Lund vs. Crestliner

[pikerliker]

I'd take either one if I could afford either one! Hopefully next year................

~piker

[Northlander]

The only boat you can really compare to the Mr.Pike is the Angler and maybe Explorer. MR.Pike has some nice new options this year. I really like that center front rod locker thats simular to those in the Rangers and Pro Series boats. I believe Chrestliner has one in the RCL series as well?

[troutchaser]

First off you need to realize where you got the information from. A sales guy at a boat show? Come on they will tell you whatever you want/need to hear to get you to buy their product, and obviously he was having trouble getting you the right information.

Once again I must help you figure this out. The tournament series from Alumacraft is comparable to the tournament series from Lund. This series from Lund would be the Pro-V Line of boats, and the comparisons between the two would be the same.

The Magmun series from Alumacraft would be comparible to the sportsman seriers from Lund, and if you check they will have the same thickness hulls. The Mr.Pikes are built more like a Pro-V's so this comparison is not totally apples to apples, but it is as close as Alumacraft has to Lund in this size boat.

The Navigator Series from Alumacraft would be comparable to Boats in the Adventure series from Lund which would include Fisherman, Explorers, and the Pro Sport models.

The Lunker boats would match up with the 1650 Rebel well and they have the same thickness bottom and sides, but the alumacraft does have a second bow plate, and the Rebel does not, but at a 50-60 HP max these boats do not take the pounding like a Pro-V from Lund or a Tournament Pro Boat from Alumacraft so concerns about weight play a factor in these smaller boats.

Just want to make sure that the comparisons are made between equally built and equiped models. Both companies build boats to compete against the other company, and if one company uses .100 bottom material the other company will also use that material. Just the nature of the boating market.

This thread was started by a man asking questions about what to buy and I just want to make sure that he gets solid information about whatever product that he is looking at, and make comparisons to boats that are on the same playing field, and buy a boat with the features that you like.

[buzzsaw]

Ok guys, doesn't it really come down to the boats features and how it is layed out vs the hull thickness? I mean really, who goes into the dealership and says I need a boat with X amount of thickness? maybe Jenna jameson but not me! The bottom line is this, if you are buying any one of these three top end fishing boats you should end up being pretty happy... just don't underpower the boat.

[iffwalleyes]

Right on Buzz that is what it really boils down to. If it meets your needs you like it. Like mentioned every manufacturer has some flaws. You also have to be comfortable with how much you are spending on it. Like mentioned DO NOT underpower it or you be looking for a different motor in a year. Bigger is usually better when it comes to a motor for a boat but this is not always true of a boat.

[STILLNOFISH]

Buzzsaw,

I am rolling on the floor LMAO on your last statement regarding Jenna Jameson.

By the way, I have a MR. Pike and like the width, I guess Jenna would say the same.

[TSCTSC]

Why is it important to get a travel cover and to spend good money on it? And where can I go to get one? I have a 16 foot Lund Pike 2001 and I want one that will not cover my bow deck and my rear deck so that I do not have to remove my downriggers and my trolling motor whenever I need to use the cover.

[TSCTSC]

Just want to put my 2 cents regarding the Lund aerated livewells. I have the 2001 Lund Pike which has 2 livewells and both of them are aerated (manual and automatic). I think the rear livewell is larger and we can keep about 10 salmons there in total. I have even kept a couple of 17 pounders in there with no problem so far. Space in livewell on my boat has never been an issue so far. Always use the rear livewell for fish and usually leave the front livewell as a back up. Has never caught that many fish that I have had to fill both livewells.

[sunkinboat]

Smokercraft. I have a 2003 smokercraft 165 ultra sport le with a 90 hp merc 2 stroke.

Love it. 84" WIDE very deep and very stable. Great hull warranty. Does about 50 which is nice to get where I want to go and if I decide to pull a couple skiers she gets right up and goes. I looked at Lund and Crestliner and they are just overpriced to me and I liked the features better on the smoker. Just my 2 cents

[TSCTSC]

Bought a Lund because it was the most visible brand of boat around here in SE Minnesota. Also, it was aluminium and we had the impression that it was more durable. There is no doubt that they are more pricey but I think the resale for Lund's are great and that good used Lund's are hard to come by.

In any case, after getting my Lund, I have had no problems. I got it used tho'. But our target were Lund Rebel's. But we could not find any good used Rebel;s and nearly got a new one. Fortunately, we found a used Pike that we nearly the same price as a new Lund Rebel. So here we are.

Basically, the Pike has been a great multi-species boat. Lots of space, single console, dual aerated live wells, IPS, a lot more storage space than the rebel. Have fished from 2 foot deep waters to the near shore waters (5-6 miles off shore) of Lake Michigan. It has been in 3 foot swells in Lake Michigan in 10-15 mph winds and has been stable. Because it is also wide, there is a reduced chance of capsizing too.

There is no doubt that the Alumacraft are better value for money. But it did not appeal to us as much.

