I think you can go as high as 250 with the Z520. With money being no object, you can't go wrong by doing your homework and getting exactly what you want.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Jan 13, 2010)

JigNchunk said:


> If you are set on getting a Ranger and it sounds like you are, then you can't go wrong with the Z520. It's the best boat Ranger has ever built. I know where the are 2 '09 Z520's with full warranty for $39500 each.


 
Care to share where?


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## Team3D (Jan 13, 2010)

> Ranger makes a great boat, so does Bass cat and many other companies. I would go try them all out first before buying. I have owned Rangers, Tritons, and Skeeters and the Skeeter is by far the best boat I have ever had. The only boat out there now that catches my attention is Phoenix. Phoenix is a good mixture of Triton, Stratos, and Bumble bee. The people that started the Phoenix line came form those companies and designed a boat with what fisherman want.




Very good advise!!

Try them and and make a choice...


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## Perkins (Jan 13, 2010)

Bear 75 said:


> If you are worried about the Chapter 11 and the condition of Ranger then I would stay away. Serious though Ranger and FLW are hurting bad, people are droping out of the tour at all levels.
> 
> I have a BassCat and will not own another boat. There the only Family owned and operated bass boat company out there and there been around for 35+ years.
> Every boat is custom ordered, Life time transferiable warrenty to every owner, bonus bucks for any tournament. Serious though when you are talking about spending 30K+ do some deep research. Ride in many boats.
> ...



Didn't he say he was upgrading to a Ranger??? IMO if he goes with a Ranger he will be Upgrading. I have owned my share of boats and one thing is for sure when the end of the world does come. Ranger will be nbr 1. you think Bass Cat has sold or ever will sell as many boats as Ranger??  Ranger quality is un matched. in every way. Yes Bass Cat builds a great boat but here in Ga if it's not a skeeter Ranger or a Triton, I would be worried trying to get rid of it.
By the way I have a Z520 Ranger and my fishing partner has a 520 vx. both boats are awesome in every way. love the 520's.


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## JigNchunk (Jan 13, 2010)

Mark Hardin has one. his Phone# 404-403-6191. Email Bskeefer@gmail.com for pictures. I have seen some of Mark's boats and when he sells them they are in excellent condition and not abused.


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## castaway (Jan 14, 2010)

The Z520 is an amazing rig. I have always liked the 521. I personally own a Triton but Rangers are great boats.


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## BassCatMike (Jan 14, 2010)

Perkins said:


> you think Bass Cat has sold or ever will sell as many boats as Ranger??  Ranger quality is un matched. in every way. Yes Bass Cat builds a great boat but here in Ga if it's not a skeeter Ranger or a Triton, I would be worried trying to get rid of it.
> By the way I have a Z520 Ranger and my fishing partner has a 520 vx. both boats are awesome in every way. love the 520's.


Ranger quality is not un matched.
I dont think BassCat wants to build and sell as many boats as Ranger. Thats how they are so good to there owners. One of the reasons i went with BassCat is you dont see alot them around here, (i like to be different). Ranger and Skeeter build great boats, those would be my choices other than BassCat.


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## GABASSMAN (Jan 14, 2010)

alexmlane said:


> If you are dead set on a Ranger you want the Z boat for sure. I would also highly recommend a Yamaha and will not have anything else. As big as a fan as I am of Yamaha I personally wouldnt go for the new SHO 4 stroke just yet. Everything new like this will take a little time to work the bugs out. It will have a warranty though so you might not care.
> 
> Rangers are awesome boats no doubt but I would encourage you to test drive several boats if you havent already. When I purchased one 9 months ago it came down to a Z520, Skeeter i-class and a Bass Cat Puma. They are all great boats but after driving all of them there was absolutely no comparison. Check them all out and see what best fits you. If money is no object check out the new Skeeter FX which is now the top of the line boat for Skeeter/Yamaha. Retail is $70k on them but nobody pays that and I hear you can get them in the mid to high $50's depending on how you rig it. Here is a link to the performance bulletin on it. Pretty impressive and a couple of MPH faster then the Z520 with the same motor.
> 
> ...



x2!


