New Boat Lift

[swc5150]

I'm in need of a lift, and have found that Vibo Marine has the best pricing (by far, from my search). Through Feb 15th, we're talking $3,400 for a 3,600lb lift with canopy (manual winch). My GF's parents have one, and it's nice, but it's fairly new. Does anyone have any long term experience with them, or know of another quality lift for that kind of scratch?

[hdultra]

Not sure if they offer a canopy but I have 3 doozie lifts that I am real happy with. One is a dual motor 6000 lift for my 210 and I also have a potoon lift and seadoo lift all of them are electric.

[swc5150]

Would a 3,000lb lift be safe with a 196? The boat is rated at 2,640lbs, add 163lbs for 25 gallons of gas, so there's roughly 200lbs left to spare tops. Is this too close to maxing it out?

[shag]

I would think you would be ok with a 196, as you are not putting added weight (aka fat sacs, lead). Most lifts are built with a 'safe' rating and right at the limit or a few pounds over should not be an issue. I would call the manufacturer and give them your boat and weight to see what they say.
That being said, I always over estimate my lifts to be sure I don't put added stress on anything.
I like the hydraulic lifts myself, but they are pricey. Sometimes, if you are not in a hurry, you can find a lightly used one inexpensively.
Good luck!

[WakeSlayer]

I am a big fan of ShoreStations. I prefer verticals as my shoreline allows. A friend has a Sunlift and that thing is awesome. They seem to have changed their canpoy a bit, too. I hated the first ones.

[Quinner]

What's Up Scott, dang Packer Fan,

Couple things I have found with less expensive lifts:
Can be harder to manually crank
Goofy setup's when adding electric for the crank, some require wheel to be removed.
Could be Tough to find parts later in life when service is needed
Small feet, makes them a pain to move and the tend to sink into the ground more.

I would also get a 4k lb minimum, they will garner more money if you ever sell it down the road and when the lifts are close to capacity they tend to be harder to crank, or at least that's the case with my buddy's 3k Shorestation with his LX on it.

My personal experience is the Shorestations are the best bang for the buck, reliable, easy to find parts, durable, big feet, etc.

Now $3.4k is a great price, same thing in a SS will be about $1k more I would guess.

You should be able to find a used SS with everything for less than $3.4k I would imagine.

[WakeSlayer]

ShoreStations are also made in Iowa, which being in WI, you should have good luck finding them near you.

[swc5150]

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going with a Shorestation. My family has had one for years, and it has performed flawlessly, so I'll just stick with the brand I know.

[NigelC]

I had my previous 99 Ski Nautique on a Sunlift 3010. Really fast hydraulic operation but wished the bunks were a bit wider apart to provide a bit more stability.

[swc5150]

What's Up Scott, dang Packer Fan,

World Champions my friend!! I hear Cutler's new nickname is 50 cent? You can only get 2 quarters out of him!

[MARK-S]

Swc,

Depending on the shoreline, you could go with a roll a rail. I have one and they are easy to deal with and cheaper than a lift. You can bring it up to the shore and wash/wax, change oil and everything else.

[swc5150]

That would be cool, but it would require a little excavating that I'm sure the WI DNR would frown upon. My shoreline is low bank, but there is about a 4' drop off from the edge of the lawn to the water. Lakeshore Equipment in Chanhassen has a 3,600lb Shorestation with canopy for $2,900 that I think I may buy. I just need to get over there to take a look at it.

[WakeSlayer]

Lakeshore is where I have bought all my Shorestations. The one thing about Shorestations, make sure you order ShoreMaster guide-ons. Lakeshore will do it for you. The Shorestation guide-ons suck.

I do agree about the Sunlifts, the bunks are really narrow. But they are stupid fast lifting the boat.

[swc5150]

How much would a 3,000lb Sunlift sell for?

I question those long Shorestation guides as well. They look good in theory, but I've seen a few boats get slammed around in them when docking with incoming rollers.

[NigelC]

How much would a 3,000lb Sunlift sell for?

It wouldn't be a fair comparison for me to mention pricing. When I purchased mine the £/$ ratio was higher and you would need to factor for cross Atlantic shipping plus import duties and taxes etc.

I can tell you that there was approximately an £800 difference between the Sunlift 3000 and 4000. Compared to other US manufactured brands, the Sunlift was very competitive.

Hope this helps but I am sure someone stateside will be able to give a better indication.