Looking at buying a new 1850 Reatta or Lund's glass fish/ski boat. Have a 01 Crestliner 1850 Sporfish I bought new that I would keep if not for the terrible ride(wet & rough) in rough water. Had my family up to Pokegama Lake in Grand Rapids for vacation last week. Was windy many days and just got fed up for the last time the with the ride. Ray's Marine in G.R. had a demo Lund with a 175 Verado on it that he graciously let me test drive on one of the windier days. I just got off the lake with my boat and was pounded by the waves and had buckets of water comng over the side & front. The windshield of my boat kept most of the water off me but would get my passengers to the rear wet. Riding in the front is out of the question, you would be totally soaked. Anyways, I had this Lund lined up to test drive the same day and I was anxious to see and feel the ride in the Lund in like conditions. The Lund performed flawlessly. Perfectly dry with windshield open and a very smooth ride. I could go wide open with the Lund smoothly where I could go about 25 with my Crestliner and get pounded and wet. I will get this boat or a Reatta with a 175 ETECH or OPTI 175XS. My main question is if the Reatta is as smooth and dry as the Lund. I am
from Iowa and talked to the Ranger dealer in Cedar Rapids and he will let me drive a Reatta that he has in stock. I will try to line it up on a windy day to drive on the Coralville reservoir. Any comments about the dryness and ride of either boat and my selection of motors would be appreciated. The owner of Ray's said the Ranger would dive a little bit in rougher water and get some water over the front? Thanks for the help.
I don't want to make a big mistake again.

Sounds like you had the perfect conditions to test the Lund and it performed well. Don't know why you would look any further......besides, that Verado would seal the deal for me!

He's right, they do "dive" and take some water over the front. Takes some big water though. Never been a worry for me but if I could change anything about the boat, that's it. It only does it at trolling speed, trolling into the waves.

BIRDDOG

Talk about an apples to apples comparison during same conditions.....Wow.
Line up that Reatta test with similar conditions and report back on your findings. I think a lot of us would be curious to hear what you expieranced.

Bluegill 1

LUND,
LUND,
LUND,
LUND,
LUND, oh, by the way get the lund...

Seriously, I would like to hear your opinions after you have ridden in both of the boats... It would be interesting

I looked at the new Lund when I ordered my 1850 Reata. I think it looked a little "cheesy" inside and otherwise was a pretty good copy of the Reata. It is a little lighter and the sides are higher, so getting blown around in the wind will be an issue. I know some equate higher sides to safety and staying drier, but that is far from the truth.
I have been very happy with my boat and think it performs well in all conditions. Coming from aluminum, you have to drive a glass boat a little differently in rough water. At idle going into big waves, most boats would take water over the bow. Get the boat up on plane and it rides great. It really comes down to having a trusted dealer close by. The Lund was quite a bit more money when I compared and was lacking a lot of the standard equipment that came on the Ranger.
You'll have to test drive both and decide which one you like the best.

I am a faithfull lund "tin boat" owner and I am on my 3rd Pro V. I don't believe there is a finer "tin boat" out there. However, my next boat will be glass. In my mind, if one is going to go to glass, you need to go to a Ranger. Why not go with a proven glass boat like Ranger ? My second choice would be a Yar Craft. Just my two cents.

Agreed, furthermore the Lund isn't really a Lund anyway - it's Triton. So your choice is one of the best selling boats on the market (Ranger Reata) and a proven design, etc. or a brand new venture whereby Lund contracted a 3rd party to make a glass boat for them . . .

I know what I would do.

I went through the same thing this spring, and ended up with the Tyee GL with a 175 Verado. A big part of my decision was the dealer. The Lund dealer was 15 minute's from my house, and the Ranger dealer was over 2 hour's away. My wife and I looked at both boat's several time's and we both liked the Tyee better, the depth of the Tyee was what we liked the most. I have been very happy with our decision. With the 175 Verado, 9.9 pro-kicker and my wife and 2 kid's the top speed is 53.5 on the GPS. At some point I would like to take it out by myself and see if I could get a little higher on the top speed. As far as price, when I had the dealer's quote EXACTLY everything the same, the Lund was around $300 higher. I had both boat's quoted with a 150 Verado. At the time, part of the Lund incentive's was to upgrade from a 150 to a 175 Verado for free, which was around $1,200 if I remember right. So, really with the 175 on the Reata the Lund would have been $900.00 less. But this has a lot to do with the dealer and what kind of deal that you can negotiate. I really don't think that you could go wrong with either boat. There are a ton of happy Reata owner's out their and everyone that I have talked to that have the glass Lund's love them as well.

