2075 Pro-V:250 Pro XS vs. 200 Verado?

[Ruddiger]

Howdy,

As I continue to kick around the idea of going back to a Lund and back to a tiller I wanted to get some feedback on the best power plant for this setup. I have always been a 4-stroke guy at heart and, even though I had good luck with a 115 Ficht Ram, I vowed that I would never go back to a 2 stroke. Thus, this post is putting me into some really uncharted territory.

In looking at this boat, however, I must admit to being a bit intrigued with the 250 pro XS. Considering that the Big Tiller is a must, 50 HP is a lot to leave on the table without at least exploring all of my options.

That being said, what engine would you go with and why, the 250 Pro XS or the 200 baby Verado?

Please keep in mind that while fuel economy, hole shot and top end are all priorities, the number one goal is trouble free performance. I take meticulous care of my equipment and do not want to be left high and dry in the shop because I picked the flashy hot rod with inherent design flaws....AKA stripper...over the boring, yet reliably underwhelming 4-stroke...AKA librarian... (yes, I know I am showing my bias here……..but cut me some slack as the first step in solving a problem is admitting you have one).

OK, having said that, am I better off with the Opti or the Verado?

PS- BW, if your reading this be kind :) !!!

Thanks,

Ruddiger

[T Mac]

It would depend on what you are trying to accomplish, I guess.

Now...if I was choosing between those two engines on a tiller boat I would go with the 200 Verado.
For me... a tiller is a pure fishing machine...and should be rigged accordingly (just my opinion)
With the 200 Verado the advantages are:
Quietness, and softer engine mounts make it pleasant to hang onto and to sit next to.
At idle, (fishing) my 200 Verado is quieter than a Pro-Kicker.

IMHO, the 250 ProXS has one advantage: 250 ProXS will be faster, no question.
However...when you sit next to a ProXS at 5800 rpm...it is loud.
When you hang onto a tiller handle on 250 ProXS w/ SS prop and you will feel a lot going on.

Weight and reliability are a toss-up. A non-comparison.,




Just my opinion.

[Chucker57]

I second what T Mac posted.

Chuck

[Hot Runr Guy]

You may want to talk with Dave Duwe http://www.fishlakegeneva.com/ , he's been running a 150 V-rod tiller for a couple years now. I met him last year at a on-water Mercury event last, his buddy Frank (Walleyguide) has/had the same hull with a 175ProXS, so between them they can give you a side by side comparison.
HRG
ps; BTW, I've twisted the grips on both those motors as tillers, either will put a big grin on your face!

[BW]

Ruddiger,
I can't resist! WHY MAN???????? Why would you leave that pretty little Ranger and go to a tin boat???? I am just speechless, well, not really. That is a lot of motor to hang on to. Going back to a tiller, but a big one at that. Good luck man. I hope all goes well in your decision making. Shopping is a big part of the fun. It took me 2 years to narrow it down and finally order. Let us know what you get. And may the force be with you.........

[eyecatcher01]

honestly i would go with the 200 verado and 36v vantage. there is nothing smoother than a verado and in a tiller where you live at the stern there is no other option. with the verado you wont get smoked out and the quiteness is amazing...you and your friends will be able hear each other without yelling while trolling. throw a vantage back there and there wont be a presentation you cant throw at ol'marble eyes. i have a 250 verado steerable on a 2025 and would honestly trade it for a 2025/2075 or even a 1900/1975 big tiller 200 verado. i stepped up from a 18' alaskan tiller 50hp 4 stroke...i miss the tiller. sure the speed is awesome but a 200 vrod would be plenty...they are pretty snappy for a four stroke. o'yeah...better put a terrova with ipilot on the bow too:bigsmile:

[Burr]

I'd call that walleyeguide guy HRG was talking about, and talk him into putting a tiller handle on the 6 cylinder Vrod. Between him and Mertens they should be able to figure it out.

A tiller handle on the 300 Vrod on that boat would be fun, and troll down without a kicker. A 250 would probably fit the plate on it.

[Ruddiger]

Howdy,

BW, I can hardly believe it myself, especially the prospects of an Opti hanging on my boat (which I doubt I would take over the Verado) by the way.

