Are glastron's good boats?

SkaterRace

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I am looking at buying a Glastron in the spring and the ones that fit my budget are not exactly new but not old yet either.I am mostly looking at 2007-2012 boats with either the 3.0L or the 4.3L engines in the 18'-19' range. I have considered new but I doubt it would be worth the extra cost at this point in my life.

I am not very handy so all repairs would need to be done by a mechanic so I want to factor that into weather boats of this age and size are a good fit or not.

Opinions on these boats?
 

wahlejim

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If you are looking for less maintenance, I would look for one with an outboard. Glastron is a perfectly acceptable boat, but it is considered a basic one without the fit and trim of higher end boats. The first thing we would need to know to give you advice is what you are planning on doing with the boat
 

alldodge

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While there are many opinions on who makes the best boat, all boats are powered by the same motors. I would not over look an old boat over a newer one, because it all comes down to how well they were taken care of. Seen a 40 year old look better then a 5 year.

Glastron is an entry level boat so the fit and finish is not there, It usually has issues with some corrosion due to wires were not sealed at the ends. These things will causes issues but can also be fixed easy enough with inspection and cleaning.

Check the hull , deck and transom for any soft spots and behind the helm. Look to see what was added and maybe removed later like radios, GPS other things
 

wahlejim

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One more note, you are looking at an approximately 10 year old boat. It will need service. Since you are looking for a mechanic to perform the service, make sure there is someone near you that will work on the boat. Volvo Penta mechanics are becoming harder and harder to find. Make sure there is a support network near you. We see a lot of people with issues that have to go to mechanics several times to correct. Nothing worse than spending your summer making countless 2 hour drives to fix the same issue rather than being on the water.
 

SkaterRace

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If you are looking for less maintenance, I would look for one with an outboard. Glastron is a perfectly acceptable boat, but it is considered a basic one without the fit and trim of higher end boats. The first thing we would need to know to give you advice is what you are planning on doing with the boat

I have had outboards before and while they require less work I really like the look of I/O and would really like to get one with I/O.

I mostly cruise around in my previous boats with a bit of tubing and the odd bit of water skiing.

I am in an area with a ton of marinas and mechanics. I live in Canada in the great lakes area. I am in a major city and I know of 3 boat repair places within a 20 minute drive of me
 
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wahlejim

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In that case, its all about condition. There are 20 year old glastrons in nicer shape than 10 year old chapparals and vice versa. A 4.3 would be a perfect engine for that boat and do what you needed it to do.
 

Scott Danforth

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remember, the design life of the average boat is only about 15 years. your looking at boats near the end of their design lives

if you cant/dont/wont do your own work, that can get pricey quickly to the point of a new boat being cheaper

used boats are all about condition.
 

briangcc

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I'll second the comments on Volvo-Penta having owned one for a number of years. They are nicer than the comparable Merc's in terms of smoothness BUT finding a dealer stateside willing to work on one, and able to get the parts, is becoming a chore. Price of parts is 2-3x what a comparable Merc is as well. I went from about a dozen marinas to 3 that still hang out the Volvo shingle in the time I owned my Four Winns. One told me flat out that most shops are stopping working on them as 1. Volvo makes it difficult to locate the parts and 2. The cost of the parts.

As for boating in the Great White North, the lake you're on, is that man-made with lots of stumps or is it a natural lake with rocky bottom and shoals? Reason I ask is that when you hit something with an outboard the motor will pop up and you can generally get yourself out of a situation. Do the same with the I/O and you may be hopping in the water to lift the rear of the boat enough to get you off the obstruction OR dealing with a complete replacement. Something to consider.



**I used to boat for a number of years at Baptiste Lake - Bancroft, ON and broke a number of shear pins on stumps that were just submerged under the surface.
 

SkaterRace

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remember, the design life of the average boat is only about 15 years. your looking at boats near the end of their design lives

if you cant/dont/wont do your own work, that can get pricey quickly to the point of a new boat being cheaper

used boats are all about condition.

About how old should I be looking for if I want a good deal that will last me for a long time?
 

SkaterRace

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I'll second the comments on Volvo-Penta having owned one for a number of years. They are nicer than the comparable Merc's in terms of smoothness BUT finding a dealer stateside willing to work on one, and able to get the parts, is becoming a chore. Price of parts is 2-3x what a comparable Merc is as well. I went from about a dozen marinas to 3 that still hang out the Volvo shingle in the time I owned my Four Winns. One told me flat out that most shops are stopping working on them as 1. Volvo makes it difficult to locate the parts and 2. The cost of the parts.

As for boating in the Great White North, the lake you're on, is that man-made with lots of stumps or is it a natural lake with rocky bottom and shoals? Reason I ask is that when you hit something with an outboard the motor will pop up and you can generally get yourself out of a situation. Do the same with the I/O and you may be hopping in the water to lift the rear of the boat enough to get you off the obstruction OR dealing with a complete replacement. Something to consider.



**I used to boat for a number of years at Baptiste Lake - Bancroft, ON and broke a number of shear pins on stumps that were just submerged under the surface.

