All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

[lepper]

I am going to be purchasing an alumaweld boat here in the near future. (I love the alumawelds that is why)<br /><br />but I am having some different thoughts as to which one and what I want in it..... <br /><br />So, what have you got, not gotten, that you needed, wanted, or not even used. Also, what length style did you get? boats I am looking at<br /><br />The stryker 19ft version, or the intruder 18ft version.... w/ 75 hp Honda 4 stroke.. I was aso maybe even thinking the 17ft stryker with a 50 hp on it... so any and all advice is welcomed.... <br /><br />HELP ME BUY MY BOAT!!!! thanks!<br />dave

 

[lepper]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

does anyone own a alumaweld??

 

[Tinman]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

nope, but I've fished from them several times, nice boats built with attention to detail IMO.<br /><br />As far as likes and dislikes go I would say the stryker is very nice, given the choices you have narrowed it down to I'd go with the 19' model, you won't outgrow it as soon and the resale value will stay higher, of course the purchase price for you will be a little higher too.<br /><br />Nice boats, I wish we'd had one when I was growing up in Mn. It seems alot of aluminum boats are pretty regional when you start shopping around for them, Klamath, Alumaweld, Thunderjet, and Woolrich are all popular boats up here, able to take the gnarly rivers (and rocks)<br /><br />hth a little<br /><br />Tinman

 

[lepper]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

ya I think I was leaning to the 19ft stryker..... I am going to run and see it again tomorrow.. price wont' be to bad. around 16k course I'm tradin in my old boat... so there is 4 k off... which is nice....

 

[alcan]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Hi lepper<br />Get all the bells and whisles. Just make sure you buy all the horse-power she'll take. These are heavy boats and carry heavy loads. They need big horses. Save a few bucks in this area and come up short, you'll be an unhappy camper.

 

[lepper]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

I don't think that these boats are heavy, or I just have a different idea then you do of heavy, I am planning on putting a 75 honda 4stroke on it. Should be just about right for a 19ft with a v hull... I know on my tri-hull it has a 75hp mariner on it and it jumps out of the water and it weights a lot more then the aluminum does...... <br /><br />Glass boat is approxe 2500, aluminum fully loaded right around 2000...

 

[alcan]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Hi lepper<br />Go take that puppy for a wet test. Take it somewhere there is a heavy current with a realistic full load. You know 3-4 guys full fuel load and gear. Don't let the dealer suck you in with no hp.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Hello Dave,<br />Even though I don't own an Alumaweld, I think I can give you some objective insight.<br />I like Alumaweld also. In fact I like all the custom manufactured welded aluminum boats that are made for western rivers and deltas. All seem to be high quality and it shows in detail,design and performance.<br />I also had the same choices 19, 18, 17 and 16 footers. The first thought was how many people were going to be in it at any one time. I settled with a 16' that had a total of 3 seats and is perfect for 2 fishers. Your Styker 19'-17' are with in inches of beam width and the width was more important then length to me. The larger boat will require all the bells and whistles and a rig to pull it, a good ramp to launch it, a bit more river room, water depth, fuel and a whole heck of a lot more power to run it.<br />Which ever size you decide you need, the most important consideration of the entire package is power. Make sure you buy the largest Honda that can be fitted to that particular Styker, don't scrimp here.<br />Your boat will be as good as the person rigging it. Things like the expensive bells and whistles are only as good as the person rigging them and a lot can go wrong. On your next look, take a peek under the console at the wiring. Take a look how fuel hoses and the control cables are routed. Take the time to investigate the places that don't show, lift a deck panel between the console and engine. This will give you the insight on how things will go with all that quality of Alumaweld and Honda.......and your dealer.<br />I'm in a position that I was able to rig my own boat to a large extent and was able to greatly improve on what was done at the dealer. If by chance you're as capable, I suggest you use your own experiences, brains and imagination and order the boat appropriately and place the switches, electronics and equipment to your preferences.<br />You didn't mention where and how you will be using your boat. That would make a diffence with things like center console/ windshield, storage/livewells etc.<br /><br />Mike<br />'02 NorthRiver Revenge 16', center console, Honda BF50 Jet

 

[CHUCKB1]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Hey lepper,<br /><br />If you're going to buy an aluminum boat why not buy the best.......Lund

 

[ERR446]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Be sure to look at Gregor Boats before you buy.

