02-01-2011, 07:14 PM
I've had my Lund 1850 Gran Sport Tyee since March of 1998. The outboard, a Mercury 150 HP EFI, now has 476 hours on it and it has been nearly trouble free the whole time I've owned it. In my opinion, you won't find a better built aluminum boat than the Lunds. Most of the major brand boat makers produce a quality product but I would not consider replacing my Lund with anything other than a new Lund.
As others have mentioned, your 20K price range is going to get you into a used boat. You will probably be looking at a boat that is around 5 or 6 years old. Take the time to carefully examine the whole boat, motor and trailer. Look for signs of hidden damage and don't even consider buying a used boat unless the owner is willing to put it in the water and take you out for a test ride.
A couple of features of the Lund that are not found on some of the other boats are the full size lockable storage compartments on both sides of the boat, two full size livewells and a choice of carpeted floors or vinyl flooring for easy cleaning. The Lunds also have very large fuel tanks for extended range. The models like mine have a hull design that takes rough water conditions in stride making this boat a great choice for big lakes like Lake Powell. You will probably want a boat at least as big as mine and maybe a foot or two longer. I can load my boat will all of our camping gear, coolers and fishing tackle and still have room for 4 people on a long on-the-lake stay. Remember a bigger boat means a larger outboard and therefore more money for the purchase and operation.
I would recommend you look at the newer direct injection outboards such as the Mercury Optimax or Johnson/Evinrude Fickt instead of the 4 strokes. The DI outboards get about the same fuel mileage, are lighter in weight and they cost thousands of dollars less.
![[Image: IMG_0165.jpg?t=1296585864]](http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc127/topwater52/IMG_0165.jpg?t=1296585864)
I put an hour meter on my boat when I bought it. If the boat you're looking at doesn't have an hour meter you are at a di
vantage in knowing how much use the boat has had. Ask the owner about any service work and find out if the regular maintenance has been performed as required.
Good luck in your search.
Mike
[signature]
As others have mentioned, your 20K price range is going to get you into a used boat. You will probably be looking at a boat that is around 5 or 6 years old. Take the time to carefully examine the whole boat, motor and trailer. Look for signs of hidden damage and don't even consider buying a used boat unless the owner is willing to put it in the water and take you out for a test ride.
A couple of features of the Lund that are not found on some of the other boats are the full size lockable storage compartments on both sides of the boat, two full size livewells and a choice of carpeted floors or vinyl flooring for easy cleaning. The Lunds also have very large fuel tanks for extended range. The models like mine have a hull design that takes rough water conditions in stride making this boat a great choice for big lakes like Lake Powell. You will probably want a boat at least as big as mine and maybe a foot or two longer. I can load my boat will all of our camping gear, coolers and fishing tackle and still have room for 4 people on a long on-the-lake stay. Remember a bigger boat means a larger outboard and therefore more money for the purchase and operation.
I would recommend you look at the newer direct injection outboards such as the Mercury Optimax or Johnson/Evinrude Fickt instead of the 4 strokes. The DI outboards get about the same fuel mileage, are lighter in weight and they cost thousands of dollars less.
I put an hour meter on my boat when I bought it. If the boat you're looking at doesn't have an hour meter you are at a di
vantage in knowing how much use the boat has had. Ask the owner about any service work and find out if the regular maintenance has been performed as required.Good luck in your search.
Mike
[signature]