I need Help...Hallett 275 w/565 or Hallett 255 w/600?

[Cook'n]

I need help deciding if I should order a Hallett 275 w/ 565 or Hallett 255 (walk-thru open bow) w/ 600. I've been working with Nordic and I'm in the cue for a new build. My wife and I (mostly me) are struggling to decide between these 2 boats. Wife won't let me spend another penny so the 275 w/ 600 is not an option. We boat at Lake Mead, love to cruise, tube etc. The fastest boat we ever owned was 72 mph on a tube speedo.
I see myself in the Hallett 275 (28 heat bottom) smiling and think it would be so nice in that big boat, cruising that big lake, but then quickly realize that the 565 has no power upgrades (that I know of). I'm worried, what if it isn't enough and then kick myself for buying it. This is where the Hallett 255 idea comes into play. Wifey will let me get the 600 in that boat because the overall cost is less for the smaller boat.
With that configuration, I at least know that if it isn't enough, I could one day do the stage 2, 3 or 4. It seems like there would at least be options. But, then that leads into out drive concerns. I have asked Nordic to price the IMCO complete SCX upper and SCX Dual Downshaft to see costs. It makes sense to install the beefier outdrive now (anticipating the stage 2,3,4 would happen). But, the SCX might put me back over the approval budget. So that might not even be an option at all.
I've looked up everything I could find on both boats and motor combinations and drives and I'm starting to spin out of control. I have fallen ill of boat madness.
My theory with the larger horsepower is that I would only need to push the stick down half way or so to go 65. To me, that seems like it would be a good way to increase motor longevity. The bonus would be, that there is still more stick left for when the moment presents it's self to go faster.
I need some serious Boat counseling from you Pros here at RDP. I have learned so much from you guys already. Probably too much to where now I'm dangerous.
What should I do?

 

[RiverDave]

If it was me I’d go with the 255 and the 600. It is the 240 bottom and has a MASSIVE open bow with a ton of width. I’d leave the 600 stock for now and if I was going to put any money into upgrades I’d get a set of billet tabs, not the lenco ones that are often installed.

The 275 has a good bottom and there are plenty of “fast” 28 heats out there (although strangely you don’t hear about them very often).. The 28 year though isn’t going to ride as well as another boat in that size range like say a 29 shockwave or even an original 270. It is a great bottom though if you want to run 80-90+ mph..

Even though the 255 has a shorter bottom I think you will be pleasantly surprised wit how well they handle adverse conditions, yet still be manageable around the docks.

I grew up on Parker though and tend to prefer a little smaller more “sporty” boat so I’m sure that plays a factor in my thinking as well.

I do like the layout of the 265 as well.. it certainly is a tough choice between the two and almost a coin toss.

Which brings us to the old coin flip.. pick heads or tails for each boat and flip it.. while it’s in the air you will know which one you are rooting for..

 

[HALLETT BOY]

The 275 and a 600 ! You don’t want ANY regrets

 

[Cook'n]

Thanks Dave, I once read one of your posts that you said something along the lines that the Hallett 255 might be one of the best hulls of all time. Thank you for responding, you have no idea how much I value your opinion.
You Rock!!!!!!!

 

[RiverDave]

The 275 and a 600 ! You don’t want ANY regrets

He said that wasn’t an option. If it is than I’d do that. Lol.

 

[Cook'n]

Wife just yelled at me again " It's not an option" with some curse words in between.

 

[DWC]

Wife just yelled at me again " It's not an option" with some curse words in between.

She probably doesn’t mean it.

 

[HALLETT BOY]

Get a new wife !

 

[glamis0812]

What’s the price difference between the two setups, just curious.

 

[Bobby V]

Wife just yelled at me again " It's not an option" with some curse words in between.

Whats the difference in $$$ between the 2 motors for the 275? Ballpark..

 

[Cook'n]

$10K

 

[lbhsbz]

$10K

Tell them to leave out the passenger seat ... it should save you some of the difference and she'll have no place to sit so you won't have to listen to her bitch at you all day.

 

[Racer56]

Have Thane build you a walk through open bow 275. The 565 will push you over 80 mph and will handle big water. If you are looking for a better ride, buy a deck boat. Plus they are more family friendly IMHO.

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

Better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Remember that on the next build.

 

[BUDMAN]

Get a new wife !

Then he cant afford any boat after she takes everything LOL

 

[BUDMAN]

I have a 255 with the 525 and love the boat. I can easily run 70 but mostly run 50-55. That being said if I was doing a build I would go the 275 WTOB with the 565 Just my .02

 

[Hammer]

Wife just yelled at me again " It's not an option" with some curse words in between.

Buy the 275 with the big motor and have Thane send you an email that the affordable engine package is back ordered and they have issues. Lol

With that being said... I’ve driven the 275 and rode in it with a ton of people. That would be my choice.

I own a 240(which is technically the 255 now). I’d take the 275 if I had a choice.

You may regret not having more space. You can always make more power, however, you can’t make the boat bigger. Just my .02


Congrats!!! Great problem to have...


