duber Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I have been looking at boat packages this spring hoping to purchase my first boat worth more than 500 bucks.I am currently fishing out of a 14 foot and a 9.9 so it don't take much to impress me When looking at the sales flyers I thought the Legends looked kind of cheap but after going and looking at them I was impressed with the boat. I fish the Bay of Quinte alot but I also like to go to smaller waters up north.I need a boat that I can troll with without buying a kicker,has enough room to take a kid or two out with me,has a casting deck,console and a live well.It is priced at $12,999 with a 50 hp 2 stroke motor and loaded ready to fish.I don't care about speed as long as the boat gets up on plain with 3 or 4 people in it. Anybody have one or fish out of one?Looking for impresions of the package. The other boat I have been looking at is the Lowe 165 SC.Same motor and specs other than it has a 2 inch wider beam and is $14,500. Is the Lowe $1500 better? Thanks Wes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Lowe boats are built rock solid. I'd spend the extra money for the Lowe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikehunter Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Is the Lowe $1500 better? Probably, but then I own a Lowe. Look around at other Lowe dealers for a price comparison. Either that or pay the extra money and get a higher hp motor on the Legend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hookset Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I own a Legend 164 Excite (tiller) that I bought new. When looking for a new boat there were afew specific things I wanted. -wide beam -welded hull -at least .100 gauge aluminum. -good warranty -good price. The Legend met the needs that I laid out for myself. I looked at a ton of different boats but for the price I couldn't get what I needed elsewhere. You will see a ton of posts calling Legends cheap or crap but face it, if the name on the side of your boat means little to you, then get the boat that meets your needs. I have yet to have a problem with mine and have had it in water rough enough to loosen my teeth. Would I like a Lund, Crestliner, Lowe or Alumacraft ? Heck yes !!! Could I get one with the features I needed in my price range ? Heck no !!!, unless I bought used. Now wait for the anti-Legend rants to begin lol. Good luck either way. Hookset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easton13th Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I have a Legend and I am more than happy...I have never regretted or looked back....It has always been great boat, Canadian made...The package was a little light on extras but as always a few more dollars and it all comes together... Good luck on your search and I am sure you will make the best purchase for you and your needs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specktacklure Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Well i will probably be able to help you as well because we are a Legend a Lowe dealer and can help you with the specs. The way I approach this is Legends are more for families than they are for fishing.If the model has a full windshield they come standard with full stand up tops(nice touch and are good quality TOP GUN material)Gunnels are a little smaller than the Lowes,not as wide,smaller deck and casting space.Legend is assembled in Canada but they are Polar Craft hulls !!And my one issue is that they have packaged their boats with 2stroke mercs which they do not make anymore !!To get the 4stroke you have to add $2500 to your package price.And you only have one choice of motor and that is a Mercury. Now Pikehunter nailed it on the head.I have a Lowe myself and I can tell you that I will buy another one and highly recommend buying the Lowe over the Legend.And as I mentioned you have to pay $2500 for the upgrade on the motor so it seems like a no brainer for me.Best thing about my Lowe is the Side console is pushed off the side so I am able to walk(or run) around the entire boat.It is like having a full casting deck around the boat.Much more solid boat double riveted.nicer finish,bigger livewell,more storage and we will put a Evinrude Etec or a Honda on instead of The Mercury anchor.Now I also realize most people have a budget but if the $1500 isn't going to break the bank the Lowe will make up the difference simply in performance and durability. Legend has had some issues in the past but have seemed to fix there problems so I hope this helped and if you need any further info just ask ,Cheers and tight lines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
