I have often wondered for those of you buying new or nearly new fishing boats, what is your main focus and or in what order is most important to you? This isn’t intended to talk brands, just what is most important to you. I appreciate hearing your rank order and or your thoughts behind your answer!
1 Brand of Boat
2 Brand of Motor
3 Dealer/ Service after the sale
4 Price
I’m all about the motor. If it doesn’t run properly whats the point of having a boat?
Price & dealer are the same to me. I will buy from who can service the motor at a fair price. I understand everybody needs to make a living but be fair and I’m good.
I’m not a pro or even a wannabe pro. I buy boats on the style (tiller, windshield) then size, then color or looks of the rig, then probably brand. I think today just about every major brand produces a good boat and the motor companies the same. It comes down to what I’m comfortable with. For example….I’m not a Evinrude guy. No special reason, I’ve never owned one, I just have never liked the looks. But thats me.
My next boat will likely be a brand I haven’t owned before. Not because previous brands or dealers were bad, but likely because of something different I wanted to try.
I also think guys will admit they buy what momma lets them buy. 
Missing one Dean. In my case (that sure could be a one off) it was FW satisfaction.
There wasn’t a preconceived thought on Brand of boat or motor or price. Service after the sale I would guess ranks highest of the items you’ve listed.
Thinking back, it was the way you took her into the office with a catalog and asked her what she was looking for. So again I would say Dealer was top in our case. Granted we have some history but she had 5 other opportunities with dealers that didn’t work out.
Let me muddy this up a bit more. Had Skeeter not had a family boat the rest wouldn’t of mattered. So in our case STYLE was #1.
Most all motors are solid now a days. Looks was more likely the deciding factor here. Personally I would of been just as happy with a black motor. (assuming performance was the same.)
It just so happened that the Dealership (at both locations) has legendary service. There are a few dealers where I wouldn’t consider buying a boat from.
I expected the price after looking around. Certainly if we could of found another brand with the same STYLE and $10,000. less expensive it would have made the decision harder… but I am happy to pay a few bucks more knowing that no matter what the problem, my dealer will handle it or at least work with me.
I know you weren’t looking for any brown nosing, but it’s true. You’re team at SBC knows how to take care of boats, motors and most importantly people.
#3,you can buy the supposed best,but if the dealer isn’t worth their salt it can be a miserable experience.Very true with vehicles.
The dealers that will go above and beyond to solve an issue trumps price.
I have often wondered for those of you buying new or nearly new fishing boats, what is your main focus and or in what order is most important to you?
1) boat features
2) motor reputation (both brand and model)
3) price
4) dealer reputation
5) boat brand
unfortunately i’m fickle enough to have more experience buying new boats than my wife thinks i should. 
and i don’t necessarily believe that sales approach is all that separate from service. if you find a place that’s good at one they’re usually good at the other; bad at one, bad at the other.
I am not in the market for a new boat until the Warrior wares out, but I would have to agree that the Dealer is #1 on my list. If I am throwing down that kind of coin I want to be satisfied at the time of purchase and after the purchase. Brand of both motor and boat would be lumped together as the #2 for me.
Being on my 4th Ranger brand of boat is currently #1
With that said there are now other brands that have raised the bar. I think there is some blue sky added to the price of some brands including Ranger.
I agree with BK on the motors being all dependable.
# 2 would be the dealer if buying new.
Price is not a factor, you never tell your wife what you paid for any hobby related item. LOL !
#1 Is the boat going to fit my needs. Is it going to do what i want it to do. Is it going to be able to go where I want it to go.
Going off of these choices:
1 Brand of Boat- something that would hold value and last until I’m dead.
4 Price- will pay more for quality but only so much more
2 Brand of Motor- if its a merc, Suzuki, Yamaha I’m in. No hondas
3 service after sale- more concerned with how the guy selling me the boat treats me.
Not choices but two of the biggest things for me would be If It fits my familie’s needs and location of the store. Big enough I can fit us 4 but not so heavy that its a pain loading and unloading.
My other would be location. I’m not driving 3 hours to look at a boat I may or may not buy. Not that knowledgable about the industry but I would think why doesn’t a boat dealer get in cahoots with auto dealers throughout the state and have a general model on their lot or showroom. Give the dealer a piece of the pie and grow sales by targeting more buyers.
