X9 Comments ??

Does anyone have any comments on the mastercraft X9?? Driving? Riding? Wake? Quality? I pull wakeboarders and skiers and am looking to buy another direct drive boat. The boat I'm looking at is a 2002 X9.
Any comments would be helpful

TC

TC, the MC X9's are great boats.

Driving? Drives well since they are a Direct Drive
Wake? Nice wake
Quality? great quality

It is a great boat for people who wakeboard and ski.

I spent some time in my buddies '02 X-9 last August - until we hit a rock surfing and trashed the prop, shaft and rudder (.
Very nice, big, comfortable boat with a good wakeboard wake. We had about 1500 lbs. of ballast in it. The slalom wake was very nice for a boat that size (especially as compared to my SAN) and we were able to coax a nice surf wave off the back - 10.5 mph on the perfect pass.
The boat was quite and handled good - even when loaded up. It felt(and is)a lot bigger than my '00 SAN.
Overall, if I were in the market for direct drive inboard, the X-9 would be a strong consideration.
John L.

Todd,

The X-9 is a good crossover boat. I don't think it compared to the Malibu Sunsetter LXi though for skiability. I think the X-9 is probably easier to sink though that the LXi's diamond hull. Also, the '03 X-9s have a better slalom wake than the '02s, I am not sure what changes the hull has, but they are better. Overall, I don't think you can go wrong with the MasterCraft. The boat is built very well. What engine are you looking at? Is the boat new or used?

Hey Todd,

Where are you located? Why don't you talk to Stefani Payne (she is a wakeworld member) if you are within driving distance to Nor Cal Bay Area. Her and her husband are selling their X-9. It has custom metallic Flake Gelcoat and other goodies for around $35,000 if I remember correctly.

Thanks for all the info..
I'm located in Austin Texas and I'm looking at a used 2002 with only 39 hours on it(perfect condition). The boat has the 310 HP engine,bimini top,ballast system,jump seat,wakeboard pro perfect pass,cover,tower speakers and a single axle trailer. The guy is asking $36,500.00 which seems to be a great deal. I looked at 2003 models and they were priced 10 to 15 K higher.How does this deal sound to you guys.

TC

The big thing you need to realize with those newer boats is that they probably have the bigger engine (between $2000-$6000 more), a tandem trailer and some other goodies. Though from a quick glance at Boattraderonline, that does look to be a good price, though all of those boats have at least the LT-1.

Does the X9 need the extra HP?? What do you think about the price??

The X-9 is a pretty big boat. Our Centurion has the 315 MPI Mercruiser and we could use more power and it is smaller than the X-9. The X-9 is 22' and 2850lbs. compared to the Eclipse's 21' and 2600lbs. Ours is a little slow out of the hole. I think MC's base engine is EFI though, as Malibu's base 310 is not. I would definately make sure it is EFI for that price. I would at least try to get him to $36k even.

I'm about to sell my 2001 x9 in perfect condition with only 108 hours on it for $34K. Considering the fact that the new 2003's are now going for mid 40's, I think that's a fantastic steal.... I mean deal.

Todd, the x9 is a FANTASTIC BOAT..... if you ski and wakeboard. It's got a great wake when you weigh it down properly. It handles like no other boat I've ever ridden in or driven. If you ONLY wakeboard, I would consider a vdrive. If you want more info, email me.

By the way, too bad you aren't closer so you can come see my boat. It's a beauty. I have a guy from Minnesota driving out here this weekend to buy it:-)

Todd

I test drove an 03 X9 and I was considering it for both skiing and wake boarding. Stock ballast is fine for intermediate wake boarding. With the ballast empty, the boat was not a good slalom boat. At 15' off I was in the wash of the boat and it looked ugly further in. This was with 1/2 a tank of gas, driver and observer. During my demo the dealer had me go to longline and that was O.K. I ended up buying a 03 Tige 21i. Great wake for slalom with taps down and a comparable X9 wake for wakeboarding with taps up. The 21i is a lot less (mid 30's) and you could have a new boat for what you will be paying for the used X9. Take a demo behind an X9 and a 21i and see if you agree with me.

I'd disagree that the 21i is a better slalom boat than the X-9, especially inside 22' off.

Nick,

Have you skied behind an 03 21i? The 03 hull makes a big difference vs older 21i's.

Malibu's stock engine is a 330 horse EFI if I am not correct. Do you mean Centurion. My buddy used to have a mid engine sanger with a carbed 285 HP Merc and it did pretty dang good with nearly 3000 pounds in it. I got him to put on a 4 blade prop and it changed everything.

I looked at the 21i and after you add some of the accessories the price goes up above 40K real quick.Also the Tige is just a little bigger boat but it weighs about 1000 pounds more,where does all the extra lbs come from.

wood cored...err glass-wrapped stringers


(Message edited by kstateskier on March 05, 2003)

Keith,

Sorry, I didn't know the i's had new hulls in '03, I thought only the v's changed, I appologize, because no I haven't skied behind an '03.

