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I am considering purchasing a 2004-2005 mako 171 center console. Any help would be appreciated.
1. How does the boat perform with the standard 90hp engine; speed, ride, handling;
2. Do any of you have a 115hp 4 stroke; how does that compare to the 90hp.
3. How is the fit/finish and overall construction of the boat;
4. How does the boat handle the water. Is this a wet boat in a chop.
5. Do any of you have any problems with the boat. If so, how has the dealer or mfg handled the situation.
This seems like a solid little boat for the money and would appreciate your comments;
I have a 2001
1) I have a 135 Optimax and it is fast.
2)..
3) Decent...the console is too big for the beam, the wiring was a joke, and storage is not all that great.
4) It can be pretty wet, not as bad as my old 17 Whaler, but still pretty wet. I trim the bow up and plow through choppy stuff...
5) Nothing worth mentioning...but I would avoid buying it from BassPro....
* I would reccomend trim tabs or at least a dol-phin. The boat like to porpise when you get it up on plane. It may not with a 90...or at least as bad.
The basic hull design for the 171 has been around for 35 years. These are great boats for the size. It will be a wet boat at anything much above 2-3'. But, you can float across less than a foot of water if you are fishing the flats. Also, they are relatively economical.
Some years ago, we took a 17' down the Kissimmee River, across Lake Okeechobee and the St Lucie Canal, down the East Coast to Marathon, across Florida Bay, up the west coast and Caloosahatchee and back up the Kissimmee River. Ours was a '77 repowered with a mid-80s OMC 90 VRO. Had no trouble running 100 miles between marinas on the 35 gallon tank that was standard. With the 90 and a full tank of gas and gear, top speed was about 37.
The ownership changes of Mako and the resulting quality issues with the factory are well documented on this board. I would agree with CAC that if you can find a "dealer" as opposed to BPS, go that route...your service might be better.
The 90 two stroke will push the boat to about 42 mph. The 115 four stroke will reach about 38. Tabs are a nice addition but are (in my opinion) mandatory with the four stroke. If you decide on an Optimax, it would make a very nice boat. The 171's that I saw recently, were actually the best of the bunch at the local BPS. And while the advice of not buying from a BPS is a valid one, not all are terrible. Some are worse than others.
I have a 2001 171 and love it. We have a 90 merc with the dolphin fin on it. It does about 32 miles per hours. You need to remenberit is a 17 foot boat. On a day with 3 foot waves yest its going to be wet and a tough ride. We use it to ho skiing in the bay and to go the outer islands.
I think it has good storage with the brakeaway center console.
I am considering purchasing a 2004-2005 mako 171 center console. Any help would be appreciated.
1. How does the boat perform with the standard 90hp engine; speed, ride, handling;
2. Do any of you have a 115hp 4 stroke; how does that compare to the 90hp.
3. How is the fit/finish and overall construction of the boat;
4. How does the boat handle the water. Is this a wet boat in a chop.
5. Do any of you have any problems with the boat. If so, how has the dealer or mfg handled the situation.
This seems like a solid little boat for the money and would appreciate your comments;
I have a 2001 w/a 115HP Ficht Evinrude (not the 4 stroke you asked about) that I run in Long Island Sound and over across LIS in Gardiner's Bay, NY. It's wet in a chop and kicks up a lot of spray that the wind can blow right over you, rather than deflecting it downward like I guess some hulls will do. Flat water, no wind I've clocked an honest 35 knots (38MPH) with the 115 several times with full fuel (40 gallons), but in 2 foot seas you have to slow it down to the 18-19 (20-22 MPH) knot range and trim up on the bow. I'm a wimp, though.
Seems to be built OK, but I'm seeing a couple of cracks in the tilt-up center console casing.
Bottom line, I love it. I would have bought an Edgewater but this was my first power boat and I got a great deal on it new from the dealer down the street, so I couldn't pass it up. You're right, great boat for the price. I like the fit and finish overall.