Good luck, it's fun to have to choose!

We chose Reata, and have had no reasons to look back.

Agreed, furthermore the Lund isn't really a Lund anyway - it's Triton. So your choice is one of the best selling boats on the market (Ranger Reata) and a proven design, etc. or a brand new venture whereby Lund contracted a 3rd party to make a glass boat for them . . .

I know what I would do.

No... it is really a Lund... with walleye fishing heritage.... but built at the Triton plant.

Where ya been?

This has all been discussed about 22 million times here at Walleye Central.
The Lund engineers designed the Lund glass boats.
The 1850 is based off the Lund 1850 Tyee aluminum, for example.
(Hah! Imagine that.....Copied off the Tyee... just like everybody else did)... LOL!
The Glass Pro-Vs were patterned after the Pro-V IFS aluminums.
The molds were built by a mold maker in Holland, Michigan.
These molds are owned by Lund.
The warranty is Lund.




PS: I don't care which one he buys. I have been a dealer both and have run many of both... the Reatta and the 1850GL.
Ray's sells both, too.

I am retired...and have no stake... just want the facts correct.

sometimes it gets so quite you can hear a pin drop! Thanks for the update T-Mac

It just never ends TMac LOL

If you do end up with the 186 Tyee / 175 Opti Pro XS, please make sure to post your performance result's here. I would be curious to here how that combo run's.

I am kinda curious why the Etec or the Opti is the choice of motors. There was a Verado on the Lund test ride boat. With few exception's (wanted the Opti growl) All I've heard on Verados is rave after rave. So I'm curious why after riding with the Verado, your choice is a differant motor?

Thanks,
Bluegill 1

i am with you t mac.. IT IS A LUND.......:exactly: it is just built in the triton plant, remember they are both owned by brunswick

I heard and therefore thought that it was true that 2 strokes have a little quicker punch out of the hole. I think my 150 XR6 Merc has a terrific holeshot on my Crestliner. The Lund with the Verado was the first bigger horsepower 4-stroker that I have ever driven. After driving that, by the seat-of-the-pants-o-meter, I feel that 4-strokers are a tad bit slower out of the hole than 2-stokers. I plan on pulling skiiers quite often so I want a boat that is very quick on the low end. I was very impressed with the mid-range and high end of the Verado. The dealer at Ray's in Grand Rapids also told me that 2-strokes would be better for skiing. Also I feel that both the Lund and the Ranger are terrific boats so I hope everyone can play nice and not get to worked up on which is better. I would be curious if there was some actual comparison data between the time it takes to get one of these boats on plane between a 175 Verado or a 150 Opti or Etech since I might be able to get the 175 Verado cheaper than the 150 2 strokers.

We are trying to play nice. I just haven't heard a whole lot of reports on the glass Lunds after being out all summer! Even the Pro V's haven't gotten much attention. I am curious to just hear something.
As far as motor selection, I am curious how you can get a 175 verado for less than a 150 opti or etec??
You must have a rare Lund dealer who is also willing to rig the boat with an Evinrude??
I picked the Etec for less maintenance. I didn't care so much about oil changes, but valves, belts, more moving parts period. The supercharger makes a huge difference, but also something else to worry about having trouble. The Etec has no break in, no oil changes, and other than changing lower unit grease like I always do, no checks for 3 years and it fogs itself! That equals more time fishing for me. Nothing against Mercury, but the Etec is a bit quieter also, unless you want the opti "growl" that is. Lots of choices, I hope people with more experience on the Mercury side can add their input also. Hopefully we aren't making the choice harder for you??

I will try to clarify. If I go Ranger, Etech or Opti, 150 or 175. If I go Lund, I realize it has to be black, so 150 or 175 Opti. The reason I said the 175 Verado might be cheaper than some 150's is that on the Lund glass boats, Lund was offering a 175 Verado at the same price as a 150 Verado. I am not sure what a 150 or 175 Verado costs compared to a 150 or 175 Opti or Etech. Keep the replies comng, more info helps.

