New Ranger 20'Tiller

[Winnie T]

Ranger is going to have their new 20' tiller walleye boat at the boat show in MPLS. in January. I was wondering if anyone has had a chance to see it yet? I'm interested to know if it is going to have an engine setback, or a more traditional transom.

[Stevie]

I haven't seen it yet but was kind of wondering the same thing myself. Probably don't need splashguards with a setback engine, but I would really miss my wavewackers. I was also wondering if the 125HP rating is large enough. In any case I can't wait to see it!

[Grampa_Joe]

I saw the mold a week ago on a plant tour at Ranger of the 620 tiller. There is no engine setback. It looks very well laid out.
They were done with the hull and working on the top cap. It's just like the rest of Ranger line where the whole interior from gunnel to gunnel is one piece instead of a ring around the gunnel type design so it should be a strong boat.
They were still saying there would be a boat at the Mpls show.
-Joe

[Winnie T]

Hey Grand_pa Joe, good to here from you again. I'd be interested in any information you might have on the 620 tiller. Hows the tour at Ranger, must be quite an experience.

[Grampa_Joe]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-13-00 AT 11:48AM (CST)[p]Hey Winnie,
I don't really have specific specs on it yet, but I'll give you what I have. It's 20'1" with a 92" beam, 125 horse rating. You will be able to put Wave Wackers on very easily. Lots of room for electronics, radio, etc. The main livewell is on the port side just in front of your electronics and there is a baitwell directly behind the driver in the back starboard corner. Two extremely long rod lockers. No, I don't know exactly how long. Another livewell in the front deck and loads of deep, wide storage. I'm sure there is more, but all I saw was the plug for the top deck that they make a mold off of still being worked on. The hull was done but I didn't get to see that.
The tour of the plant is very interesting, especially being my "real" job is in manufacturing. Anyone can take a plant tour, and I would recommend it if you are trying to decide between a couple different brands of boats.
-Joe

[Winne T]

Thanks for the comeback. The tour must have been a lot of fun. I'd really like to take it sometime. If you hear anything else on the 620 give me a jingle at cutfootguide@webtv.net, I'd really appreciate it. Take care!

[ClayPidgion]

So, as I hear this stuff, this little number will have a 125 on it. The main live-well will be amidships. The gas tank will be in the bow and the batteries will be in the stern. To couple that with the weight of the fella that drives the thing....I wonder just how well it will perform.

I'd love to see this thing with a bigger hp and some different placement of that big live-well. Perhaps center it over the keep and move it forward a bit.

Grampa Jo said it had a "Full deck", as I call it, and not the "ring" type deck. Does this mean that it has a glass floor?

And about the transom, are they using the "all glass" design that they use in their other boats? I've heard things about that, in the idea that they really transfer the vibration of the engine to the rest of the boat.

Seeing as how I'm interested in "big tillers", how does the 125 handle when you crack that throttle open? Does it work on your shoulder after a while? I'd like to see them put some sort of steering system on it if they could. That sure would be nice.

Well, that's about it for and from me. Thanks for the info... if you have any.

Clay

[Grampa_Joe]

Let me clarify a little; the livewell is on the port side, directly in front of the instrument panel in the back. There is a second (smaller) livewell in the middle of the boat where it steps up to the front deck. There is also a baitwell directly behind the driver’s seat with a built in bucket like the other Fisherman series boats. The gas tank is not in the bow, it’s mid-ship. The batteries are mounted under access panels that are virtually right on the transom making them virtually obsolete to your concerns as to where the weight is positioned.

Being a former “Big Tiller” guy, I know as well as you do that handling in these large tillers is a balancing act. It takes some moving things around sometimes to ease the strain on your arm, but this is all just speculation, as this boat hasn’t yet seen water!

Yes, the floor is fiberglass like all of the rest of the Ranger line and reinforced with Ranger’s pultrusion where it’s needed and then completely filled with foam to eliminate flex and add flotation.