express168 Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I own a 2004 Legend 164 Express, it has been a great boat for me and I anticipate many years of service from it. I could be wrong but last I heard their rivet hulls were from Smoker Craft and the welded hulls were from Monark. But the dealer that replied earlier probably knows that a bit better than I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverowbotham Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 i have a legend as well, they are unreal, no problems in 4 seasons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specktacklure Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 THE RIVETED HULLS ARE FROM SMOKER CRAFT AND THE WELDED HULLS COME FROM POLAR CRAFT.LEGEND HAS COME A LONG WITH THEIR BOATS AND PACKAGES.LIKE I SAY LEGEND MAKES A BOAT AND PACKAGE FOR EVERYBODY.I CALL THEM THE SATURN OF THE BOAT WORLD.tHEY PRINT THEIR PRICES ONCE A YEAR AND OFFER YOU THEIR BEST PRICE UPFRONT ALL THE TIME.THE OTHER THING I LIKE IS THE FACT THEY PUT THEIR PRICES IN THEIR CATALOGS AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO FIGURE OUT ON THEIR OWN BEFORE THEY EVEN COME AND SEE ME.GOOD LUCK AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS,CHEERS SPECK(WANTED TO FEEL LIKE CANADIAN COPPER WITH THE CAPITALS LOL !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaque Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Ive been on the lookout and also said the same thing when coming across the Legends.....i think they are a good lookin boat..........and when i saw the price, i did two things......I said, man THATS IT? Pretty cheap. But after thinking, like anything else.....i thought, theres gotta be a reason its so cheap. I never found out as i am now out of the market for a new boat.... for now. Once im back in the market , ill be lookin at them seriously. Ive heard negative things about them, but who knows until ya take one out yourself i guess. I sure dont have the money for a new lund........but i also dont have the money to throw at a boat that is gonna be worthless 5 years down the line.....good luck with it and be sure to let us know what you choose. Sounds like a Lowe is in your future though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFR Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I own a Legend 151 Viper with a 40 hp Merc. I purchased this second hand through the classified on this web page. I am very happy with this boat, it meets the needs of myself and my wife. I have only had one problem and that was self created. While thinking about purchasing new, I spent two seasons, and visited many boat shows, examining all the aluminum boats available. I always returned to Legend boats, because of their price point. I really didn't want to be saddled with payments that would have lasted for 20 years, so I stayed away from Lund, Princecraft, and those. If Legend boats were so cheaply made, or a bunch of junk, you would see many used boats on the used boat market. You don't and won't. Go ahead, buy the Legend and get out and enjoy fishing. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookinforwalleye Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Everybody has their preferred manufacturer if you like Legend and you think the price is fair and you don`t mind it being under powered and it being a two stroke and a skinny 80" beam then go for it, you say you fish the BoQ a lot if that is the case then that boat your looking at would not be on my short list looks kind of skinny with a 80" beam I know I would not want to be out on that body of water in a skinny boat especially if I had a couple of kids in the boat and the weather turned nasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikehunter Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Another thought, before you make your final decision as to which is the best for you, check the fine print on the Legend brochure and with the dealer. Add it all up, every last little detail. Do the same with Lowe. You might find that they are a bit closer in price than what first appears. Legend has lots of extra charges added on at the bottom line. Everything from shipping to hooking up the motor. Clarify the very, very bottom line on both boats, then compare the true price. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taper Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Check it out as pikehunter said and what ever you decide I would pay a little extra and go 4 stroke. If you want to troll and not buy a kicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easton13th Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I did not experience any out of the ordinary prices..what you see is what you get on the Legend. If a dealer is charging extra shop around. The price in the catalogue was accurate to a T. Maybe I was just lucky BUT shop around..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 IIt is priced at $12,999 with a 50 hp 2 stroke motor and loaded ready to fish.I don't care about speed as long as the boat gets up on plain with 3 or 4 people in it. Check to be sure what the maximum horsepower recommendation is on those boats. Alot of times boats have what appears to be a very attractive pricetag, but in actual fact the boat is so grossly underpowered it couldn't get on plane even if there was only one person in it. I've seen Legend boats with 50 HP motors advertised very cheap to the unsuspecting or inexperienced buyer, but when you read the fine print you find the boat is actually rated for up to 150 HP.........3 times the horsepower that comes with the package. It would hardly pull it self away from the dock. Just be sure what your buying before you sign the dotted line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GbayGiant Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 (edited) The only bad thing I hear about Legends is their sneaky advertisements. Remember they advertise the prices with the minimum HP, say the boat your looking at comes with a 50hp the max HP for that boat is probably like a 115hp, so you at least need something in the middle a 90hp, so that will be