Utility boat question

[1313nortac]

m shopping for a 14' utility boat, I see the tracker v14 guide has a hull thickness of .063 and the lowe has a .050. But people on the net seems to think tracker stinks and lowe is better. Lund hulls are also .063 guage but are out of my price range. Any thoughts? Thanks

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[derekdiruz]

Depends what the boat is used for. I've had boats at .05 and don't mind them. And I constantly beach my boats, beat the snot out of them duck hunting and use them for whatever. So I doubt the Lowe you'd notice much difference from unless you're very hard on it

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[1313nortac]

Appreciate the response

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[1313nortac]

Another thing I'll add is that the tracker rates at a 20 hp motor and the lowe a 10.

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[onthewater102]

A friend of mine has a tracker an his only complaint is that the paint finish is poorly applied & easy to scratch. But if there is a significant price difference all the extra man-hours of proper prep & application in the paint could make up that difference and the core boat might not be functionally different.

Lowe looks be a much nicer layout if these are the boats you're comparing.

https://www.trackerboats.com/boat/?boat=3955
https://www.loweboats.com/utility-boats/1467/

 

[1313nortac]

Great point. I'll be researching more before my purchase. I'm new here and what I learn will help. Thanks again

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[onthewater102]

Lowe looks to have higher sides

 

[turbotodd]

.063? .050? LOL. Tin foil.

.080 is about the thinnest material that I like, but that's my opinion.

 

[1313nortac]

Can't find a 14 utility with a .080. Please show me one. Thanks

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[onthewater102]

Riveted boats run thinner - .080 is thick enough to weld

 

[RiverLife]

I have a Lowe1448MV it seems thin compared to some of my relatives welded duck boats. Those duck boats are heavy as all get out. Unless you are jumping logs with a muck motor on the back it is unnecessary.

My Lowe is nice and light and moves out nice with a 15hp although it is rated for a 25hp. Easy to push around and I have yet to burn 6gal of gas during a fishing season. It has taken some log hits, sand bars and rocks and still looks great and doesn't leak a drop.

Neighbor bought a Tracker and had it out front of his house for sale within a week. When a small scratch started the paint flaked off in huge pieces. It really looked terrible for a new boat and it just seemed real cheap to me build quality wise.

My next boat when my kids get bigger will be a Lowe Roughneck

 

[lovedr79]

I loved my tracker. Only complaint was weight and the paint. Very durable boat

 

[Al U Minium]

My 1968 14 footer is 0.060" and has survived rough water and being shot through the air into a field by a hurricane. For 0.010" difference in hull material thickness I have probably dragged off that much on trailers, rocks, and sand beaches. But I like my boat as light as I can get it so I can launch and recover without getting a stroke. If you are going to get an aluminum boat and load it down with 800 pounds of wet gear, hardware, fighting chairs, trolling motor, huge batteries, and a 70HP motor, get the thickest material you can find.

 

[1313nortac]

Thanks all! I appreciate it greatly. Now I'm torn between a 1242 and a 1448 I'm loving the process of research in the mean time. I'll keep ya posted

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