Opinions on 17' Alumaweld Talon

[C-Money]

I have always dreamed about owning an Alumaweld. Anyone have any experience with the 17' Talon? They look great and have lots of room. Getting close to for filling my dream.....

[gasman]

I too dreamed of owning one, but then changed my mind and I am now the proud owner of 18' Raider 

After researching and looking at the different boats comparatively, the Raider and Hewes were above the Alumaweld.

The storage was more ample, and the side width were probably the breaking point. The sides on the Alumaweld were not very wide and I felt I was looking for something a bit more beefier, but that just me.

I am planning on more saltwater usage and in my opinion the Alumaweld is more suitable for the river. Dont get me wrong, I see lots of them on the salt, its just my .02.

[lokidog]

I have an Alumaweld Stryker 19.  Hewes are definitely built a bit beefier than the Alumawelds.

An extra foot or two can make a huge difference in useful space, especially if heading out on the salt.  If you are looking at a late spring/summer Sound boat or lake boat, and it's a good price, it would probably be a good deal.  One drawback to the other boats is that they are heavier and you will likely burn more fuel using it.

Does that boat have a 60 hp on it?  Might be a little light if loading up.

One other thing to consider is that aluminum boats seem to have a pretty low cargo/passenger rating.  My boat is rated 5 people and 750 pounds where my 12' Livingston is rated for 4 people and 700 pounds, I think.  I'm not sure why the rating is so low.  The Talon 17 appears to be rated for 4 people.

[h2ofowlr]

I had the 17' and it was a nice boat, but when I put two others in it, it was way to small and we were walking over one another.  The 19' is a lot easier to work with.  I would go the larger just speaking from experience.

[steeleywhopper]

My buddy has a 17 or 18ft and it's rough with 3 guys for moving around. Go bigger...

[RadSav]

I spent quite a bit of time with a 16'.  And as others have mentioned, it gets small in a quick hurry.  Nice little boat for two on rivers and lakes.  And even with the rather small prop motor rating it still gets along quite good.  May have something to do with the thinner walls and lighter weight.  The 18' doesn't punish you as much in chop and IMO worth the extra change.  Doesn't give you much more options for power, but the extra 20 horses can make a difference when adding a third or small fourth.  The extra 6" of beam in the 18 will feel like two feet when stepping up.

You get over a foot more beam on the Stryker!  And a much beefier side wall.  You will notice a big improvement in how it rides in heavy chop.  The down side to the Stryker is it still has a small prop limit and the extra weight in the beefier construction can make them handle like a floating slug.  But you do get used to it and the extra room is a very welcome addition.

If I were ever to go back to a 16' boat I'd save some money and get one without the fancy windshield.  I like having a column instead of being stuck at the tiller.  But a simple center post will give you a lot more usable space and without the parachute you will find it holds troll and keeps you on drift longer.  WAY cheaper too!

[rasbo]

I have a 17.6 stryker,1998,its really a talon size.Two people are as many as you can fit and be comfortable,its a great boat,I love it

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

As soon as you get it home you will have 2 footitis. You will wish you had the 19 footer. Unless you fish alone a lot.

[Hilltop123]

The best advise I can give you is:
1. Don't be in a hurry to purchase.( I know easier said than done)
2. Look at every brand, you possibly can. (I had to go to Ore. to finally see a Boulton)
3. Budget...stick to it.
4. Budget allows, add a foot.
5. If you can, buy it in Ore....they have a nice way of writing up your invoice, so you don't pay tax on a $10,000 outboard. In Wash. you register the hull and trailer, not the motor...but the state will gladly collect tax on the outboard expense.
The tax savings alone, paid for the down riggers,  fish finder, and other goodies.

B bring
O out
A another
T thousand

[C-Money]

Great feedback, I thank you all! I put money down on the Talon, and I am pretty excited. I am going for a test drive with the dealer Thursday morning....cant wait! Sounds like it may be a bit cramped for room, fishing with my wife, a 6yo & 9yo. It has a 50hp Mercurey, and an 8hp kicker. I was a tad worried about the 50 being under powered. The dealer assured me it will do fine, and still pull a tube with the kids on it. The test drive will answer a lot of questions...I hope. If it goes well, I'm taking the boat home. I noticed the low passenger weight rating, 4 people, and I think 600lbs. Well I take 1/2 of that, and the wife and kids take up a good chunk of the other half. I do wonder why its so low on passenger weight. My Nephew is gonna take my old boat, could not talk myself into trading it as it was my Grandpas boat. Please keep the tips coming, I enjoy the feedback. C   

[h2ofowlr]

If you can at least throw a 60 hp on it you will appreciate it.  You will find you cavitat and loose power on corners while pulling a tube with a 50.  The salesman needs to get out and test this personally.  He may provide better advise vs. just trying to make the sale.  You may be disappointed if towing unless just going straight.

[LabChamp]

I would go super v if I was going with alumaweld. Especially in something around 17 or 18. Every bit of fishing space on board is useful and you loose alot with the wind shield. I also prefer a boat you can walk around

[RadSav]

If you can at least throw a 60 hp on it you will appreciate it.  You will find you cavitat and loose power on corners while pulling a tube with a 50.  The salesman needs to get out and test this personally.  He may provide better advise vs. just trying to make the sale.  You may be disappointed if towing unless just going straight.

I would be surprised if the dealer would exceed the 50hp rating due to liability.  Sounds like they have it at mfg upper limit.  The 18' will go to 80hp, but not the 16'.  I think the weight rating has a lot to do with the narrow beam and rear center of buoyancy.

[lokidog]

You get over a foot more beam on the Stryker!  And a much beefier side wall.  You will notice a big improvement in how it rides in heavy chop.  The down side to the Stryker is it still has a small prop limit and the extra weight in the beefier construction can make them handle like a floating slug.  But you do get used to it and the extra room is a very welcome addition.

I'm not sure I would call them a "slug".     Living on an island, I have to load all of my construction materials in my boat and I do not like making extra trips.  That being said, I have had huge loads (PM me for info) in mine with the 90 hp (it is, I believe, rated to 120) and still managed to get up on plane.  At capacity, for weight, it jumps on plane just fine and has no handling issues.

However, a 50hp in the 17' with 600 pounds of people and gear and another 25 gallons of gas might be a different story.

C-money, with two kids, who will undoubtedly get larger, I think you will find the 17 will get tiny quickly.  Also, one of those kids may want to bring a friend on a future outing and there you will be stuck with 4 people max for the boat.   

[RadSav]

Both the Strykers are rated at 80hp prop.  I think 115 and 135 w/jet.