1994 Four Winns 190...need opinion

[ferguson]

Hello, We are new to boating. As many people suggest new boaters should start with a good used boat. We have the opportunity to purchase a 1994 Four Winns 190 described as follows:<br />VERY low hours, 5.0L EFI V8 215HP I/O, Depth sounder, AM/FM/WB radio, Matching trailer with surge brakes, All accessories/toys included, Looks good/runs good.The price is $8000. We are a family of 4, and would use the boat for crusing, skiing and tubing. How does this sound as a first boat choice? What in particular should we look for during our bait inspection? Does this model have any inherent problems? Thanks for your advice. Ferguson

 

[borourke]

Re: 1994 Four Winns 190...need opinion

Having just boat my first "used" boat this year, I can only offer the same advice I was given many times over, Buyer Beware. The ad means nothing. Go look at the boat, drive it if possible. Take someone who knows boats with you if possible. Bring all 4 of your family members with you and see how much room is really on the boat when your family is actually on it. Believe me, they take up more room when they are on the boat when you are just picturing it on your mind. Only you can determine if it is the right boat for you.<br /><br />On a side note a 90's Fourwinns is not a bad place to start looking. I bought a 93 Searay, 23ft and I am happy so far but the old addage holds true, a boat is a hole in the water to put your money in. Be prepared, I am trying to plug my hole now!

 

[nickwilson]

Re: 1994 Four Winns 190...need opinion

TEST DRIVE, TEST DRIVE, AND TEST DRIVE ! I can't stress this enough. Before I bought my last boat I test drove probably 10+ different boats before I knew that the Glastron I bought was "the one." There were a couple of boats that I thought were really nice boats, but until I test drove several different models I has no basis for comparison. Also, a thorough test drive will often uncover any problems that are not visible while the boat is on the trailer. One boat in particular had been inspected by a mechanic and given a clean bill of health, only to discover a steering problem on the test drive. Four Winns are good boats, and the 5.0 is a solid motor. If you can, however, try out several other similar boats and then make your decision. Trust me, you'll be GLAD you did!

 

[mollyog74]

Re: 1994 Four Winns 190...need opinion

Best advice I can give you which saved our butts and 30k last year............<br />Hire a surveyor!<br />Almost bought a used Chris Craft last summer. It looked beautiful, drove well etc. Paid a surveyor 500 bucks to look it over and take it for a spin. And it failed misserably. I dont think the 4 year old boat had ever been serviced. He caught things we never would have...Including they lied about the size of the engine. Surveyors look at boats inside & out and you can decide to what degree you want them to review things. We did the "max" and it was 500 bucks. You can have less (including not taking it on the water which is the most expensive) I regretted having to write out a check for 500 bucks and not get to take a boat home... but it would have been worse to write out a check for 30k and not be able to put the boat in the water.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: 1994 Four Winns 190...need opinion

Fergerson, You want two things in a boat. You want one that is appropriate to your needs and is a good value (good condition for the price). The hardest of these requirements is the former. I have a 19 foot bowrider. I use it for ocean and bay fishing, taking the kids to the beach, water skiing/tubing and general cruising. It is absolutely the best boat for all these purposes. It will carry up to seven people safely, has enough power to ski and is seaworthy enough for the ocean. It is good on fuel and easy to handle by myself. It is resistant to the kid's wear and tear, and they like to sit in the bow where I can watch 'em easily. On the other hand, since it doesn't "specialize" in anything, there are better ski boats, better fishing boats and better cruising boats available. There is no better style of boat(except maybe a deck boat, but they are ugly) for all these (my) purposes. If you plan activities similar to mine, the boat you are proposing (if it's a bowrider) is ideal. Make sure you get one in good condition.

 

[ffboarder]

Re: 1994 Four Winns 190...need opinion

We bought a used 94 Four Winns Horizon 180 in October 2002. It had 240 hours on it. We put about 100 hours on it last summer and it ran like a champ! No problems (knock on wood). We have 2 boys age 8 and 5 and we did tons of boat camping last summer. For our uses it has been great. My wife, myself, and the 8 year old wakeboard. (I just had a wakeboard tower put on.) The kids tube. We throw all of our camping gear in and go boat camping. The only extra money that I have had to spend is for the tower, a tune up this year. (I suppose I didn't HAVE to spend the mondy on the tower!), and the various toys (wakeboards, tubes, etc.) If that boat is clean, I would recommend it.