The boat is made up of two pieces; the hull, and the top deck which is the entire top of the boat from gunnel, through the inside of the boat, to gunnel. These two parts are fiberglassed together, and then filled with foam. Making it act like it was all one piece of material, rather than a bunch of parts put into a hull that bend, flex, and rattle loose.

The transom is pultrusion reinforced with a fiberglass outer shell like all the rest of Ranger’s boats. I don’t know what you heard through hearsay, but I’ll take you for a test drive if you want and you can then have a first-hand account of this so-called vibration from motors. I just don’t see it.

I ran a 100 tiller for two years, and a 90 for the three before that. I’m certainly not a big guy by any means, but it wasn’t that hard to hold on to the handle. The thing that cramped my hand more than anything was keeping the throttle cranked rather than the boat getting away from me. I’m sure you can get an aftermarket steering system, but I’d spend my money on cruise control first!

-Joe Carlson

[ClayPidgion]

Thanks for the information. I'll look into the boat when I get to the boat show in Minneapolis in Jan. I hope to do a lot of looking at different boats. I'm not really sure if I want a tiller as small as the 125, not on a 20' boat that is. I'd love to see a bigger hp powerplant on it. That's just my personal wish, not that I think this Ranger will be slow or low in the power range. I'm sure that the 125 will do just fine.

Why has Ranger NOT gone with a larger motor for these types of boats? They put tornados on their bass boats. I've seen 150s and 175s on tiller boats befor. Why not Rangers? Just wonderiing.

Thanks again,

Clay

[David Bentley]

I took the tour with Joe and he is right!
They mold the top cap and the hull seperate
when Ranger places the top cap to the hull they glass the
two pices together deep in side in key structural areas.
then they foam. This process makes your ranger boat ride smooth
and quite.and rather than tighting screws and picking up tackle
after a long ride across a big water lake, you go fishing!
Also the fuel tank is mounted mid-ship in the floor the live well
is on the port side not in the bow,
Reguarding the 125+ hp rating I thought the reasion most guys
bought a tiller, was boat control and the abilty to work the spot on the spot watch the graph run the big motor and put your bait right on the lips of that big walleye. control,control, control.
The 150hp and the 175hp tiller will come but at what point do
you lose control?
"Note" while on the Ranger tour I took the opprotunity to talk with the people that build our boats on the line, and I must say
The PEOPLE that build Ranger boats take a lot of pride in what they do, the plant is clean, well lit and organized.
It's obvious why Ranger builds the best boats.

[Winnie T]

I ran the 690T for years with nothing more than a 75HP, and it performed fine. I can't see why a 125HP on the new 620 won't be a great match. If your interested in speed go with a console, if you want precision boat control, go tiller!

[ClayPidgion]

Hey, the idea of a "big" tiller is a relative term. Some folks think that this 125 hp is really big and that's great. I talked to a couple of fellas that have run a 150 Opti and they tell me that the control we're always after is actually there. Plus they get the speed and power to get to where they are going. (Not a real issue with most of us but they're tournament folks) I know that with the normal Mercury EFIs and what few carbourated motors you can find these days the revs can't be controled low enought for great boat control. That's where the Optimax is great, from what these fellas tell me.

Sure, Ranger may get lucky with this design. The combination of the 20' boat and a 125 may work just fine. Still, you buy what has been claimed to be a hot boat, from a great company, and one would expect the hottest set up out there, wouldn't you? It's kind of like having a Camaro with a six banger in it. Cute but not much in the line of guts. Sorry, that's the motor head in me talkin'. I'm sure the general fishability of this rig will be great. I'm also sure that the quality of the boat is just as high as any other boat they put out. It would just be interesting to see some of the other "really big" tillers out there with some competition, if you know what I mean. (I've seen up to a 175 tiller in the past. Nothing bigger in a real tiller though).

