Nitro Z-6 Review

R

Revenant

#1
Nitro Z-6 Review






Being a non-boater for the vast majority of my life, I have very little to compare my Nitro Z-6 with other than the occasional Jon boat rental, trips in friend's boats, and a few large center console boats out on the ocean. Still, I suppose I can offer some insight for people looking into the boat. While this will be far from a professional review, I have now spent about 70 hours fishing out of my Z-6. So my opinion is at least experienced as far as time goes.

Why a Nitro? Why a Z-6?


I've gotten asked a couple of times by several people, mostly Ranger and Triton owners, “why would I choose to buy a Nitro?”. To put it simply, initially, I didn't have a lot of choices. Don't mistake this for dissatisfaction. I originally was trying to get a leftover Nitro X-5 that was a deal too good to be true. Well, it ended up being too good to be true. When it fell through, I had already secured the loans and put my credit rating through the ringer. I was committed one way or another. In my area, you have a choice of Ranger, Nitro, Tracker, Lowe, or a custom boat like a Dusky or LCB. Stratos was two hours away, and Triton double that. Plus, as much as I love the design of the LCBs, and the amazing toughness of a Dusky (hull is 3 inches thick!), I couldn't afford either one. Neither would be a good fit for tournaments down the line. While I have nothing against aluminum boats, and even looked at several Lowes, I really wanted the stability and performance of fiberglass. Additionally, the Lowes were only about $2000 less expensive. So it was Ranger or Nitro. After seeing that my local Ranger dealer had nothing in stock, and the prices were sky high, it came down to Nitro.


I went with the Z-6 for both price and space constraints. My credit and loan could have purchased a Z-8, but I also like being able to buy furniture, go out to dinner, and walk in to a BPS just to buy a few things without worrying about my debt. I also wanted a boat that I could easily fit in South Florida's notoriously small garages. The Z-6 fit the bill. The benefit is that the Z-6 compares, feature wise, pretty favorably to the Stratos XT and Triton Explorer line. I'll give the nod to Triton for build quality as Nitro still does a little nickel and dimming. But more on that later.





Buying a Nitro



Buying the Nitro was one of the easiest vehicle purchases I've ever done. I purchased mine through BPS Dania. The staff were all more than happy to help, answer questions, and just BS about fishing in general. All were boat owners, and they didn't try to dodge any of my concerns regarding Nitro's reputation in the past. Dean, my salesman, worked hard to ensure the process went through favorably for me. There isn't any negotiation on Nitro boats, so a lot of the typical stresses vanish. My only concern is that the showroom boats take a beating by tourists with aggressive kids that like to use them as trampolines. Next time, I'll order my boat as there a few minor issues related to that. To the BPS staff's credit, they have worked hard to rectify all of my concerns.


While buying the boat is easy right now, getting someone to finance you is another story. I had a great debt to income ratio, no late payments, credit score in the mid 700s, and a 20% down payment. I couldn't get a single bank to finance me, including Nitro themselves. I ended up securing a loan through my credit union, but the banks are just down right ridiculous.


Taking Delivery


My Z-6 was waiting for me on time, shined up, and ready to fish with oil and about 8 gallons of gas. The briefing I got could have been a bit better, especially concerning livewell usage, but the manuals were all provided, and I've gone back a few times to ask questions without any hesitation by the staff to answer them. To be fair, I was anxious to get going so it's more my anxiety than their brevity.


I also took delivery of my Bass Pro Shops VIP Card. Aside from getting reward points, it nets you 10 to 20 percent off most of your purchases for two years. I'm too embarrassed to admit how much it's saved me so far, but suffice it to say an accurate description would be “a lot”. It's a fantastic benefit to buying a Nitro or Tracker.




The Z-6 Itself


I purchased the base model Z-6 with no upgrades. It still comes pretty well equipped. Here are the specs for those that have forgotten.

