Lowe Boats for Sale

A Lebanon, Missouri family business

Carl and Dianna Lowe founded Lowe Line in Lebanon in 1971, building jon boats and canoes. Dianna was the daughter of J.B. Appleby, one of the early names in aluminum boats, so the family had been around the trade for a long time.

Ownership has changed hands a few times. Outboard Marine Corporation, the Johnson and Evinrude company, bought Lowe in 1986. Genmar took it over in 2001, and in 2004 Brunswick bought Lowe, Crestliner and Lund from Genmar. Lowe is still a Brunswick brand, which is why most newer Lowes come with Mercury outboards. Older ones from the OMC years often have Johnson or Evinrude engines, and that matters for parts.

What Lowe builds

• Roughneck. Welded jon and utility boats, often set up for duck hunting or river running. The 1860 is one of the most common used Lowes on the market.
• Stinger. Mod-V bass boats. The current 8-Series (178, 188, 198) is the tournament-style line on extended pad hulls; the 5-Series 175C and 195 are a step down.
• Skorpion and Legacy. Value fishing boats. The Legacy 18 shows up a lot as a family fish-and-ski.
• Fishing Machine, Bay and Outlet. Deep-V walleye boats, aluminum bay boats and shallow-water boats.
• Lowe pontoons. The SS, SF and Ultra lines, mostly 18 to 23 feet, sold as budget-friendly lake boats.

In 1999 Lowe folded its Roughneck, Sea Nymph and Suncruiser lines under the Lowe name, so you may see older Sea Nymph and Suncruiser boats described as Lowes.

What used Lowes go for

Aluminum fishing boats depreciate slowly and a clean one sells fast. As an example, a Rock Island, Illinois dealer listed a 2022 Roughneck 1860SC with a Mercury 60 ELPT and 66 engine hours at $20,995 in fall 2026. Older Stinger 175s from the mid-2010s commonly list in the low-to-mid teens, and 1990s jon boats with tired two-strokes go for a few thousand.

The motor is often worth as much as the hull on a small aluminum boat. A 20-year-old hull with a three-year-old Mercury four-stroke can be a better buy than a newer boat with a neglected engine.

Checking an aluminum Lowe

Rivets and welds. Many of Lowe's fishing boats are riveted; Roughnecks are welded. On a riveted hull, look along the rivet lines inside and out for streaks, chalky white oxidation or a fresh smear of sealant, which usually means a leaking rivet. Put the boat in the water and check the bilge after 20 minutes. On welded hulls, look for cracks at the transom corners and along the keel, especially on boats that have been run up on rocks or gravel bars.

Transom. Tiller boats and older bass boats get a lot of stress at the transom. Grab the lower unit and push it side to side. Any flex at the mount, cracking in the transom cap or soft wood behind the aluminum means repairs.

Floor and carpet. Older Lowes used wood sub-floors under carpet. Walk every inch of the deck. Soft spots mean wet plywood, and that often traps water against the hull.

Livewells and wiring. On a bass boat, run the aerators, bilge pump and trolling motor. Corroded terminals and a dead livewell pump are cheap to fix, but they show how the boat was cared for.

Engine brand. If it has an older Johnson or Evinrude, check that you have a mechanic who will work on it. Evinrude stopped building outboards in 2020, and parts support for older ones keeps getting thinner.

Lowe's limited lifetime hull-seam warranty is transferable through a Lowe dealer, so on a newer boat ask the seller for the registration and have a dealer confirm what is still covered.