2018 Nitro Reviews...

[soonerbass]

Has anyone purchased a 2018 Nitro?  Looking for reviews, pros vs cons.  Just the actual facts about the boat and if it has held up and performed as advertised.

[Mike Cork]

Jared LeBlue here on the site has a 2017 and he loves it.

[Oldfart9999]

Little early to have reviews on a 2018 model but there is little difference between one that 2 or 3 years old, you may want to look there. Wish I could afford one, Z17 would work for me!!
Rodney

[Princeton_Man]

I don't remember where I heard it but there's some speculation that Stratos molds might be used for Nitro hulls at some point.

[Oldfart9999]

I was told by a Nitro salesman that Ranger engineers were involved in the design, he knew I wasn't buying we were just spitballing, take it as you see it.
Rodney

[Ron Fogelson]

Hit or miss on hull delamination not all but has happened enough to be fairly well known.

I've owned two and loved the layout ride isn't as nice as my ranger but I'd put the fishing platform and stability neck in neck.  I never had a hull issue, seats, gages, trim weren't the same quality still a good ride.   If you have a local dealers do some reasearch and price points on different rides rigged the way you want them. My ranger wasn't much more then the nitro I was looking at once I added to the build when ranger came with everything I wanted as a standard package

[Jared LeBlue]

I love mine but if you ask most people about their boats they going to say the same thing. I have had gelcoat blisters on mine but Nitro took care of that. As for fishing platform and stability Ron is right on point. I have a Z-17 and it handles rough water well. Boats are very personalized items and you will get a lot of different opinions on them. You will see a lot of negative things about Nitro but when Nitro out sales all boat manufactures by a landslide it is only natural the more you have out there the more you will hear of problems. I look at these problems on a percentage bases so for instance if Nitro sells 4000 boats and they have problems 40 hulls then that is 1% of their products having an issue where as another boat company may only sell 1000 boats and 10 of those hulls have problems then they are at 1% also. Less problems in the second equation but also less boats in the equation.

I have always said shop around and find what YOU like and then you can't go wrong.

[Team KaRu]

I just bought a 2018 Z18.  Has a Merc 175 XS on it...    But.  Yep but.  Having key switch or starter problem.  Under warranty but 2 key switches later and today putting in a new starter. Has anyone heard of these same problems along the boat line?

[WTodd]

I bought an '18 Nitro about a month ago and love it. It came with the wrong prop but Bass Pro changed it out no problem. It came with a Lowrance Elite 7 TI on the bow and I had another 7 TI installed on the console and had them connected together to share data. It came with a Merc 150 4 stroke and I like it too. I definitely recommend this boat.


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[Princeton_Man]

I just bought a 2018 Z18.  Has a Merc 175 XS on it...    But.  Yep but.  Having key switch or starter problem.  Under warranty but 2 key switches later and today putting in a new starter. Has anyone heard of these same problems along the boat line?

Definitely frustrating without a doubt but, I wouldn't think it's attributable to Nitro. The key switch was probably part of the Mercury rigging. Did replacing the switch correct a specific problem or was that a step to eliminate the switch before replacing the starter.

[Ron Fogelson]

I just bought a 2018 Z18.  Has a Merc 175 XS on it...    But.  Yep but.  Having key switch or starter problem.  Under warranty but 2 key switches later and today putting in a new starter. Has anyone heard of these same problems along the boat line?

Hadn't heard anything along those lines Rudy, as PM is on the right track with the question as to was the starter the issue or did the faulty switches cause the starter issue?

The rigging I don't believe is Merc unless you have the smart craft but even then the wiring harness I believe is up to the boat builder based on their layout and the motor requirement.

Then there is the shit happens part,,, Had light issues with my brand new ranger trailer, wouldn't come on, blown LED brake lights, had them replaced tested it out hooked up and left dealership, got home while backing up I no longer had back up likes on trailer or truck    Next morning I find I blew a fuse in the truck, not one of the neat small ones but like a $20 plastic box one, replaced it and went to Toledo, blew it again almost there.  Dwight helped me check a few things and come to find whoever bolted the license plate holder to the trailer pinched the hot wire between the nut and the fram had a direct short 

Sooooooooooo sadly the shit happens ones can be a PITA to sort out

[Team KaRu]

The Starter was changed a few weeks back and I went to Guntersville with a new starter and the same stuff happened again.  No start in the middle of no-where then it starts 20 minutes later when I tried it again.  So now they replaced a "Secondary Solenoid" It ran Ok yesterday but I only fished for 4 hrs and moved 3-4 times. Lucky day.  BUT, the next problem is the breaking of the axle grease covers (plastic screw on type)  The little cost savings these manufacturers are doing in any and all business' today is making buying anything new a headache!
But I firmly believe that it is mostly just LAZY employees being supervised by LAZY managers!  Then the QC Techs just walk all products thru because the quality department thinks if it breaks (you and I, the consumer) will just bring it back as warranty work!