Hello everyone,
i need some more advice
i currently own a 1754 tracker grizzly with a mud buddy 4200.
i really wanted to get a larger boat for the season so was contimplating a 1850 gator traxs with a 36 PD used but it does not have a hunt deck.

i really want a hunt deck if i am laying out the cash so i have a choice to make.
the dealer local to me which is Toronto, Ontario Canada Eh!! has a brand new Excel 1851 F86 which has the .125" bottom, 1854 F4 with the .100" bottom. both boats range from $8000-9000 without trailer

or i can get a 1754 GT HD from a local Bass Pro that they have had for over a year for just under $11,000 w? trailer

what are your opinions on the excel hulls?
How do they handle?
Do they sit low in the water?
Are they much heavier?
will I get respectable speeds out of the Excel hull paired with my MB?
How is the dura liner?
Do they slide in turns?

$11000 is a lot of money for me to layout so i really need to make the right decision.



Currently I get 23 MPH out of the Grizzly with 2 guys a dog, decoys, gas, battery.

I understand from what i have read that this forum is geared towards every other brand other than Mud Buddy ? Excel boats. please keep your biased opinions to yourself. i am looking for first hand experiences not heresay.

all the honest opinions are appreciated.

Thanks
Steve

Alot of guys are have had bad experiences with excel. The gator trax boats are made well, just heavy. In my opinions that's waayyy to much for just a boat. Get a custom builder to build you a boat from down here, it'll be built right, most have very good customer service, and it can be exactly how you wan for literally half of that price almost. You'll only have to spend about $600-1000 at very most in fuel going there and back and you'll still come out around $4000 on top.

in my opinion you should get a custom boat builder to build what YOU want, the will take your inputs and suggestions and build a boat you will be happy with for a long time to come. also you will probably come out cheaper than a factory hull.

Stupid fucking kids.

I love my Excel.
It handles like a top.
They sit about the same as any other boat.
They are a tad heavier because they have dry boxes, gun boxes already built in
Im running around 27 with a stock mb 35 in the shallows.
The liner sucks ass. Go without and hydroturf the boat.
All boats will slide under the right conditions.

And I still dont get.why people say gator traxxs are heavy. They weigh the same as other boats. Just depends what you load the boat up accessory wise.

What RJ said about the gt boats makes sense. They are a good looking boat and everyone seems to try to load em to the gills with shit for some reason. I wouldn't have an excel cause I don't like the look and there are enough bad reviews to turn me off even if they were appealing to my eye. Sounds like a lot of cash too. I'd do some shopping with some custom builders on here. It won't cost anything and you'll be educated on pricing when you make your choice. You may be able to get a custom hull and have it shipped and keep some of that cash in ya pocket. Use the search feature (if it's working) and good luck with your purchase.

Tapatalk 2

Clay quit mind f***ing these guys lmao

To the two kids and the rest of the dumbasses who cannot read, the guy did not ask about custom boats. He's in fucking Canada for crying out loud. He's narrowed it down to a couple of builders and asked some very specific questions. Answer them or shut the fuck up. It's one thing when the guy asks a stupid fucking question that has no real answer. This guy asked very specific questions and asked them specifically to those who have personal experience with the builders referenced in his first post.

OK out of the 2 you have listed i would go with the gator-trax, several of my friends have them and love'em....plus the can corner like a SOB.....go with gator-Trax

The following are my opinions and not to be construed as anything more than such:

i think when you factor in the $2-3k for the trailer and the shipping to canada its prob not a bad price on the gator trax, and im assuming it has some extras as every boat ive ever seen at a bass pro has. while you may think it will only cost you some change in fuel to get it yourself youll prob need to factor in hotel, food, days off work, as well as additional wear and tear to your ride, among other things. im willing to bet its cheaper to get it from bass pro up there than it is to come pick one up from S.LA.

as far as which boat i would pick just check the sig, now my buddys got an excel 1851 square front around a year old now, and despite the problems hes had with the hull cracking and spending a few months getting fixed back at the factory, im not impressed with the boat. it seems very narrow, and some things seem less than thought out. the bow sits too low in the water and it tapers down to the front which makes for a moist ride in any water not glassed over. the switch panel is in the rear most box that is the first to get water in it should water get in the boat, which it does, and this causes corrosion and switch malfunctions. the lids on the rear boxes let water in and no box in the boat will keep anything dry. also the two boxes it has for storage are tiny.

the gator trax is often claimed to be heavy however any and all boxes added are your choice (this goes for any boat) . so if your worried about a boat being heavy, cut down on boxes. i got the storage in the front deck and two half boxes in the rear. i put everything i had in my Alumacraft MV1756SC aluminum bass boat and have one half box with just a battery in it.

if price is what your main concern is I personally would call uncle j, gator tail, and the other builders and get a price on the boat you want from each with a quote for shipping if possible, and see what it would cost at bass pro to get the same boat from gator trax and compare them all . id have to imagine that with bass pro being a dealer for GatorTrax their shipping charges wouldnt be as much as a single boat bc one shipment cost is probably spread over a few boats.

The decision and money are both in your hand. remember that not everything typed on the internet is true and you be the judge! Hope you can sort thru all the post and gather some useful info to help with your questions! happy hunting

you might want to check out a Phowler. They are in southern Iowa. Just my .02

I looked at the F4 excel and the gatortrax very well and even my dealer told he would get the gatortrax just because of how well they have held up , althought I realy liked the way the excel look for and 17ft boat the layout seemed kind of small to me , and I wanted a wide open boat ,so I went with the gatortrax 1754hd and I'm very glad I did , I talked to a few builders on here for the same size boat and after they were painted the cost were not enought to make me want one because I wanted a basic boat front deck and driver side pod seat , good luck.

stevietangles---

So with all this said, really the only thing that can be said about excel is that the look cool, but are not the quality of other boats.
So with a $9k excel plus a $1500 trailer = $10500
A gatortrax with trailer is $11K
I would go with the gatortrax without a doubt.
It is up to you if driving halfway across the continent is worth saving a couple thousand bucks.

I dont have a dog in this fight, and It will never effect me what you choose, but I think you should go with the gatortrax.

Are these prices for a whole rig or just boat n trailer? us dollars or can. dollars?

boat and trailer