Oly,

Shoot me an E-mail, I'd like to fill you in on some key aspects of the combo without getting long winded here.

eric@getonthewater.com

Tight Lines

Skeeter also has a new deep-V fish and ski rated for a 200 HP test drove one any ?'s 218-820-5906 Kevin

I have a 1850 Ranger and have had it out in rough water. The boat is extremly dry when cruising. It is also a very solid boat....punches through the waves without it feeling like it will crack in half like some boats do. At idle or trolling, it can take water over the bow but only in some pretty big stuff. A fix for this is to relocate the troll batteries to the rear of the boat. I've done it and you get more speed through bow lift and it also helps keep the bow out while trolling in rough water.

I have no first hand knowledge on the Lund....I've never been in one. They do look like very fine boats though.

I think that it is pretty much consensus that you can't go wrong with a Ranger, period. They are the finest glass boat out there and everyone knows it. Just like Lund is known as the finest Aluminum boat out there. The glass Lund is most likely a great boat as well...but you just don't have the years of history there to know.

Was wondering how the trailer was on the Lund. Who makes it, was it a swing tongue, how far past the bow did it extend with the swing (tight fit into garage). I know I've measured Rangers and the tongue is still about 14" past the bow.

Well, last week Eric Olson got ahold of me & invited me up to Lake Pepin in Minnesota to test drive a Reatta 1850 with a 150 Etech. I made arrangements to go up there yesterday and take it for a spin. It was pretty windy so conditions were good for me to see for myself how good a ride a Ranger has compared to the Lund glass boat. I was very impressed with the ride and the dryness of the ride. I also was very impressed with the Etech. Very quiet and good power. I like just barely turning the key and the motor is running. It is a little hard for me to say which had the better ride though. When I drove the Lund, it was not as rough or windy. I think it could be very close to a draw in this area. But I am 99% sure I will get the Ranger and the Etech. Why? Maybe because of a few things. I think the fit & finish is better on the Ranger, I like the lower sides so wind won't push me around as much, there is more room in front of the windshield for casting, etc. I was strongly leaning Etech before driving this boat and after driving it and having Eric tell me what he knew about Etechs, I'm convinced. Also, I have roughly priced these 2 boats and I believe the Ranger could be cheaper. I do like both boats. Also I would like to thank Eric again for letting us drive this boat and for all the info he gave me on boats, motors, AND fishing! I just remembered one more very important reason that I will get the Ranger. The Lund is too tall to go into my garage. At least that is what I have been told.

Thanks for posting the comparison Oly. Don't forget to consider the Ranger 1860 Angler if you want a bigger front deck. FYI I have had good luck talking to Brad Baker at Kennedy Marine in Cedar Rapids. I ended up buying a boat at Pamp's in Green Bay as I will use the boat more up north but Brad was very helpful in making my decision about brand and make of boat.

Bill

It was pretty windy so conditions were good for me to see for myself how good a ride a Ranger has compared to the Lund glass boat. I was very impressed with the ride and the dryness of the ride. I also was very impressed with the Etech. Very quiet and good power. I like just barely turning the key and the motor is running. ... But I am 99% sure I will get the Ranger and the Etech. Why? Maybe because of a few things. I think the fit & finish is better on the Ranger, I like the lower sides so wind won't push me around as much, there is more room in front of the windshield for casting, etc.

Thank you for the update. I am looking at the Ranger Angler 1760 and 1860. My concern was spearing waves in rough water. You have pretty much addressed my concern, having done a test that I won't be able to do myself.

One question -- how big were the waves/rollers?

And a second question -- did you turn the stern into the waves, and if you did, did you take any water over the back?

I took a 1850 out with a 150 Etec and was amazed at how quiet and powerful it was . I too spoke with Eric and learned a lot from him about the Etecs . He's a class act and seems extremely knowledgeable and is willing to go the extra mile to help people out .

I haven't been out in the glass Lund, but I have driven the 1850 in light seas and was very impressed with the layout, fit and finish and the ride in light chop (1-3') . I'm sure the Lund is a quality boat as well, but you can't go wrong with either the 1850 or 1860 Ranger .

Agreed-When you are FORCED to make a "choice" on a new boat-LIFE IS GOOD!
What happened to the cheers icon?

