Lund vs Ranger Boats: 19 Things to Know Before You Buy


When you’re planning on purchasing you want to know what is the best in the market, and that’s only natural. But what are the best? Which is the better choice? With this article, we’re going to talk about the Lund and Ranger bass boats and the difference between them.

With this information, you should be able to make a more educated decision when it comes to what boat you’re looking for. Perhaps this article will help you narrow down which manufacturer you’re wanting to support.

1. Fiberglass

The most important thing is to decide what material you want your boat to be. In the fiberglass model world, Ranger has been listening to their customers and adapting the boats to things that will not only work better for them in regards to durability, but it’s also in regards to convenience in tournaments.

Both Lund and Ranger make fiberglass boats, so you’re going to have some options there in regards to major boats, but in regards to bass boats, only Ranger has bass in fiberglass. If you’re someone that has been through it with fiberglass boats and they have caught your attention, Ranger is a good place to look for a boat that just might help you get the upper hand of the competition.

With Ranger, you’re going to have three different series of bass boats that you can choose from:

  • Z Comanche Series
  • Z500/Z100 Series
  • Intracoastal Series

Each of these have unique features that we will get into as we’re going through this post. But just know that fiberglass is going to be heavier than aluminum as well as pricier.

2. Aluminum

Now Lund has claimed that they have the “Ultimate Aluminum Bass Boat”, aluminum is lighter and cheaper than fiberglass so that could definitely be an option for you if you’re looking for something that’s a little lighter on the wallet.

The models that they have are:

  • 1875 Pro-V Bass
  • 1875XS Pro-V Bass
  • 2075 Pro-V Bass
  • 2075XS Pro-V Bass

Aluminum boats are made to be quiet and stand strong when the water starts pounding against it. Most of these boats are going to have some level flotation foam within the boat. Ranger led the way for the U.S. Coast Guard flotation standards because of the safety foam material they used within their boats.

Lund uses the most durable aluminum that you can find out there which allows you to have the perfect strength, weight, flexibility, and hardness within an aluminum boat all at a well-balanced amount. Lund also injects foam into all of their boats. A salesman from the Inland Marine Corp came to G. Howard Lund and asked him to make some aluminum boats, and since then, that’s what started “The World’s Finest Fishing Boats” company.

Both of these dealers have their perks to their boats and they have respectable qualities to each of them. So, this is really a level playing field when it comes to aluminum bass boats.

3. Hulls

In regards to hulls, Lund has what they call the IPS technology. With this, you’re going to have a smoother and drier ride. When you’re looking to see what the specs are for your boat, Lund will tell you which version of IPS you’ve received with your boat.

But what does IPS entail? IPS includes a center keel that helps with the reaction of the boat during steering which helps your maneuverability, a flat pad which is going to bring clean water to your motor which will help you with speed as well as performance, lastly, they provide a reverse chine which helps with cornering and control.

Alright, so we went over Lund, now let’s head over to Ranger and see what their hulls are about. With Ranger, they fill the hull with foam to help you have that sturdy feeling as well as that quiet that you might desire. That’s for the aluminum boats, in regards to the fiberglass they fill their hulls with foam as well to ensure that you’re going to be upright and level.

Both dealers incorporate foam into their hulls so that they are able to have the stability they need. Ranger also offers a fiberglass transom that helps you maneuver through the water easier, allowing you to cut through the waves.

4. Storage

If you’re looking for something that’s going to get you where you need to be in regards to storage, Lund has it in their “difference” section that they are dedicated to providing innovative storage compartments, and they are going to have you covered.

With this section, really all that you can worry about is what storage you’re looking for. Going through this, a choice can be made as to which boat we think is the best in regards to storage, but honestly, it depends on the storage that you’re looking for.

Both dealers offer storage compartments with rod-lockers, gunnel storage, and tackle storage as well. So in regards to recommendations, it would be best if you were to look this up on your own so that you can decide what you need.

5. Trailers

When it comes to trailers, the best option that you have is the Ranger boats. With this dealer, they have a trailer that comes standard when you’re purchasing a boat. This is very openly advertised when you’re looking at the models of the bass boats that Ranger has.

Lund is a little foggier on the details regarding the trailers. When you’re looking at the specs for the boat, they simply give you the towing weight, and that’s the only thing that they really give in regards to that. With Ranger, they let you know in the description that you’re going to get a trailer.

6. Customization

Both Lund and Ranger offer you the choice of having a custom paint for your boat. These are just going to be the change of colors in the pattern that they already have when it comes to the dealers themselves.

