relaxalot

Everything is subject to opinion. I guess it was a little short and to the point. I would recommend at least riding in one to compare the two before you buy the Magic. There has been plenty of written material published comparing these boats. I just own a Howard and I personally believe that the build quality and performance are much better than the Magic. That being said, I think the best thing a boat buyer can do is research and find the best fit for the current situation and need. We are all in different places and have different situations. I also would look at the Conquest deck boat. Take a walk on the channel desert storm weekend and compare all of these boats for yourself. Speak to the owners about them. I bet you could probably get some test rides. Good luck with your "hunt" and sorry for the short response. Just a Howard fan....

DirtyJerz

I agree! If I could have gotten a Howard in the same price range as the Magic, I probably would have gone the Howard route also. But then again, I wanted to buy the big F650 dually, but for my purposes the GMC Sierra fit me just well. I would def. take relaxalot's advice and walk down the channel and talk to different owners. There are alot of brands out there, and if I could afford it, I would go the DCB route, but my pockets dont go that deep . Like I said earlier, I have no real complaints about Magic at all and am very happy with my decision! I doubt you would see hardly any Magics in the Midwest (you will see ALOT in Havasu )

relaxalot

The Magics are designed nice and they have a good look. A word of warning regarding the trailers that they are on. I was next to a 2012 Scepter this past weekend and spoke to the owner. He told me that on its first tow the brand new trailer broke in half. He said they were repairing it. I guess it could have been a one time deal but I would check out the trailers they are putting the boats on. I did like the boat. It had black piping on the upholstery which I thought would get too hot. The cuddy cab was cool esp for the kids. It had a open bow playpen style. He said it had the 525 which I think is a good power package for that boat. We did not really talk about speeds or performance. You should also look at he lightly used market there are alot of options.

DirtyJerz

Yes, trailers are junk!!!! I think after the transition, Extreme supplies the trailers (not sure though) and they are ALOT better than the NAS trailers they were on. Mine is an 09 and had plenty of chips and rust inside the tubing and all over the fenders (boat only had 19 hours ) lol. I just had the entire trailer redone, so now it's much, much better!

snapmorgan

iTrader: (2)

Did you buy the one in Vegas that had the 1000hp Pfaff engine? I called about back in the fall or winter and they had just sold it 1 hour before i called. Yes, i plan to look at many boats while i am here. Drug my Advantage all the way from indiana to maybe make a trade if i find the right 1.

Thanks for the info

DirtyJerz

Wow!!! How long of a tow was that for you? Yeah, small world, it is the same one. Oh and I forgot to mention, on my way home one of the trailer tires almost came off (luckily a driver warned me). Had to pull over about 60 miles from civilization in 107 degree heat and take the tire off and limp about an hour and a half to a hotel to get it fixed the next morning (b/c of course I got to town at 5pm when the rv/trailer place was closing lol)! Good times

snapmorgan

iTrader: (2)

1769 miles. I have been looking at boats the last 2 days and think I am going to go a different direction. I believe my next boat will be an Advantage also.

snapmorgan

iTrader: (2)

Thanks everyone for the help. Magic's were certainly well represented at Havasu. It is hard to believe that as many as were there, there are surprisingly few for sale. The owners of the Magic's must really like them.

Uncle Dave

They are/ were extremely inexpensive for their length and Magic had a 2.9% for 10 year finance plan that got piles of guys into them.

I saw many of these boats being rigged after the bankruptcy.
some were rigged nicley- others were a joke.

I'd say its an average quality boat at best- thin spots in the hull. They are not vacuum bagged, and the few I saw weren't exactly straight but a bit wobbly.

Id say your relative happiness here will be based on what you expect vs what you pay.

Uncle Dave