[Grampa_Joe]

Here's the problem that Ranger probably has with that. How many of those 175, or even 150 tillers have you seen? I've only physically seen one 175 tiller and from what I understand, Pete won't do that again. I saw a total of two 150 tillers last year, and again, Pete's was one of those.
If speed is your issue, buy a wheel boat. Tillers aren't, and probably never will be designed to go fast. They are the smallest market imaginable and I wouldn't expect a boat that has half the horsepower of the same boat with a wheel.
I don't know what you heard from someone else, but I'll tell you from MY personal experience with a 100 Merc that I could make that boat go any speed (except fast)I wanted with the aid of a drift bag out the bow.
Just a few more thoughts.

-Joe Carlson

[Winnie T]

With Mercs digital optimax with smart guages, allowing you to control the motors RPM range, it wouldn't supprise me if larger tiller motors don't start becoming more numerous. I have heard, and correct me if I'm wrong, that a 135 HP. opti can be dialed down to 450 rpms. for trolling.

Lund just got their 2025 MR. Walleye rerated for just that engine, a 135HP.

I was also wondering who was instrumental in Ranger coming back with a large tiller boat, and who helped design it. Was there input from hardcore tiller guys? Just curious.

Tom

[ClayPidgion]

Grandpa,

Speed is not my big issue. The thing is, why can I not get both? Or a blend of good speed and good control? You said you saw Pete's boat with a 175 tiller. Do you know why he won't do that again? I'd be interested in hearing if it was the engine's power or size or was it the brand that he didn't like?

Talking about the numbers of these 150s that you see out there, I've seen several tourney runs that had as many as four or five of them in competition. Yes, I know that Pete has one. I also know that the owner of the company that Pete works for has one. This shows that they are out there. My question is "why doesn't Ranger have one?" not "why aren't there more of them out there?"

Sure, tiller boats, and walleye boats in general, will not go as fast as the typical flat bottomed bass boat with a tornado on the back. Heck, there's more boat in the water on a walleye boat. I just wonder why Ranger is not on the "Cutting Edge" when it comes to power plants for these great rigs they are putting out. I know they put out a good product but, like I said befor, it's like getting a Camaro or a Corvette with a six banger in it. Bass boats are the Corvettes and walleye boats are the Camaros.

Clayton

[Tommy Mac]

I knew that if this thread kept going I would eventually throw in my 2 cents worth. I am glad to see that Ranger has finnally entered the large tiller market. I am dissapointed that they did not rate there boat for a 150. The 125 Mercury is a fine engine. It will soon be replace with a smaller Opti (115?) I do not think that anyone else makes a 125 that will be gov. approved for the new regs. I currently run a 115 Merc on a large glass tiller. The boat has been redone for 2001 and is rated for a 135. My question is why not 150? I thought that once the boat was over 20 feet in length the rating issue was not a problem i.e. they can rate em for any HP. That being said, it must come down to what the individual companies feel comfortable rating boats at. I am sure liability is a big issue.

The 115/125 are fine motors. I have an option to keep mine when my new improved tiller arrives. The 135 Opti is an option for me. I think that Ranger should make them an option for there new buyers as well.

Bottom Line: Glad to see Ranger is back in the game. Wish they carried a bigger stick!

Tom

[Bison]

> It will soon be replace with a smaller Opti (115?)

My understanding is that the Opti 115 has been discontinued. I don't know why; maybe because of the new 115 4-stroke EFI? I've heard rumors of a 125 Opti, presumably for large tiller boats, but no one has been able to confirm or deny this yet.

[ClayPidgion]

Hey Y'all,

Maybe we're barkin' at the wrong horse here. I've been lookin' at the Merc Catalog and I see that there is little in the house in the way of "big tiller" motors from them. Oh sure, they give us a 125 hp but that's about as big as they go. No wonder that the Ranger boys can't give us what we want. My question then is why do other companies come up with bigger units? Mercury, why can't you give us what we are lookin for, a 135, 150 or even a 175 with a real tiller handle/control on it? From what I see, it's not Ranger's fault or even any of the other great boat companies out there. It's the engine manufacturers' fault.
It's time to take it to these guys and pressure them to get us what we want.

