2014 AR210, 2009 AR230, 2016 AR192 Need Help!

[Double4me]

Hello Everyone. New member and first time poster. My wife and I are looking to get in the Jetboat scene. We currently have a Fish and Ski boat but have been spending more time in my Brother in-law's 2014 Yamaha (I believe it's a 242 Limited S) the last couple of years. The kids enjoy it more, they are fun to play out of, and they are more comfortable than a fishing boat. We are a family of 4 but we will most likely have anywhere from 6 - 8 or 9 people when we go out. For watersports the main thing we do is tube. We have 3 seat tubes and a couple laydown tubes. My boys may want to try wakeboarding in the future but it's currently something that we don't do so it's not all that important. What would be important is being able to pull the 3 seater tube or the 2 laydown tubes.

Here is where I need help. We are currently looking at the boats listed in teh title. I've been doing quite a bit of looking but it seems like the more I look the more confused/less confident I get. Am I correct that the 2016 AR192 is 210 HP, 2014 AR210 is 220 HP, and the 2009 AR230 is 320? It seems like in one forum someone will say the AR192 has plenty of power to have a full boat and pull tubes and the next guy says it's underpowered. So we started leaning towards the AR210 and 2 engines. But the AR210 doesn't seem to be much bigger in the cockpit as the AR192 ... and does that 10 HP make that much of a difference? I would love to hear from anyone who has had both. Then the AR230 that we are looking at is bigger and has more power but is older. I've read alot of good things about the 2007-2009 boats, but the fact is it is older than the others we are looking at. From the power side would we notice a significant difference between an AR210 and AR230? In my mind 100 HP is quite a bit, however there is more to push as well.

We have only seen 1 of these boats in person so far and that is the AR210. We did look at an AR192 last fall and although that was a 2014 there doesn't seem to be that much of a difference between that and the 2016. We are looking at the AR230 tomorrow. I am not sure about the hours on the AR230 but the AR192 and AR210 have under 200 hours.

One last thing, I am up in the frozen north so I won't be able to water test anything for a few months yet.

Sorry for the LOOONG first post, but I have alot of thoughts in my head. Any help that anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Acard7]

First of all, what vehicle are you using to possibly pull the boat??

We love our AR230, very roomy, had 8 adults on it one time and still had room for maybe 4 more even though it’s rated for 10. The head compartment is so nice to have to store things. It’s pretty loud compared to the other boats due to the HO engines. I’ve never had anyone complain about the engine noise though, and I have yet to do any soundproofing.

It’s been very reliable for us as well. I’ve had to do one major part change which was the intermediate bearing, but it was fairly easy to do. I’ve changed a gate cable too, which was easy. Changed the scupper to a stainless scupper, two person job, but was easy. So far maintenance and repair have been something I can do, and with this forum you literally have a how to manual to do it all. I do my own winterization, plugs, and oil changes. We have 650+ hours on our engines, and we have traveled 75+ nautical miles every trip we go to the Ozarks. Sometimes 50 miles round trip just in one day. Reliability for these jet boats are amazing, knock on wood.

I couldn’t recommend the 230 more, but stress the importance of a good inspection IN & OUT of the water for any boat, along with the hours on the engines.

If at all possible don’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, go with a 250 model ??

 

[Double4me]

@Acard7 Thank you for your reply. I drive a 2011 F150 so I am not worried about being able to tow it. We did look at the 2009 AR230 today and in general there is a lot to like about it. Nice and roomy, it should have plenty of power, and it didn't feel outdated. Now this one that we looked at wasn't for us because it wasn't taken care of. It was in awful shape. The dealer has a $25K price on it and frankly I probaby wouldn't by it for 10. There was some badly repaired damage, the upholstry was bad, just all around it wasn't a boat that was taken care of.

