# Ranger Boats



## Reel Lady (Jul 4, 2004)

Just curious if anyone here on OGF has a Ranger Boat? We are seriously looking at purchasing the 621 DVS/Walk-Thru. I'd love to know your likes, dislikes, and things that arent on your boat that you KNOW would make like better/more efficient. If we do end up with the Ranger, it would be nice to know these things before we actually place our order. Here is the boat that we are considering.


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## TritonBill (Apr 9, 2004)

Do you need a full time driver for your boat? I should have a shoe-in since I drove your last boat and have driven quite a few boats... hahaha


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## ohio bass (Dec 9, 2004)

would you be purchasing it from norton marine? if not you should they are great peolpe


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## Warpath (May 23, 2004)

Buzzman has a Ranger but it's a bass boat through and through. Not a walkthrough like the one you pictured. Are you trading in the Tundra boat you guys bought recently? 

Eric


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## Reel Man (Jul 4, 2004)

Warpath- Sadly yes we are trading in our Tundra. We absolutley love the Tundra but after finding ourselves on the boat 4 to 5 times a week last summer and fall we have decided we reallly want a 21 footer. We considered a 21 ft Tundra but just don't feel like we are getting as good of a deal if we go that route. We hate to let it go but we really don't need two boats  . That was our first boat (the one we were going to keep for 15 years lol) and its only 7 months old but we love to fish and decided we would go with the larger boat now so we can start enjoying it rather then wait a few years. Hope to see some fellow OGFers at the show today.

Reel Man


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

I have a 04 620 and have been happy with the boat.Got mine from Norton Marine. Feel free to call if you have any questions Daytime cell 740 974 3755.
Eve. 740 380 2309 Scott has a guy that builds tops for the boat that are outstanding and I would go that route if you are getting a stand up top.(not the cover) I got the rear rails, livewell lights, remote throttle for the kicker,cd player. I wish I would have gone with the MinnKota AP instead of the Maxxum .Hope this helps.Bob


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## Reel Lady (Jul 4, 2004)

TritonBill said:


> Do you need a full time driver for your boat? I should have a shoe-in since I drove your last boat and have driven quite a few boats... hahaha


Yes Bill... we currently have an open position as our "DECK BOY" !!!!!!! Interested??? 
Contact Reel Lady for an application


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## TritonBill (Apr 9, 2004)

As long as I can fish too because I fish better than I can drive.


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## Buzzman (May 1, 2004)

This is my second Ranger... Upgraded from a 217 Cherokee to a 2003 520VX. A few things that I would recommend:

1. The Lock Bar for the storage compartments (it only takes once for someone to take something, sad but it happens).
2. Make sure you get the second bilge pump (automatic).

If I was starting over, I would coordinate my electronics a little better. I have Garmins at the console and on the bow. The console model is a Garmin 320 w/ GPS. The bow mount is a 240. I would have gotten GPS on both the bow and the console with the ability to put the same map card in both locations - would really like to have that for fishing deep water structure at DH, on Lake Erie, etc.

I also got the boarding ladder installed and have used it many of times on hot days!

The only thing that I wish Ranger would have come out with sooner is the recessed trolling motor pedals; however, I believe that they have that option for the 2005 models.

I went with Advanced Marine out of Marion. Good people and a good service department.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Some people just can't get it right the first time.  I know a character that kept his Lund for 18 months and decided to get a bigger one.  
You will not find a more customer oriented dealer than Norton, both during the sale and afterwards. They put their customers first when it comes to repairs or service of any type, be it on a 3.5 kicker or a multi thousand $ rig.

What is really great is their willingness to go to the local lakes with you to check out problems that are most apparent only when operating the boat.

Good luck and enjoy the newer, larger craft....at least for the next year..................


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

Give Dixie Marine a try. They gave me a much , much better deal than Advanced Marine. I second the Lock-R-Bar and the second bilge pump. I have a 20ft 487VS which I run at Erie frequently. It's a very stable and solid boat. What you are looking at will even be better for the rough water. If you have any trouble at all after your boat is out of warranty give Ranger a call. They are known for going far above and beyond the call of duty even after warranty is over. You may pay a little more for a Ranger but you won't be dissapointed in the quality. I'm on my second one , I keep a boat for 10 years.