the difference there. Are they good boats ? I think so. Are they really cheaper ? Don't think so. Sorry Lew, we must have been typing at the same time. Edited April 16, 2007 by GbayGiant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyDog Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Remember as well, you can and should ALWAYS negotiate on a high ticket item like a car or boat. I bet you can grind almost $1,500 off that Lowe package without too much trouble. Also, with something like a boat that you could possibly keep for 10-20 years, the extra few bucks now to get exactly what you want will pay huge dividends in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikehunter Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Check this page out from Legends website regarding motor upgrades. Legend Upgrade Options The boat you are looking at comes with a Merc 2 stroke 50ELPTO. The upgrades to larger motors or to 4 stroke are in the thousands. And as for the "hidden charges" I was speaking of is mentioned right here, at the page bottom. Xterminator16 Note that the $ amount of the extra charges are not stated. Maybe in the actual paper brochure they are, at least they used to be, in real fine print in the back. Get everything in detail, then compare. I'm not trying to critique Legend, just like some others said, we're only making you aware of how they market their product. Read all the fine print, just like the car ads in the paper, you know the ones advertising the great lease rates and the 0% financing and then you get out the magnifying glass to read the bottom line minuscule print! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverowbotham Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Everybody has their preferred manufacturer if you like Legend and you think the price is fair and you don`t mind it being under powered and it being a two stroke and a skinny 80" beam then go for it, you say you fish the BoQ a lot if that is the case then that boat your looking at would not be on my short list looks kind of skinny with a 80" beam I know I would not want to be out on that body of water in a skinny boat especially if I had a couple of kids in the boat and the weather turned nasty. My legend has a 96" beam and a 4 stroke engine. in 4 years, have never had a problem that wasnt my fault (aka torn props) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duber Posted April 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Wow thanks for all the input guys The max hp on the Legend is 75 so I think the 50 hp 2stroke would be ok.I'm not sure of the max on the Lowe.The dealer I was talking to doesn't charge for set-up but there is frieght on the Legend and the Lowe.I'm kind of leaning towards the Lowe for a couple reasons.The 2" wider beam,it comes with 3 seats so I only need to buy one more seat and the Lowe has a built in gas tank in the floor for added stability.As for as either boat being to small for the bay the boat I fish in the bay with now has a 55 inch beam so a 80 inch boat would seem like a small tugboat to me.The Lowe is a little heavier and wider so I may have to up the hp on it if that is the one I buy.I'm going to see if I can take both out for a spin before I buy as well.The Lowe is definently going to cost more money and that may be a huge factor for a guy with 3 daughters coming into their teen years .Maybe I will have to finance it over 40 years . Thanks again, Wes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Duber, go back and read what you just posted and I think you'll see why the Lowe is the better choice for you to buy. I don't think there's any comparison between the 2 boats. As for the motor, it'd be in your best interest to max out the horsepower if you can swing it. If it's rated for a 75 and only comes with a 50, your more than 30% underpowered and that makes a huge difference if your carrying 3-4 people plus all the gear. Those 3 girls of yours are gonna want to go tubing behind that new boat too The smaller the motor on a boat, the harder it has to work to do the same job. If you go with the maximum HP, it'll cost you a bit more, but it'll be working far less to move the boat and could infact even use less fuel to do the same job. Just something to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duber Posted April 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Yah I think your right Lew the Lowe is the best boat.I'm not sure of were I can go with the motor but I am going to check it out.I will need a good motor if the girls want to go tubing cause those heavy wool ankle length swimsuits get heavy when wet Wes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 I will need a good motor if the girls want to go tubing cause those heavy wool ankle length swimsuits get heavy when wet Wes Yeah I know what your saying, I've got a daughter too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaque Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 I will need a good motor if the girls want to go tubing cause those heavy wool ankle length swimsuits get heavy when wet Wes Thats priceless LOL!!! I dont have a daughter, but i have a neice that Im a father figure to. She's 11 and i figure by the time she hits her teens, she will hate me for being the overprotective bear that i am. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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