Lund or Tracker?

[BigKyd]

I know, seems like a dumb question, get the Lund right?

I'm looking for a summer boat for pulling cranks, and kids on tubes. Has to be easy to tow, fit in my garage, and reasonably priced. I'm looking at 17 foot aluminum deep Vs and it seems most boats in this class are only rated for 115hp but a couple like the Tracker V-175 and G2 Angler V17 are rated for 150hp. If I spec them both out with what I want the Lund Adventure 1775 and Impact 1775 with 115hp Mercurys come out at about the same price as the Tracker and G3 respectively with 150hp Mercury for the Tracker and 150 hp Yamaha for the G3 (the Impact and G3 a little pricier than the Adventure and Tracker but not by much). I know Lund and Tracker/G3 are opposite ends of the quality spectrum, am I better off getting the better boat with less power (but still maxed out for its rating) or a slightly lesser boat but with more power. Is a 115 on this class of boat enough to pull kids on big tubes and still be able to give them a good ride?

It looked like the Tracker weighs about 500 pounds more than the Lund Adventure. The Tracker says it uses .100 gauge aluminum, the Lund says it uses .143 in the bow but only .080 in the bottom. For max weight capacity the Tracker is rated for 1600 pounds and the Lund is rated for 1400 pounds.

[DockShootinJack]

I have a Tracker 175 pro team with a 60 4 cycle mercury. It is a 35 mph. I can only imagine one with a 150 would be a rocket. Prior to the Tracker I had an 18.5 foot Stratos dual console with a 150 Johnson. 65 mph and it is a heavy boat

[BigKyd]

That pro team is a mod-v though right? I'd think a deep v with the same power would not be as fast since it displaces more water and is probably heavier. According to Tracker the the v-175 will do 43-45 with a 115, speeds for the 150 are not listed on their site. But that top speed is probably with only a driver and no passengers in a moderately loaded boat that's not pulling anything. I'd be pulling 2 to 3 kids on one of those big loveseat style tubes with me and at least 1 spotter in the boat. I'm not concerned with top speed as much as i am with the ability to tow a big tube loaded with kids and give them a decent ride.

[DockShootinJack]

Yes it is a mod v boat. I would figure high 50s with the 150. It can be propped to pull the tubes at the lose of top speed.

[Capt Cormorant]

You don't need much to pull a tube... I would say 115 on a 17.5ft class boat would be plenty. I have 90hp on 17.5ft Crestliner Vision and I can pull a tube no problem. I can't imagine pulling my kid at 50mph on a tube. Water is not soft at those speeds.

[DockShootinJack]

I was not meaning you would pull them that fast. I only stated my estimate of the boats speed to say it should be more than capable of pulling any tube you wished

[cevans]

Lund will give you a better resale value if you want to ever upgrade or buy a new boat. Lund has a more stable hull for a V. If your eyeing a Lund…..go Lund.

[moskeeter56]

Look at the Ranger aluminum's.

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[livemusic]

If I were choosing between Lund and Tracker, I would choose Lund; it does not take much to pull kids on a tube; they don't have to go that fast at all to have a ride. So close to the water, 25mph feels like 60. You'd need a good tow rope setup and maybe one of those harness gizmos that goes vertical to attach the rope to. Ask somebody who pulls tubes and skiers about that, they will know what's up with tow setups. A boat ladder will be needed. Also, seating in the boat is a factor.

[Grainraiser]

Pulling a tube is a hell of alot easier than pulling someone on ski's. I had a 115 Merc on a 17ft fiberglass Nitro and pulled a tube with ease. I would certainly get the Lund over the Tracker.