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## sowbelly101 (Apr 5, 2004)

check out walleyecentral.com, in the boat and motors forum there is more then enough reading on what people think of ranger boats. youll be able to read the good and the bad, only thing i dont like about them is the price..

also call cabelas and see what they will do on one, i know a few people that have found the best deals there.

sowbelly


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

I have a 621,I don't know for how long though,I just lost my job unfortunately last week.Mine has the dual consoles rather than the walkthrough.It's a 04' model,and pretty much has all the bells and whistles.I also have the lock bar to protect the rods from the bad guys.I went with Lowrance as far as electronics,the console has a LCX-19,and the bow has a X-135.I went with a Uniden Oceanus for my VHF.I agree with Buzzman as far as the boarding ladder,it's a great feature to have on those hot summer days.It's powered by a Optimax 250,and a 9.9 Merc 4-stroke for the kicker.I went with the trolling motor that came with the boat,Maxxum 74M-24-volt(I would prefer a 101# though).It's a great big water boat,although it's never been on Erie,it does great on Lake Michigan,where it's stored.I can't really offer you any negative comments regarding the 621,as it's been a great boat for my brother and I.
As for the price,if you go with the new Tundra 21 DC,and deck it all out,you'll be in the 40's also(especially if you go with the "team Tundra" package),I believe a Lund,Triton or Champion in the same category would be priced similarly.If you need any specific info,feel free to ask.


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## Reel Lady (Jul 4, 2004)

Well...we did it  I just want to say thank you thank you thank you to everyone that contributed to the details of this boat. Thank you especially to Bill, Juls and her great hubby Rick for sharing their wealth of information regarding this particuliar boat. (They each have the identical boat). Rick... I'll make sure that when we meet for the first time that I come prepared with plenty of Dunkin' Donut Holes!  
Basically, we piece mealed this boat together based on everyones input and experience. 
After contacting 3 seperate Ranger dealers and getting prices from them, we ended up at Norton Marine. (which luckily for us is the closest of the 3) Working with Scott at Norton tonight was alot more laid back and personal. The first time we dealt with them was the first Saturday of the boat show, so I could only imagine how crazy and distracted these guys were. But, here we are now on a Monday night, the atmosphere was definitely more relaxed. From my experience with Norton so far, they are professional to the core, and seem to have a very efficient system when ordering custom boats. So here is the final package: 
621 VS with Walk-thru windshield, 225 Evinrude E-tec (with a 7 year warranty!  ), Minn Kota 101# trolling motor w/62" shaft, 2 GPS/Sonar units. (Garmin 276C GPS/Sonar for the bow and Garmin 168 Gps/Sonar for the console) 4 bank onboard charger, 4 blade stainless steel prop, 2 additional hydrolic bike seats, Front SST rails, Transom rails, Rear deck extension, Lighted livewells, baitwells, and compartments, and finally an added 12V receptacle in the bow panel. Rob and I thought we had the whole color scheme worked out before getting there today, but when you compare the colors that you see online, VS the colors you see in the brochures, VS the colors of the actual boats themselves.. believe me, they are ALL different! We have a little bit of time to figure this one out. 
Ranger has this awesome program going on now called the "Fear No Fish" program. So by purchasing this boat, we will also be getting 3 G-Loomis rods, a leather coat with the Ranger emblem, a soft side tackle box, 2 Rod/Reel combos, a loaded tackle box geared toward Bass or Walleye (our choice), and some other misc. stuff. 
The lead time for the boat is aprox. 12 weeks, so we are looking at the middle of April. Man, this is going to be a long winter! 
So thanks again to _all_ of you for your extremely valuable input regarding this purchase. 
I do believe that Rob and I will have this boat for a long long time... but wait, thats what we said about the Tundra! Well... this time we mean it!!!! 
Marcia


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Congrats on the new boat. You could't have picked a more professional place to purchase from. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
BTW: I hear that Ranger will be making some great changes to their product line next year and you might be interested in checking into that at the next boat show.


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## Buzzman (May 1, 2004)

You'll enjoy it!


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## TritonBill (Apr 9, 2004)

Way to go!! That boat will be fantastic for fishing Lake Erie. I love the E-Tec engine and that 7 year warranty to go with it! Norton's will take good care of you.

One question though: I didn't think the Garmin 276C was a Depth/Fish Finder. I see it does have the ability for an external source to plus into the 276C and supply depth and temperature but by default it's my understanding that it does not??? I could be wrong..just a heads up. Another words, no graph showing contours of the bottom and fish arches, etc. On the bow I'd think you would want this. Correct me if I'm wrong...  

Who gets to wear the Ranger Jacket!? No fighting now... haha


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## Reel Lady (Jul 4, 2004)

Well, as for the Leather coat, of course I think Rob should get the one that they are offering... BUT... that doesn't stop me from trying to get one for myself out of the deal as well  I'll keep ya posted...
As for the 276C...It does have an optional "Black Box" that you can have hard wired into the boat, along with a transducer. It's these items that turn this GPS unit into a GPS/Sonar unit. This display is incredibly sharp and very very detailed. This unit is portable, so Rob can also use this for work. Here is a link showing the additional parts that we needed to use this GPS as a sonar as well.
http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap276c/
http://www.garmin.com/pressroom/marine/010802.html


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## exexec (Apr 12, 2004)

I have paid close attention to this post. I have a few say the service at norton is not very good, especially if you didn't buy your boat there. I as because I live close and just got a boat with a Johnson motor and have been reluctant to take it there. I'd like to hear from anyone who bought their boat from someone else and just gets their service done there-good or bad??