My priorities would differ greatly if it were a BRAND NEW boat or a USED BOAT
NEW:
1st = design/layout (brand new boat needs to be exactly what I want with regard to design)
2nd = price & dealer service after transaction (warranty work, future maintenance)
3rd = boat brand (holding value, proven record of longevity)
4th = motor brand (most motors brand new today will never give you issues if proper maintenance is done)
USED:
1st = motor brand and condition (most used boat issues seem to revolve around the motor)
2nd = boat brand (what retains its value and has proven longevity)
3rd = price (price is often negotiable on used boats – I’d purchase in cash only and be willing to walk away from any boat as there is a large market out there)
In my experience (both as a customer and as a boat salesman), it seems like of the four, people put the largest relative emphasis on the motor brand. I can’t tell you how many friends/customers I’ve had go with boat/dealer A instead of boat/dealer B because it didn’t have the motor they wanted. I think at least to the average joe (not necessarily us hardcore angler types), horror stories about motor brands matter as much as anything. Even though most engines are solid these days, bad news spreads faster than good news, and people don’t forget it. Obviously all that goes for the boat brand as well, but I just feel like I’ve heard a lot more guys say motor brand is a deal breaker over the years than I’ve heard said about boat brands.
I’d say boat brand/price are probably about equally important. You’ll get your hardcore loyal guys (same as motors), but again, your non-hardcore angler types aren’t going to be as worried about whether it’s riveted or welded, or how the deadrise/transom pad affects performance. Obviously fiberglass vs aluminum is a big deal, but outside of that, when I sold, it seemed like people cared more about the motor than the boat brand.
I think that the whole “buy the dealer, not the boat” mentality is gaining a ton of traction to the hardcore boaters/anglers, but again, your average Joe doesn’t know how drastically the dealer can effect the experience, so I think for a lot of people, that’s fairly low on the list.
Having said that, my personal order for my next boat would be
1. Boat Brand (I want a glass boat without those giant aft storage bins, and while you can remove them on the Lund 219s, you lose virtually all your cockpit storage that way, while Skeeters still have plenty storage on the sides, so that’s the only real brand I’m interested in)
2. Dealer (After working at one, I know all the horror stories that a bad dealership can cause)
3. Brand of Motor (sort of a moot point, since I’d pick a Yammie, and that’s all that Skeeters come with anyway)
4. Price (You’re either going to own the boat for as long as you can, so get it exactly how you want, and pay the extra $20-30 a month, or you’ve got enough money that you can get rid of it whenever you want, and it’s a moot point)
I pride myself on doing research and making a good purchase rather than holding a dealership responsible for something they’re not responsible for.
I’d say my list looks like this
1. Boat Brand (more about style and features than the brand. I’m not brand loyal.)
2. Price
3. Dealer service after the sale
4. Motor brand
Brand loyalty is just plain silly.
One.
First and foremost for me is price.
Even if I had eighty grand to spend on a boat, I wouldn’t. That’s some crazy numbers when you take a step back and look at it. But it’s all personal perspective. For some, that works and is completely doable.
Two.
Once price is determined, the best option for the price is researched to a top three set of options. Obviously, there’s some makes, models in everything that are good and bad. For me I have very little brand loyalty to stuff I’m buying, if a brand wants loyalty, they gotta earn it. Crap ain’t free.
Three.
Fix my own stuff, so a dealers parts department is way more important to me than anything. There’s two I enjoy dealing with and both have people who are quick and knowledgeable. They are no bs type guys who don’t give a rat’s butt what your wife’s cat did yesterday at breakfast, ie they ain’t chatty Cathy’s. They speak more by action than words.
Truly feel for people who don’t have the time or mechanical aptitude to fix stuff on their own boat’s. Have heard so many horror stories about new boat’s and dealers, it’s sad when someone drops some serious cash on a new rig to have nothing but problems and frustration dealing with a manufacturer and dealer who were their best friend pre sale, then are gone before the ink dries.
Any boat will have issue’s with something, somewhere, at sometime. And it’s usually far away from a dealer and on a weekend. And a lot of it has nothing to do with the boat or dealer imo. With all the electronics and add on’s, there’s a lot of stuff to go wrong in a wet environment, where people are clueless with operating the rigs they have.
My best advice to kids coming up, learn to be at minimum, engaged in learning where wires go in a boat, where the battery connections are, where the fuse panels are and how and what kind of fuses your boat uses, issue’s poor fuel causes, etc. That’s one area dealers are lacking in imo. Teach and be honest with trouble spots and show them how to address issues on the water. A lot of issues can be fixed with minimal tools or knowledge, just a willingness to listen and learn.
I would now rank mine in this order
1. Ride quality/dry ride on big water
2. Dealer and service Department
3. boat build quality/Brand
4. Price
5. Motor Brand
In my experience (both as a customer and as a boat salesman), it seems like of the four, people put the largest relative emphasis on the motor brand.