I mostly boat on natural lakes though one has terrible conditions between some of the islands. I took off the bottom of a motor in 2017, that was not a fun paddle back 26KM! :facepalm: I have had pretty good luck with not hitting bottom over the years. I've hit bottom 2 times in the past 9 years and once was the 26KM paddle and the other was just a ding'd prop.

I know outboards are better for shallow water or terrible conditions I am just not sure that it makes much sense considering I want to be able to tube and ski a lot and outboards make that hard. Well they did on my older boats that is
 

briangcc

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All you need is a tow pylon for skiing with an Outboard. Get a harness for tubing. Been there, done that with my Bayliner.

Besides, you're not introducing new words into your vocabulary such as bellows, u-joints, etc. But I get the appeal of the I/O having a large swim pad.


Out of curiosity, why limit yourself to Glastron? Since you're going used, there are other manufacturers that will fit your price point.
 

Old Ironmaker

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I would stay away from any Volvo Penta for the reasons mentioned above, especially if you can not do any of your own maintenance. I as well was mechanically declined. I did know "righty tighty, lefty loosy" and that's about it. I watched someone winterize their boat and was amazed how simple it was. I was paying someone 100 bucks, CDN as well to do it for me. Over that winter I took a small engine course at Mohawk College in Hamilton. The best money and time I spent in years. I won't tear apart an O/B but now understand the basics and have assisted tearing a marine engine apart and putting them back together though. . I now do my own "simple" maintenance and have saved hundreds in Marine mechanic charges. It's going for around $120.00 an hour here. If you are dead set on a I/O then that's what you should buy but again I would only go with a Merc. I/O and outdrive. It's your basic 4 or 6 cylinder GM car engine. But now you're dealing with rubber boots, bellows, tranny linkage, gimbal and all that goes with an I/O. It will get expensive and that is a guarantee if you have to pay for all maintenance. You can't be much less mechanically inclined than I. You Tube and sites like iboats are your friend. Don't quit before you try is my best advise. However if you have hands the size of Shaquille O'Neal's well then be prepared to pay someone and forget the DIY.

As for the quality of a Glastron vs. others from what I have seen where we putter around with boats at a pals shop they are indeed an entry level glass boat with I/O but will do what you need it to do. Always go for the larger size engine and length your budget can withstand, always. It might be a good idea to put at least an electric trolling motor on whatever you do buy, it will save you a 26KM paddle, mine did for me once.
 
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Scott Danforth

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MTboatguy

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read this. https://forums.iboats.com/forum/boa...52-perspective-of-fiberglass-boat-design-life

as to what boat you buy depends on how well it was maintained, how much you want to spend with a mechanic

boating is nearly the most expensive hobby you can have - it is more expensive than racing and it is almost as expensive as owning an airplane

Come on Scott, you are scaring the guy and boating is not the most expensive, I know of one hobby that I took up many years ago that has cost a whole bunch more than any boat or airplane I have owned!

You ask what......

A wife!

:facepalm:

:lol:
 

QBhoy

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Newer ones aren’t as well built as the older ones...but hey...could say the same for many boats.
That age wouldn’t be known for quality and finish, but keep it good and look after it and she will do as well as any other entry level similar boat.
As mentioned. All about the engine. Try get the 4.3. 3.0 be just fine until you experience just how much better the 4.3 is. Smooth, refined, powerful and don’t make the horrible racket noise the 3.0 does. Likely the 4.3 is the best marine engine ever put in a boat.

One final thing might be...if you are pondering what engine...it might suggest you haven’t made your mind up or have an actual boat in mind. Why not look around at other brands. For the price of a 2012 3.0 basic glastron, you might get a finer but older quality well looked after boat with a 4.3, 5.0 or 5.7.
At that money, you will maybe be into the mpi and gxi engine territory. Well worth it over the carb.
 

QBhoy

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Tassie 1

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Come on Scott, you are scaring the guy

dunno about scaring the OP but he's really terrifying the tripe out of me/us with all these old boats ( 4, 15 ft to 30 ft 1972 to 1988, the " baby" ) currently owned,

I best go and write the will, l'm about to perish,
but if, if l survive it's good to know l can afford to run a plane,
never thought about getting one before...
thats a fair dinkum good idea,
l'll start looking

how long does the rubber band propulsion thingee in those tiny Cessnas last though?
 

Old Ironmaker

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Come on Scott, you are scaring the guy and boating is not the most expensive, I know of one hobby that I took up many years ago that has cost a whole bunch more than any boat or airplane I have owned!

You ask what......

A wife!

:facepalm:

:lol:

No not a wife. A girlfriend and a wife. Or even more a few ex wives and a girlfriend. I DO NOT speak from experience. I have been told.
 

DouglasW

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remember, the design life of the average boat is only about 15 years. your looking at boats near the end of their design lives

Says the guy with a 30 year old boat ;-) My 46 year old sailboat would disagree.
 

jimmbo

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They don't stand behind their product Warranty wise. I think they have improved the product, once they scrapped the VEC process. Hulls made that way had numerous areas where there was no saturation of the glass with resin.
 
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