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

You are right. Norton does put their original equipment buyers first which is the way I used to do it when operating my very successful industrial representative business. That word spreads and brings in additional new equipment business which further bolsters the repair and parts business. As a supplier I always preferred to service the equipment I sold rather than the competitions or tie up my shops on low profit margin repairs. Establishing a strong and loyal customer base is the key to long term growth and continued success which is what Norton has accomplished. If you follow the Norton history you will see they have come a long way from the smaller dealership in Barberton to the impressive and ready to grow again dealership in Akron. The product lines they handle are the top of the line which you receive only when you are a top of the line dealership in both sales and service. Front line manufacturers expect their dealers to service their product line as a priority and that is what Norton does. I have heard some of the same comments you refer to regarding Norton's sales and service but found it very interesting to hear the Norton side of the story also.


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## sliderville (Apr 21, 2004)

Congrats On Your New Boat


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

I also had a few problems with norton, one of which was when looking for a 9.9 4 stroke, their prices just weren't comprable. Also, previously, we've had problems with repairs there, or that lack of willingness, even in the off-season and emergency repairs, which forced us to go else where, and being repeat costomers at a different marine, we then felt thats where we should buy our motor, which was nearly 1000 cheaper.


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## cw261 (May 11, 2004)

I had my '92 90 horse Evinrude in last summer and got good service from them. Their $85 an hour service rate is a bit steep in my opinion, but it's probably the going rate. They told me it would be a week and a half before they got to it, and that's what it took - got the boat back in two weeks running great.


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## exexec (Apr 12, 2004)

That what I have heard is true!!!!! I think that in this case then that should be clearly stated, not that that their service is so great. It is obviously so great when you buy a boat from them. I also was in a very successful and fast growning business for many years and that was NOT my philosophy. I treated a CUSTOMER the same whether he bought a $50.00 banner or Miller Beer which was a several million dollar customer. You just never know when that person who bought was gonna become a million dollar buyer!!!! I tried to treat everyone the same, I think everyone deserves that respect. Also you never know when business is gonna take a turndown and you have to rely on "service" to survive.


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## Buzzman (May 1, 2004)

but true that a lot of dealerships treat people who buy the orginal product from them differently than those that just need service. I moved in from out of state, trailering my boat here. I went through 4 different marina's before I settled on one. At each one, I made sure to let them know that I moved in, and wanted to find somewhere were I was comfortable having regular service done to my boat... The 4th try I finally found a company I trusted.

Funny thing, I later bought my new boat from them!

I guess it all comes down to the impression that the company makes on the individual customer.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

from what it sounds like they simply go on who ever spends the most money first gets the best service....if I bought a smaller boat and you bought a bigger boat should you get better service than I get?


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

Just returned from Florida after ripping 15 bass earlier this morning and saw your post!!!

What a Stratos guy cant leave for a week and expect you to buy when he returns???!!! lol

To help refresh your memory I was the guy at Vic's throwing you a card with my website on it last Sat.???

Anyhow just wanted to congratulate you guys with your purchase. The new Etechs are the wave of the future in motors - No break-in period- just go run it AND no scheduled maintenance for 300 hours!!!! WOW!!! 

NOW - if you woulda just put that on a 21 Stratos you wouldve been set!!! lol

Maybe I'm biased ...hmmmm ~ catch me on the next round in 06' when you wanna get into 26'+!

Nip
www.dobass.com


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## Reel Lady (Jul 4, 2004)

Nipididdee,
It was SUCH a pleasure meeting you at the boat show last week. Since that day.. well umm.. Rob and I have been up there probably more times than I would care to admit  We looked for you each time though! Last time we stopped by and talked to Vic's brother who gave us the details of Vic's FLW Tournament. Vic and his brother are 2 really nice guys, thats for sure...  Are you planning on being at the show Saturday or Sunday? I know that we are actually planning on going one last time to work out some of the finer details of the boat. Rob and I are really excited about this and darn it... spring just can't come soon enough! 
Maybe we could all get together to fish sometime. Not competitively... just good old fashioned fun.. ok, with maybe a little competition  
Thanks again for coming up and introducing yourself.. 
Marcia


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## ShakeDown (Apr 5, 2004)

Congrats! (and I say that with a sneer of pure jealousy ) That's a sweet sweet rig.


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