www.iFourWinns.com

Hello everyone
Im mean no disrespect but Australia the bayliner 175 is aproximately three thousand dollars cheaper than the Four Winns H180 and was wondering if anyone can tell me what the main advantages of spending the extra three grand on the H180
thanks and please dont send a lynch mob for mentioning the "B" word
Ardy

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

As someone that previously owned a 96 bayline 1950 classic w/ 3.0 and is in progress of buying a FW h210, here is my 2 cents:

The bayliner w/ mercruiser IO was al alright starter boat. It was reliable, it was quick for a 3.0, light, stable, roomy, fairly comfortable and a good buy. Although i bout it repossed so it wasa really good deal.

So why am I not buying another bayliner and spending more money on a FW? Well light meant thin hulled and anytime that point was on rough or even churned water it just slapped on the waves instead of cutting through them, not a fun ride. also because of the thin hull the boat would flex alot and there was alot of noise transmitted from that flexing. I was banged intoby another boat who had a screw popped on there rub rail and it poked right through the side of my boat, it was easy to fix but i was shocked and how thin the material really was. Although I said it was comfortable, it was comfortable until you sat in more upscale boats that felt just alot better. That doesnt meant thebayliner wasnt allright, just the other boats where alot better, nice...

I thought the boat was alright, not a piece of junk like others would mock, but i d believe if nothing else the hull difference is worth the extra cash. although the force outboard used on the older bayliners was a piece of junk.

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2008 H210:
- Two tone Navy Blue, Silver and Yellow
- 5.0GXi/SX 270hp
2006 Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 5.9 Laramie

When we were shopping last year, both the Bayliner 175 and the H180 were on our short list. The cost difference of the base boat was around the $3000 mark, just as you are seeing in Australia. Aside from the nicer fit and finish and higher feel of quality that we observed in the H180 over the 175, what ended up swaying our descision was the following:

Resale Value: Not sure if the same holds true in Australia, but the resale value of a Bayliner is typically quite a bit lower than that of a Four Winns. This is not to say that the 175 is a bad boat, we were actually quite impressed with it.

Glass floors & snap out carpet: The H180 has em, the Bayliner has glued in carpet on a wood floor. I don't like the chance of the floor rotting out in the Bayliner 10 years down the road, requiring a replacement job.

Factory Canvas: The 180 was pre-packaged with a factory cockpit and bow cover, and we were able to order the convertable top from the factory (needed here in my neck of the woods to extend the season). The bayliner did not offer these factory options, so this would have had to be custom made. Not a big deal, but more expensive.

Stereo & stuff: The Four Winns came standard with the stereo, power steering, automatic bilge pump (needed as we were wet-slipping the boat), and the two position jumper seats. I would have had to install my own stereo and auto bilge pump switch in the Bayliner. Power steering and the jumper seat positioning wasn't available in the Bayliner.

Comfort: My wife checked out how comfortable the bow seating was in every boat we tried (her most important criteria); the 180 won that one hands down!

Delivery charge: the Four Winns dealer that we were working with had a delivery charge that was half the price of the Bayliner (two Bayliner dealers, actually). That swallowed $750 worth of the price diffence between the two boats. Pay attention to delivery charges when you are cost comparing boats!!!!!

So once we had the Bayliner spec'd out the way we wanted it and the delivery charge was factored in, The Bayliner and H180 were within $1000 of each other in price. So I would say to take a close look at what you are getting in comparison to what you want out of the Bayliner. You just might find that by the time the boat is out the door the way you want it, the $3000 difference isn't really there at all.

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2009 H180 w/3.0 Merc
Homebuilt Minimax Hydro
2011 Zodiac Cadet 310