New 2014 lowe jon boats

[scoobeb]

Ok so i just went on lowe's jon boat site.They have 2 new boats.A 1636 and an 1836,that's a weird type of boat.I don't understand the point of that.Wouldn't those boat just be a long disaster waiting to happen as far as tipping over.I can't see how they would be any differnt from a 1236 or 1436 other then they are a bit longer.Maybe there trying to give you like an aluminum Gheenoe type of boat.I don't know but i find that to be a weird type of aluminum boat.I can't see any type of advantage to them except a bit more room.Wouldn't a boat that long and narrow be more prone to tip in rough weather if you ended up hitting it.

Does anyone own one of these yet?Whats even more interesting is the 1636 is rated for a 20hp while the 1836 is rated for a 15hp,i think that has to be an error.

Any thoughts on these new boats.Just curious.

 

[Lowe 2070 CC]

I would assume those are river jons for places like the White and Little Red Rivers. I have seen lots of similarly sized glass boats (Shawnee's) up there.

 

[T Man]

My buddy has an 1836. Seems like a terrible hull size. Nice and long but not wide enough to sit 2 guys next to each other.

 

[scoobeb]

I have a 1436 crestliner which is the exact same as the lowe,it is pretty stable and i wish sometimes i had a bit more room.I take it out in the salwater all the time and never have any issues,even when it gets a bit rough,of course i need to slow down a bit so i don't get wet.The 1636 from lowe is basically the same boat with an extra ft and a half.It's actually a 15'6" boat so it's not the full 16ft as the 18ft boat is way longer at 18'6".For the price of only $900 for the 16 it may be worth a look at.

I do understand they are not the most stable boats,but i have never had an issue with one and i have been running a 1236 and 1436 for over 20yrs and have never tipped.Yes when the weather turns as in here in fl that happens rather fast it does get a bit scary but i have never tipped one but if some people don't have good balance or don't have the experience of using these boats it could be a disaster waiting to happen as i stated earlier.I would think as long as you don't go in crazy weather the 16 would be an ok buget boat.I'm telling you my 1436 is just a bit to small so i may consider this only due to price which is rather cheap.The only thing is they are thin boats at just a .050 gauge aluminum thickness but i'm sure they can get the job done.

 

[gillhunter]

The hull thickness on the 1636 is only .050". So it may not take a lot of punishment.

 

[scoobeb]

Yes that is one of the things i saw,that is why it's only a $900 boat.The 1436 crestliner i have is strong compared to that.My boat has a .064 gauge thickness which is quite stronger.Well i will say one thing,i had a 1236 alumacraft jon boat back in the day,say 15yrs ago,it was only a .053 which isn't much thicker then the .050 of this boat.Story short i use to punish my 1236 not intentionally but it got rough so fast sometimes and i tried to beat storms in with it and a 9.8hp tohatsu and i use to go through like 3 and 4ft swells with it and it would slam down and you would think the boat was broke in half,10yrs i had that boat and it never cracked or leaked.Sometimes i thought i was surfing with it it got so rough out there.I use to do some crazy stuff when i was younger,wind,rain,storms,tropical storms never scared me from going fishing and i swear that boat and motor never failed me and it always got me home,now if the wind blows i don't go out,i need to get my nerve back,lol.

Well that was when it was a bit warmer also,it's been down right cold for fl here lately and yes i forgot to mention i would have like 6"of water in the boat when i got home because the water from the swells with the wind blowing soaked us and got in the boat,it looked like a bath tub when i got home.I have to buy some good waterproof gear and start going out and deal with the elements.Getting to my spots is the hardest part because i'm in the open gulf going down the shore like 5-10miles but the places i fish are usually protected and have little wind.I have had way more fun in my little boats as in my 1236 and 1436 then when i had a nice 15k boat,funny how that works.I'm going to take a look at one of the 16 boats soon and i will tell you what i think for the money.

 

[Scott1298]

The general consensus on this form is the wider the better... I went with a 1542, and I was able to fit it just between the wheel wells of a smaller/cheaper 800lb capacity ez loader trailer.
And with the floor board I added, I have 43" inches of floor room in the boat!

 

[jonboatboy]

Hey scott. Which 1542 did you get? Im looking to get a new jon really really soon and Im weihing my options. I have a topic posted on here if anyone wants to check it out but Im guessing you got the Tracker 1542. They seem to be really popular but Ive read so many bad reviews on Tracker boats Id be scared to get one.

 

[Scott1298]

You get what you pay for I guess... I wanted something affordable & light enough to handle myself; the Tracker 1542 fit the bill. It's been solid so far, the 2011's had a paint adhesion problem though, so I stripped and repainted it. I got a really good deal on it used, so it was worth it! Now that it's pimped out, my buddy who fished out of 10 & 12 footers his whole life calls it the "dream boat".

