T25??

[jimmsch]

On 10/7/2021 at 1:52 PM, Raimie said:

I installed double vents on all my cans and use a hi-flo 1" fill nozzle. It takes about 40-45 seconds to empty a can. It's really not that bad, I generally keep it full, add 4-5 cans at a time.

 

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200711547_200711547?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Fuel Transfer %2B Lubrication > Fuel Caddies&utm_campaign=Flofast&utm_content=64490&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx5L4kNbh8wIVQeDICh2fUQnTEAQYBCABEgIGDvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I bought this, works flawlessly. We generally do 2 hour sets so after every other set we pump 15 gallons in and are ready for another 2 sets. Granted we do a 2 hour set every day so we are using this thing 2 to 3 times per week. I bought an extra 15 gallon can for those times we need to add more than 15 gallons. All in all I am quite pleased with this purchase. Seeing as how the gas docks usually get an extra dollar per gallon than land based gas stations, and we put 155 hours on our boat at an average of about 6 gallons per hour, I figure this thing has paid for itself in gas cost savings! It literally takes my 11 year old 90 seconds to pump 15 gallons into the boat. Supervise, of course!

Edited October 23, 2021 by jimmsch
added URL

[IdahoRhino]

Our boat is here! The dealer sent these photos to me this evening. Going to go look at it Monday. Love how the colors turned out. https://www.dropbox.com/s/7dgmq7bb7j2g8vz/Photo Oct 23%2C 3 31 06 PM.jpg?dl=0

[Maas]

On 10/19/2021 at 9:26 PM, SurfNAZ said:

I am super happy with how it turned out.  Dealer prep is still needed, so I will take more pictures this weekend.  I can’t wait to get it on the water on Friday.

 

@gtfish I ordered May 22nd.

Gorgeous boat!!! COngrats, more pics needed!!!!

[Maas]

32 minutes ago, IdahoRhino said:

Our boat is here! The dealer sent these photos to me this evening. Going to go look at it Monday. Love how the colors turned out. https://www.dropbox.com/s/7dgmq7bb7j2g8vz/Photo Oct 23%2C 3 31 06 PM.jpg?dl=0

Cool colours, I only see one photo there laddie!!!  I need more!

[IdahoRhino]

Here are a few more links to a few more photos .

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kp3hhe7hvnfkwtj/Photo Oct 23%2C 3 29 55 PM.jpg?dl=0
 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e69nywq9l0u9pgg/Photo Oct 23%2C 3 30 46 PM.jpg?dl=0
 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8kg3e3uzje9qi6z/Photo Oct 23%2C 3 30 13 PM.jpg?dl=0

 

[Maas]

11 hours ago, IdahoRhino said:

Here are a few more links to a few more photos .

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kp3hhe7hvnfkwtj/Photo Oct 23%2C 3 29 55 PM.jpg?dl=0
 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e69nywq9l0u9pgg/Photo Oct 23%2C 3 30 46 PM.jpg?dl=0
 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8kg3e3uzje9qi6z/Photo Oct 23%2C 3 30 13 PM.jpg?dl=0

 

Love this look of this boat! You're looks great!  

 

Now i'm wondering if i should get the tri axle trailer.... damn. what to do

 

It looks awesome

[SurfNAZ]

Finally got to get the new T250 on the water.  I'm going to offer my first impressions (opinions).  Sorry it's so long.  I tried to be brief, but there's just so much to talk about!  For reference here are the pertinent options that you may care about:

• LT4 with standard prop (OJ 1778)
• Power Wedge 3 and PNP Ballast
• Stereo Pack 3 with 1 pair of Rev 10 speakers and 12" subwoofer

No Ballast Performance

For reference, the two lakes I rode on this weekend are at approximately 1500 and 1600 feet altitude. The LT4 is probably unnecessary for this boat, as the M6 with the right propeller choice for you is more than likely going to be sufficient.  Having said that, the LT4 is absolutely amazing.  I think I started smiling the second I heard it start and have a full on grin every time I hear that supercharger whine.  It was hard staying out of the throttle for the first 3 hours.  This boat just gets up and goes no matter what you do, and with standard prop, the RPMs are great.  With no ballast, it will cruise at 28 mph at approximately 3130 RPM.  I didn't hold full throttle long enough to see what it would top out at, but I did see 47 mph at 4800 RPM.

Despite the size of this boat, it handles amazingly well.  We were having fun doing figure eights between two tightly spaced buoys.  My brother-in-law thought it handled better than my old T22.  I'm not so sure about that, but it does corner well at speed.  Slow speed maneuvering is pretty good as well.  

Full Ballast Performance

Again, the LT4 is a beast.  With full factory ballast (and only 3 of us onboard), the boat would easily get on plane without any strain and no wedge(no lift mode).  This was one of my primary reasons for getting the LT4.  I hated not being able to get on plane with a heavy load on my T22 even with the torque prop.  It's really not that big of a deal to drop ballast, but if someone wants to go back to the dock, I like being able to just hammer it down and go.

The surf wave is very long and has a nice shape.  Having said that, this boat is going to need either a big crew or a lot of ballast to get a tall wave.  I knew that going in, so there's not really much of a surprise.  I didn't play around too much, as I'm trying to be good and break it in nicely.  I surfed the wave with full ballast, and wedge 6 for a few minutes, and the wave was good.  I felt like I was a long ways back and could have dropped back further without falling out of the pocket.  I'll definitely be adding all of my "lead" ballast (and maybe more) once I surpass 10 hours, and then it will be much better.  Of note, the standard prop and LT4 delivered again.  With wedge 4, two small people onboard, and speed set at  11.8 mph the RPMs were approximately 2570.  Also, steering was good even surfing.  It did not take much steering force to hold or change direction.

I started wakeboarding in my thirties, so I don't go very big.  The wake looks pretty good, but again, if you want a monster wake, you're going to have to weight this boat down, which should not be a surprise considering the size of it.  The boat gets up on plane quick and drops the wedge to the desired level as you would expect.

The go home button is even better than on my previous boat.  When you're not moving, it starts dumping all ballast, turns off cruise control, and prepares to stow the wedge.  As soon as you start moving the wedge stows.  On my previous Axis, if you weren't moving the prescribed speed to stow, it would only move the wedge to wedge 6, and you would have to hold the wedge up button to get it to stow.

Interior

The new interior is really nice.  I'm impressed.  The vinyl appears to be well made and has a nice texture.  It seems like it will hold up even better than my 2018, which was nice as well.  I like the changes that have been made to the ChillAX seats that ratchet up instead of latching in place.  With SP3 and 1 pair of Rev 10 speakers, I was impressed by the sound.  Considering the fact that it's all covered under warranty and not cranked to full potential, it still sounded good.  I have no complaints with the stereo thus far.  The controls for the stereo are much better than my 2018 as well, with great response and no glitches when pausing and restarting music.

The walkway on the back is a great addition.  I'm used to this on other boats, and I really like the addition to the Axis line.  With the Skybox seat moved towards the bow, you can really cut down on the wear and tear from people entering the boat.  I also ordered the filler cushion, and it fits nicely and straps down.

The new Garmin screen is really good too.  It's super responsive and easy to use.  Only change I would request is the ability to type in a new cruise control speed.  I think it would be awesome if you could access a 10 key pad to type in the exact speed instead of just increasing and decreasing by 0.1 or 1.0.

My biggest complaint on the interior is that the wireless chargers don't work.  I purchased the option, but we tried an iPhone SE 2020, a Samsung Galaxy S21, and a Motorola phone and none worked.  I noticed the same thing on another T250, but I was hoping that maybe it was fluke or they didn't option it that way.  We all tried with and without cases, but it just wouldn't charge.