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## BASSCAT1 (Jan 14, 2010)

Perkins said:


> Didn't he say he was upgrading to a Ranger??? IMO if he goes with a Ranger he will be Upgrading. I have owned my share of boats and one thing is for sure when the end of the world does come. Ranger will be nbr 1. you think Bass Cat has sold or ever will sell as many boats as Ranger??  Ranger quality is un matched. in every way. Yes Bass Cat builds a great boat but here in Ga if it's not a skeeter Ranger or a Triton, I would be worried trying to get rid of it.
> By the way I have a Z520 Ranger and my fishing partner has a 520 vx. both boats are awesome in every way. love the 520's.


I've stayed out of this thread as long as i could....They all have good boats..but the customer service in which you will recieve from BCB's is above all others --bar none-- If you don't believe me check with JD Powers.I have owned basscats for over 23yrs and have had no trouble selling them, just like any other ,take care of it and you'll reap the benefits.If it is just a good boat you want ,then you have multiple choices, If it is a great boat AND great customer service then the choice is obvious.


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## Rusty Shakleford (Jan 14, 2010)

You might wanna do some research on the JD powers "polls" before you believe them. That being said....I drive a G-Boat!! Rangers are sweet too though, definately one of the nicer cookie-cutters!


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## Bear 75 (Jan 14, 2010)

Perkins said:


> Didn't he say he was upgrading to a Ranger??? IMO if he goes with a Ranger he will be Upgrading. I have owned my share of boats and one thing is for sure when the end of the world does come. Ranger will be nbr 1. you think Bass Cat has sold or ever will sell as many boats as Ranger??  Ranger quality is un matched. in every way. Yes Bass Cat builds a great boat but here in Ga if it's not a skeeter Ranger or a Triton, I would be worried trying to get rid of it.
> By the way I have a Z520 Ranger and my fishing partner has a 520 vx. both boats are awesome in every way. love the 520's.





 Take it easy.... This is a thread that is open to everyones opinion so that a man can make a decision... That is what he asked... just like you have your opinion other people have there's. I don't have anything against Ranger, all that was said is there are more than one top of the line boat out there. I also stated facts that went along with it. 


Now for us... BassCat will not ever make the volume boats that any other major company has. Thay have stated that. They have also stated that "we want our dealers to carry very few boats 4 or 5 each" maybe. The reason is Low volume allows BassCat to make every boat for exactly what the owner wants instead of pushing whats on the showroom. Low volume also keeps them out of Bankruptcy court. 


  The Z520 is a very good boat and truth be told I was going to get one until I went to the 08 Classic in Hartwell. There was a Suzuki (sp) dealer there with a Z520 and a BassCat Puma side by side. I will not list the difference that lead up to my choice, but the Ranger was terriably sub-par. 

 Like you said "IMO", this is my opinion like you have yours. Give the man your opinion without bashing people for there's and press on. 

 I wish you the best in years to come,  Rusty




 Please don't get your feeling hurt: http://www.jdpower.com/Boats/ratings/bass-boat-ratings

 On this one read where the bass boat writing is in blue: http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2008020


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## pbmang (Jan 14, 2010)

The issue with JD Power is that the manufacturer has to pay a hefty fee to be included in the survey.  I know Champion does not pay, and that is why you never see them do well.  It doesn't mean they are a bad boat, just means they don't pay JD Power.

As far as the thread, I don't know why everyone recommending different brands is an issue because he asked about Rangers.  The question isn't which bass boat should he buy, rather which Ranger should he buy.

My opinion is like everyone else, go with the Z's.  Personally I like a 21 foot boat over a 20, so I would say a Z521, but the Z520 would be killer with a 250.


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## sinclair1 (Jan 14, 2010)

pbmang said:


> The issue with JD Power is that the manufacturer has to pay a hefty fee to be included in the survey.  I know Champion does not pay, and that is why you never see them do well.  It doesn't mean they are a bad boat, just means they don't pay JD Power.
> 
> As far as the thread, I don't know why everyone recommending different brands is an issue because he asked about Rangers.  The question isn't which bass boat should he buy, rather which Ranger should he buy.
> 
> My opinion is like everyone else, go with the Z's.  Personally I like a 21 foot boat over a 20, so I would say a Z521, but the Z520 would be killer with a 250.