Clay

[Mark Broderick]

I guess my question to anyone thinking about a tiller larger than a 125 is where they going to get it? To my knowlege the only big tillers available are from Warrior. Even if ya get the boat rating, ya still need to find the motor.

[Tommy Mac]

Hi Mark,

Tuffy Boats will have two 20 foot tillers available with a Mercury 135 Digital Optimax. The boats are built on the same hull but have different floor plans. If you are not familiar with Tuffy you should check them out. I am waiting to see the all new Essox Deep V before ordering my new boat. As mentioned earlier in this thread Lund also has a 135 tiller rating on it's 20 foot tiller. It seems that Mercury has developed a stick for the 135 Opti and will be providing it to the boat builders. Even though this motor is not in the 2001 Mercury product catalog, it is available, at least from some manufacture's. Hope this helps.

Tom

[Dogfish]

I have seen big tillers in Washington and Alaska. Those guys have actual 225 HP Yamaha tillers on flat bottom boats for running the rivers. With hydraulic steering the guides said they had no problem controlling the boat. They even backtroll out of them.

[Pete Harsh]

As reference was made to me in several posts on this subject, I thought I would respond. Two years ago I did run a 175 H.P. Evinrude Tiller. Last year I ran a 150 H.P. Mercury Optimax Digital Tiller with Smart Craft gauges. Both good motors. Reason for switching? - the Mercury was far superior in trolling capability. As soon as Mercury has the 175 H.P. Optimax available in a 25 inch Transom, I will run that motor in a Tiller. 1997 and 1998 saw me running two 125 H.P. Mercury Tillers. Again, excellent motors. The 125 H.P. Mercury did a good job of handling both 20' Warrior boats. It also should do a good job on any other 20' Tiller Boat. This motor is very economical in operation and price. In the past, the Tiller market has been described as "insignificant", "minute", "a non-factor", "too small to target", and "a Minnesota phenomenon", by individuals representing different segments of the marine industry. Very few boat or motor companies were willing to take the risk of developing larger Tiller boats and motors due to the fear of limited markets and possible increased liability. One company who did was Warrior Boats, coming out with the first 20' + Tiller boat back in 1997. 1998 saw the development of the first Tiller Hydraulic Steering system. 1999 saw the first V-6 OMC Tiller offered at retail and the year 2000 saw the first 135 + 150 H.P. Optimax Tillers being offered. Previous posts have also mentioned limited sales of larger Tiller boats. If that were true, why would Lund, Ranger, Yarcraft, Triton, and Tuffy in 2000 - 2001 either have increased their Tiller H.P. rating, developed, or are bringing out larger Tiller boats with higher horsepower ratings? Think about it. This development is good to see for the industry and consumers. When Ranger and Tuffy do get their 20' Tiller boats done, they will have a standard to measure them against in the already excellent Warrior, Lund, and Yarcraft big water Tillers. Competition only makes the edge sharper. These new developments in the Tiller market will help to benefit the consumer. After years of being labeled "insignificant" it is gratifying to see this extra attention being paid to the Tiller market. By the way, when looking for the new 20' Ranger Tiller boat at the Minneapolis Boat Show, take a look at the new Warrior 1890 Eagle XST Backtroller. That baot is standard with a Mercury 125 H.P. Tiller, Pro Tiller Hydraulis Steering, and a 25" Transom. This boat will debut January 10th at the St.Paul Sportsmen Show. Again, congratulations to Ranger and Tuffy for finally "stepping up to the plate" in the big water Tiller boat market. As always, get the net!

[Tommy Mac]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-05-01 AT 05:47PM (CST)[p]Pete,

Great post. The big tiller market is expanding and why not? It is an excellent Family/Fishing/Guiding platform. Your involvment in improving steering systems and convincing the motor companies to release the big tiller has been instrumental. If it were not for you and a few other guys we would probably not be having this conversation.

Catch A BIG One!
Tom

[Kevin L.]

Pete,

Good information, well put and wonderful to hear.

Kevin L.