Rod,

Malibu's stock engine is an Indmar 310 carb. Centurion's stock engine is a Mercruiser Magnum MPI with 315 hp. I'm not saying it won't get the job done but you will kick yourself for not having more hp!

Nick,

As for the wood, Tige backs the wood with a complete boat replacement and 10K cash for the inconvenience. That warranty is lifetime for the original owner and can be transferred up to 10 years. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm betting it won't happen. I know I sound like an ad for Tige but the proof is behind the boat and of course is different for everyone.

I'm just stating that I would never buy one. I don't care if they are under warranty or not. I want to talk to the first guy that goes through that warranty process anyway. I bet he won't call Tige and they will say, sure we'll have that '12 model right out to you to replace that '03 of yours that has depreciated to under $15k and don't forget to check the mailbox for that $10k check!

I just think it would be easier to change than put together a warranty like that. It's not like they are doing something cutting edge. I think it would lighten their boats up quite significantly as well. At least Tige admits that their boats can't do anything but pull wakeboarders as they stated in the '03 BBG, they aren't looking for other customers. Smart business or not, it's funny from a President that started the company because "no one make a slalom specific boat!"

Todd not sure where you live but if you can check out the Calabria Cal-Air. throws a great slalom, wakeboard wake and the ballast is under the floor.

Travis Farber
Wake Me Products
www.Wake-Me.com

If I were buying a crossover boat here are the three I would choose from:

Sunsetter Lxi: Great Slalom wake, marginal wakeboard wake. It's rampy and I prefer steep wakes. With weight and the wedge it's pretty sluggish.

21i: Don't know about the slalom wake but when I wakeboarded behind one with about 2000lbs in it the wake was awesome. It did drive like a pig with that much weight in it.

x9/prostar 209: Supposedly a marginal slalom wake but the wakeboard wake is great. 2400 pounds and you have a large rideable wake back to 75 feet. Drives great, slightly sluggish but what do you expect with that much weight in it?

(Message edited by blabel on March 05, 2003)

Brian, keep in mind when you've been in my LXi that's with a 3-blade prop. When I go to a 4-blade the "sluggishness" you describe should be alleviated some (I hope?).

I agree 100% with Brian's assessment of the Lxi other than that, though. If you intend to hit the slalom course at all and are anything but an expert level wakeboarder, it is a great boat to look at.

The slalom wake behind an x9/209 is questionable at best. But if you don't mind that it puts up an awesome wakeboarding wake if weighted heavily and is a nicely put together boat.

(Message edited by paulsmith on March 05, 2003)

Totally agree with Andre and Brian with the LXi. You can always get the Hammerhead too if it's slow. If you are interested in the slalom wake, it is by far superior to the MC's.

(Message edited by kstateskier on March 05, 2003)

2002 X-9 is the best boat in the world. Period.

Why? Because that is the one we chose.
My Brother-in-law and I chose the boat because it was the best multi-use boat out there. He is into slalom and I board. When we go out, everybody tries all the toys: wakeboarding, slalom, wakeskate, sky-ski, wakesurfing, and tubing. With the factory ballast and a good crew, the wake sits up nicely. It lays down good enough for the occasional slalom run.

The boat has a lot of room and we have had 11 people on quiet a few sessions. It is really surprising how much room the boat has to get around.

We went with the Predator 310hp. It has the most low-end power of all the engine sizes. All we care about is riding; so top end speed did not matter to us.

We were looking at the direct drive Nautique and Malibu at the time. For that size boat, there was no comparison. We needed a boat could fit in the garage, under 22’.

When it came to room, engine, dealership and looks, the X-9 was the choice.

Todd

Sorry Nick and I got off topic. Here are my X9 comments:

Good out of the hole (with the MCX engine)
Good wakeboard boat, great with additional weight
Mediocre slalom boat
Iconvenient for stock multisport sessions(5 min wait to fill/empty ballast)
Expensive (even used, expensive)

As for advice, take your friends with you and try out the X9, the Lxi and the 21i and see what you like. I have also heard good things about the Lxi, but I have no real experience with them.

I have boarded a little bit behind a '99 LXI with about 2K in it. The wake was more of a swell than a ramp. The boat was great but the wake was average at best.

Darren, did that LXi have the wedge deployed? It makes a huge difference in my opinion, although even with it the wake is still quite rampy and average at best.

If I were looking for a good crossover boat I would check out the Moomba Outback.... more geared for the skiier, the Moomba Mobius....Geared mored toward wakeboarding. Or the new Supra Launch LTS.... This would be my first choice. It throws tournament ski wakes but comes with a tower and ballast system for those who want a good wakeboard wake. Give a call or email me and I'll get you some more info on the two boats.

Brett Watson
Club Royale Marina
(248) 681-9100