Z280 ??????
 

Looking At A '98 Z280, Whats Everyone Think ??? Pros And Cons Please !!!!:)

Re: Z280 ??????
 

I think since you're Lake Ontario you'll appreciate the bigger size. I had a 19' on Lake Winnepasaukee in NH, much smaller than Ontario, and moving to the 25' has made a world of difference. What engine is in the Z280? I have the 7.4L Bravo 3. Strong, great pick-up and response. How many hours on the motor? I have a BR, and am thinking I should have held out for the cuddy cabin. Good Luck! How much are they asking?

Re: Z280 ??????
 

The Z280 is a nice boat. Majic's right, you'll appreciate the length, and the weight of a boat this size on the Great Lakes. Having the forward and aft cabin makes traveling onboard your boat possible, and if you've got kids, you'll probably appreciate a little bit of separation every once in a while. They have a head, refrigerator, cooktop, and a water system, these can be very comfortable for extended stays onboard. Generators and air conditioning were options as well. I believe the headroom in the cabins are about 6'3 or so. In 2000, they redesigned the interiors, so the 2000-2002 models have a different look than the 98 you're looking at.

As far as negatives, I've heard is that the door into the bathroom is a little narrow, and might be a little bit of an inconvenience for larger passengers. The only other thing I've heard is that once in a while, when carrying lots of passengers, you'll have to use the trim tabs to balance out the ride. Just read up on how to use them, and you'll be fine!

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!! :wink_thumbup:

Re: Z280 ??????
 

This will be our 5th season with our '99 z280.Nice boat for a small family or me the wife and our dog.It has all the comforts to make it a great weekend floating cottage.
Ours is equipped with Merc. 7.4l mpi and cruises nicely at 30mph.(WOT -- 40 mph on gps).However, she does like the fuel pump roughly 1gallon / mile. We boat on Long Point Bay in Lake Erie and have been in some pretty good size waves with no problems -- and no pounding.
The one thing this boat doesn't have to make it a complete package is a generator which would extend our stays on the water without having to go back to the dock.

Hope this helps!!

Re: Z280 ??????
 

This will be just our second year we have owned ours. Nice solid heavy boat, rides very nice but may be a little under powered with the 7.4 mpi. Is fine with the wife and I, but when we load it with 6-8 people it is hard to get up to speed to plane out.
It is set up well in the cabin area with lots of storage and large sleeping area in the aft. We spend almost every weekend in the summer up river and it is nice to have all necessities on board. Ours is equipped with an updated Xantrex Freedom 458 series 2500 watt inverter/charger and works very nice to run all the 120 volt appliances we use on board (especially the coffee maker on those nice sunrise mornings on the water).
The boat is very solid and well built, I am sure you would not be disappointed in one if you are looking to purchase.
What else can I say:
EQUIPPED LIKE NO OTHER BOAT IN THE WORLD

Re: Z280 ??????
 

I've had mine for 6 years...trouble free boat. My only issue is it has a starboard list (3-4 inches) I can't seem to be able to fix.