www.iFourWinns.com

Hi, I am looking to get my first boat and I'm going the used route. I have decided that I'm going to look for a Four Winns because of their solid reputation and their design. I have been looking at a 2000 Horizon 190 (< 100 hours) with a 4.3L Volvo Penta engine or I have also been considering a 2003 Horizon 180 (< 200 hours) with a 4.3L Merc. The prices I expect to get these boats for would be $11,000 and $13,000 respectively. I am kind of leaning towards the 190 since I will be boating on a river with heavy boat traffic. I may go boating in Lake Erie, but that will not be the norm. Does anyone have any advice for me? If I were to go with the 190, are there any specific faults that I should be looking for. I will in either case get the boat and engine inspected prior to purchasing. Also, I've heard that Volvo Penta engines and outdrives are better designed, as long as, you have a dealer close by that you can buy parts from.

I have looked at the 190 and other than some spider cracks around the boarding ladder LH mount, the boat and engine looked to be in very good condition.

Thanks in advance.

Ron

I would have to go with the 190 if they both are in the same condition. The extra foot of room would be nice!!!

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Troy
2008 Centurion Avalanche
1994 Four Winns Horizon 180 SE 5.0L OMC Cobra (Sold)
2002 Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition (http://www.nhtoc.com) 378 hp & 465 tq at rear wheels
2008 Honda Accord EX-L w/Nav

I just bought a 2003 180 Freedom (almost identical to the Horizon 180) with the Volvo 4.3 V6 with 160 hours on it. We love the boat, very smooth in the Gulf of Mexico and easily holds 8 people with room for gear and coolers. I put a stainless prop on the week I bought it and picked up the OEM Volvo part from a prop company in the area (not the FW dealer). Do those prices include the trailer as I paid less for my boat and trailer. Feel free to PM if you have any questions as I purchased after a long search.

P.S. They including all the covers, bimini top, coast guard gear etc? That stuff can add up quickly!

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2010 Sea Hunt Triton 220 "Big Whiskey"
2003 FW Freedom 180 Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX-M "It'll Do Four Now" (Sold)
2012 Avalanche LTZ 4X4

One thing that I would take into consideration is the instrument panel. In roughly that time frame, Four Winns was using a very sketchy VDO instrument cluster that has ended up the topic of many forum posts. This instrument panel looks like a car's dash instead of individual gauges (see the picture I have included below). Sometimes, this cluster can be fixed by soldering on an extra ground wire, but the true fix is to replace the entire dash. Four Winns had so many issues with this dash that they made available a replacement dash with individual Faria gauges for $500 (pre-installation). I don't believe that this issue is a deal breaker, but it is something to be cognizant of; especially if one has it and the other does not. I have a 2001 Horizon 180. I love the boat, but every time an alarm goes off or a gauge reads bad, I have to question whether it is really an issue or if it is just the crumby gauges. I will most likely be purchasing the replacement dash soon. I hope this helps!

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2001 Four Winns 180 Horizon
4.3L Volvo Penta