Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Aluminum boat advice

Greg, I use it on smaller lakes as others have said big rough water is a challenge and you will get wet. I like the painted interior as apposed to carpet. I tow it down dirt roads and it is easy to clean.
One downside is it can get hot, I painted it a light gray and that helps.
The 4 stroke is amazing, quiet, trolls all day. It uses so little gas I forget to fill it, the 8 gallon tank last forever. People say boats are expensive and a hassle to maintain, this boat is just the opposite.

I wallered around with a 16' heavy fiberglass bassboat for year with only a 70 'rude on it. No more. Anytime I buy a boat it will have adequate horsepower. That boat could've had a 120 on it, but I didn't shell out. The only way I'd underpower that boat is if I was ONLY going to fish very small bodies of water. For that boat, a 60 isn't exactly underpowered, but I'd go with the maximum safe horsepower. It's very easy to throttle a bigger motor down, when you've got a smaller motor doing all she's got, that's it.

Honestly, it sounds to me like you've got the money. I'd part with the cash and get the bigger motor IF I was getting that particular boat, even moreso on some others. It's not even so much about topend as it is about popping up out of the hole faster and safety in general. Some of the lakes I've fished in Kansas and Texas are THE most dangerous man-made impoundments in the country. Sometimes when you need to get to the ramp it should've been yesterday.

Storm blew a tree over on my boat a ways back.I have been looking at this. https://xpressboats.com/crappie-stick-steer/ Perfect for what I do.

I truly appreciate the advice.

I had a Mirrocraft boat .Best boat I ever owned

No prob. I've seen a lot of Lowe's. Xpress, G3 and War Eagle would be my top boats of the type you're looking at...topped out on hp. I DON'T believe in overpowering one though. Just sayin'. I hope you get what you want. A good boat is a joy. If you were satisfied with your Lowe in the past...that goes a long ways towards the next boat.

Have you ever known a boat owner tell someone they wished they bought a smaller motor?

To me it is all about weight.If the 40,50 and sixty are the same its the 60.If the next size gains 100 lbs.no deal.Boat needs to be handy and light as possible.

I'd normally agree with Ethan on this, but I have theory on outboards that I think has merit.

I won't go above a family of out boards for just a small increase in HP. By this, take a 60 horse. It's probably on the same block, frame, etc. as the 40 or 50. It will cost little more, & sometimes doesn't weigh more.
A jump to a 70 or 75 might have you getting a motor that has a larger physical size & may weigh a good bit more. Basically the same as a 90 or 115. And... cost nearly as much.

No way I would spend 4 grand more, probably not 2 grand more for 15 HP & probably pick up 50 pounds in the deal. That 50 # could eat up most of the HP gain IMO

My grandpa had that exact same rig. He left it to my cousin before passing and it’s still running like a champ.

If you are planning to fish the big 3 in Mississippi or get on the river go with the 75 . I have a Lowe 1860 Roughneck with Mercury 90 fourstroke . Im able to run 43 mph with a 19 pitch prop .

It's hard justify that much money to go 6 to 8 mph faster .

The 16' Lowe I sold had a 50hp Evinrude on it. While it wasn't real fast, it did everything I wanted it to do. $4000 for 15 more horsepower just seems exorbitant.

It'll never be on big water, nor in a tournament. I am in northern middle Tennessee. 30-35 mph is adequate. I just want to fish and pull an inner tube occasionally.

So does anyone have a particular gripe with the Lowe boat or Mercury motor?

As long as the Mercury motor is fuel injected, and a four stroke, your good. Plus buy the biggest motor you can afford.

Do your own math. Any salesman worth your time should be able to tell you how many MPH you can get on a boat with a given motor.

A pontoon I had once was gonna cost me $2800 for 2 MPH.

Mid size Mercurys are made in China. I think.

This I did not know.

I live in N Arkansas. We had a Lowe dealer here for many years. Many people had them and were happy with them for many years. The dealer closed and we don't have anyone close selling them but there are still a few running that are 30 years old. I don't have any advise on motor brands. I would buy close to what the tag says is max though and the brand that has good local dealer support. Underpowered boats aren't much fun.