 

[scoobeb]

Jonboatboy i use to think that the trackers were junk to as i bought one(1542) and sold it in a week.But point proven you get what you pay for.If you want a good dependable no frills boat that you don't care if paint peels off as i had the same issue,you just want to throw a boat in and go then the tracker is a good boat.Here is the issue,they are going up in price so they are nearing the price range of a alumacraft,or lowe,that would be my first choice if it were me.Lowe is a very solid boat as well as alumacraft.The only thing i hate about the alumacraft is the rivets in the livewell always leaked and after 5 times to the dealer they ripped all the small rivets out of the livewell and put bigger rivets in the holes and welded them,never leaked after that.

To me the best jon boat on the market is a G3 1442,it has the biggest sides of any 1442 and is built like a tank.Most jon boats have like 17 to 18"sides.The G3 1442 has 21"sides so it's very deep and to me is one of the best built boats,plus it's a .064 gauge boat.It's thick,sturdy and can handle more weight then advertised.The thing is you will pay a pretty penny.They run at say $1400-$1600 depending on were you go.That is my next boat for sure.It's a boat you can keep for a very long time and it will take a pounding if needed.The thing i didn't like about the tracker was it had such flimsy seats,very thin metal,the livewell was ok,The ribs only go over the bottom of the floor not the sides of the boat as most jons dverall the tracker is a strong hull i think,but all the features are cheap on it as is the price to an extent.

One more time though it's not a bad boat,it's just a economical boat and that's all i would put it at.

Just as scott1298 said perfect,you get what you pay for.

 

[jonboatboy]

Man yall wasnt lying about them 1542s. I went to the boat show in Louisville and visited Basspro in Indiana and the first thing I did was check out the tracker boats. I said it in the other forum and I mean no offence but Ive crushed beer cans that were made stronger. I guess itd be good for a trolling motor and boat in the bed of a truck but that thing is rated for a 25hp.

Scoobeb I owe you. I looked at a few g3s at the boat show but wouldnt you know it they only brought out the best and most expensive boats they had but anyways. I looked online at the 1448s and Ive just plum fell in love. Its 30 lbs lighter then the other jons that size and still made outta .074 gauge and has 21in. side height too. I think thatll be good for my boy since hes only 1 and already 3ft tall. His doctor said hes taller then 90% of kids his age! The only thing I worry about is wont that set my short shaft motor about a inch too short? Will it run right or have problems or WTF could go wrong with the only boat Ive looked at and could see myself gettin it. Ole lady said since shes seen a 1448 and the room they have she wont settle for nothing less.

 

[scoobeb]

You want to see a really nice boat,go to lowe site and check out the 1652,that is my last and final boat when i get the money,they run near $2500-2700 and suprising or not as i was just a 20hp 4stroke runs that boat with a few people over 20mph.My ultimate goal is the 1652 with a 25-40 hp etec as my keeper boat till it falls apart in say 25yrs when i'm old and grey.As of now i have to let the buget work for me and i really like the G3 boats.The 1448 could handle much more then a 25 if needed but with a 20 to 25 it will do between 25-30mph,that's getting it in a jon boat trust me.

As far as your motor being an issue,as long as you have a short shaft get the short transom and you will be fine.Most transoms on jon boats that are short shafts are between 15-17"wide.As long as your cavitation plate is say at level or 1"below the bottom of the boat you will be fine.

Also to,i am not steering anyone away from welded boats as everyone has their preference,but i think to the core a riveted boat is 100 times better then an all welded,here's why.A riveted boat will give you more flex then a all welded boat.They tend to crack less then an all welded boat.Yes an all welded boat tends to be stronger because of the gauge metal they use but much less flex.People say after time rivets leak,that may be true,like 10yrs down the road,it's much easier to replace a rivet and less expensive then to keep welding a boat to me.I have had 3 brand new welded boats and they were just nightmares.I have yet to have an issue with the structure of any of the 10 or so riveted jon boats.

But you will here 10 other people say they love them.Hey it's your money and investment.But i hear people say i'm scared of a boat with rivets,well then you may as well be scared of flying as planes are riveted also.A riveted boat is to me the better buy and price is night and day.I do like G3's setups to even know their all welded,but i tend to stay with a nice big jon boat in the end as a lowe 1652 riveted with a 25-40 hp tiller has so much room in it you could have a spa in it and still have a ton of fishing room,lol.I stay away from sc or cc boats as they take to much of the boat up to me,you get a big jon and a nice powerful tiller and the things you can do to a boat like that as far as modifying it is endless and way cheaper then any dealer will charge you.Hey just my 2 cents.