2 Labs,
I think I can answer your question after having run an 1850 all year. When trolling into big waves, is the only time you might have trouble with water coming over the bow, but when they get that big, most people will troll with them. Going with the waves, there is absolutely no problem. In fact, with the higher transom, you hardly ever take water into the splash well at all. This is from a person who just came out of a 02' 619!!!! Up on plane, this boat rides great and I have never even came close to spearing a wave. With the etec, it has great bow lift and the boat rides high across the waves! If you have any other questions, shoot me an email. wallington@gctel.net Bill

2labs, I am not sure how big the waves were at Pepin that day, feet wise. Not a good judge of that. Maybe Eric will chime in and tell us. I did remember one drawback about the Lund compared to the Ranger. At Pokegama Lake, where the waves were a little smaller than at Pepin I noticed the Lund hull sounded a little noisy and hollow going thru the waves. The Ranger, on bigger waves @ Pepin, was quieter going thru the waves and more "solid" feeling. And I "backtrolled" into these waves with hardly a sprinkle coming over the back. But I was sitting on the drivers seat and not on the back with driving a tiller with additional weight. The waves were big enough to get a little air but the Ranger come down pretty soft.

Has anyone had trouble on the 1850 with water coming over the splash well and going into the bilge through the rear access panel?

Bob

I hardly ever have water come over the back, and have never had water get through the panel. There should be a seal on that compartment?? Stays dry as a bone. Every time I have taken the plug out, not a drop has come out of the hull!!!

The 08's according to Ranger have a different access panel. It is a different size then my 06 panel and seals differently.

Bob

Very little issue with water coming over the back in general, the boat handles waves from the stern very well. Not sure on what they changed from my 05 to new but I wouldn't be worried at all about the little bit of water it takes over the back, most drains out the drain and the little that might get past the seal won't cause any issues.

BIRDDOG

I heard and therefore thought that it was true that 2 strokes have a little quicker punch out of the hole. I think my 150 XR6 Merc has a terrific holeshot on my Crestliner. The Lund with the Verado was the first bigger horsepower 4-stroker that I have ever driven. After driving that, by the seat-of-the-pants-o-meter, I feel that 4-strokers are a tad bit slower out of the hole than 2-stokers. I plan on pulling skiiers quite often so I want a boat that is very quick on the low end. I was very impressed with the mid-range and high end of the Verado. The dealer at Ray's in Grand Rapids also told me that 2-strokes would be better for skiing. Also I feel that both the Lund and the Ranger are terrific boats so I hope everyone can play nice and not get to worked up on which is better. I would be curious if there was some actual comparison data between the time it takes to get one of these boats on plane between a 175 Verado or a 150 Opti or Etech since I might be able to get the 175 Verado cheaper than the 150 2 strokers.


First off, I used to own a 1850 cliner with an Xr6. I can tell you that there isn't a 150 made that will equal the holeshot of the Xr6. They are a torque beast and overall the best performing outboard (wieght/power) I have been around. Of course, they also slobber fuel and can be a pain to start, don't idle and run nearly as smooth as a Yamaha carbureted 150 . . . but performance? They got that down.

As far as the Reatta vs Lund discussion, I have never been in the new Lund but I own a 1860 angler with an Optimax. The 1860 does have a superior ride to the Cliner or any other 18' tin boat I have been in. It does take water over the bow, too much so if you fish where it's really nasty (I've come to the conclusion that folk's perception of really nasty varies a great deal). They don't track well at all when backtrolling and yes, the hatch in the transomwell leaks. I see this hatch has been changed in the 08's and I know the 1850's have an entirely different transom design so none of this may apply to the 1850.

Overall, I really like my 1860, wish it had a different bow profile to cut down on the water over the front and have no other major gripes with it. I have buddies who own Warriors and Pro V's, I wouldn't trade for either (unless the wind is 35mph+). Hopefully this helps a bit.

It does take water over the bow, too much so if you fish where it's really nasty (I've come to the conclusion that folk's perception of really nasty varies a great deal).


eye4 -- what is YOUR definition of "really nasty"? Can you put it in terms of wave height (by that I mean depth of tip of wave to the bottom of the trough in front or behind it)?

That definition in light of your statement above would help me understand a great deal whether the 1860/1760 series is what I am looking for.

