Looking at a 2021 Tracker Pro Team 190TX

[Gfd63]

Thinking about purchasing the Pro Team 190TX from Bass Pro. It's all welded supposedly with a 115 4 stroke Mercury OB. I like the lines of it plus it has the woven vinyl floor vs carpet. More importantly it's well within the budget. Any one have this model currently or previous years & pros/cons. https://www.trackerboats.com/bass/pro-team-190-tx.html

[GaryH]

I’ve never owned one but I have looked them over. It’s a nice rig. I think you get a lot for the money.  Good luck on your purchase. Post some pics if you do.

[Gfd63]

Roger that Gary. Thanks for the input. I'll be sure to post pics if I get it. Nice lookin pup BTW.

[@reelChris]

The upside is price - the 190 is priced below the closest aluminum competitors.  The downside is they achieve that by skimping on components.  If you compare the 190 to a ranger RT188P, you'll see the extra $3k gets you three extra inches of boat length and beam width, an aluminum deck, a fiberglass console, 24v 70lb thrust trolling motor, bigger rod lockers, better fish finder, deck rod straps and various color choices.  The regular 188 is $1k less that the P model and has similar features except the trolling motor and electronics are comparable with the tracker. And, ranger offers many options in terms of electronic, motor and trolling motor upgrades.  Tracker offers almost no upgrade options.

 

Trackers are great for what they are, basic boats. But if it were me, I'd spend a little more to avoid having to upgrade everything down the road.

 

[Gfd63]

Copy that Chris. I really do like the Ranger RT188P. I found a few but all had carpet installed vs the non skid flooring. Ranger is about 10-12 weeks out to order exactly what ya want. But like anything else there's a compromise when buying a boat. It all depends on what features are really important to ya.

[gim]

29 minutes ago, Gfd63 said:

I really do like the Ranger RT188P. I found a few but all had carpet installed vs the non skid flooring. Ranger is about 10-12 weeks out to order exactly what ya want.

The RT188P looks like a really nice rig, especially with that pad hull.  I've got an RT178 that has a mod V hull and it can get bumpy when there's a good chop out there.

 

As for the Tracker 190TX, if you like it, you can afford it, and there's a dealer/service center nearby, then go for it.  Tracker doesn't have good customizing options like some other brands do but you can certainly upgrade those eventually yourself if you'd like to in the future.  Whatever one you decide, I would highly advise going with the vinyl-polymer surface on the interior.  It sounds like you are already likely to do that.  I have it on my boat and I will never go back to carpet, ever.  And this is coming from a guy that had carpet in boats for 20 years prior.

 

Another suggestion you might consider is the Lund Renegade series.  Lund offers pretty good customization options and appears to be less costly than a Ranger, but more than a Tracker.  I think there may be an issue with ordering Lund boats right because there is such high demand so you may not be able to get one right away, similar to Ranger.

[Gfd63]

Sound advice Gimruis. The Bass Pro where the Tracker is at is only little over an hour from the house. It's definitely within the budget & has the vinyl-polymer flooring, but there's a reason why it's priced low. Gonna need upgrades eventually for sure but like ya say I can do them Myself down the road. Rt188P goes for $33K with the options (vinyl-polymer flooring etc.) that i want. I've had a 2007 Ranger 188VS prior to My Daughters wedding which the selling of paid for said wedding. Ranger's customer service is No.1 bar none there's a Ranger dealer 2-1/2 hrs in PA from the house & they get Rt188P in on occasion but they go fast off the lot. They're getting one in this week so hopefully I'll get a chance to look at it then make my decision.

[Big-Bass]

The 195 might be a little bit nicer (and wider) of an option if it suits your budget.

18 minutes ago, Gfd63 said:

Sound advice Gimruis. The Bass Pro where the Tracker is at is only little over an hour from the house. It's definitely within the budget & has the vinyl-polymer flooring, but there's a reason why it's priced low. Gonna need upgrades eventually for sure but like ya say I can do them Myself down the road. Rt188P goes for $33K with the options (vinyl-polymer flooring etc.) that i want. I've had a 2007 Ranger 188VS prior to My Daughters wedding which the selling of paid for said wedding. Ranger's customer service is No.1 bar none there's a Ranger dealer 2-1/2 hrs in PA from the house & they get Rt188P in on occasion but they go fast off the lot. They're getting one in this week so hopefully I'll get a chance to look at it then make my decision.

