Raider boat 185 pro fisherman?

[Lebasque]

Anyone on this forum has one boat like this: Raider 185 pro fisherman.

Looking for an aluminium boat (18 to 20f). with outboard motor.

Would like to hear what you guys think??
Looking at Hewescraft as well.

THank you

[raider6622]

yes... I have one 2008 raider profisherman. It's a great boat. If you still need info on this boat let me know.

[flatman]

there are a bunch that are close. like alumaweld, duckworth, hewes, north river, raider, etc. just what you want will be hard to decide. they are all high quality. look for the options and bow vee that you need.

[Bkrogers80]

I am looking at this same model right now and asking the same quesiton. New prices are very attractive. New Raider fully furnished or a 4-5 year old NR....... Only difference that I can see is the fit and finish. They don't compare to the NR but are very similar to Hewes (surprise, surprise). Looks like a decent rig.

[The Cross]

Give as much consideration to the motor as the boat. Just like the gun vs. scope thing. The motor is at least as important as the boat and trailer. I would take less boat , than motor. Which most people don't. That is why the dealers have marginal power on their boat deals. They know that a few years from now you will be in the delimma of buying another motor vs buying another boat and motor

[RiverMan]

I have a 19' Raider and really like it. When I was looking for a new boat in 2005, I looked at NR, Hewes and Raider. A NR is a better built boat in my opinion but the Hewes and the Raider are much closer in quality. The last time I was looking the Hewes had a few nicer inside features but for the price I couldn't justify it. I will say my Raider has given me zero problems and is a very seaworthy boat, handles the roughest water days on the Columbia with no problems. I have a 140 Suzuki and love it.

One WARNING!! Make sure if you buy a Raider that the trailer fits the boat! Look at the bottom of a Raider, they have two strakes on each side instead of one which makes loading them more difficult. The bunks on my trailer have really tight fit between the strakes and I can very seldom load the boat perfectly straight because of this even with guide-ons. Try it on the water and don't load it just once, try loading it several times to make sure it looks ok and if not make them fix the trailer before you buy it. If you have any questions feel free to send me a PM.

One other thing I will add is the company owner is a nice guy and he will bend over backwards trying to make sure you are happy. However, their company headquarters are in Colville, Wa which is north of Spokane a good distance and if you have something that needs repair you will have to deliver to the factory which could be a long drive from Portland. Something to keep in mind. I haven't had any issues with welds, etc., on my boat but it's something to think about.

RM

[flatman]

why would they sell a trailer that doesnt fit the boat right. all it would do is lessen their credibility.