As for Crestliners, we thought that the next boat that we would get would be a CR with a Yamaha 4 stroke. Simply because the design and the look of the CR seems to grow on you. But I do agree that the interior of the CR seem to be less well built that the CR although they are real pretty.

My 2 cents on this are that I think both CR and Lunds are very good aluminium boats. Do not think that one could go wrong with them. More importantly is to get a good 4 stroke motor and a strong trailer. As for resale, I do have an impression that Lunds sell better, but that is just my opinion. If you even have a remote chance of fishing the great lakes, do consider getting a boat as large as you can afford (store, trailer, handle) and you will not regret it. I am so glad that we got the Pike as that has enabled has to fish the great lakes in tougher conditions than the rebel would have allowed.

[LocalGuide]

Quote:

---

Stupid things like why would my motor hit the rear seat when it's in the back pedestal on my Lund?

crestliners do the same

---

Alumacrafts do it when the motor is tilted all the way up. Otherwise it doesn't seem to be much of a problem.

I have a '03 185cs Tournament Pro Alumacraft with a 140 4-stroke Johnson on it. We found this boat used at the dealer in our back yard. (I know, having a boat dealer right out from our back yard is always trouble )

Well it was a really good price for a really good boat. My only concern about it was the motor. A 140hp on a 18'11" boat seems to me its under powered when the max rating is 200hp. But to my surprise it got a good hole shot, not bad top-end speed and handles the big waves pretty decent. With that motor I alone get 41mph and with 2 people its 39mph. And what a big difference a stainless steel prop gave the boat, that was a big help.

Now to compare to other brands. I think my 185cs TP is equivalent to a ProV 1900 or 2025 options/storage wise. I can be the only person that says Alumacraft is better than Lund! HAHA, naw I think Lund had a good ride and nice storage also but for me it seemed a little more compact or something that just didnt fit me well.

I don't think the interior on the TP is cheap at all either. I use the boat a lot and the carpet gets its abuse all the time. Its held up really well and I don't have any complaints about it. I know the wood in the boat is all 100% treated so the insides wont rot out. Which is a good thing because once I forgot to put the plug in the boat and I didn't notice until the floor was wet! Only bad part was draining and drying it out.

I also like that they put them grab handles all over, have nice cleats on it, put the good storage compartment locks/openers on them, and have the nice wide gunnels on them.

IMO, I would rate theses 3 boats like this. Lund, Alumacraft, Crestliner. I rode in quite a few Crestliners and they are alright but they have a few things to improve on.

As for the new Tracker Tundras, wow they seem like the cats meow for aluminum boats. My dad talked to one of the PWT Pros that had a Tundra for this year. He said he just came off Erie and did not get wet at all with 6' waves. Its a dry ride and couldn't complain about it.

The boats top speed was around 46mph with it maxed out.

I went and looked at one of these boats close up at a dealer and it seemed to me the storage compartments were weak and floppy like they could break if you wanted them too. That was my only concern about the boat, otherwise I think that boat is pretty darn awesome for being a aluminum boat!

[fishing-addict]

Could you explain how the stainless steel prop made a differnce?

[Ralph Wiggum]

The jist of it:

The blades on an aluminum prop flex when you put the hammer down, causing you to lose hole shot and speed. The blades on a SS prop are much more rigid, so no flex = better hole shot and more top-end speed.

[TSCTSC]

But if your stainless steel prop hits a rock underwater, your lower unit will have a higher chance of being damaged. Whereas, with the aluminium prop, there is a lower chance of lower unit damage as the aluminium is softer and might bend to take the hit.

[JWB475]

Most props these days are on a nylon hub, if you hit somethign the hub will give reducing the odds of damage to the lower unit.

[Rost]

Wow, you guys are still arguing this one huh? Whoever it was that said this arguement can be compared to a Ford-Chevy-Dodge arguement is right!

Lund, Crestliner, and Alumacraft are the three top dogs. People like their brands for different reasons. We could argue until we're blue in the face which is the best. Yet we'd never be able to prove which is best.

So why even ask?

[JWB475]

Some "Hull Facts" on the Big 3 Aluminum boat builders since people are kicking around numbers in this thread that don't add up, this info is from each manufacturers website:

Alumacraft Tournament Pro Series

Hull Thickness (Sides/Bottom): .080/.100

Twin plated hull from Bow to Stern

Alumacraft Navigator 185 Series

Hull Thickness (Sides/Bottom): .080/.098

Twin plated hull from Bow to Stern

Alumacraft Navigator 175 Series, and Magnum Series

Hull Thickness (Sides/Bottom): .080/.080

Twin plated hull from Bow to Stern

Lund Pro-V Series

Hull Thickness (Sides/Bottom): .080/.100

Twin plated Hull from Bow to Midship, IPS2 Hull

Lund Mr. Pike, Pro Angler, Fisherman (except 1800 and 2000), Pro Sport, and Explorer Series

Hull Thickness (Sides/Bottom): .063/.080

Twin plated Hull from Bow to Midship, IPS Hull

Crestliner Tournament Series

Hull Thickness (Sides/Bottom): .090/.125

Welded Hull

Crestliner Fishhawk Series

Hull Thickness (Sides/Bottom): .090/.100

Welded Aluminum Hull

[Valv]

Well as a liquidator of boat parts I can say something about all 3 major brands, I get all the parts used to manufacture the boats and I definitely can see some brands have more "quality" parts than others.

