Airboat cost

[Old John]

Just remember, when buying any boat, your initial cost is the cheapest thing you will spend money on :-)

An old axium in the boating world is.... "If you have to ask how much..? You can't afford it..!!"

[Roger45]

Just remember, when buying any boat, your initial cost is the cheapest thing you will spend money on :-)

[akblackdawg]

High performance is the key to costs. You can go cheap but most are not satisified with a low performance boat. Most of these newer big buck boats haver 400-600 hp motors that cost up to $15k for just the motor. Everybody now days use some sort of gear reduction drive unit, avg cost $2500, new composite props cost $3500. Hulls in Florida cost $4000-10000 depending on size, with some going much higher. Watch and you can find bargans in used boats, but many are trying to re-coup their initial expense and keeping prices high. You can do like I did, and buy a beat up used one and then put a few thousand each year into upgrading and reparing it. Lots of choices. You can go a lot less money with small, if you only want to carry 1-2 people, not go real fast, not have heated cab, don't care if it will run dry ground or not there are some cheaper boats ready and waiting for you. Bud

[MacGyver]

Another way of saying what everyone has said.

An airboat is a very complicated boat to build; there are so many variables when it comes to building one, far more than a regular boat. A boat shop that has never build an airboat can not build one with out copying some one else’s design, unless they plan on doing a lot of redesigning to make it right. The added cost of an airboat bottom, UHMW, cage, steering, engine, reducer, and prop all add to the cost that a regular boat does not have. Some builders do ask more than other to build a boat, like buying anything you need to know what you’re doing.

[Akres]

Is there a difference in a Alaska air boat and a lower 48 boat?

In Truth...Yes.
No two airboats are alike...that I have seen anyway. They are each custom built for the particular customer/application. They are not Cookie-Cut Clones.

[elim]

Is there a difference in a Alaska air boat and a lower 48 boat?

[bkmail]

I think AKRES summed it up. They go where other vehicles can't. High performance pieces of equipment that if built properly cost bucks.
With that said....I have one for sale now that my new one is about ready.
BK

[Akres]

Because they are worth it...simple answer really.

Not much different from Super Cub's...same 'ol same reasons.

Throw all the parts and pieces in a pile and they aren't worth as much...put them together and the value is tripled....for the average consumer...granted in some instances, they are worth more, if they are parted out, but only when they are fitted with parts that are in high demand...a very limited market.

[elim]

First off let me say I know NOTHING about air boats.But why do they cost so much?Were is the money, are the props super expensive or what?