When I bought my Ranger in 2002 it had a bunch of JD power awards, that was back when Forrest still owned Ranger. Did Genmar not pay the fee because it dont look like the quality went down any. I just looked at the link for JD power and they are crazy if they think a skeeter only has an average ride


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## pbmang (Jan 14, 2010)

sinclair1 said:


> When I bought my Ranger in 2002 it had a bunch of JD power awards, that was back when Forrest still owned Ranger. Did Genmar not pay the fee because it dont look like the quality went down any. I just looked at the link for JD power and they are crazy if they think a skeeter only has an average ride



Who knows.  It could be just the fact that Ranger got sold to a larger holding company (Genmar) and they "felt" like quality would go down.  

I've never really looked over the criteria on a JD Power review, so I don't even know what they are judging.  For a boat, I just use to seat of my pants to judge


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## JigNchunk (Jan 14, 2010)

Quality did go down when they were sold to Genmar. I bought a new Ranger in '06 and had more little problems with it than any other boat I have owned (Rangers,Stratos, Skeeters). The fit and finish was avereage at best, ride was average and general fishing comfort slightly above average. The number one reason I bought a new Ranger was resale. I have never owned or been in a Bass Cat but just from juding by their website I can tell they are very customer oriented.


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## Perkins (Jan 14, 2010)

pbmang said: as far as the thread, I don't know why everyone recommending different brands is an issue because he asked about Rangers.  The question isn't which bass boat should he buy, rather which Ranger should he buy.


Rusty no hard feelings , but I guess this is why I posted. He was asking about a Ranger? I personaly like Bass Cat not a bad boat at all. JD Power means nothing to me. I based buying a Ranger on there long running reputation. every one has an opinion. and I wanted to let him know as far as the Z520 goes, I love mine.


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## riprap (Jan 14, 2010)

If nothing tears up then you don't need customer service.


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## JigNchunk (Jan 14, 2010)

I'm with you Riprap. I actually like buying a boat that is 6 months old rather than buying new now. If someone has used the boat a little then they have worked a few of the bugs out. Seems like most all new boats regaurdless of brand has small problems when brand new.


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## wishiniwasfishin (Jan 14, 2010)

*ranger boats*

i have a ranger z-21 with a yamaha hpdi 250. never had a boat like it, and now wouldn't settle for anything less!!!!!!!


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## Bear 75 (Jan 14, 2010)

None taken I'm easy. I see both sides... Here is the thing it took me 13 months to make my mind up on a boat. And man I was hard up for a Z520 I mean that was it and there was nothing else. 

 Me and a buddy are walking arond the classic and bam I see it. Like a slap in the face. What is that and who makes it, is all I thought of after getting in the boat. 

  I grew up in Florida the military has me in good ole GA for now. I never heard of nothing but Range, Stratos, Skeeter, Gambler are big in FL too. It's funny because most people never heard of BassCat much less seen one.  

 One thing is for sure there not cheap, and when the man said money is no object that is when I spoke up. 

 I take nothing personal, nothing. Half of my opinions on here pdmang is on the oppisite side of too shoot I like him and want to meet him. I would help him and anyone else on here out everyday of the week. Shoot I'm fishing the Weekend series this year I hope to meet you all there. Best of luck. Rusty

 Just don't give me the finger when I pass you


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## alexmlane (Jan 14, 2010)

Genmar just sold its assets to Platinum Equity which included Ranger for $70 million. Who knows what could happen now??


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## wishiniwasfishin (Jan 15, 2010)

*ranger boats*

i hope nothing bad happens to them. this is the most stable,
best riding, best fishing, best handling, best so on, so on,so
on------- boat i have ever owned or been in!!!!


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## bigbass07 (Jan 16, 2010)

go with the commanche for sure.stay away from the will pop evenruides and get the yammy. fishing the flw and bass stuff as a co angler i have had the pleasure to take a ride in every make lenght and model boat none to man there is abosolutly no comparision to a ranger . each has his/her opinion but until you take a 40 mile ride at top speed  in very bad conditions dont believe everything you read . oh and yes i own a ranger thats just my 2 cents worth. oh far as ranger and its status they will be around no matter what happens and flw will 2 . flw only made 250 million last year i think they can survive.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Jan 17, 2010)

Thanks gentlemen, some of you have provided some good info.


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