Wondering if anyone has experience with the quality of Tracker Grizzlys over the last couple years?. I read that some people have weld problems with them and others don't. I think in 2015 they brought back their 5 year hull warranty. I have read a lot of reviews and forums but couldn't find one that was recent. Most were 2012 or older.
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skipper123
Well-known member
I have a 2016 MVX1648 Grizzly purchased new about a year ago. I have not noticed any problems with the boat so far, we run it pretty hard in Clarks Hill lake which can get pretty rough. She rides like a larger boat because she is a little on the heavy side with 100ga hull and 120ga flat floor. She rides out the large waves pretty nice and does not beat you to death like some of the lighter boats I have owned. Most of our fishing is done on Stevens Creek in SC and this is one of the most stump and log filled bodies of water in the state. If you don't bump stumps or floating logs then your not fishing the creek. Its gonna happen and so far I have not noticed any damage to the bottom of the boat, the 100ga bottom is holding up well. This is going to sound silly but one of the main reasons I purchased the Grizzly is the way they sell them online thru a dealer with no haggle pricing and you can purchase just the boat or boat and trailer like I did and rig them out the way you want them. This is my 3rd Tracker boat, I know they are massed produced just like the old model A Ford assembly line vehicles and target the masses. It seems like they are the working mans boat and allows a lot of folks to purchase new with a warranty instead of used. I have noticed the Quality seems to be improving because social media and forums will kill a business these days once the word gets out. That's the very thing stopped me from buying a duct boat brand out of Alabama. The finish on this boat is more like a bed liner than paint and is holding up pretty good. The trailer also has the same finish and seems to be a little more textured and thicker. One thing I will mention is this boat and matching trailer is the easiest boat to load I have ever owned. Been fishing for over 45 years and done a lot of wet feet to get a boat on the trailer but this ones been done right. I bought this boat and trailer sight unseen off the internet after dealing with a few different boat dealers that had to interest in nothing but a complete rig sale. Did I mention I hate dealing with a dealer. If I were going to be a die hard duck hunter and beat stumps and logs all day I would buy a duck boat made for it but for a good fishing boat I feel this boat will do the job well. One thing I do notice is a slight dimple on the outsides of the boat where its welded to the seats inside which is hardly noticeable but worth noting. I guess all alu. welded hulls have a few welding marks on the other side of the welds. The finish has not been compromised and you can barely feel it with your hand. I think this can be expected on a welded hull. All in all I'm very happy with this boat but as they say only time will tell.
skipper123
Well-known member
One thing I forgot to mention, yea I know long post, but the new Grizzly has no wood construction even in the transom. When I mounted the 30 HP Tohatsu I noticed a hollow transom with grid type bracing inside for strength and it seemed very strong. After banging a few stumps in the creek I have not noticed so much as a dimple in the transom. Also the flat floor seems like it can be removed to inspect welds under it and hopefully not find any open cell foam floatation full of water. I was tempted to try and remove it to see how its built where eyes don't see but its to new of a boat for that unless I expect something is going wrong. I checked under the bow deck and inside the front cap area mounting the trolling motor and its no wood to be found. I had to check because I have been snookered by a dealer before saying no wood construction showing me the tag on the back of a 2001 Sea Pro 180DC that said all composite construction only to find that composite meant to Sea Pro composite plywood construction. The first hole I bored in the gunnel to mount a flush mount rod holder reveled plywood in the Sea Pro. I reeducated the dealer on composite construction before I slipped in the rod holder and sealed up the hole. He had absolutely nothing to say and left me standing in the parking lot. Did I mention I hate dealing with a dealer !
Awesome! Great review the more detailed the better, I'm interested in the 1648 mvx as well. . I have read some bad reviews about them but then went to a couple of different brands' Facebook pages and Tracker had the highest rating after it seemed like everyone was trashing them. Every brand had their share of the same problems.
Do you find that your boat still drafts well and is stable despite being so heavy? That was one of the downsides for me was weight. Great for waves, not great for one person loading and unloading from the trailer and possibly draft.
I also read that people are getting water in the capped holes where they put the spray foam in. Did you caulk those or anything or have you had any problems?
I guess lastly I would like to outfit my boat with lead lights and headlights and maybe other accessories, I know it has the versatrack system but anything that needs to be drilled or have wiring fed through to it might be a problem with the grizzly.
Do you find that your boat still drafts well and is stable despite being so heavy? That was one of the downsides for me was weight. Great for waves, not great for one person loading and unloading from the trailer and possibly draft.
I also read that people are getting water in the capped holes where they put the spray foam in. Did you caulk those or anything or have you had any problems?
I guess lastly I would like to outfit my boat with lead lights and headlights and maybe other accessories, I know it has the versatrack system but anything that needs to be drilled or have wiring fed through to it might be a problem with the grizzly.
overboard
Well-known member
Fletch22 said:
I have two GRIZZLY's, a 1648 blind duck, and a 1654 FB. I ran pvc pipe under the gunnels to feed wire through on the 1654 and just zip tied new wires to an existing wire loom on the 1648. Shouldn't have to drill any holes in a GRIZZLY to mount most anything.
overboard said:
Oh right on, I would like to not drill as much as possible so thats good news. My main concern is keep it neat and tidy.