__________________
Steve
2001 Mako 171 115hp Evinrude Ficht (Lemming in a Life Ring)
2004 SabreLine 36 Flybridge Sedan 2x370hp Yanmar's (Twilight Zone)
MMSI 367015720 Call Sign WDC3881
I have a 1972 17 Classic and it is my favorite boat and I have had many (own 3 right now). She started with a 70 hp Johnson and it was OK for my father and I, but add a 3rd person and it was noticible. We repowered in 1983 with a 90 Evinrude and it was a much better boat. At 4000 rpms, she would run 25 mph and top out about 34 to 36 depending on what prop was installed (17 or 19 pitch respectively). I now have a 115 Merc and she runs about 5 mph faster at the same rpms, but she is spinning a bigger prop. But the 90 was a good engine for the boat. All center consols are wet rides in a chop. The flatter bottom makes for a stiff ride in a chop and being able to trim down the bow with tabs or power tilt makes a difference. I have been in 25 knot winds when you can barely make headway and still take spreay..but the boat is low to the water. The last time I was out in a nasty 3 to 4 foot chop and I was taking water over the transom and had a few steep ones curl over the bown when motoring into the waves to take another drift. But I never felt uncomfortable or uneasy. They are very sea worthy little boats. I have been in water so shallow that we had to get out of the boat and push and she has been in 400' of wateroff the Keys. Fore the size, you can't go wrong. A 115 4-stroke may be kind of heavy for the boat and you may take a lot of water over the low transom. I had to move the battery and a lot of gear forward in mine as the 115 Merc is 40 pounds heavier then the 90 Evinrude was. With the 90 hp engine, you will not see any noticible difference in the fuel consumption in this size boat. Look at Yamaha's performance bulletins. There is minimal difference.
If you want to get some other feed back, go to the Mako Owners web site at www.classicmako.com.
__________________
C Miller
TIDERUNNER - 1974 17 Mako
CTALES IV - 1988 21 Mako
Mystic Islands, NJ
I have owned a number of 17's as well....the newer ones have a little bit higher transom.... ride is pretty much the same..... they really do handle chop pretty good as long as you don't try to go too fast and you can get pretty skinny with them..... good all around boat for the bays and close to shore... I am still a little concerned about the ownership, but the 171 does not seem to be changed too much...whcih is a good thing.....
CG Miller...when did you have to change the fuel tank in that 72? Your hull has decent access to it, correct?
I have a 1972 17 Classic and it is my favorite boat and I have had many (own 3 right now). She started with a 70 hp Johnson and it was OK for my father and I, but add a 3rd person and it was noticible. We repowered in 1983 with a 90 Evinrude and it was a much better boat. At 4000 rpms, she would run 25 mph and top out about 34 to 36 depending on what prop was installed (17 or 19 pitch respectively). I now have a 115 Merc and she runs about 5 mph faster at the same rpms, but she is spinning a bigger prop. But the 90 was a good engine for the boat. All center consols are wet rides in a chop. The flatter bottom makes for a stiff ride in a chop and being able to trim down the bow with tabs or power tilt makes a difference. I have been in 25 knot winds when you can barely make headway and still take spreay..but the boat is low to the water. The last time I was out in a nasty 3 to 4 foot chop and I was taking water over the transom and had a few steep ones curl over the bown when motoring into the waves to take another drift. But I never felt uncomfortable or uneasy. They are very sea worthy little boats. I have been in water so shallow that we had to get out of the boat and push and she has been in 400' of wateroff the Keys. Fore the size, you can't go wrong. A 115 4-stroke may be kind of heavy for the boat and you may take a lot of water over the low transom. I had to move the battery and a lot of gear forward in mine as the 115 Merc is 40 pounds heavier then the 90 Evinrude was. With the 90 hp engine, you will not see any noticible difference in the fuel consumption in this size boat. Look at Yamaha's performance bulletins. There is minimal difference.
If you want to get some other feed back, go to the Mako Owners web site at www.classicmako.com.
Chris, a little off thread but you've definitely qualified my purchase of the "Lemming". Cool.
__________________
Steve
2001 Mako 171 115hp Evinrude Ficht (Lemming in a Life Ring)
2004 SabreLine 36 Flybridge Sedan 2x370hp Yanmar's (Twilight Zone)
MMSI 367015720 Call Sign WDC3881
We have sent out a bunch in the last two years. Most are leaving the store with a Honda 90. If you go with that kind of weight in the back get the tabs. I think the boat does well for itself, but behaves better with the lighter engines at lower speeds. I am not a big E-TEC fan yet, but it makes a nice power to weight package on the 17. Mako is now rigging with the BRP toys as an option.
I have a 2000 171 Mako Hull, with a 2001 115 HP Evinrude Ficht. Love the boat - I use it on LI sound al summer, taking the kids skiing, tubing, fishing.
Only problem is that I have developed cracks in the transom. I'm extremely dissappointed, but I'm soon going to take it back to a Mako dealer and see how it will be handled (the dealer I bought it from in CT is no longer in business ).
MAKO 171 OWNERS