Trailering

I only ordered the tandem axle trailer and have the 14" alloy wheels.  I towed it with a F150 with Ecoboost and Max Tow.  It towed just fine.  I never felt like it was too much for this truck.  I haven't hit any really big hills at speed yet, but there were some decent ones and the Ecoboost prevailed without breaking a sweat.  I do have a 2000 F350 (7.3 diesel) that I will tow with sometimes, but so far the F150 seemed more than adequate.  The tongue weight (while not yet measured) seemed fine too even with the tandem axle trailer.  I think the brakes needed bled, which I did today and have not had a chance to test, because it did take more effort to stop then I would think the surge brakes should require.  If the breaking doesn't get better, that will be the reason I use the Super Duty to tow, or I will switch to electric over hydraulic brakes.

Cons

There is a pretty good gelcoat defect that I'm sure my dealer will fix.  It looks like there must have been an air bubble.  This is a new model, so I'm sure it was just an early production issue that will get better as they make more.  My dealer has always treated me well, so I don't anticipate any issues.  Also, there's a spot on the interior where someone got carried away with a saw.  Honestly, it's minor, but I'm anal, so I noticed it.  Other than that, this boat is awesome.

Summary

I've said enough, but if you're on the fence, just get one.  Just know going in that a boat this big either needs a big crew or a lot of ballast to throw a monster wave.  I knew that and can't wait to load it up heavy and let it rip.

 

 

[gtfish]

@SurfNAZ Thanks for the review, your T250 looks great.  I just ordered my T250 last week, maybe I will see it around March 2022.   Keep us updated on how you set up the lead ballast.  What size PnP bags did you go with?  The demo boat I went on (factory one in the promotional videos) had 900lb bags in the rear lockers.  

[SurfNAZ]

Just took a look at my bags… I would have thought they would have given me the 900 lbs rear bags, but it looks like they installed 550 lbs!?!  An extra 700 lbs will definitely help.  No wonder the wave was small.  Hopefully the dealer will upgrade me for free.

[rennis]

On 10/23/2021 at 6:24 PM, IdahoRhino said:

Our boat is here! The dealer sent these photos to me this evening. Going to go look at it Monday. Love how the colors turned out. https://www.dropbox.com/s/7dgmq7bb7j2g8vz/Photo Oct 23%2C 3 31 06 PM.jpg?dl=0

Your dealer also posted a video of your boat on Youtube this weekend 

[AdrockATX]

2 hours ago, rennis said:

Your dealer also posted a video of your boat on Youtube this weekend 

 

[Maas]

@SurfNAZ  Great review, thank you!  looks awesome!!  

 

Do you think i should go for the tri axle trailer?  

[SurfNAZ]

1 hour ago, Maas said:

@SurfNAZ  Great review, thank you!  looks awesome!!  

 

Do you think i should go for the tri axle trailer?  

I personally don’t think it needs the triple axle trailer.  Three axles will make it harder to make tight turns and adds 2 more tires to replace.  Two other T250s sold by my dealer both had tandem axle trailers as well.

[granddaddy55]

it is a beautiful boat!!

that ridiculous step from deck to swim platform, i probably would have to crawl up!!!

[IdahoRhino]

Hey guys, I went and looked at the boat yesterday in the the shop. First impression, the boat is awesome! It is substantially taller and has much more freeboard than our T23. The storage under the seats are also a lot deeper. Photos seriously don’t show these new boats very well at all. The subtle body lines on the side really add to the look of the boat and are built in to help shape the surf wave. We also added orange top stitch thread as an option and I was skeptical at first, but the detail of the orange thread on the different colors of vinyl on the seating really makes it pop and adds character to the interior. We are waiting for gator step to complete their templates so we can order the flooring. Also the plug-and-play bags are not in yet and are waiting for those to get installed. Malibu also ran out of paddle wheels for the speed indicator, so ours came with gps and when paddle wheels come available that will be added. We are on a river so gps does not work for setting cruise speeds when you have different currents constantly changing. The step down from the walk through ( so awesome to have that now) to the swim step although looks tall is not that bad. I was worried about that also. Some debate in the thread here on the tri axle trailer and dual axle trailer. I went with the tri axle because where we launch the boat at it is a gravel ramp into the river. We had some issues with our t23 when taking the boat out of the water last year. So going to the T250 now and it weighing a bit more I wanted an extra set of tires on the ground to displace the weight.  Other than that, the boat is very impressive. Axis did an amazing job on the new boats design and if you get a chance go take a look at one in person. 