Length 17'6"
Max HP 115HP
Package Width 8'
Fuel Capacity 26 Gallons
Dead rise 12 Degrees
Draft 13"
Beam 90"
Weight 1300 Lbs
Package Weight 2360 Lbs
Package Length 18'11" (With Swing Tongue)
Transom Height 20"
Max Weight Capacity 1100
Max Person Weight 460 (or 3 People)


The numbers don't really give a good idea of how wide this boat actually is. At 90 inches in beam, compared to older Nitros, and most every other boat in its class, this boat gives you more casting space and better stability. The Triton 17 Explorer is 86 inches wide, while the Stratos 176XT is 84 inches. The Ranger 177TR is a mere 83.5 inches. Moreover, the Nitro Z-6 hull design doesn't even begin to taper until the front cleats unlike the Skeeter ZX 180 which claims an 89 inch beam, but has much less room on the casting deck.





My Z-6 included a 115HP Mercury Optimax, 12V 54LB thrust Motorguide trolling motor, Guest 4/4 AMP dual bank charger, flush-mounted Lowrance Mark-5X fish finder, and 34 Gallon Aerated livewell. It also has front and rear rod straps, removable plastic drop-in boxes, and three rod lockers good for up to 7'6” rods.


Z-6 Layout and Storage


I have been really impressed by the layout of this boat. There's huge amount of storage, and every compartment up front works as a rod locker (middle one works best though). The built-in cooler keeps drinks cold, though ice melts faster than a thick Igloo unit. The floating console style helm gives you plenty of leg room. The fact that there are three full size seats in the boat is a really great benefit. Though you sacrifice a rod ramp to get the seats, they make traveling with three adults a much more comfortable experience. The Z-6's front casting deck is the biggest in its class, and you can easily fish two adults from it. The rear deck has plenty of room for one person to fish comfortably.


The only layout issues I've encountered so far is that I wish the front storage compartment doors were larger, and I wish you could remove the divider on the livewell.




Z-6 Hull


The top cap of the Z-6 is virtually identical to the X-5. However, the hull is pure Z Series. While it doesn't have the Rapid Planing System of its bigger brothers, it does have a handlaid hull with fiberglass stringers and a composite transom. I've been told that a “little bit” of wood is used to separate the storage compartments, but at least its not anything absolutely critical to the boat. The Hull is backed by a 10 year warranty which is good piece of mind.






So would I change anything? Well, the Hull does take a while to get on plane when the boat is loaded down. If I were Nitro, I would have integrated the RPS system into it. Also, the boat feels like the 115HP cap is holding it back. A 150HP engine would really help get it screaming down the lake. Still, I saw GPS speeds of 52 with myself and another adult in the boat. Finally, I wish it had a four person capacity instead of three.


Fit and Finish


I was leery of Nitro boats for years due to their quality issues, none the least of which was their fit and finish. I can, thankfully since I laid out the money, say that many of my quality concerns have been rectified. All the buttons and rocker switches feel sturdy to the touch. The seats are well constructed and supportive. The carpet has held up well, and there is little flex from the deck. There are a lot of stainless steel bits that wouldn't have been found on a Nitro of a decade ago. The reboarding ladder looks great, and is very easy to use. All of the storage boxes have a fiberglass lip surrounding them to keep water out. The front and rear deck rod straps are a rubber bungees that look cheap, but work well. Triton's rod straps definitely look better though, and is more adjustable.





However, Nitro can still make some improvements. The rear plug is plastic, and built into the boat. I would have really like to see a stainless steel plug since it's one of the most crucial parts of the boat. The carpet makes a crunching noise in certain areas indicating excessive glue. The assisted lift on the center rod locker is far to small to be of any use, and the locker will often fall back down. Most compartments are lifted by fabric straps that I fear will eventually rip. Finally the rear storage compartments have trouble locking due to the warping of the plastic pull out boxes. Those pull out boxes reek of penny pinching.