Did you do anything about the black plastic plugged holes where they spray foamed the walls? Some people recommend caulking or doing something about those so water doesnt get in and saturate the foam.
Also, I talked to Tracker via facebook today. I said that some people were having troubles because the warranty covers exterior welds and hull damage for 5 years. So I said there were people in the past that had interior welds fail, crack the hull, and therefore weren't covered because they were interior welds. Tracker responded and said that they recently changed their policy and now ALL welds are covered on the 5 year warranty dating back to 2015. Pretty happy about that. That basically sold me right there.
I hate to trash talk any company, and it should be noted I certainly don't own a Tracker product, but I have been shocked at the horrific visual quality of the Tracker boats I see on the Bass Pro sales floors. I should not be able to see the stringers flexing the exterior skin of the boat. Look very closely at the hulls of the bigger boats like the V17s and Targas... you can see where every single support beam/fixture is contacting the exterior skin because it telegraphs through the aluminum. If I were spending $40k I certainly wouldn't be happy with that. It may not be any kind of structural problem at all, I just want the hulls to be perfect for that kind of money. For what it is worth I don't see these issues with the Grizzly boats, and even if you did, it's less of an issue on a utility boat. I just don't like what I have seen with the quality since BPS took ownership of Tracker Boats.
tomme boy said:
Well, something changed with them around the year 2000 because the quality seems to have changed but again, it's only appearance to me. They very well may be solid as a rock, but I wouldn't want framing members telegraphing through the hull. I haven't noticed this on any other brands that I have looked at.
skipper123
Well-known member
As far as the draft goes I'm sure it sits lower in the water with the extra weight. My 1648MVX sits low in the stern but I have a new four stroke 30HP Tohatsu tiller steer with 6 gal fuel tank and starting battery in the rear area. That area at the transom is made to fit battery and 6 gal fuel tank perfect. We also have two seats mounted on the back seat that I added one on each side so that puts a lot of weight in the back of the boat. I run heavy because I have a 80 lb Terrova 24 volt trolling motor on the bow and two more batteries mounted in the floor just behind the front deck one on each side just for the trolling motor. I was a little concerned about the weight with three batteries two anglers and all the other gear I haul but the little Tohatsu pulls her up on plane pretty well and runs between 25 and 30 mph loaded out. As far as loading with the weight this is the easiest boat to load I have ever owned. Defiantly buy the matching trailer, whomever designed this trailer to the boat did a great job. After 48 years of fishing I cant count the number of boats Ive owned and this I think is my 4th Tracker boat. This Grizzly loads like a champ. The wife has drove it on the trailer quite a few times in the last year and only missed the runners twice. Once was my fault for backing in the water to far. Fenders tops should be about two to four inches out of the water and she loads easy. As far as being able to see the seat frames on the outside of the boat where they are welded together, yes I can see the outline of the back seat on the outside of the boat. Will this be an issue I don't know enough about alu welding to know. I have 12 grand invested in this rig all new 2016 but I rigged it out myself. I normally piece mill my fishing boats so as to rig them out as to the type of fishing I do. If somethings wrong I did it and I can change it.
I bought a 2014 Grizzly 1648 in spring of '14. I really wanted a Polar Kraft like my buddy has had for 20 years and the local dealer had one - superior workmanship, slicker design, etc., etc., etc. But it was $4900 and the Grizzly was $2699 and it's been just fine. I'm not jumping logs duck hunting and running hard in the dark through the swamp.
I wanted a Yamaha 9.9 from the Polar Kraft dealer, but it was $2400 and a 2013 Merc 4-stroke was on sale at BP for $1699. My buddy pushed Yamaha hard. I showed up at Friday lunch with the Bass Pro mailer and said, "Look, the Merc is on sale." He yawned. Then he asked the price. Then he looked up surprised and said, "Merc makes a fine motor." He's a cheap son of a gun.
John
I wanted a Yamaha 9.9 from the Polar Kraft dealer, but it was $2400 and a 2013 Merc 4-stroke was on sale at BP for $1699. My buddy pushed Yamaha hard. I showed up at Friday lunch with the Bass Pro mailer and said, "Look, the Merc is on sale." He yawned. Then he asked the price. Then he looked up surprised and said, "Merc makes a fine motor." He's a cheap son of a gun.
John
skipper123
Well-known member
From what I understand that Merc is made by Tohatsu as all Mercs under 40HP and yep Tohatsu makes a fine motor and if you get the Tohatsu name on the side it has a five year warranty and a couple hundred less coins depending on HP. I saved quite a bit on a 30 HP Tohatsu branded motor bought it in the box mounted the motor and tiller myself as well as checking everything at start up to make sure it was done right. The Merc I looked at would have to be installed on my boat at the dealer by a high school kid learning on my motor. This is my 2nd Tohatsu and so far have not replaced so much as a spark plug and the first motor only had one. Keep the oil changed don't run ethanol gas in it and run the piss out of it.