If you’re looking for a specific type of customization in regards to a paint job, then that’s probably going to be are your choice and it’s going to be a little more expensive than the options that will come with your boat.

With Ranger, you can even customize your trailer to match your boat, so that’s something that’s pretty interesting in regards to purchasing a bass boat. Customizing your boat is definitely something that you would want to do so that you can feel a little different from the competition. That’s something that you would always want. Just to stand out.

When you’re going to go through your specs and addition to your boats on Lund, you’re going to be able to choose the main colors and things like that, I’m sure that you can have those options for Ranger as well, but they usually just show what the main things are, and that’s something that may be a turn off to some people.

7. Weight

When it comes to weight, these boats weigh between 1300-1400 pounds. With this, you can usually carry up to 1700 pounds, but that’s the maximum. If you’re weighing down your boat, that’s definitely not good, mainly because that’s going to cause some issues with your outboard, and that’s not what you want to worry about.

So knowing this you want to be sure that you’re not adding too much weight to the trailer.

8. People Capacity

For the majority of these bass boats, you’re going to see that three to four people is the most that they can go, but when you look at Ranger, you’ll see that the maximum number of people that you can have on most of their boats is 5, while Lund is 4.

These are both pretty spacious boats, so it’s nice that you’re going to be able to include so many people within the boat, especially if you’re going to use this to occasionally take your family out on the water. If you’re wanting it to be versatile in that manner, then you’re looking at the right boats.

If you put more people than your boat can handle, that’s something that you really need to be aware of. As stated, this can really cause some problem not only for your boat but for them as well–endangering lives isn’t something that you want especially if it’s more than your own, although you shouldn’t be endangering your life in the first place.

9. Warranty

When you purchase a new boat, it’s going to come with a warranty, and that’s something that you’re going to be grateful for if something is to go wrong when you’re out on the water and you either hit something or something just breaks. You can never be too sure.

When it comes to buying a used boat, you’re not going to have that chance to have a warranty. That’s something that is a big risk when you’re coming home with a used boat. So that’s something that’s really important to understand when you’re going to do that. It’s very important to be able to check over the boat–which is what we’re going to go over in the next section.

10. New or Used?

Buying a new boat is something that’s easy because you’re able to go into it knowing that you’re getting a new boat, and you don’t really have to worry about any other problems that have happened with your boat.

With buying a used boat, there’s a lot of things that you need to check before you hand over the money there’s the potential rust, cracks, dents, and other things that you need to check when you’re going out for a used boat. Be sure that you can take a test drive. That’s important because, by that, you’re going to be able to tell if there are any leaks within the boat and then know if this boat is really good or if it’s something that you need to walk away from.

11. Beam size

The beam of your boat is going to be the width of your boat. If you’re one that wants a wider boat, then you’re going to want to make sure that you check the beam size. A lot of people only worry about how long the boat is, and that’s how they throw their boat in a category.

Quite of the few boats that I’ve looked at with each dealer has offered the majority of their beams 92″ or shorter. That’s a pretty good amount, it’s a little over seven and a half feet, so you know that you aren’t going to feel as trapped as you would if it was a much shorter beam size.

12. Livewells

Ranger boats come with usually aerated livewells with their boats. When you’re headed to look at the Lund boats, they have three options in regards to livewells.

If you’re not sure what a livewell is, it’s a tank that’s found on your fishing boat that helps to keep your bait as well as the fish that you’ve caught alive. Depending on how serious you are with livewells, you may have a preference for your livewell.

With Lund, there’s a couple of different systems that you can choose from. The Prolong livewell, the Prolong Plus, and the Aerated livewell. These are all able to help provide oxygenated water to keep your fish alive as well as your tackle.

The Prolong Plus is specifically designed for freshwater and the fish are going to receive an intake of oxygenated water from under the boat. The Prolong is a two-pump system that is made to allow maximum oxygenation which helps keep your fish healthy and calm. Finally, when it comes to the aerated livewell this circulates fresh air which helps keep the fish help when you’re out on the water.

13. Motors

Each of the boats that you’re looking at are going to have a minimum and maximum horsepower that they can take in regards to the motor. You have to decide if you’re going to have an outboard boat or one that’s internal.

You have to be sure that you’re going to have the right amount of horsepower because if you’re not going to have the right amount, you could really risk messing up your boat, so that’s something that you have to worry about. It’s important that you really take care of everything when you’re headed out to the boat.

14. Service Plans

When you get a new boat, you’re going to be able to know that you’re going to get a service plan which will help if there’s something that’s happening with your boat. When you’re buying a used boat, that’s where it can get a bit tricky.

Although you have the chance to get serviced and that’s about $400 dollars per year. But you’re going to be able to have a warranty as well. The warranty is important especially when you’re having some issues with your boat.

When you’re buying a used boat, you aren’t going to necessarily have the chance with a good warranty. You may not even get the chance to have a warranty at all with a used boat. So be sure that you know what you’re getting into when you are purchasing a boat.

Ranger comes with a guarantee, but Lund comes with what they call “Boating’s Best Warranty”. They have a lifetime warranty as well as a 3-year 100% bow-to-stern parts and labor coverage. So that’s something that you have to look forward to as well.

With Ranger, you’re only going to get a three-year warranty with the boat that you purchase. So, in regards to a warranty, you’re going to get a better warranty with the Lund warranty.

15. Deck Space

Ranger is famous for having big front decks which are definitely good for those that are wanting to go out angling and are serious about it. Lund has a roomier atmosphere if you’re looking for that. If deck space is something that you’re looking for in regards to fishing, Ranger is a good dealer to go.

If you’re looking for a boat that you can use for both family and fishing, personally I would go with the Lund boats. Just based on the layouts that are within the website, they show the difference that are within the boats themselves and that’s something that you really want to look at before you end up buying a boat.

16. Accessories

When you’re buying a new boat, you want to be sure that the accessories are all good. You are going to know that most of these are going to function simply because you’re getting a new boat and with that you can trust that the accessories are going to be in good condition.

With getting a used boat, you’re going to need to check that those things are working well, and that there aren’t any wires that are hanging out.

In regards to the research that I have done, Ranger boats certainly have the best options when you are looking for the best accessories, they are trying to do what they can to create a better boat that can help you with the tournaments that you’re going into.

17. Propeller

A propeller is something that’s important. When you’re working with dealers, you want to be sure that you get the best propeller that you’re looking for. When you have a propeller, there’s the risk that you could be on the water and then end up hitting something with the propeller and if you don’t have something with the right material, you could put yourself in a lot of bills if something was to break off.

So be sure that you’re getting the right propeller for your boat before you make the purchase. Having a 4-blade propeller is going to be something that you definitely want to look for. The prop can really cause some issues if it’s not the right one, and with that, there can be some problems with your boat in the future.

Just be sure that you know what you’re getting into before you’re getting the boat. Lund and Ranger both come with good propellers, the only time that you’re really going to have to worry about it is if you’re buying a used boat.

Both of these dealers are committed to helping your boat go smooth and stay drier so that is an important part when you have a propeller that’s going to work through the water.

18. Trolling Motor Pedal?

Trolling motor pedals are definitely something that you would want to have within your boat, this would allow you to be able to have your hands on the wheel, both of them and to keep going through the water, that’s something that’s very beneficial.

With the Ranger boats, they are the ones that usually include a trolling motor pedal already when they are giving you the boat. That’s one of the best options when you’re looking for a boat that has a pedal, rather than dealing with having to get a pedal installed later.

When you’re looking for a boat, you can definitely trust that Ranger is going to come with the pedals–I wasn’t able to see if there was anything that the Lund dealers offered, so you can continue to look into it if you’ve got your heart set on a Lund boat.

19. Research

Obviously one of the most important things that you can do when you’re trying to find a boat that you want to buy is doing research. This is probably part of your research, so that’s a great thing to add to your list. But you shouldn’t just go off one article that’s talking about two different manufacturers.

There are so many other boats that are out there that you could look at and find that they are the right fit for you. It’s important that you understand and know what you want when you’re going out looking for a boat. There are some accessories and equipment that you want that some boats may not have, as well as storage compartments and rod lockers.

This is really something that you shouldn’t just jump into without knowing things about the boats and what you’re getting into. That’s one of the most important things that you can do–buying a boat isn’t a spur of the moment decision.

Either way, when you’re looking at a boat, be sure that you understand that it’s okay to walk away. It’s okay to look for something better. When it comes to a boat, it’s not something that you want to just settle on when you come across the first one that seems alright.

Picking a boat isn’t the easiest thing, it’s going to be something to take your time with it. Lund and Ranger are obviously two different boat dealers and they offer you multiple options and that’s one of the best things that you can find out–what they offer you.

Geoff Southworth

I am a California native and I enjoy all the outdoors has to offer. My latest adventures have been taking the family camping, hiking and surfing.

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