Ride and Stability





At speed. The Z-6 rides dry, smooth, quick, and stable. At full speed, there was no chine walk, and the boat easily takes other boat wakes with minimal drama. Throttled back, low speed maneuverability is good, and the boat will remain on plane as slow as 20mph. However, it takes a while to learn how to balance the boat at low speeds and you will porpoise if you go to slow. Get a full three man load in the boat, and you will need to keep it above 30mph to avoid porpoising. Coming off plane, you need to be aware of backwash, but it's easily manageable.






The roughest water I've seen was a legitimate wind driven 6 inch to 8 inch tightly spaced chop with a few white caps and the occasional 1 footer. Keep in mind that a wave at 1 foot is one foot up and one foot down from crest to trough. I'm not one of those guys who claims that one foot waves are three foot waves like I see on You Tube all the time. I've been off shore in 8 to 10 foot seas. I know what waves are. The boat sailed over them spectacularly. I lost a bit of top end speed, but that's not that big a deal. How it will handle some of the bigger stuff on Lake Okeechobee, I hope I never have to find out. I have confidence that with careful piloting, I can make it back to dock in even two to three footers.





At rest, the boat is extremely stable. I can put three men and a small child on the gunnels and the boat doesn't even come close to the waterline. You really don't have to worry much about your partner making a sudden move, or a small wake tripping you up. To put this into perspective, I fish in the Everglades. At any given time, I usually have 2 to 3 medium to large Alligators within 30 feet of the boat. A lot of them have lost their fear of humans because idiots feed them. If you fall in, it gets dangerous quick. So stability is a major concern for me. The Z-6 is very stable.






One thing that was a surprise is just how nimble the boat is to maneuver. I've been able to squeeze my way through some areas that usually are relegated to smaller aluminum boats. While I would love a 20 foot class boat, I can definitely see some advantages of the smaller 17 footers.


Basic Accessories


The 54lb 12V MotorGuide trolling motor does a good job moving the boat in all but high current conditions (2 feet per second water flow), though I've already had to do warranty repair on it due to a hinge failure on the bracket. The motor itself has been as reliable and durable as any can be. The built in GUEST 2x4 charger works well at keeping the stock Interstate batteries charged, and easily plugs into the port near the transom without having to open the bilge. However, I am strongly considering going to something that will take less time to charge the batteries. I usually can get two 6 hour trips of the batteries as is, but it takes 12 to 16 hours to recharge. A 2 x 10 unit with smart charging (like ProMariner) would help a lot. Nitro does offer that option from the factory. The built in Lowrance Mark 5X is a good basic fish finder, but requires the user to read the manual to get the most out of it. I would like to see more options from the factory for the Z-6 to upgrade the electronics.


If I had to do it again, I would have probably ordered the boat with a 24V Trolling Motor and a bigger battery charger. While the Mark 5X is good fishfinder, I would have moved it up to the front and put something more advanced at the helm.


All of the electronics have a one year warranty from Nitro, which is two years less than Triton gives.


The Mercury 115hp Optimax


I don't think a discussion of this boat would be complete without mentioning the engine since you can only get it with a Mercury Optimax 115 or Optimax Pro XS 115. I have the former on mine which, according to the Nitro brochure, should be about 2 to 3 mph slower. I have to say, it's been a great little engine. Initially I was concerned that the 1.5L 3-cylinder engine wouldn't have the guts the to move the boat. It wasn't long ago, that 115s were 4 and 6 cylinder engines. But I was pleasantly surprised as the little black motor pushed me up to 51 on my GPS while sipping gas. I've done days where I've run, at full throttle, 20 to 30 miles up and down Everglades canals and only used five to six gallons of gas. And while the engine is no Verado in terms of noise, vibration, and harshness, it's certainly not as bad as a lot of the internet forums would suggest. In fact, a normal conversation is more than loud enough to drown out the engine at idle.