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[retaocleg]

if it was me, i'd go with the hallett

 

[hallett3]

Get the 275 with the 600. She’ll get over it over time . If you can afford it, fuck it you only live once.

 

[JB in so cal]

White peoples problems haha

Beautiful boats, whatever your choice!

 

[Ricks raft]

Well I'm old school, I know everybody is moving to bigger and bigger boats. I grew up with a 17' and everybody thought a 21 was big. I had A 255, loved the boat had a 525 the 600 would have been perfect. I think with kids skiing and tubing a 255 is much more appropriate than a 27

 

[Livewire Fabworks]

We have a 255 with the 540 in it and only regret was not going the 600. Boat has plenty of power but you always want more. That 600 engine plateform has much more options interms of adding power. For us it is usually us and maybe another couple or two and have never had a problem with people having room.

We originally looked at a 270 when we had out boat built but did not like the cody cab option. We liked when Nordic came out with the 275 but to be honest Looks to much like a Nordic. I dont have anything against the looks of a Nordic but loved the looks of the Halletts.

Our 255 handles rough water really well and I have heard great things about the 275 or 28 heat riding very well. I think part of the love for the 240 and 255 bottom is that it is not stepped and very predictable in rough situations. You do sacrifice speed though.

Congrats on your new build, cant really go wrong with either.

 

[dezrtracer]

She is only yelling at you because she really wants the 275 with the 600 . My girlfriend alway tries the reverse psychology on me and after 27 years I'm finally on to her .

Wife just yelled at me again " It's not an option" with some curse words in between.
[/QUOTE

 

[SamMaxco]

Between those two builds, at that point, whats 10 grand, I mean really?

If you're spending that kind of money, it ridiculous to not get exactly what you want.

Just my opinion

 

[CLdrinker]

275 with 565 gets my vote.
How much faster would the 255 be?

 

[HOTRODTODD111]

That is a tuff choice. I personally would want the most efficient hull design. Hard for me to spend that much money in a 30 year old hull design in the 255. But the 275 does look a little Nordic. I’m not sure what the price difference is but have you considered the 290 V2 hull with a 540? I don’t think Nordic has built one yet. That hull with the 540 should do 80 with the right prop. If you can afford the 565 even better. I have heard 82-83 Mph with 565. I would also consider getting the ITS steering. Either way you are getting a badass boat.

 

[DrunkenSailor]

Just to muddy the waters a bit the Lavey 2750 with 300 outboards is a 90 mph boat...

The 600 in the 255 is the perfect setup for speed and comfort and honestly is where I would be headed in your situation. Like ya said easy to upgrade for more and that hull can handle it.

 

[GRADS]

Me personally, I would take the 565 all day long over the 600 but that's just my opinion and needs after owning a 600 powered boat.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

In my opinion, if you're on Lake Mead the larger boat is the smarter choice if you happen to get caught out when the weather turns. I've been on both a 26 and a 30 Eliminator on Havasu and when it gets blown out if you're in the 30 you are cruising home comfortably while in the 26 its a tougher ride. I was once caught out in bad weather in a 23 Malibu, the women were crying on the way back (we made it though).

If you have the larger boat you can always re-power later and enjoy the larger boat even more. The 26 I have is totally fine for tubing and skiing, so the 275 should also do it just fine. Fast is fun, sure, but how often are you going to crank it with the family in the boat?

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

275 all day and get the 600 with it. I am not a fan if the 565 package.

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[GRADS]

2 year warranty on the 565, 1 year on the 600...for 35 more H.P.? My 600 did not run right at high altitudes and I have heard the same from other owners. Also I was told that it makes 600 H.P. at any altitude which is not true. ....for starters.

 

[NoOtherWay]

2750 with 600 with a 565 sticker. Skip on the stereo system. With the 600, it will be the music to your ears.

 

[LC925]

In all honesty, the way I would spin it, explain to the wife that the 565 takes 91 octane which is more expensive and in the long run, the 600 will save money being able to run on 87 octane. Plus having the extra power gives it better MPG... It worked for me lol. At the price being paid, $10k is a drop in the bucket, maybe see if they can do a smaller stereo or something else to make up the difference?!? That can always be added later.

If that definitely isn’t an option, go with the bigger boat and the 565. I’m sure they will be offering a Whipple kit soon enough like they do with the older 525’s. Run it for 5 years and then make the upgrades.

 

[Runs2rch]

That is a tuff choice. I personally would want the most efficient hull design. Hard for me to spend that much money in a 30 year old hull design in the 255. But the 275 does look a little Nordic. I’m not sure what the price difference is but have you considered the 290 V2 hull with a 540? I don’t think Nordic has built one yet. That hull with the 540 should do 80 with the right prop. If you can afford the 565 even better. I have heard 82-83 Mph with 565. I would also consider getting the ITS steering. Either way you are getting a badass boat.

I drove a 290 with a 520. It ran really well. For Mead 255, 270, or 290.