This pretty much summed up my last boat purchase. I was pretty settled on the boat brand, but the motor brand was what pushed it over the top. I wanted a Suzuki.
IMO dealer service, etc isn’t that big of a thing for me since I do all my own rigging and regular maintenance. I will take the boat in this Spring and have the motor gone through for the first time, adjusting valves, etc whatever may be necessary, but that is it.
I get turned off by boat brands that are married to a brand of motor. I understand why it happens, but its a bit frustrating. I have nothing against Yamaha, in fact they would be my #2 choice, but that really is a factor keeping me from buying a skeeter. Merc is the same way with Lund. I want to make the decision on what outboard to have on it. I understand that you can in some cases get the boats without the motors rigged, but then you pay through the wazoo to have it rigged for the motor of your choice.
Being on my 4th Ranger brand of boat is currently #1
With that said there are now other brands that have raised the bar. I think there is some blue sky added to the price of some brands including Ranger.
I agree with BK on the motors being all dependable.
# 2 would be the dealer if buying new.
Price is not a factor, you never tell your wife what you paid for any hobby related item. LOL !
You guys must be just swimming in cash if you can buy a new boat nowadays and not have the wife find out how much it cost!
You guys must be just swimming in cash if you can buy a new boat nowadays and not have the wife find out how much it cost!
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I don’t ask what’s in the Williams-Sonoma or Kohl’s bags, she doesn’t ask what’s in the Cabela’s ones,,,,,,,
HRG
1 – fishability & safety that aligns with my preferred style of chasing old marble eyes. Which in turn ends up to be BRAND. I accepted the fact there’ll never be a “perfect” boat unless I can design, build & confirm its “perfect.” I’ve been blessed with a chance to fish out of 90 plus % of Midwest walleye boats and not one of them is “perfect” from every useable feature.
2 – motor brand – heavy boats need torque. I accept that slow hole shots aren’t for me.
3 – dealer service – boats/motors/trailers break. Today’s rigs are too expensive to be treated unfairly when you require service, because you will.
4 – price – the market bearing prices are no secret. Do your homework and surprises will be averted.
In all honesty, these are all #1 when I’m shopping. I will not rank order any of these issues as my time on the water is too precious. Like most, work and sleep consume a majority of my life. 
Nice survey Dean! Good fishing
1 The Boat Manufactures ability to meet delivery date. I have never purchased a new boat but I heard too many stories about promised delivery dates being missed by months or in some cases over a year. If I ever purchase a new boat I will have an iron clad statement on the purchase agreement about missing the final delivery date (ie, cancel agreement, discounts, etc…) If they wont do that I will move on, find another boat manufacturer, or buy used.
2 Brand of Boat – Yes. important
3 Brand of Motor – Yes. important
4 Price – Of course important
5 Dealer/ Service after the sale – Shouldn’t be an issue because the boat manufacturers should have standardized the way dealers service boats/motors. Plus, if I am not satisfied with dealer A I will just move onto dealer B.
Buying from a good dealer makes a big difference. I know that my dealer will give service customers priority if you bought a boat, or several boats from them versus someone didn’t buy it there, and dropped their boat in to have it fixed. At least that is the case in their busy time. Maybe not fair, but I know it happens.
1 The Boat Manufactures ability to meet delivery date. I have never purchased a new boat but I heard too many stories about promised delivery dates being missed by months or in some cases over a year. If I ever purchase a new boat I will have an iron clad statement on the purchase agreement about missing the final delivery date (ie, cancel agreement, discounts, etc…) If they wont do that I will move on, find another boat manufacturer, or buy used.
2 Brand of Boat – Yes. important
3 Brand of Motor – Yes. important
4 Price – Of course important
5 Dealer/ Service after the sale – Shouldn’t be an issue because the boat manufacturers should have standardized the way dealers service boats/motors. Plus, if I am not satisfied with dealer A I will just move onto dealer B.
Buying from a good dealer makes a big difference. I know that my dealer will give service customers priority if you bought a boat, or several boats from them versus someone didn’t buy it there, and dropped their boat in to have it fixed. At least that is the case in their busy time. Maybe not fair, but I know it happens.
This might be true in your case but dealer A and dealer B should be the same or similar. Same dealer training, same service costs, and same commitment. If it’s not, there’s a gap and the manufacturer should address it. I know I never got any “special treatment” in service from my Ford dealer when I bought my truck there.
