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Hi everyone i'm new here and new to four winns i'm going to be buying a leftover 180 and wanted to get your opinions on it. not having the chance to test drive one because of the weather i was wondering what the ride was like for a small boat. any help would be appreciated

Can you give us some more information about where you'll boat, sizes of the lakes, how crowded they tend to get, etc.?

What power package will it have?

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I own a 2006 Horizon 180 with 3.0L that I purchased new March of 06. I can probably answer any questions you have about it. As far as the ride goes we need more information like what 230 Mike asked. In addition to Mikes question I would also ask how many people to you plan on having in the boat on a regular basis and what are you going to use it for?

Dan

well the majority of my boating will be on lake winnepesaukee in nh which at times can get pretty rough very busy in certain ares. other than that i will be staying local in small lakes nearby. and the occasional trip down the river and into the boston harbor which usually isn't too bad. the power packabe i will have is the 3.0 volvo i will probably have at least 3 adults most of the time on board doing some water skiing and tubing and just cruising around. i was just wondering how the boat came up on plane and if it rides smooth through the chop.

Hello,
I live in NH also, I test drove a 2006 19ft horizon on Winnisquam on a saturday afternoon this Aug, The boat was pushed around alot, espc. in the chop and other boat wakes, I believe the boat i test drove had 4.3 190hp., and there was 3 of us in the boat. Four winns are great planning boats. got there quickly but there was not alot of hp.
I wakeboard & wanted to ski as well, I didn't think there was enough power for skiing with 190hp espcially if we were going to carry more than 3 in the boat. we usually travel with 6 or 7 when we go out.
I then test drove a 2005 200 Horizon le sunsport 19.6ft with 275hp. Fell in love first time i hit the throttle. Boat handles extremely well. extemely stable in the chop and wakes. It handles like a small boat, but you feel like you are in a much bigger boat. i hope that makes sense. 18ft felt tight with just 3 in it.
I thought i would be filling up alot of times because of the V8, not bad at all.
Trailering was easy also. being my first boat i wasn't sure how that would be.
I spend time on Winnisquam and also on the Merrimack River in Hooksett area. as well as a few smaller lakes in NH. I think 18ft in winnepesaukee is too small for the main part of the lake. might be fine in the Bay's.
You, should test drive as many boats as you can. I know it's winter but not a decision you want to be sorry with.
I was looking at 18-19ft myself and i'm glad the salesmen suggested the 200 horizon. I know i will be happy and have this boat for a very long time.
good luck

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2005 Horizon 200 LE - Volvo Penta 5.0GXi 270

thanks for the input. i think i'll be fine on winni with the 180 this is personally my first boat but i gre up on boat the biggest being a 232 rinker. and before that was a 18 crownline which we had up the lake all the time with no problems though in front of the wiers does get a little scetchy sometimes. i was also looking at monterey and they are just outside of my $ range so i found the leftover four winns and know its a quality boat. i guess the price range i was looking in is more of a bayliner range which i want to stay away from. and the four winns fits my budget.

The 180 with the 3.0 can do everything you want it to do, just understand that it won’t do it with the pep and power of its V6 and V8 big brothers. For the most part it will hold up in the chop without much trouble but there will be times when you have a rough ride.

As others have pointed out a bigger more powerfull boat will do all of these things better, but like you I had to work within the limits of my budget.


I have done everything you listed in my 180 without a problem and in a very economical way. (last summer gas was over $3.70 on our lake and I was glad I had the 3.0)

Dan

yeah i know the boat is gonna basically perform like a small boat but besides the rinker everything else we've had has been 18 or less including a 1977 steury tri hull talk about a rough ride lol that thing hurt. but what a great boat we had it for over 12 yrs thanks again guys for the info it has helped alot