We did look at the 2014 AR210 yesterday and it was in much better shape (what is funny about it is the dealer isn't a Yamaha dealer so I was teaching him more about the boat, from what I have learned here ). To me there didn't seem to be that much more room between a 192 and the 210, but I could definitely tell the difference in the 230. And yes depending on what comes avaialble I wouldn't shy away from looking at something bigger. In reality we will most likely end up with an older 230 or smaller. No matter what even the AR192 would be a space upgrade from what we have now.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

After raising 4 children on the water and 11 grand children who love to tube and ski and wake board I would suggest a twin engine Yamaha with the 1800 N A engines And I would suggest you add my super ultimate super steering that is built to provide steering assistance at all speeds, jet boats loose speed in turns and loose steering control completely if you rapidly decelerate in a turn so picking people up in the water can end poorly if you try to slow down in a turn when retrieving them.
Towing tubes with a jet is a thing you need to understand how and then you can own the water. I even do it with P W C's that have my steering added.

and a few boat videos etc so if you know how to set up the tubes and the length of the rope and you have the steering you can do just about anything without a problem.

https://fb.watch/dMr4yZ8EDA/ And anyone can drive the boat without any big learning curve.
So once you have the boat set for all speed and off power control you will absolutely love it and the family will also love their time on the water.
I know this first hand, my 4 children are in their 40's now.
There is only a small window of time to experience this quality time with your children and then you get to do it again with your grand children but it is always a time to bring back special memories when you get older.

 

[Double4me]

@Cobra Jet Steering LLC Thank you for your response. The Cobra fins are definitely on the list to look at once we get our boat!

 

[Double4me]

We are leaning towards the AR210. Any AR210 owners out there that want to share their experience, good or bad, likes and dislikes? We wouldn't be opposed to something bigger but the supply in my area just isn't good. Thanks everyone!

 

[Acard7]

If you wait long enough there might be more that hit the market.. I wouldn’t be too hasty since it’s only February and most don’t have their boats out of storage yet!

Do you have some pics of the boat you’re leaning towards? Or a link?

 

[Double4me]

These are the photos that were sent to me. I didn't take any pics when we saw it, but it was in storage and dirty. They have it listed for $34,999 and we are currently at $29,500. I was going to offer $28K with a plug change. The oil has been changed from what I know, but I am checking on that as well. According to the dealer it has 187 hours

I should add that we are hoping that by buying it now we can work on the price a bit more. As the weather gets warmer they will be less likely to move on price. That's just our thought anyways. From what I could see it's a fairly clean boat. Therebis some wear from beaching but they are going to install the keel guard. One minor spider and the anchor hatch has a couple of small dings. Other than that it appears to be in good shape.

 

[Acard7]

Nice looking boat for sure! Hopefully you get to water test it!

 

[Double4me]

Thanks @Acard7. Yes once the river thaws we will be water testing it. They want to make everything is as it should be. We just have to wait a bit for that ?. I appreciate your responses.

 

[Double4me]

Any AR192 fans out there that want to make their case that a single engine is just as good as a twin engine when comparing to an AR210? Again we most likely will have 4-5 people on the boat but could have up to 8-9 at times. Our main watersports pulling activity is tubing with either a couple of tubes or 2-3 person tube. Attached are some pictures of a 2016 AR192 that I have been eyeing locally. I have not seen this boat yet but have seen a 2014 verison. This one and the 2014 AR210 above are around the same price. Does any AR192 lovers want to convince me that it's the better boat? I would love to hear from you. Thanks All!!

 

[Double4me]

We did put a refundable deposit down on the AR210 until we can look it closer. I can't wait for spring to come and lakes to open up.

I would still be interesting in hearing anyone's opinion on the pros and cons between the AR210 and AR192. Besides the 1 vs 2 engines the room between them is close and if I am correct there is only 10 HP difference. But don't the AR210 motors run a little more fuel efficient because the are not supercharged! Any insightful information like that would be appreciated!! Especially from anyone who had had both ?.

Thank You!

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Any AR192 fans out there that want to make their case that a single engine is just as good as a twin engine when comparing to an AR210? Again we most likely will have 4-5 people on the boat but could have up to 8-9 at times. Our main watersports pulling activity is tubing with either a couple of tubes or 2-3 person tube. Attached are some pictures of a 2016 AR192 that I have been eyeing locally. I have not seen this boat yet but have seen a 2014 verison. This one and the 2014 AR210 above are around the same price. Does any AR192 lovers want to convince me that it's the better boat? I would love to hear from you. Thanks All!!