One thing I think that does matter is how far they are from my house though.
I’m a bit bias as I bought my boat from SBC. I have never been treated better anywhere. People know my name, say hi, ask if i’ve been helped. Anytime i’ve needed anything including information I get it, no questions asked. Nor did I feel obligated to buy anything. It’s just a laid back experience which I appreciate.
As I said earlier i’m not overly loyal to a dealer. However a GOOD DEALER will always get the last opportunity to match price or services. A bad dealer will never get a second chance, period.
We owe it to ourselves and families to get a fair deal on any purchases. It doesn’t matter if the purchase is a used duck boat or a top of the line glass boat with a 350 hp motor. Dealers owe it to their customers to provide the best product, services, accessories at fair prices. As customers we should never begrudge our dealers making a profit, after all it does nobody any good for a dealer to go broke. I get a bit peeved when I hear guys buying 500 miles away just to save a few bucks. Often those same guys expect the local dealers to drop everything just to address a warranty item. Want special service….buy local.
To bad all dealers aren’t created equal. 
The high priority on dealer service always has confused me. When I bought my boat new the dealer was terrible after purchase but I bought a brand of boat and motor that didn’t need warranty service. If I hear guys praising a dealership for how great the service is I assume the boat a piece of crap that needs fixing all the time.
For new, I am with buckybadger
NEW:
1st = design/layout (brand new boat needs to be exactly what I want with regard to design)
2nd = price & dealer service after transaction (warranty work, future maintenance)
3rd = boat brand (holding value, proven record of longevity)
4th = motor brand (most motors brand new today will never give you issues if proper maintenance is done)
In my case I’m not really worried about warranty work. I’m more concerned with rigging and delivery time as promised. Although there was a time when I knocked a lower unit out of my Ranger. 3 days later I picked it up all fixed and ready to go. That was way above and beyond in my mind.
Every year I read threads about guys complaining they can’t get their boat into a dealer for repair. Turns out they shopped price and bought from far away and then expected the guy down the block to bail him out.
FWIW there are many good dealers, however I have heard some horror stories about local dealers also.
FWIW there are many good dealers, however I have heard some horror stories about local dealers also.
I was going to reply to KWP’s comment about dealers last night but everyone knows that Dean is my steady stream of baked goods…even if I have to steal them from him.
True story: Family bought a boat and asked dealer when it would be ready. Dealer said two weeks. Pick it up on Thursday. Family plans on leaving Friday for vacation.
Wednesday dealership owner calls and tells family “rigger is worthless and they are firing him after boat is rigged. Pick up Friday”.
At least they had a warning but really??
There are a few dealers that stand out in and around the Metro area. There are more that are just good and there are some that are less than adequate.
If I hear guys praising a dealership for how great the service is I assume the boat a piece of crap that needs fixing all the time.
SuperDave, I can’t speak of your areas dealers or boats and I’m not ripping on your opinion. BUT if you ever make it to MN, let me know. I’m 100% positive I can change your opinion. 
Brian, I get my service done from a very trusted mechanic and have been rigging my own boat forever. Help me understand how once I pull away from the dealership they are a critical component.
For you they aren’t….. until you need one. Maybe you never will, good for you.
I guess that’s why everyone has a different list of priorities. I know my share of guys that once they buy a new boat they refuse to drill a hole in it, so, I can see where dealer service might be more important to them. But in your area, is the dealer the primary place everyone goes for service? We had lots of mom and pop places that did great work so one wasn’t tied to a dealer for motor work and such.
I was going to reply to KWP’s comment about dealers last night but everyone knows that Dean is my steady stream of baked goods…even if I have to steal them from him.
BK, the original poster just asked what is most important to us as individual buyers including dealer/service after sale. I have no doubt SBC is a very good if not great dealer. But for many of us it just doesn’t rank as the number 1 priority when we make our decision, period. If the manufacture produces a quality product we shouldn’t have to keep chasing to the dealer and fix this or that, right? Like SuperDave said some people want 100% turn key service and have the dealer do everything. While others want to do it ourselves or find somebody else more specialized for the electronics rigging for example.
When I bought my first new Ford Ranger I drove 150 miles from where I lived to buy it and I saved more than “a few bucks”. I wouldn’t drive 150 miles to save a hundred bucks on a new boat but I would if I was saving $2,500. I also wouldn’t expect any dealer to replace a lower unit in two days if I tore one off.
The original poster just asked us as individuals to prioritize our boat buying decision process. As you would expect, we all have different opinions and prioritized it differently
I just found out some people don’t like cilantro!! 
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