Steering





This part of the review really deserves its own dedicated section. The reason being is that the stock single rack-and-pinion system is dangerously inadequate for the boat. I learned this on my first trip out when the motor began to flop around behind the boat with the trolling motor on, and had to be trimmed completely out of the water. Of course, that means, due to the rear deck size, I have to remove the rear seat. But moreover, at full throttle, if I took my hands off the wheel for even a split second, the boat would have made an immediate 90 degree turn to the right. If you were even still in the boat at the point, it would be out of control and careening toward whatever is nearby (in my case, a rocky canal bank).


I took the boat back to Nitro, and they said that it was rigged correctly; that it was normal function as per the factory rep who reviewed my complaint. I'm sorry, but if my car's alignment was so bad that it would immediately slam into the curb if I let go of the wheel, I wouldn't accept that as normal. To the credit of the excellent service staff, they didn't accept it as normal either. They installed a mechanical no-feedback helm into the boat under warranty, and it completely resolved the issue.


To let you know how lucky I was that they did this, on the next trip out, my friends' small child stood up abruptly at full speed, and fell into my lap nocking my hands off the wheel. The no-feedback system kept the boat moving perfectly straight. Had it been the time before, I probably wouldn't be here to write this review.


This problem isn't exclusive to my boat as virtually every other Z-6 owner has had the same problem, and many have posted on various forums.


Bottom line, this boat should NOT BE SOLD without either a mechanical no-feedback system, or hydraulic steering. It's simply dangerous otherwise. A lot of people will say that all boats were like that a decade ago. That may be true, but to make a comparison, all cars used to not have seatbelts and airbags. As technology advanced, so did safety. I wouldn't buy a car in this day and age that used my face as the primary crumple zone.




Trailer





I can't really relate too much experience with the trailer other than it works well and looks very good. The shiny hub covers, diamond tread plates, and black paint add to the effect. Mine doesn't have brakes, but my 2003 Ford Expedition easily tows the boat along. The swing away tongue works well, and the boat will float the trailer without issue. Don't ask how I know. The only complaint I have is that no spare tire is included, and I'm not real keen on the idea that a spare would be mounted halfway down the frame, instead of laid flat under the bow.

Warranty Service


I've had to bring the boat in for warranty work for a couple of minor issues. Aside from the aforementioned trolling motor bracket, my gas and trim gauge stopped working, as did the electric horn. The service from Bass Pro Shops of Dania has been nothing less than phenomenal. Everyone is polite, knowledgeable, and they got the boat fixed within a day with no prior appointment. But more over, unlike my car dealership, these guys give-a-damn. There is pride in their work, and it shows. They say that sales sells the first boat, but service sells every boat after that. Well, they are doing a great job convincing me to buy again. I really can't say enough good things about how great the service has been at BPS Dania.







Final Thoughts


So would I suggest this boat to someone? Absolutely. The Z-6 has done everything I've asked of it and more. Is it better than an equally priced Triton 17 Explorer? I can't say for sure since I've never ridden in one. However, I would expect that the Z-6 will give you more storage, more powerful stock trolling motor, wider casting decks, and better stability, while the Triton will give you a better fit and finish, higher top end, and better resale. Looks are a personal opinion, but I think the Nitro looks great, especially in Red.


I have a few suggestions to anyone from Nitro though:



  1. Put a no-feedback system in as standard. This is a safety issue.
  2. Make all the latches, plugs, etc stainless steel like Phoenix Boats does.
  3. Make the boat completely wood free.
  4. Integrate the RPS hull for all future boats.
  5. Up the horsepower limit to at least 125.
  6. Fully enclose the console.
  7. Use better drop in boxes (again, see Phoenix Boats)
  8. Offer more factory options, and increase your warranty on electronics and components to match your competition (3 Years). Why are the options on the Z-6 so sparse compared to the rest of the series?


By adding about $200 to $250 to the cost of making the boat, Nitro would be at the absolute top of their class. Even still, I have absolutely no buyer's remorse getting my Z-6, which with my overly analytical mind, is a rare thing. :cheers: