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Malibu Tower


Hickdawg

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OK, first off hello everyone, as you can se I am new to this website (newest member as of this post). Anywho I am getting ready to buy my first boat, the VLX. I do have a question though, which tower is better the Illusion X or the Blade, and why? Thanks for your help and I look forward to many discussions with you all!

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I like the illusion alot because it is extremely solid. Everybody here seems against the blade for some reason, i guess because it might be flexible (carbon fiber)(i dunno). Welcome to the site HickDawg, but if your a hick, shouldnt you say "Y'all"... instead of "you all"?

Edited by Moufoo
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Welcome Dawg, what a great first boat. My first boat was a 1956 "Runabout" with fins and a 50 horse Scott/Attwatter. I don't have personal experience with either just friends but I hear the Blade is a severe disappointment on many levels. I'm going to guess the buzz will be the Illusion by a long shot.

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One thing about the two is that with the Illusion X you have many aftermarket speaker options/combos. With the blade you have one: 6x9s. You can always replace the speakers but no matter what you will always only have 4 6x9s. Also the bimini on the Illusion X is above the tower and is rock solid, you can pound it like a drum, where as the bimini for the blade is lower and below the tower.

And just to go along with what has already been said, the blade has a little more flex than the Illusion X which in my experience has none.

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I have the blade tower and love it. Purchased the boat last year and not sure what a stiff (or non-stiff) tower means. We have beginners thru advanced boarder's and all seem to do fine (no complaints at least). The blade does seem to flex when in moderate chop (side-to-side) but other than that no problem.

I purchased for two reasons: (1) not that much of a cost diff when adding speakers & racks to the Illusion, and (2) it looks cool as hell. I get stopped every time out.

Just my $.02. Happy purchasing.

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I have the blade tower and love it.  Purchased the boat last year and not sure what a stiff (or non-stiff) tower means.  We have beginners thru advanced boarder's and all seem to do fine (no complaints at least).  The blade does seem to flex when in moderate chop (side-to-side) but other than that no problem. 

I purchased for two reasons: (1) not that much of a cost diff when adding speakers & racks to the Illusion, and (2) it looks cool as hell.  I get stopped every time out.

Just my $.02.  Happy purchasing.

You answered your own question. A tower shouldn't flex like that & that's the reason that I wouldn't get it over either the Illusion X or the Titan. My Illusion X doesn't flex, at all.

Out of curiosity, why isn't the Skylon tower being offered this year?

One and done? does that mean my bu is a classic already!?

I can't say for sure, but I have a couple of suspicions. The first being the stiffness/flex/spider cracks issue that plagued Skylon & Malibu for a long time. They may have decided enough is enough. My other suspicion is that the Titan & Illusion X towers (aside from both of them being great products with no history of problems) are inherently very distinctive by design. When you see one of those towers on the water, you know it's a Malibu. JMO of course, there are probably other reasons that none of us are privy to that probably make a lot of sense.

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WG - Thanks. I guess I'm lucky, or haven't had the boat long enough, to have a spider crack problems. Funny thing about the Titan and Skylon is that I thought their design was very similar and chose the Skylon because it had the extra cross bar/brace and I thought it would be stronger.

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I considered the blade as well, but opted for the IllusionX for 3 main reasons:

1. The IllusionX seemed to be the most stiff

2. It costs $2,400 less than the Blade

3. I can choose what ever speakers I want--or none, as I have done.

2 benefits I have since discovered is that the IllusionX, while unique to Malibu, has more towers in circulation and has the after market suppliers providing products for it. Not so with the Blade. Secondly, I love the extended bimini and the fact that it is out of the way above the tower.

just my 2 cents...

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