I must say, however, that I really miss my tiller a lot. No doubt that my 619 is a great boat with fantastic storage, and the Yamaha's have been very good as well. Nonetheless, I have got to at least check one out, if possible in Ohio, to see how it compares to what I have.

When I went from my 620T to the 619 I considered going with another 620T but really was not all that impressed with the refreshing that Ranger did on the deck and storage. Aside from the Gary Roach video there wasn't really anything on the 2075 available at that time. Going back to a console and a kicker made a lot of sense, especially with Erie in my backyard. It still does in many respects.

I've got to say, however, that Lund was my first boat and will always be in the back of my mind. Plus they always look sweet on Linder's Angling Edge (Al could sell me season tickets at Heinz Field if he tried). I don't know if I could go through with it, but, the prospects of a 20+ foot tiller with a 97 inch beam sounds very sweet. Add in the vinyl floor, the big tiller and a 200 Verado....... oh baby!

Take care,

Ruddiger

[T Mac]

Howdy,
but, the prospects of a 20+ foot tiller with a 97 inch beam sounds very sweet. Add in the vinyl floor, the big tiller and a 200 Verado....... oh baby!
Ruddiger

As Al might say..."Now, dat's a man's boat"... :)

I could love that boat myself.

[BW]

Help me out here. Now, I am not a tiller guy, but after the kids go to college I am seriously considering going that route. With these huge tillers and 200hp plus motors, isn't that kind of defeating the purpose of having a tiller where you can run the main motor on plane and trolling??? These motors are getting so big on the boats, that some guys are having to put kickers on anyway?? Other than more open space, I would think you are almost back to just having a large wheel boat. Or am I off my rocker?? I was thinking for me a 618T, 90HP, vantage on the back and Terrova on the front and I would be in hog heaven!!! Of course I fish small lakes too. Enlighten me oh walleye masters!!!!!!

[T Mac]

Using that boat model mentioned as an example:

Mainly... with the big tiller, wave wackers and a big transom mount electric you save time and space and can tackle about all boat control issues from one spot in the boat.
You may have to add a drift sock tied off the bow in some situations...but a tiller yields simpler boat control....and less money spent on a lower number of Locaters & GPS units.
You stay seated...one location for running and for boat control.
In breezy chop, you can use that 200 Verado and backtroll that particular big boat like a bandit. (Especially with a drift sock off the bow)
If calm... just use your transom mount electric....and again, backtroll.
But for trolling froward (cranks)... you can react and turn quicker, too. (Ask Ron Seelhoff).

[eyecatcher01]

the only draw back i can see with a 6cylinder verado is the added weight. i notice in my boat (2025 w/ 250 verado) that when back trolling the transom sits lower thus displacing more water. my wave wackers do the trick but im still limited on how much chop i can back into compared to smaller powered boats.

[Ruddiger]

Howdy,

BW, I look at it more from a multi-species perspective as I am no walleye-master by any stretch of the imagination. Being a musky fisherman first and foremost, I love the wide open space of a tiller for playing the fish and for the addition of tackle, gear, nets, the dog and 1-2 additional fisherman.

For trolling (which I hate anyways) going slow on a regular basis is largely irrelevant with musky. When I troll for walleye, I can use an electric 95% of the time. With a 101 on the bow and the stern, there really isn't any need for a kicker other than safety (which is a real concern that should not be totally dismissed on big water or long runs from any fishing camp.) When I do vertical jig its usually on Erie’s reefs, which are pretty large so I usually just drift with or without a sock. When I do fish for walleyes off of Lake Erie, I do it casting cranks or jigs so, again, the trolling/backtrolling needs take a back seat to storage, space, and a good bow casting deck.

One of the things that I really like on my 619 over the 620T is the storage. I used to actually have to have tackle boxes on the floor of the boat when I fished. With a 619, however, I can put everything I need, for ALL species that I fish, in the storage compartments. This is awesome. If I could do that on a 2075, AND get rid of the dual consoles that would be fantastic.

