Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

In the market for HTM 24', AO 26' or Eliminator Daytona 25' or 26'. I have not ridden in any of these. Would love to hear opinions on these hulls. I just sold my "little" Allison....water is just getting too big around here. I leaning towards the HTM or Amer. Off. Are these two comparable handling big water even though they arent the same length? I have to admit the HTM is very unique. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Where are you running and what are you considering big water?
Are you looking for an I/O or outboard boat?

I sent you a PM

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

I have a 25 Daytona. I love this thing. Kinda like a water borne corvette. Great handling. Will run real hard upto around 4 foot of sloppy water, much bigger becomes scary launching ramp stuff. With a BBC in the back, it settles back down really well after crossing wakes etc. I usually don't even lift out of the throttle except for really big cruiser wakes but thats just common sense IMHO. The later 25's with the cut down center pod ( center pod approx 3 inches shorter than sponsons ) ride more like a tru tunnel cat, on the sponsons unlike many small single cats that are really tri cycles with slots ( deeper center pod than sponsons). Yes it leans outwards on corners like a true cat but only when moving at a slow pace and you get used to it. Needless to say, the factory graphics on a Daytona ar far superior to an AO or most of the HTM's I have seen. I really like the styling better as well and I looked at just about every small cat before I bought my daytona. Stock 500efi/bravo package was good for 82 to 83. Warmed up a little with a blackhawk and it runs 90 plus :) My guess is due to the name plate, it will hold better resale value over the long haul as well. Eliminator isn't a relatively new company when compared to the others you have mentioned. Its constantly the brand most boat mags compare other small cats too.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Water like LOTO you will be happier with the American Offshore. Lake of the Ozarks in the only place I been to that the HTM sucks at. Other large lakes like Grand Lake no problem.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Look at Force Offshore Cats as well....plenty of info in Powerboat and Hot Boat Magazines.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

The American Offshore is a heavy boat with a dated design, however a great rough water boat. The HTM is a fast boat that will not handle the rough stuff. The Eliminator is by far the better of the three. Better build quality, better lines and great in rough water.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Ok, a little history lesson...AO is a splash of the Talon hull with a new deck. The Talon is a great family cat and you will not be disapointed. The boat was originally designed for twin outboards and you do see some rigged that way. It's not fastest boat out there, but it's a great compromise. The center pod is a bit deeper than the outer sponsons so the boat turns flat. The 25' Eliminator has a higher center pod so it turns a bit to the outside. The 25 Eliminator is definetly faster than the 26 which takes big power to run 100. Eliminator builds a nice boat with nice gelcoat work. Just be carfull as I have seen some boats with very sloppy rigging come out of their shop. I personally owned a 26' Firehawk until a couple of months ago. The Firehawk was a splash of the AO with a new deck. Frankly, their mold work is a bit weak but the boat is a good buy for the money. These boats just love the washing machine LOTO water. I could run 50 through the stuff and you wouldn't really feel it. You'd see a big hole or crest in front of you and pucker up for the hit and it would never come. Of course when you do hit the big one you are now flying. Landing in these boat isn't very nice as they tend to slap the water on reentry. It's also pretty easy to stuff one which I have done (baby stuff). I never had the sensation that the boat wanted to blow over which I attribute to the excellent Talon heritage. The HTM has a totally different hull design. They have two sponsons up front and then a very shallow pad drops down in the center tunnel. This pad gives it great speed, but makes for a hard ride as the boat slaps the water. The SS model is a cut down version which has a line that is a little more in proportion to it's length. There are other builders out there too. Cougar, Advantage, Warlock, DCB, etc. Even Hydrostream built a 24'. If it were up to me, I'd be shopping for a twin 2.5 Talon. There used to be a really sweet one in the classifieds, but that ad has ended.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

My other boat is a 25' Warlock cat with twin 2.5s. 105mph and is really smooth in the rough water. Soft landings and feels like a sports car. FUN... But if I were to buy an I/O boat in the 25' range Eliminator all the way.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