Ranger and Tracker are the same company.

[Gfd63]

9 minutes ago, Big-Bass said:

The 195 might be a little bit nicer (and wider) of an option if it suits your budget.

Ranger and Tracker are the same company.

Yes indeed the 195 is nicer & has the upgrades already installed but the majority of them have the carpet installed & have to brought in from another BPS out of State like VA or NC. Which cost extra $$$ for delivery.

[Goldstar225]

I've had my 2018 PT190 with the 115 Pro XS for three years.  Before buying I looked at Ranger, G3, and other boats.  In my area, having them equipped the same the Ranger was 3-4 thousand more.  In the end I chose the Tracker because of the layout.  Not knocking the other boats as they were quality, the tracker just fit me better.  That and my prior boat was and '87 tracker and had served me well. Your local dealer will do the upgrades you want but you'll probably pay full MSRP plus the labor for the add ons and you don't get credit for what they take off (TM, FF etc).  I took delivery and changed the TM, FF, battery, and charger myself.  I saved probably $1500.00 in the purchase prices and labor by doing that.

 

I have no regrets about my purchase and would buy the PT190 again without hesitation.  It rides great in choppy water and the only flaw so far was a leak where the dealers tech didn't seal the screws when they mounted the transducer.

[T.J.]

I have a 2020 PT175 txw with the vinyl floor. Same layout as the 190 but a foot shorter. I like the layout with dual rod lockers on the sides. The previous models had center rod lockers. Nice boats but you get what you pay for. Other brands are nicer but you pay for it. I like the vinyl. I heard a lot of people say it gets hot but I never fish barefoot. It feels like it would be slippery compared to carpet but I have fished in the rain and never felt like I would slip.
 

I went with the smaller 60hp motor. Most of the lakes I fish are electric only. The ones I can run the OB are still smaller pretty small ( 400-900 acres) so I wasn’t concerned about speed at all. I was planning to get the smaller XL classic but decided to go with a bigger boat with much more storage (and lockable) and more deck space. If I wanted speed I would not look at the 175 even with a 75hp. 190 or 195 is the way to go. 

 

I haven’t had many issues. The ignition switch came loose and the dealer needed to tight some mounting hardware on the console. They are good value. As mentioned above Ranger and Tracker are owned by the same company now. I had a tracker tx17 purchased new in the 90s prior. 
 

There are tracker dealers besides BPS and Cabelas. You might have a closer dealer that you can use after purchase for warranty or maintenance. I purchased from a smaller dealer out of state since they had the model I wanted but have used my local small dealer for everything else. From the stories I read online (take it for what it is worth ) BPS marine repair shops are questionable. 

[Dirtyeggroll]

15 hours ago, Big-Bass said:

Ranger and Tracker are the same company.

What you mean to say is they are both owned by the same parent company. The original service department that is well-known as being top notch still exists but is just under new parent ownership.

[Russ E]

20 minutes ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

What you mean to say is they are both owned by the same parent company. The original service department that is well-known as being top notch still exists but is just under new parent ownership.

Yes and no. Ranger warranty service is now part of the white water group. Not near as accomodating as the original warranty service.

I spent a couple weeks back and forth with them, on an air void under the gel coat . Had to pay for the work myself. They said it was cosmetic, not structural. It cost me $1800.00  to fix.

[gim]

12 hours ago, T.J. said:

I heard a lot of people say it gets hot but I never fish barefoot. It feels like it would be slippery compared to carpet but I have fished in the rain and never felt like I would slip.

Mine has never gotten hot to the touch and its not slippery when wet either.  It may have less "grip" than marine carpet but the ability to keep it clean very easily without worrying about stains is well worth it.

 

When I bought it, I wasn't even considering the hard surface on the interior.  It was a costly upgrade.  But the salesman talked me into it without charging me and I'm glad he did.

