Jon Boats: Riveted vs Welded

First, I did a search and couldn't find where this topic had really been discussed, at least not recently, so forgive me if this has been beaten to death and I somehow missed it.......So, for a multi-purpose, fishing/hunting flat bottom boat somewhere in the 16' range, which is better and why?

I've heard riveted boats can be a little leaky, but also hear horror stories about cracked/split welds on welded boats. A small bilge pump or 2 seems like it'd be a lot cheaper than having someone repair welds... So, what are the pro's/con's of each?

Riveted: Less expensive, lighter, eventually going to leak. Easy(ier) to repair.

Welded: Much more expensive, heavier, more stability, sturdier.

I had a 16ft Alweld with a long tail mud motor on it. I beat that thing against plenty of stumps, various bottoms in shallow water and generally the roughest nastiest crap around. Not once did it leak. The sob was heavy though, real heavy.

I've had a 16ft Lowe semi-v john boat since 1993 that I've done a ton of hunting and fishing out of. So far the only rivets I've had to tighten up were at the top of the middle seat on both sides of the seat.

Welded if possible.

If you're going for a straight up old timey OD green Jon boat, with no floor in it, I don't see a reason not to get a riveted boat. They've been around a long time and hold up fine. If you're getting something with a slick floor then go for welded. It would be harder to fix rivets in a floored boat.

You'll have a good bit less invested in a riveted boat as well.

I had a 1648 Lowe, riveted. The only problem it had is that it wasn't 18ft.

I have a 2007 tracker grizzly all welded flat bottom . I've beat the heck out of that boat and it's still in good shape. pop rivets suck they will eventually start leaking guaranteed!

Weld the rivets in. Win win.

Never had a riveted boat that didnt leak..never had a welded boat that did.

Riveted Jon boats are lighter, cheaper, faster in some aspects, porpoise more, have weaker transforms. Rivets leak some but are easy to fix with the use of two hammers. They are harder to fix a crack in because riveted boats are usually 20 gauge to 40 gauge aluminum which is very hard to weld. Thin aluminum will crack badly when trying to weld a crack up. IMO riveted boats are great when you buy a plain Jane boat and do your own customization to suit your needs.

Welded boats are way more expensive, heavier, a lot more tuff, easier to weld due to being .60 to .125 gauge aluminum. You can weld in all kinds of things to suit your liking. Welded boats handle rough water a lot better without developing leaks and cracks. With small horse power they can tend to be slower. They have stouter transoms making them better for high weight engines and engine that produce a lot of torque on the transom.

A welded boat will dent before it leaks.

I wouldn't worry to much either way. If you have a style and size in mind try for the next size up and you will be happy. Not likely to have trouble with either one.

Aluminum boats don't last forever. So keep that in mind. A lot of it has to do with how much you intend to use it. I used to build barges and crew boats that got hard use and all were welded and made from .125 or thicker. Welded boats get heavy and with weight comes stress and eventually the welds begin to crack. That being said they are longer lasting and more durable than a riveted boat. There is no question about that. On a recreational boat when they start to develop leaks you might be into removing nice carpeted seats, floors, etc. so you can get to cracked welds etc. Welding from the outside can work but if you grind the weld down slick you might be back in for another repair. What you DO NOT want is a 3 piece welded boat where the sides are welded to the floor. You are going to have problems with that simply because the entire length of the boat is a seam that is a potential point of failure. You are going to want a 1 piece boat with the sides bent up to make the shape of the hull.

Riveted boats are less durable and develop leaks typically around the rivets. They are less prone to stress cracks because they're typically all 1 piece and do not have as many welded seams. Therefore your typical repairs are going to be just simple rivets. The newer and more substantial boats are typically made of .070 and flex more, not as solid, etc. Older boats or ones from those suitable for farm ponds can be even less thick. I would stick with something between .070 and .080 for durability. I would not go much thinner when you start getting real thin those boats are really geared towards a farm pond.

So what does that mean?

If you are getting a basic open floor plan jon boat I think the decision is up to you. As long as you can get to the rivets there is nothing wrong with a riveted boat. If you want some more creature comforts such as a floor over the ribs I think you are likely going to want a welded boat. But either way I think you should look at the construction and if there are things like a floor over the ribs in the interior see if it is screwed down or welded down. If you plan to keep it indefinitely think about repairs. Either can last 40 years with recreational use just don't go into this thinking you'll never have to repair anything. Fiberglass boats need repairs too.

Good info....you mention 3-piece welded boats vs 1-piece boats...can you give examples of some of the more common brands/models that are 1 vs 3 piece?

My intended use is mostly fishing with the kids and possibly some hunting. I'm not planning on big water - mostly the lakes around tuscaloosa and the Warrior River, in calm weather. A 48" width is a bare minimum I'll even consider, preferably wider. I'd like at least 16', but I wouldn't turn down a 1448 if I found a good deal on one with the understanding I'd have to upgrade to a bigger one once the kids get bigger. Whatever I get, I want it to be all-aluminum...no wood/carpet, and as far as flooring, I wouldn't plan on permanent flooring - I might put a rubber mat between the ribs for comfort, but nothing permanent. Otherwise, it'll just be an open boat, so accessing rivets wouldn't be a problem.

