This is going to be long.

DC Fisher, I would buy my boat from Paul's Marine. I would buy it from Fred though. I don't know who Creek Floater dealt with besides the owner at Paul's Marine and I certainly believe and understand what he is saying as I've had some similar dealings with Buckeye Sports Center up here and other motorcycle dealerships in the area but Fred will treat you right. I will say that I have a customer who deals with the same guy at BSC and he told me that the guy was great but you do have to tell him what you want and not to let him get over on you. Well I had already been doing that in a polite manner and I still couldn't get the right kind of service from anyone in there. So I think everyone has their own experience with any individual, especially, for some reason, when it comes to recreational vehicles. I could tell a really, really long story regarding the purchase of my boat involving numerous phone calls to BPS in Cincinnati, Paul's Marine, BPS in Detroit, and one other dealer I cannot remember at the moment before I bought it over the phone trusting Fred's genuine description, as there were no brochures or pictures on the internet at the time, but that would be worse than this already long sentence. I will say that I did not buy the boat from either BPS because the BPS in Cincinnati lied and tried to sell me an 03 Pro Crappie 175 when I was looking for an 03 Silver Anniversary edition PT175 at a higher price than Fred gave me on the 04 PT175, and the BPS in Detroit could not have the boat "prepped" and ready by Saturday for me to pick it up(4 days later at a higher price than the 04 from Fred) Fred was the second person I talked to and actually encouraged me to try and find an 03 at a cheaper price and gave me a name at the BPS in Detroit as well. I called him back after trying very hard and picked it up that Saturday. As I said in an earlier post I have, er had been thinking of trading my 25HP 4-stroke BF in on a 60HP 4-stroke EFI and decided to do it. On Monday, I called Norton Marine b/c I have heard and read good things about them, spoke with a guy named Don, who I must say seemed to be a really nice guy and very helpful for someone just calling over the phone, and got a price of $5k, which was around what I expected. I called Fred on Wednesday as I had completely forgotten about trying them till my chick mentioned a trip she wants me to take to Columbus

and he gave me a price of $4770 without even knowing what Norton Marine had quoted me and said they could do it in one day--could pick it up in the afternoon if I got it there in the morning whenever I wanted to do it.
As for the boat itself, I have heard a lot of horror stories about people with the older models and leaks from the rivets but I sure do see a lot, and I mean, a lot of them still out on the water for some reason. It is not laid out like your higher end model boats but they only cost about the price of the motors on some of those higher end boats. LOL The newer models have all welded hulls with no rivets and my boat is the smoothest riding aluminum boat I've ridden in ever and I'm not just saying that cause it's mine. Others who have fished with me have said that without me saying a word. By the way, I was out right at the causeway on Mosquito this past Sunday in those 1-2 footers someone was writing about in an earlier post with no problem. Certainly wasn't the best fishing day or conditions and boat control was surely an issue, but I remember thinking about how well the PT175 was handling while trolling at 1.8 MPH and riding back at my top speed of 22.6 MPH that day.

I'm sure I will have my problems over the years but for a first boat I can't complain. As a matter of fact, after I get this engine switched out and depending on how it does, I might decide to "rough it" for many, many more years than I planned. If I do have it longer than expected, it is gonna be a real durability test for Tracker and Mercury as I am known to "lose" the honey do list, race to the lake anywhere between 45-70 MPH and stay out longer than anticipated, trolling for Saugeyes or Walleyes and completely forgetting about my beloved Largemouth, my chick, and my dog. Then race back home anywhere between 45-70MPH for some reason. Sometimes, I look down and I've gotten up to 80MPH
So, I guess what I'm saying is Tracker boats aren't the "Yugo of boats" as Mr. Creosote put it on a post from the other site

but they aren't the "Bentley of boats" either. They're more like the "Cavalier of boats", or the "Civic of boats" (we'll see), or the "Saturn of boats". Yep, I think that's it, the "Saturn of boats". After I become a good enough angler to own one, and get tired of playing around with this 60HP on an aluminum 17 footer, I already got my eyes on some type of 18-21 foot Skeeter somethin'. First, I gotta get back to how this hobbie became an addiction, those fiesty Bass. Nothing like those Largemouths, except a Smallmouth that is. Those Eyes and trolling have somehow bit me in the hiney!!
CreekFloater, I feel for ya as I know how it feels to drop some serious coin on something and get treated like a stepchild. As a matter of fact, I read your post earlier at work and went to mercurymarine.com to use their prop selector and get an idea of what should be going on my new motor. Thanks for posting your experience, and I'm serious than a heartattack on that one.
DaleM, I know from your posts you seem to be a wise one and I envy your trips to Canada. Maybe going into the BPS store in Cincy would have made a difference in price but I couldn't drive all that way and take the chance of them not having what I wanted.
Thanks for reading and sorry to be so long...worded, I guess.