[Gfd63]

Good info. Thanks to all for the replies. I didn't know that Ranger & Tracker were now owned by the same parent company. Which explains why when I called to see what the turn around from the Ranger factory is if you order a boat the phone tree message said White Water Group.

[Dirtyeggroll]

On 3/17/2021 at 5:38 AM, Russ E said:

Yes and no. Ranger warranty service is now part of the white water group. Not near as accomodating as the original warranty service.

I spent a couple weeks back and forth with them, on an air void under the gel coat . Had to pay for the work myself. They said it was cosmetic, not structural. It cost me $1800.00  to fix.

You may be right. I meant the parts department. If you can get hold of them they are still excellent. Running a skeleton crew these days it seems though.

[Gfd63]

Decided to pass on the 190TX. Wanted to add a few upgrades like a 24v trolling motor for starters. Change out the Lowrance Hook2 5 fish finder with a larger model. I was told that they were limited on what they have in stock & if I wanted to order a different trolling motor I'd have to order it & have it delivered to the store for removal & installation. Or I can just take delivery of the boat & do the upgrade myself on My own. The next step up is the tournament edition has what I wanted but there's none in the area & I'd have to pay an additional $500-$600 to have one brought in from another location as far as Virginia or South Carolina. BPS were quick to remind Me that Tracker boats are reasonably priced per model due to the equipment they're rigged with & a No Haggle/No Hassle arrangement. Didn't see the point of having to do the upgrades Myself on a brand new boat & having to do something with the extra12v trolling motor, dual bank charger & Lowrance electronics. So needless to say I decided to pass on this one till I find what I'm looking for.

[J Francho]

I thought the 190tx came with a 24v/70 lb. troller?

[Gfd63]

20 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I thought the 190tx came with a 24v/70 lb. troller?

The 190 TE tournament edition comes with the 24v/70 vs the 190TX.

[J Francho]

For less than $1k between the two, I'd just get the TE version, if I was going with Tracker.  Since you're looking elsewhere, I'd recommend Xpress.  I loved mine, and it was a big upgrade over any mod-V aluminum boat I'd been in.  It was pretty fast too, with the pad hull.  I miss that boat - should have never sold it.

[Gfd63]

21 minutes ago, J Francho said:

For less than $1k between the two, I'd just get the TE version, if I was going with Tracker.  Since you're looking elsewhere, I'd recommend Xpress.  I loved mine, and it was a big upgrade over any mod-V aluminum boat I'd been in.  It was pretty fast too, with the pad hull.  I miss that boat - should have never sold it.

I had a Xpress VX17DB many moons ago & they are great boats. Likewise I shoulda kept it. But I sold it to get a Ranger 188VS which later sold to pay for My Daughter's wedding. ? There's no local Xpress dealer or one in close proximity to the Eastern Shore MD area. Have to travel South to the Carolina's to even look at one.

[J Francho]

I had to drive to Long Island to get my Xpress.  I never ever want to go there again.

[SC53]

Have you sat in the drivers seat of all of them? I am amazed at the lack of legroom in both the Tracker and Rangers. I’m 6’2” and my knees hit the console on all but the Rt188P. Couldn’t hardly get into the RT 198P. 
the Trackers were just as bad. I don’t understand the lack of legroom. 

[Gfd63]

On 3/30/2021 at 7:40 AM, SC53 said:

Have you sat in the drivers seat of all of them? I am amazed at the lack of legroom in both the Tracker and Rangers. I’m 6’2” and my knees hit the console on all but the Rt188P. Couldn’t hardly get into the RT 198P. 
the Trackers were just as bad. I don’t understand the lack of legroom. 

Yea I've planted My butt in all the driver seats. I'm 5'7" so leg room isn't too much of an issue for Me. I hadn't had the chance to check out the RT188P yet. They're really popular & availability is scarce unlike the Rt188. I've found one of them on the lot. It's not bad but I'd rather have the vinyl flooring vs carpeting. To get adjustable seats to accommodate leg room, ya have to seriously jump up to the more $$$ models like the Nitro or the Comanche Z series Rangers.

[SC53]

Good. Dealer here in central Florida said it was 12 weeks out to get one.