 

[lepper]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

thanks for all the info so far... I think I have it hamered down. spent the day looking at Jetcrafts as well today... and there isn't any place local that has the Lund or the gregor boats. what I am going to do. the wife is starting to speak up.. so that is a big uh-oh.... I think.. I am going to by the boat with out the motor.. (and by the way I ahve looked at the wireing ect.. and I kinda like it.. and it looks like a very good job) And have my motor serviced and gone through to make sure it is up to par. and put my mariner 75 hp on the alumaweld. I know people say that m ight not be enough. But, I figure I might as well run it until it dies. and then upgrade to a nice new motor.. then the wife will ease up on me a bit.. I will get my new boat.. ( a piece at a time. but I will GET IT!) Also, I found out something interesting about my mariner 75hp... I don't know if this will mean anythign to anyone, but it is apparently a very nice motor. it is 1388cc. compared to most 2stroke motors that are around 75 hp they are only right around 900cc.... So just food for thought... but then again, I still haven't done anything final... so any other ideas?<br /><br />dave

 

[Terry H]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Good thinking...I don't know what length boat you are getting but the 17 footer has some advantages on inland waters. Lighter and more manueverable. See ya on the water...just a Thought

 

[lepper]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Well I got it figured out... 19foot stryker with a 90hp suzuki 4stroke...... with a fish finder, motor mount. windshield wipers. full seats..... all for 17,100.... Course I'm trading in my old boat but hey, they are giving me 200 less then I bought my old boat for last year... <br /><br />YIPPIE SKIPPIE!!!

 

[SoonerSlim]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Lepper,<br /><br />I don't know where you are fishing or what you are fishing for but I owned a 17ft XP50 Alumaweld bass boat with a 75HP Yamaha. Great boat, but I can offer two suggestions. Get as wide a boat as possible and outfit it with the largest motor the boat will take. These boats are not as stable as heavier fiberglass boats and with two people standing up fishing you can dump each other in the water if you don't pay attention to what you're doing. Also, make sure you get an automatically oil-injected motor. My 75HP Yamaha was a great motor but mixing the gas every time was a pain. I now know these boats as Xpress boats. I haven't kept up with the newer models. Check out their website at xpressboats.com.

 

[snohomishbaddawg]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

If you are looking at a stryker be sure to get the Northwest Package with the full canvas and the wider gunnels. The 17 with a 50hp is a little under powered if you are running any rivers. Take a look at the Hewescraft Sportsman if you want a nice deep, wide allaround boat for lakes and larger rivers. They run about the same price as the stryker and I think are a much better all around boat.

 

[norman158]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

did you look at a North River?

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Lepper bought his Alumaweld a few months ago.

 

[Capn Mike]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Hmmm. Always wonder why these posts are resurrected. In any case, I noticed Chuck's advocacy of Lund boats. I've always thought Lunds were for mid-west dudes who didn't go into white water or waves, so I looked them up (slow day at work, here). Their site www.lundboats.com is the only aluminum boat manufacturer I've seen that doesn't give the thickness of their hull material. Since that's a big deal in the PacNW, I think I see why we don't see a lot of Lunds around here.....

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

Capn mike, Most of the boats we're running seem to be for Western rivers. It doesn't seem that these boats are marketed back east.<br />I didn't have the heart to tell the guys with the Lunds that were talking apples and oranges. <br />I consider our river boats as made to order, custom built for specific applications.

 

[kev_alaska]

Re: All alumaweld owners please look here! (or just look if you want)

I wondered why this thread was back up as well. Some one had some Lunds left over from last season. I agree, I have seen several Lunds that were sold locally here. I don't want to be in any kind of big water, shallow rivers up here in one. They are nice and light, I will give them that. I will stick with my heavy a$$ Alumaweld. 20' Terminator with a 150 jet..