I have a 2003 eliminator daytona with 525 efi still underwarranty that I may sell to upgrade this winter to a 33 daytona.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

I WOULD LOOK AT ALL 3 COMPANIES, WHERE ARE THEY, WHERE ARE THEY GOING AND WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN? ALSO CONSIDER YOUR RESALE VALUE. I AM VERY BIAS CONSIDERING I'M A ELIMINATOR DEALER. BUT BUY THE BEST BOAT YOU CAN AFFORD. MY 2 CENTS :drink:

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

JJMC

Where are you located, if your in VA let me know I have access to 25 Eliminator and a 26 Eliminator, be glad to take you for a spin. I have only been in Eliminator cats so I can't really give you an comparison but they feel like skipping across the water compared to my Fountain :drink: lots of fun

WILL

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

I rode in all of those prior to buying my 26 ft eliminator daytona.
I personally think it is the best cat on the planet in that size range ,as far as looks , handling , performance , resale , and overall quality go.
Not to bash the other two , i just wasnt impressed by the way either looked or rode .

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

First of all, the AO is not a splash of a Talon.

If you'd like me to get you any info on the AO let me know. I have ridden in a few 2600's and I think they are comparable to all the above, but since they are all factory direct and no dealers, they are considerably cheaper than the competition.

my 2 cents
Don

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

I have never been in a HTM, but have been in numerous 21-25-26 Eliminators, Warlocks, etc. I have owned 3 26' AO's since 1995. They are the best boat all around without question. I just took delivery (in July) of my 2006 26' AO with a 525 EFI from Ed Ferro (the original owner of AO), and it is the best yet. I boat out of Atlantic City on the Atlantic Ocean and it is rarely smooth. It is great in 3-4's and fast on smoother water. Workmanship is excellent and I would buy another one if I sold this one. Probably going to Whipple power in the winter once Whipple starts making the 525 blower package again. My previous 26" AO with Offshore Performane 750HP dialed in at 112mph on the GPS...

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Ok, I'm going to cover this once. I'm not going to argue over it.

This is a Talon 26.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

The first photo is the American Offshore. The second is the Howard and the third is the Firehawk. You can see that all the boats have the same basic line. The deck was changed on the AO and Howard splashed it again. Firehawk also changed their deck, but the bottom mold is almost exactly the same. You can easily identify a Talon splash by the small splash rail that runs down the side of the boat. Other features are the notched transom, deeper center pod and the pickle fork nose. Deny it if you want, but these guys are splashing each other. And that's why Talon only builds fishing boats now a days.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

I'm not denying anything, and I'm very aware that many boats are splashes of something else. I happen to be a good friend of Ed Ferro, who started the company American Offshore. As this subject has come up before, and I asked him. I was told that he bought a mold from a sale at Firehawk, and made the deck and cockpit liner that is still used today. As far as where Firehawk got their top don't know. I know that Howard splashed the 2600 in a garage in CA. I know that the Talon is very similar, I don't remember the minor differences, but I also know that you can't tell the difference of a boat from a picture. A good example of this is the difference between a 3100 AO and a 31 Awesome. One was a Chris Cat, the other a Shadow Cat... very very similar, but there are some differences.

Not trying to get under any skin ... just clarifying...

Don

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Eliminator

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Thanks for the responses. Ended up buying a used HTM SS 24. '01 model with just 46 hours total. Its more engine than boat but I couldnt pass up the value on all the hardware.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

GIMME A BREAK!!!
You apparently need a little help with you're "2 cents".

The AO is a direct copy of the Talon 25......originally tooled by Gary Armington and built by Gary Armington and Robert Wilkens at Talon Marine.

If your buddy at AO tells you different, you shouldn't let him hold your wallet. HE may not have been the PERSON that splashed the Talon, but he knows exactly where his 26 AO came from. TALON

I'm sure he thanks Gary Armington for the tooling and design daily.

THAT'S THE FACTS

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Check Out Predator Powerboats.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

AO