275 is a nice overall package, but as other's have said it belongs in the Nordic lineup.

 

[Runs2rch]

2 year warranty on the 565, 1 year on the 600...for 35 more H.P.? My 600 did not run right at high altitudes and I have heard the same from other owners. Also I was told that it makes 600 H.P. at any altitude which is not true. ....for starters.

I'm sure the same will be said for the 520, 540, and 565. There are no hp/tq out anywhere. I bet on Tahoe all of these motors are anemic. The 600 running the best as any boosted motor will at altitude.

Plenty of 600's have been on the dyno. Most making 580ish hp. After owning them it would be my choice. Only loss is the DTS. Gaining a platform to build on and they are easy to work on. Cleaning up the tune alone they will make 650-675hp. 700-750hp with a pulley swap.

 

[HALLETT BOY]

2 year warranty on the 565, 1 year on the 600...for 35 more H.P.? My 600 did not run right at high altitudes and I have heard the same from other owners. Also I was told that it makes 600 H.P. at any altitude which is not true. ....for starters.

It’s the flat torque curve of the 600 that makes it superior.

 

[QC22]

I've driven the 275, and it is really good. Personally, I've always thought the 255 WTOB had funny looking windshields. Same with the 275. I've mentioned this to Thane a few times, the biggest Nordic giveaway on the 275 is the windshields. Seems so easy to fix that...

I have a 270 straight bottom and for me I will always go MCOB. We aren't big people, so that may make the decision, but closing the front doors you can throw tissue paper in there and it won't blow out. Also nice if you ever have super little ones on board. My .02. Either powerplant would work for me. The bigger bottom for Mead.

 

[Gelcoater]

2 year warranty on the 565, 1 year on the 600...for 35 more H.P.? My 600 did not run right at high altitudes and I have heard the same from other owners. Also I was told that it makes 600 H.P. at any altitude which is not true. ....for starters.

HP sells the boat but torque pushes it forward.

 

[Gelcoater]

It’s the flat torque curve of the 600 that makes it superior.

^^^a man that knows

 

[Lavey29]

Because you boat at Mead I'd go with the 275. The 565 is not supercharged right? So for insurance purposes you are probably better off and longer warranty with easier maintenance. Should still get decent speed number.

 

[GRADS]

A blower is just one more thing to go wrong. And like I said my 600 never ran right in Tahoe. I was told I could flash the computer if that's the only place I was going to run it but it wasn't.

 

[GRADS]

If I was building another 29 Shockwave I would personally go with the Mercury 540.

 

[BHC Vic]

We built our boat new in 2015. What I learned, next time I’ll go bigger power and not worry about the price. I know there has to be a limit somewhere but I would go with the 600. Imo if you’re already thinking about flashing and whippling is go bigger from the start

 

[Cole Trickle]

275/600

Honestly i wasn't all that impressed with the 565 i drove in a heavy deck boat. The DTS stuff is cool but sign me up for the 600 and the ability to upgrade.

Here is what you do. Find out when Dave will be at the company store. Go by drink some (20) beers buy $200 in swag and tell him to get on the horn with Thane and make this 275/600 deal happen...lol

 

[Q4mtxUS]

Soooooooo, Mr. cook'n. If I may jack this thread.
Lavey has a 26 V "sale fail" awaitng power and interior. Perhaps you could finish this brand new build with a Merc 600 & livorsi trim tabs (K-planes) and be well under budget.
Worth a shot....

 

[Livewire Fabworks]

I've driven the 275, and it is really good. Personally, I've always thought the 255 WTOB had funny looking windshields. Same with the 275. I've mentioned this to Thane a few times, the biggest Nordic giveaway on the 275 is the windshields. Seems so easy to fix that...

I have a 270 straight bottom and for me I will always go MCOB. We aren't big people, so that may make the decision, but closing the front doors you can throw tissue paper in there and it won't blow out. Also nice if you ever have super little ones on board. My .02. Either powerplant would work for me. The bigger bottom for Mead.

I agree with you on the windshield on the 255. When we had ours built I had them cut it down to get rid of the gator eye look. Jerry told me that they went to the more euro windshield because they had buyers that wanted more shielding from the wind. When they cut mine down they were going to move to the lower profile look again since it looked nicer. Not sure what Nordic is running windshield wise.

 

[hallett21]

What’s the reason a 565 can’t be upgraded?


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[FROGMAN524]

I’ve driven a 290 V2D MCOB with a 565 on Powell and it was fun but it would have been better with a 600. Have you looked at pricing for a 290 or 285 with either motor?


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[Gelcoater]

What’s the reason a 565 can’t be upgraded?


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I think it can be slightly?
Reflash the tune, I think? Minimal gains.

But the 600 has about 100-150 hp left in there when you decide you want more.

 

[Gelcoater]

A blower is just one more thing to go wrong. And like I said my 600 never ran right in Tahoe. I was told I could flash the computer if that's the only place I was going to run it but it wasn't.

Did you try a different prop?