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Posts: 485
Location: On my favorite lake! | Which one would you guys buy? Lund Explorer or Alumacraft Dominator |
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Posts: 619
| Dominator .......seems like a better overall value from IMO |
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| Best deal is on the alumacraft navigator and there are rebates for that boat untill the end of the month. |
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Posts: 574
| What year and length? |
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Posts: 814
| Explorer hands down!
here's why IMO.
1. Lund Resale is always something to consider, while the Alumacraft is a great boat the lunds in any model always sell faster.
2. Wide gunnels on the dominator take up way to much room, the explorer has the thin gunnels giving more interior room. Allowing side takes to stand and cast from on the explorer gives better fishability and puts you closer to the water.
3. Carpet on the gunnels? Who wants to lean on wet gunnels to release a fish? Carpet doesn't dry in a day. The explorer gunnels are aluminum and are much thinner making releasing and unhooking easier.
If you want to compare the explorer I would look at the navigator line up they seem real similiar. To me the the wider gunnels are more along the lines of the pro-v line up. |
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| sometimes a great deal isn't the best buy.Lund hands down!!! |
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Posts: 311
Location: Ontario | Gunnels on the Lund are also really easy for adding and removing Down Easters, downriggers rated for any size ball etc. Thick gunnels on their old Mr. Pike and other rigs mean you're drilling, screwing or gluing. Explorer's transom is also an easy and clean mount for a Down Easter or two. I fish out of a 2003 1675 and like the boat a lot. If you do a lot of trolling the thin gunnels are nice. On the flip side, some guys might prefer permanent mounts on a thick gunnel. There are a lot of good alum rigs available. One thing is for 100% certain, new boats are hot lucky, you can ride them for a season or more!! |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Between those two I would probably lean towards the Lund, for the reasons of the narrower gunnels and layout. I would also compare the Lund Explorer to the Alumacraft Navigator. I have a Navigator, and love it. Between the Explorer and Navigator, you'll probably be able to get the Navigator for less money and in my opinion they still keep good resale value and sell quickly. Either would be a great choice though.
curleytail |
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | My friend has had a Dominator for quite a few years and I fish out of it regularly. (60HP tiller model) It is a very good boat. It runs easily from the front, I should know, that's my job being the trolling motor technician. It's fairly dry even in nasty rough stuff, and doesn't beat your brains out motoring around in boat wakes and whitecaps. Nice layout, no problems, and all in all a darn nice rig. I'd never hesitate to get one if that is what you are looking at. |
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Posts: 91
Location: Duluth MN | Both are great boats. In my opinion you need to jump in each one and see how the storage areas fit you. Some dealers would even let you take one on the water if you are a serious buyer. Then you could get a feel for what is right for you. |
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Location: Green Bay, WI | I had two Alumacraft boats in the years before buying my current boat...a Lund Tyee. While the Alumacraft hulls are built like tanks and will literally go through anything, they aren't exactly graceful by any means. Not that there's anything wrong with that mind you, just that the Lund tends to be a bit more refined. But you pay more for the Lund, without a doubt--and it does show at resale time. But for the most part, what made my decision this time around was the memory of getting my two previous Alumacraft, and then spending hours & hours trying to figure out how to improve the functionality of the boat to match the Lund boats I had looked at before buying the Alumacraft. I just wanted to go fishing now, and not worry about all that stuff...
That all being said, I would bet that EITHER boat will do well for you. I have had "pro" level boats from both manufacturers, and can say with absolute certainty that either of them will go through what the other will go through. So it's going to be the little things that will make the difference: resale value, fit & finish, storage, quality of hardware in each boat. You simply need to go look at both of them and decide how important any such difference is to you. When I was buying, the comparable Lund was $2500-3000 more than the Alumacraft...at least. On some units, it was closer to $5000. In one case, the dealer for Alumacraft had more engine choices, and the ability to hang a Suzuki 4-stroke would have saved me about $2K right there; compared to the Merc Verado I ended up with on my Tyee. My current boat was a hold-over, and had been discounted--so the end savings basically erased that difference. And by the way, my Lund dealer (Mr. Outboards, Green Bay) is simply OUTSTANDING--I couldn't have hoped to buy a boat from nicer people. Many of the staff have become friends, and I find myself stopping by when in the area, just to say hello.
But in the end I guess that it simply came down to not having the time to mess around trying to make a Lund out of an Alumacraft boat. My old Alumacraft Tournament Pro 185 rode very well in rough water, and so does my 1850 Tyee. Both hulls are extremely well-made and very safe. I don't know the models the OP is contemplating, but knowing both company's products I would have no concern at all about quality of hull construction. However I know several guys who have owned the same Lund boat for 5-10 years; yet very few who have owned the same Alumacraft more than a couple years. That right there tells me all I need to know...
TB |
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| I run a 2001 Explorer SS.
Positives:
Boat has been bullet proof
Quality
Handled running onto a rock reef at 10+mph as well as I could have expected, never took on water, finished the trip with no issues.
Layout (with 1 exception)
Negatives
Wet ride in 3'+ waves
Rog lockers are only 7'
90hp max rating (not an issue until I began to hit bigger water, 115 would be better)
I will defintely have Lund at the top of my list on the next boat. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
No doubt either hull will do well. What I see is a comparison of apples to oranges based upon the design of each boat (gunnels in particular) I have ridden in both models, and really there is not going to be any significant difference in ride quality. As many have mentioned, if you are looking to only have the boat a few years the Lund will hold it's value better...but in my humble opinion, that is due more to the name than anything. For some reason, there is just something about having a Lund... Just like having an I pod over some other mp3 player...its just not the same thing.
One major thing Alumacraft has over Lund, though...you have the option of what brand motor to put on it. Being Alumacraft is an independently owned company, you are not limited to motor options. Your dealer might limit that to an extent, but having the CHOICE to put a Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Mercury, Evinrude, Tohatsu, Nissan, etc on the back is huge. With lund, you have one choice...mercury. Mercury is not a bad brand by any means... but you don't have a choice for the most part. If you choose to go with something else, you pay through the nose to have the prerig taken off, and the new stuff installed....not cheap.
I would agree with an earlier post...get in the boats and see what you like and don't like about each one. Weigh your options (and your pocketbook) and go with the one you feel you will get the most out of. Lots of things to look at (rigging electronics, your fishing station layout, gear storage, etc...
Both boats are built rock solid....
One thing I would keep in mind, though, is that in big wind, all boats will be wet to some extent, depending on which way of travel and how you choose to operate the boat.
find the one that suits you best and go for it. Enjoy the shopping!!
Steve |
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Location: Green Bay, WI | Not necessarily true about the engine choices with Lund...
Mr. Outboards in Green Bay will hang a Merc or a Honda; and maybe even an E-tec (never checked, but they sell them).
Plowman's Marine in Woodruff will hang a Merc, Honda or Suzi
So there *are* other options with Lund--but in general, you're right...more with Alumacraft.
TB |
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Posts: 485
Location: On my favorite lake! | Thanks guy for your import. I am looking at the 165 sport version. |
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Posts: 139
| My father has a 165 classic and loves it. I have a 08 navigator and love that. Cant say anything bad about Lund though mom and dad owned 2 of them before the alumacraft. |
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Posts: 264
| it depends, if your looking 18 feet or more, get the explorer. If your looking for un17 or under, get the dominator. Both are good |
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