If you’re going to have 8-9 people on board you are going to need the bigger boat… hmm seems like I’ve heard that line somewhere before. But, have a look at the capacity sticker in the the boat, the 210 should be rated for 10 people, but there is a weight limit on people that is lower than the total cargo capacity.. for example, in my boat, its rated for 10 people at 1863#, but the weight of the cargo and people together is 2200#.. I’m pretty sure @HangOutdoors has a AR210 and has had up to 8? People in his boat and he can pull tubes and such and the boat performs well.. there is another thread going on here somewhere where the discussion was about the power and performance of the TR-1 engined boat vs. the 1.8L engined boats and there performance. What altitude are you boating at ?

 

[biffdotorg]

Having driven both, the 210, even though little extra hp, has more low end grunt when fully loaded. The twin engines over a single will pop tubes and boarders out of the water better, when the boat is fully loaded. When there are few people on board, either will work.

That 210 is in great shape. But this may be an odd year, as boat prices may not jump as much as sellers would like them to as ice comes off. There are too many new boats sitting on dealer lots and high interest rates to allow premium prices.

Where are you located? We are just losing ice on our bay in West Central MN.

 

[Double4me]

If you’re going to have 8-9 people on board you are going to need the bigger boat… hmm seems like I’ve heard that line somewhere before. But, have a look at the capacity sticker in the the boat, the 210 should be rated for 10 people, but there is a weight limit on people that is lower than the total cargo capacity.. for example, in my boat, its rated for 10 people at 1863#, but the weight of the cargo and people together is 2200#.. I’m pretty sure @HangOutdoors has a AR210 and has had up to 8? People in his boat and he can pull tubes and such and the boat performs well.. there is another thread going on here somewhere where the discussion was about the power and performance of the TR-1 engined boat vs. the 1.8L engined boats and there performance. What altitude are you boating at ?

Thank you @FSH 210 Sport ! We are in central ND around 1700 - 1900 ft according to Google. I will have to see if I can find that thread. I mostly likely browsed it a while back but will try to find it again. I appreciate the response and info!!!

 

[Double4me]

Having driven both, the 210, even though little extra hp, has more low end grunt when fully loaded. The twin engines over a single will pop tubes and boarders out of the water better, when the boat is fully loaded. When there are few people on board, either will work.

That 210 is in great shape. But this may be an odd year, as boat prices may not jump as much as sellers would like them to as ice comes off. There are too many new boats sitting on dealer lots and high interest rates to allow premium prices.

Where are you located? We are just losing ice on our bay in West Central MN.

I appreciate the response @biffdotorg ! We have an agreement with them currently for $29.5 K. Once we do a water test and everything else could determine if I try to get them down sooner. Our fear since there have been very little 2 engine boats in our price range around here, was not doing anything and losing out on it. We hope we are making the right decision and not overpaying too much. I guess time may tell. Thank you for the info! It helps quite a bit.

 

[LakeRidgeBoating]

I had a 16 AR192. Loved it but used it with 2 adults, 2 kids, 1 med sized dog ---- and I always felt cramped. Loved it otherwise.

 

[Double4me]

@LakeRidgeBoating thank you for your post, I appreciate the information. I think we will like the extra space, even if it isn't much, in the AR210. I would like to go a little bit bigger even but we need to stay within our budget. Even though we put a deposit down on this one I keep looking to see what else is out there. Especially with warmer weather coming, ?.

 

[GnarlyThrust]

Curious how this worked out for you? I recently purchased a well taken care of-used AR 210 and our family loves it. We spend 5+ hours at a time out on it. Between tubing and pulling off for a swim, it is definitely a great investment for our family.

 

[usmcgoose]

I would suggest the twin engines as well. You will appreciate the little extra. I agree to do a detailed inspection in and out. Because the broker is not a Yamaha dealer, I would not suggest using them for a mechanical inspection; use a Yamaha mechanic. They have the proprietary connection for the engine data. It provides a detailed readout of the entire rpm range, hours spent at each rpm, and codes (if any) when they happened.