Go with either V-hull or Semi-V flat bottoms just will not handle the waves.

I would prefer a semi/mod-v (mostly just because I like the look better, if I'm honest), but a true flat-bottom with a square bow is not a deal-breaker. I've ridden in plenty of them, including on the actual bodies of water and conditions where I'll mostly be using it and the ride is fine.

I wouldn't worry about it and just look for a great deal. I've owned both. My riveted boats never leaked more than a quart a day which you would never even notice.

That's kinda the direction I'm leaning....looking for the size hull I want and a decent motor, more than how the hull is constructed (as long as it's in decent shape).

My bass tracker leaks some I just flip the bilge pump on a couple times a trip

I would be looking for a 16-18' aluminum with a 35-75 hp tiller steer. You should find a real good one with good 4 stroke for under $4000 and a decent one under $2000. I would look at deeper boats with long shaft motors if I was going on the river. A nice big wide 16' V bottom with tiller would be perfect for the river.

That said, I have to ask, have you ever ridden in the front of one on choppy or crowded water? If not, you may be unpleasantly surprised when and if you do. If you have and are ok with it, then carry on.

I've ridden in the front of one more times than I can count. I wouldn't say I've done it in "rough" water, but I've done it in water that was far from glassed over. It's obviously not like riding in a big fiberglass bass boat, but certainly not a deal breaker. Honestly, I have much intention of getting out to begin with if it's super crowded and/or rough water. One of the great things about a small boat like that is that I can avoid a lot of the crowds if I want to by going places they can't/won't go.

I got rid of my 16' Monarch flat bottom because the sides were too shallow for the river. It only had 18" sides and a couple times I got in water with waves big enough to slosh water in the boat when it was sitting still. Only a couple times in over 12 years though that I was concerned while in it.

Like I said before,if you wind up with a full flat bottom get one with deeper sides.

Look at War Eagle boats...

Gomer I have been out of the game for quite a while and I do not know who all is making 1 piece or 3 piece boats anymore. Most of the 3 piece were make by smaller boat builders or on boats that were oversized that would not fit in the manufacturer's press. You can spot them pretty quickly because they typically don't have crimps on the side because they would not fit in a press but you are not likely looking for a boat that big that would be 20+ ft. On smaller boats you will just have to look but.... do look. There are a lot out there.

If you want something to last you that you will enjoy get at least a 16/48 with 20 inch sides and 20 inch transom. Those are common enough on the used market I would not get a 14 footer. The 16 footer is much more boat.

My favorite is not common. It is 18/48 with 20 inch sides. Kinda like a 14 vs 16 it is a lot more boat because of the length. The longer skinnier boat carries a load better with less horsepower and that extra 2' of length makes a huge difference in rough water. There have been very few times I have been out on a major body of water in this state that even when a storm blew up I could not get on top of the waves with an 18' boat or at least move without taking any water. Even at full pool....in rough water at Decatur which is know to sink boats. Always felt safe in a 18/48. That was my main duck hunting rig for years and we went when the fishermen stayed on the bank. In the dark before daylight in freezing weather shinning our way with a Q-beam. My only concern was going to fast, running it up on a stump in the front and the transom going under. I think Weldbilt makes a 18 and I bet Backwoods Landing could get you one. I don't know much about Weldbilt but they seem like a basic welded utility boat and are relatively inexpensive to the tune of a couple grand kinda cheap or at least they were in that dollar range.

A 16/48 with tall sides and transom is about the best all around size for just a utility boat around here. You can get anything needed done in that.

If you know the difference in a true flat vs a mod-v and semi-v then I've got nothing to add on that get what you want. I have run a lot of true flats and they don't bother me that bad either. If you get up on top of the cop the mod-v is mostly out of the water anyway it just keeps you from smacking a big wave but again length plays into all that. I might want a Mod-V if I had a 16 footer.

I agree with that. The one I used for years was a 1648 with a 25 Honda tiller. I would have kept it if it had been deeper and rated for more HP. When I moved up,I jumped a couple pegs though and got a 2072 with a 115 hp CS. I like it but pulling it and loading -unloading is a lot different than the 1648.

I still use a riveted boat that is now 58 years old, and it has never leaked a drop. The transom has rotted out, but it is limited to ponds now and the only motor on it is a foot controlled electric on the front.

I've owned other Jon boats that leaked around the rivets, but it was always an easy fix. One that is my creek boat has a split in a couple of bends and I have never been able to fix it. But that boat has been greatly abused and is at least 40 years old.

I've owned 4 riveted boats with false bottoms and never had a rivet to leak, though one of them leaked where the livewell intake was welded, and it took 3 tries for them to fix it. I wouldn't worry about leaking rivets on a boat from a good manufacturer.