Is the grass really greener on the otherside(Ranger, Triton, Warrior)?

[SkarMN75RBLS]

A thread about Lund's seats really got me thinking... I own a '05 Lund Fisherman with less than 200 hours. My air ride seats and pedestals have been problems from day one. Seats squeak, pedestals stuck in bases, pedestals dont fit snug in base and rock back and forth, air ride no longer works in 3 of the seats, and all the locking mechanisms are gone.
I am really wondering if the quality is much better in the other big brands. Does Ranger have any of these problems?

[gillysmi]

i wouldnt get hung up on one person's post with problems. all boats at some point have problems. i have a ranger and like it, but i also fish out of 5 or 6 other boats a year which are tin. they fish as good- i just prefer the glass myself.

if its is something you are thinking go out and test one if a dealer will allow it.

I have owned lund, alumacraft, skeeter, and now a ranger. No the grass is not greener. They all have good points and bad points. I really loved my 1800 pro-v and wish I still had it. I have a ranger 619 now and it looks sharp, but the pro-v "fished" better.

You won't find a perfect brand, or a perfect boat. But it's fun trying!

Icedog

[Burr]

I think the whole seat base sticking problem is something that has been solved mostly with newer technology. Five or six years ago, there seemed to be a significant reduction in seat bases sticking, but five or six years prior to that - just about all of them stuck.

That advancement probably came at the expense of some wobbling - which mine do as well. In a way, I'm happy I get to use the boat enough to have the seats wobble from wear. But I probably will look to find a fix for it after this season.

The air ride not extending/retracting - I've found a little lubrication can go a long way. Taught to me by a friend with a mid 90's boat. I use a dry lubricant on mine so it does not attract dust, and works much better than they have in previous years.

[3M TA3]

Folks seem to be hung up on Lund's seats. Seems I recall Attwood making those seats and I'm guessing Lund isn't the only manufacturer using them. As for the pedestals and airride systems, are those not made by someone else? If you go to buy an after market seat or hardware are you not buying the same stuff the boat manufacturers use? Perhaps the manufacturers demand low costs and in return get low quality. Is the quality better in after market hardware??? Just wondering here...

[Eric_CO]

Attwood will send new plastic inserts to reduce the wobbling. The plastic is sacrificial.

Do not use the seat lock unless you also tighten down the clamp/swivel part.

Any piece of machinery (like a hydraulic seat post) needs to be adjusted and maintained. Pull the seat off and start spining that screw with the green plastic base.

If you think the parts on a boat are bad....buy a camper! I had about 50% of the parts on the camper needing replaced in the first week of use including a leaking roof.

I should have been more specific on the seats. All of the boats I have had have some seat issues. They can be a bugger to pull out of one seat base and plug into another and that goes for all of the brands of boats I have been in. As stated earlier the dry lube really seems to help a lot.

Icedog.

[Eric_CO]

Parafin wax helps keep the wedge style seat posts from sticking in the bases.

[Wade B AKA: Ruger2506]

Originally Posted by SkarMN75RBLS

A thread about Lund's seats really got me thinking... I own a '05 Lund Fisherman with less than 200 hours. My air ride seats and pedestals have been problems from day one. Seats squeak, pedestals stuck in bases, pedestals dont fit snug in base and rock back and forth, air ride no longer works in 3 of the seats, and all the locking mechanisms are gone.
I am really wondering if the quality is much better in the other big brands. Does Ranger have any of these problems?

I never thought about it until you asked this question. In my new Crestliner the seats creaked and squeeked from day one while the new Skeeter's seats never made a sound or seemed loose after approx 400 hours of fishing/boating. I am not sure if that means or says anything. Also I do not know who makes the seats for Crestliner or Skeeter.

Like others have said, it is not that the grass is greener. All boats float and get you to the fish. Some cost more, are prettier and carry more status. However they all do the same job.

[slipbobber1]

I moved from from a Lund to a Ranger. No regrets. So far the grass has been greener. You need to ask your self.. "Is green grass worth the extra 5k to 10k. That is the real question. I am glad I made the change.