First time buying a new boat

[joeyman15]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking at the FSH190 and FSH210 trying to decide which one is for me. I stopped by a dealer and compared them side by side and I'm kinda leaning towards the 190 because of the desk up front. While there I was trying to get a ballpark figure of how much they are willing to deal. I didn't have very much luck as they just pulled up the website and quoted MSRP. I'm not ready to buy but I'd like to be prepared when I am. What kind % can I expect them to take off the boat? Are boat dealers like car dealers and have a decent amount of wiggle room? If anyone is willing to share how much they got off MSRP that would be helpful as well. I'm in Florida.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[ZippyBoater]

If you want to haggle, buy used. Yamaha dealers don't really deal. There are a few threads on hear that discuss this topic.

 

[tabbibus]

Agree. Minimal haggle on price of boat. What varies wildly is the extras that you can get. Those can be worth a few grand.

 

[joeyman15]

Like a trolling motor or GPS?

 

[Beachbummer]

If you want to save some money consider used. And the boat comes pre tested and pre broken in. It will possibly have some first scratches which cause so much heart ache to the owner when they occur.

 

[tabbibus]

Like a trolling motor or GPS?

no. Not one high priced items but a few cheaper ones. Like premium and/or travel cover, safety kit, 10 hours service, anchor kit, lines, bumpers, extended warranty...

 

[joeyman15]

If you want to save some money consider used. And the boat comes pre tested and pre broken in. It will possibly have some first scratches which cause so much heart ache to the owner when they occur.

I'd rather buy used, but I haven't seen very many for sell in my area. All the ones I've found are between 4-6 hours away and there aren't many that far away either.

 

[Bennie]

@joeyman15 keep in mind too bud that you're looking at boats during the peak of "boating fever". I understand you're in FL but middle/late spring is when the masses start using/thinking about boats.

That being said it's hard to bargain for such a high demand item; simple "supply vs demand" allows them to sell at a higher price point with just enough minimal effort to out sell the nearest competition.

However.... this also means that other guys are looking at boats as well and may want to upgrade. This provides an excellent opportunity to purchase used. In addition, the used FSH will most likely come with a troller motor and GPS; items you mentioned above that you would like to have on your vessel.

In my personal experience in purchasing our boat we got an excellent deal by buying early in the year. March to be exact. By buying before the dealer even had to drag everything down to the boat show they offered 5k off their MSRP. Additionally I added into the deal for a USCG kit to be included, as well as all accessories that I wanted to purchase on day of delivery to be sold at cost plus 10%.

Just some food for thought. Best of luck on your search and eventual purchase. Enjoy and be safe out there!

 

[Beachbummer]

There are much fewer boat transactions that auto, so the market behaves differently and is much smaller. If you want to save some real money, you may need to travel. A 500 mile radius on boating is similar to a 50 mile radius when car shopping. Such is the nature of the challenge.

 

[joeyman15]

In my personal experience in purchasing our boat we got an excellent deal by buying early in the year. March to be exact. By buying before the dealer even had to drag everything down to the boat show they offered 5k off their MSRP. Additionally I added into the deal for a USCG kit to be included, as well as all accessories that I wanted to purchase on day of delivery to be sold at cost plus 10%.

Just some food for thought. Best of luck on your search and eventual purchase. Enjoy and be safe out there!

I'm not in a rush to buy now so I'm ok waiting for the right deal. 5k off of MSRP is more than I expected was possible. Lots of good information on here, thanks guys.

 

[tabbibus]

another option is buying last years model. I got mine 11K of MSRP. 2018 and a demo model. Used by Yamaha for pictures. Had 7 hours on her

 

[joeyman15]

another option is buying last years model. I got mine 11K of MSRP. 2018 and a demo model. Used by Yamaha for pictures. Had 7 hours on her

If I could get that deal I would buy it right now. I've thought about waiting for the 2020 model to come out grabbing a 2019. That might be the way to go if I can't find anything used.

 

[Rich NW Jboater]

I got my 2016 for 6K off MSRP by buying it in June of 2017 and also the fact that this model is not popular in the Northwest.

 

[Dixie Highway]

I technically bought my 2018 210 FSH end of last year (after Labor Day) and got $5000 off MSRP. Didn’t pick it up until last month, but it was a really great deal. Also just an FYI, Jet Boat Pilot makes a table that lays down between the front seats of the 210, making a large platform. Best of both worlds, and what I plan for next year.

 

[MidnightRider]

Yeah as others have been saying, this is the worst time to buy a boat unless money isn't an object and you don't care what you will pay. Best deal on a new boat is going to be model year left overs in the fall when they start ramping up the release of the next model years.

 

[swatski]

Yeah as others have been saying, this is the worst time to buy a boat unless money isn't an object and you don't care what you will pay. Best deal on a new boat is going to be model year left overs in the fall when they start ramping up the release of the next model years.

Or just before the Yamaha dealers' meeting! which is usually in late August?

--

 

[Todd Olm]

I bought my 2019 210 FSH during a boat show and got about $4500 off if I remember correctly. Dealers get kickbacks from Yamaha for boat show pricing/sales. Other than that, plan on paying sticker price if you buy new with Yamaha boats.

As for the front platform, I purchased a platform (from Jet Boat Pilot for around $900 - Yamaha 210 FSH Fishing Platform ) which sits between the front seat nicely. Added a seat post for a lean seat and it works perfectly. You then have the luxury of having a bow rider front for joy riding or pulling out the cushions, dropping in the platform and you're ready to rock for fishing. Also comes with a post, as TW Merema stated, which allows you to use one of the platforms as a table between the front seats. Best of both worlds with an extra 2' of boat length!