I will add this as an aside, and I do not want to get flamed for doing so, but I was a bit disappointed today when I spoke to the local Lund dealer (not a lot of them left in Ohio with this economy) about this boat and was told I had to pay an upgrade fee for a stainless steel prop on a 200 or 250 horsepower engine. Furthermore, I about soiled myself when I was told I had to pay extra to get aluminum wheels on the trailer. For a boat package with a MSRP of $51,900-$53,900 (depending upon the Verado or the Opti) you would think these things would be included, even if they had to increase the base MSRP to do so. Is just seemed really bush league to me.

Also, my confidence in Lund was further undermined when I called Lund directly to ask for a dealers list for Ohio and, after getting the list, discovered that three of the dealers they sent me numbers for have been out of business for almost a year or longer. Finally, asking the Lund representative to let me speak to someone at the factory about this boat , compared with calling the Ranger factory with a similar question, was like calling the White House compared to calling my mom. These companies do not take calls equally. Again, I AM NOT TRYING TO START SOMETHING, it was just a reversal from what I have become accustomed too with my last three boats.

Having said that, the 2075 still looks fantastic and I hope it turns out to be a huge hit for Lund. All of my observations aside, I can still think of a lot of reasons why it would look right at home in my garage.

Take care,

Ruddiger

[eyecatcher01]

just make a road trip to a major lund dealership that has the customer service that is required to survive this economy, not to mention plenty of models on the floor to choose from. in my honest opinion the larger dealership will have more 'pull' with the manufacture if a problem does arise.

[BW]

Thanks for the answer Tmac. Ruddiger, I do hear you on the extras. Rangers always come with stainless steel and the trailers are second to none. With the greatly increased price of Lund, especially aluminum boats, you would expect more??? There spring extras with getting a new boat is like a jacket, seat and a hat. Compared to Ranger given you a custom cover, $350 G Loomis rod, rapala tackle kit it is kind of a slap in the face if you ask me. I really considered Lund years ago because it was and still is a quality boat, but there was a price difference and I could save money then. Well, for the same money it makes it a much harder decision to ever leave Ranger. I still like to window shop though!!!!!

[T Mac]

the only draw back i can see with a 6cylinder verado is the added weight. i notice in my boat (2025 w/ 250 verado) that when back trolling the transom sits lower thus displacing more water. my wave wackers do the trick but im still limited on how much chop i can back into compared to smaller powered boats.

The 200 Verado is a 4 cylinder...and is light as the 250 Opti.
And ..Ruddiger...you'll never have to pay MSRP. ;) Nobody else does.

[Ruddiger]

Howdy,

I hear ya on finding a larger dealer with a proven track record, although there is a limit on how far I want to be away from my dealer, but my concern is with Lund itself.

Its not very encouraging to call a major company like that and have to do battle with an answering machine when I can make the same call to Ranger and get an actual human being. With Lund, I can't get a person to answer a question about a boat that is pictured in their catalog while, with Ranger, I can actually call and speak to the person that is pictured in their catalog. Again, that alone does not translate to the quality of their product but it does speak to the lengths they will go to be accessible to the needs or concerns of their customers or potential customers.

I'm probably a bit overly sensitive to this issue of accessibility due to what I do for a living. However, as a labor consultant, if I was as inaccessible to my members as Lund chooses to be with their potential customers (and it is their choice) I wouldn't be able to afford a new boat.

In the end Lund is still a very good company whose boats I would be proud to own, but it does take the bloom off the rose a bit to get that type of runaround. Again, just my two cents.

Take care,

Ruddiger

[Chris K]

I ran a 2075 tiller with a 200 verado this year, and it was a great boat. The control was excellent, and I really liked the upgraded storage for the 2075, especially the drawers and the front hatches. Everything I like to keep at hand by the drivers seat was right next to me. Performance was good, the boat did 47.7 to 50.3 MPH depending on wind and waves, and the 200 Verado was quiet and vary easy to drive with the big tiller handle. It trolled nice, especially backwards in a good walleye chop while using the smartcraft tach to dial in the rpm's to sit in the waves. I was very happy with the boat, and would no thesitate to do it again.

Chris K