Just sold my Sea Hunt and loved it. Will be buying again. The scout was just too pricey for me but I love them. I never looked at the Pioneer but I guess I should.
what phin said…
BTW… test rode on a brand new 23’ seahunt today. DANG that boat was nice!
“mr keys”
I really like my Pioneer 197 SF, and chose it based on a visit to the factory and the things you can’t see on the showroom. But also, it has a clean layout, with maximum open (cockpit) area. And it has a great bait well. The only thing I’d change about it would be more bow flare, although it is not a wet ride for that size boat.
One more thing, the 197 and probably the other brands too, come with a standard dash layout that does not lend itself to a large screen mounted in the dash, directly in front of the operator. That can be dealt with; I just moved Yamaha gages and switches to the starboard side, and lower. This made room for a 12" and a 7" units.
OM
197 SF
The Vet. that I take my pups to told me a horror story about his Scout. One example the coating started to bubble and peel,their explanation “you left it in the water to long”!! “what the F#@$*** do you mean” For a weekend!! I believe it is still an on going battle.
Close to 1000 hours on my Scout 185 SF. Is it perfect? No. But, it has served me and my family well. No major issues.
What about Sportsman boats, specifically the Heritage series? I’ve been on them in the showroom but not on the water. They’ve got some cool features, are priced similar to these others, and made in SC like a few of the others mentioned. Only problem is there aren’t many used ones which I guess is due to it being a new company.
Porkchop Express II