[wedge88]

13 minutes ago, IdahoRhino said:

Hey guys, I went and looked at the boat yesterday in the the shop. First impression, the boat is awesome! It is substantially taller and has much more freeboard than our T23. The storage under the seats are also a lot deeper. Photos seriously don’t show these new boats very well at all. The subtle body lines on the side really add to the look of the boat and are built in to help shape the surf wave. We also added orange top stitch thread as an option and I was skeptical at first, but the detail of the orange thread on the different colors of vinyl on the seating really makes it pop and adds character to the interior. We are waiting for gator step to complete their templates so we can order the flooring. Also the plug-and-play bags are not in yet and are waiting for those to get installed. Malibu also ran out of paddle wheels for the speed indicator, so ours came with gps and when paddle wheels come available that will be added. We are on a river so gps does not work for setting cruise speeds when you have different currents constantly changing. The step down from the walk through ( so awesome to have that now) to the swim step although looks tall is not that bad. I was worried about that also. Some debate in the thread here on the tri axle trailer and dual axle trailer. I went with the tri axle because where we launch the boat at it is a gravel ramp into the river. We had some issues with our t23 when taking the boat out of the water last year. So going to the T250 now and it weighing a bit more I wanted an extra set of tires on the ground to displace the weight.  Other than that, the boat is very impressive. Axis did an amazing job on the new boats design and if you get a chance go take a look at one in person. 

I don't know why we're not seeing pictures..........

[SurfNAZ]

+1 We need more pictures!

Thanks IdahoRhino for reminding me about the paddlewheel.  This will likely affect some other people's orders as well.  I am in the same situation, which worked in my favor, since I was having regrets about not ordering GPS.  

[AdrockATX]

Had to opportunity to demo here in Austin.  This is the commercial boat from initial release media. Absolutely loved to t250.  Quality of ride is amazing. Mine is on order.

This is full PnP ballast with wedge at 3 or 4 I think.

 

Looks so mean crawling through the water.

 

 

My only complaint on the whole boat is the transom.  While improved, there could be better seats like on the new lsv 25.  

Edited October 26, 2021 by AdrockATX

[Maas]

adrock your pics are no show

[AdrockATX]

59 minutes ago, Maas said:

adrock your pics are no show

hopefully fixed, thank you!

 

[SurfNAZ]

7 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

that ridiculous step from deck to swim platform, i probably would have to crawl up!!!

It is a pretty big step from the platform to the walk through.  I would rather have the step there then have to climb higher out of the water onto the platform though.  It's also a small price to pay for keeping water from coming over the transom like the G23s do, as well.  I've noticed similar heights on Centurion Ri257 and Ri265 boats.

Besides, you can use it as a step to warm up the muscles before a set.

[Maas]

High freeboard kicks a**!  I love this boat, can't wait for mine to arrive!

[granddaddy55]

1 hour ago, SurfNAZ said:

It is a pretty big step from the platform to the walk through.  I would rather have the step there then have to climb higher out of the water onto the platform though.  It's also a small price to pay for keeping water from coming over the transom like the G23s do, as well.  I've noticed similar heights on Centurion Ri257 and Ri265 boats.

Besides, you can use it as a step to warm up the muscles before a set.

😂 its huge

[gtfish]

6 hours ago, AdrockATX said:

Had to opportunity to demo here in Austin.  This is the commercial boat from initial release media. Absolutely loved to t250.  Quality of ride is amazing. Mine is on order.

This is full PnP ballast with wedge at 3 or 4 I think.

 

Looks so mean crawling through the water.

 

 

My only complaint on the whole boat is the transom.  While improved, there could be better seats like on the new lsv 25.  

I did a demo on this boat as well and ordered mine last week.  We are on Lake Travis.  

[IdahoRhino]

Ok here are more photos you all have been asking for.