Thanks.

eye4 -- what is YOUR definition of "really nasty"? Can you put it in terms of wave height (by that I mean depth of tip of wave to the bottom of the trough in front or behind it)?

That definition in light of your statement above would help me understand a great deal whether the 1860/1760 series is what I am looking for.

Thanks.

Wave height isn't really the problem. Big, rolling waves don't splash over. I'll put it this way, if you fish in an area where EVERYBODY with a walkthru windshield has a clamp on the top of it to hold it open, you know what I'm talking about.

Strong wind can cause some steep-walled, closely spaced waves. The height of which isn't so much the factor, it's the shape. It's also not going to swamp the boat but just the constant flow of water gets old because the foredeck drains onto the floor behind the windshield.

Wave height isn't really the problem. Big, rolling waves don't splash over. I'll put it this way, if you fish in an area where EVERYBODY with a walkthru windshield has a clamp on the top of it to hold it open, you know what I'm talking about.

Strong wind can cause some steep-walled, closely spaced waves. The height of which isn't so much the factor, it's the shape. It's also not going to swamp the boat but just the constant flow of water gets old because the foredeck drains onto the floor behind the windshield.

One more thing I forgot to mention, this water over the bow thing isn't a problem when underway, it's when you are trolling or using the bowmount to fish.

The black motor on the back of the lund would make me not buy. I have never run a glass Lund but I am not a Merc fan because of past experiance. I do not like the way the Reatta lists while running and it chine walks a little too much for me. Just my opinion "you can't please all of the people all of the time". I know, opions are like a**holes, everybody has one!

Mine never chine walks and does not list while running. That boat doesn't go fast enough to chine walk. Not sure what Reata you ran in...

Big Crappie, take a ride in a Mercury Verado. I think you just might change your mind. I understand it's hard to want to buy another "black motor" because of a bad experience, but the fact of the matter is every engine brand has a few bad apples. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw.

I know there are a lot of loyal fans of the E-tec. I own one and have it on our pontoon boat. It's a good motor not a great one. If I could do it over again I would put a Verado on it.

Just my ***hole opinion

One more thing I forgot to mention, this water over the bow thing isn't a problem when underway, it's when you are trolling or using the bowmount to fish.


Well, when my 60-inch bow mount trolling motor burped (cavitated) 12 waves in a row on my Lund Mr. Pike 18 last year, I decided I had enough of that wind. If I did not let up on the TM as the next wave was coming, the TM would keep the bow down and the wave would just deflect to the sides as it reached the top of my bow (and my Lund has very deep sides). I had been fishing in it for about 6 hours and was just plain sick of it. I started "seeking shelter from the (wind) storm" and looked for waters which were a bit calmer.

This was on LOW and the frequency of the waves was about the same frequency as the ties on a railroad track and these were 2.5-footers (ok, maybe a little further apart, but not very darn much!!).

By the time we quit for the day and came back out into the main part of the wind they were further apart but were 3-footers with an occasional 4-footer thrown in for good measure.

Eye4, are you saying you TROLL in that 3- and 4-footer stuff??????

The black motor on the back of the lund would make me not buy. I have never run a glass Lund but I am not a Merc fan because of past experiance. I do not like the way the Reatta lists while running and it chine walks a little too much for me. Just my opinion "you can't please all of the people all of the time". I know, opions are like a**holes, everybody has one!

I have a T-8 kicker on mine and it has never listed at all! Don't know what rig you drove?? Chine walking is not a problem. I have good lift with my boat, but not enough to put it on it's tail and chine walk. I think you need to ride in another Ranger that is setup properly to get a true opinion. I have had 3 Rangers and none of them would ever chine walk. However I had a Stratos 219 that would make you hold on for dear life some days!!!!!

They are both nice boats, but I would go with the Lund.

Little Pine,
Just curious why you would go with the Lund? Is it because of the name alone or have you been out in one of these new glass boats? I want to see how they perform and haven't heard very much this year about any of them. I decided on the Ranger due to a long history of building glass boats, fit and finish was better and it was less money, when I compared the two, to get a Ranger. Then again, I am always a little cautious when it comes to first year anything. Boats, snowmobiles, outboards, etc.... I think they need time in the consumers hands to figure out all the bugs and get them tweaked just right.