I gave riveted boats a slight advantage here because the repair and replacements of rivets is easier to do yourself without much experience, whereas welding takes either prior experience or you taking your boat to a local shop and paying to have it repaired. We go into much more detail below about how to repair each type of boat, and they are very different to repair. Because the metal is melted and fused together rather than just bound by rivets, it tends to be stronger and harder to break.

Welded boats are effectively one piece of metal and have fewer connection points than their riveted counterparts. Here are a few factors (explained in more detail later in the post) side by side: Structural Integrity: Welding winsīoth boats are very durable, and aluminum boats can last decades if not longer because they are lightweight, flexible, and are not subject to corrosion. Riveted boats tend to leak a little more (although the reviews are mixed) but often cost a little less than welded boats. Overall, riveted Jon Boats are easier and less expensive to repair than welded Jon Boats, have similar longevity and the same or slightly less durability. Later in the post we go into more detail as to the specific pros and cons of each boat and unique aspects of owning each. We’ll cut to the chase here and rank a few different aspects of each boat next to each other. We’ll put the two side by side and then elaborate on the features and aspects of each later in the post. Welded and riveted boats are made and repaired differently and carry their own unique aspects. It’s somewhat of a heated debate between many owners… do I get a riveted or welded boat? There are success and failure stories on both sides of the equation and so I wanted to summarize the key differences between both types of boats and the common experiences from boaters out there on the subject.Īt the end of the day, there isn’t necessarily a “this is better” kind of decision, just both types of boats have their pros and cons.

Riveted vs welded jon boat