Hull thickness has nothing to do with quality, they ahve been studied to have particular results using welded aluminum or riveted aluminum.

A bottom hull 1" thick doesn't mean it's a better boat......

It's like saying a Yugo has .125 thick fenders and a Mercedes has .80, it makes no sense at all.

This debate will never end, we just have to agree we all have our own preferences for some reason.

[JWB475]

I guess I disagree with your stance on Hull thickness. While the design of the hull is the major factor in how well a boat performs, I also feel the thickness of the hull has a lot to do with it.

I had an older Alumacraft, that did not have a twin plated hull, and it also used much thinner guage. I now have a new alumacraft with the twin plated hull, that uses thicker guage aluminum. The design of the two hulls was very similar.

There is no comparison to how solid the new hull is, and how well it performs in the rough stuff, I don't take anywhere near the pounding I used to when runnign across the lake when compared to the old boat.

A Yugo and a Mercedes fender don't bounce across 2-3 foot waves....

Get into whatever boat you are considering, get it on the lake, see how well it handles, and how it rides.

[Valv]

Design and technology is what makes your hull better not thickness of aluminum.

Quality of electronics, electricals, paneling and accessories, and more is what makes quality of your boat.

At the begin they were .200 and .250, do you want to trade it for them ? It was thicker !!!

Yugo and Mercedes don't bounce on water, but on asphalt, and they save your life depending how they are built. Older cars had thicker metal, did they save more lives ?? No.

Debate is still the same, there will be no winner out of this discussion.

[lots of luck]

Quote:

---

Wow, you guys are still arguing this one huh? Whoever it was that said this arguement can be compared to a Ford-Chevy-Dodge arguement is right!

Lund, Crestliner, and Alumacraft are the three top dogs. People like their brands for different reasons. We could argue until we're blue in the face which is the best. Yet we'd never be able to prove which is best.

So why even ask?

---

I asked beacause a lot of us average "Joe's" dream of the day when we can walk into a dealer a plunk down the required funds for a brand spanking new boat. I know looking at the prices, that if my current economic status was to never change I would never be able to purchase a new boat. Let's say I some how am able, well I want to make the most educated purchase possible.

That is why, "I ask why?"

I also didn't ASK for arguments.

I asked why Lund owners did not purchase a Crestliner and why Crestliners did not purchase a Lund.

Also I would not simplify this as a FORD-CHEVY-DODGE argument. Automobiles are not boats thus the comparisons are not there for a million reasons.

[Guest]

I like my Tracker because of the large casting decks

[Valv]

Quote:

---

I like my Tracker because of the large casting decks

---

I like my Yugo because of the large casting decks

[zepman]

LOL,

I am crestliner owner (new 1850 fishhawk) and I looked at Lunds and Alumacrafts for the better part of two years before I plunked down my cash for the Crestliner. I, too, at the beginning of my search tried to compare all the little variances like hull thickness, rivets to welds etc.... At the end of my search it came down to one thing and one thing only. I felt the Crestliner was a more versatile boat than either of the other two brands. That's in no way saying that they were inferior boats. I fish walleye hard in the spring and again in the fall. By mid-June thru mid-Sep I become 90% bass and panfish orientated because my 5 and 7 year olds are with me all the time. I need to keep them busy to stay on the water. The Crestliner with it's huge front and rear decks allow me the versatility that I wanted in a boat. Boat layout, storage and outright fishability of my rig has far surpassed any of my expectations. For the way that I fish and prefer to use the spaces in my boat I know I made a good decision.

By the way, if I fished walleye 90% of the time my decision would have been different. I would have picked the Alumacraft. Lund, in my opinion, has not done anything as far as boat layout is concerned to impress me very much. They are however, an exceptional boat.

[Nova]

Just to put a little different spin on this here is my 2 cents. I started 14 years ago with a used lund because since the early days the fishing boats were red and silver lunds. I then upgraded to a new lund and 6 years later another new lund. I liked all 3 boats, but from the tyee to the pro v console to the pro v tiller I never found one that handled big waves well. I fish Mille Lacs exclusively and it's almost never flat. This year I finally went to a glass boat. I only ran it one weekend, but it was rough and the boat performed incredibly well. I always stayed away from glass for money reasons, but I finally took the plunge and don't know why I waited so long. I didn't buy a ranger so don't think I dropped $40,000. As far as the tin boats go I have only run a Lund and like everything but the ride in rough water. Good luck, and like most people are saying, make sure you buy the boat that fits you and your needs not the boat everyone else has. Do just what you are doing and read and listen open minded to every opinion.