When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Lund 1800 Explorer Tiller 2006 and the Lund 1825 Pro Guide 2011 are modified vee designs with aluminum construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Lund 1800 Explorer Tiller 2006 at 18,0 ft versus Lund 1825 Pro Guide 2011 at 18,3 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Lund 1800 Explorer Tiller 2006 tips the scales at 1 185 lbs — 1 063 lbs more than the Lund 1825 Pro Guide 2011 at 122 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 90 hp for the Lund 1800 Explorer Tiller 2006 and 90 hp for the Lund 1825 Pro Guide 2011. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 32 gal and 32 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Lund 1800 Explorer Tiller 2006 is rated for 6 passengers, while the Lund 1825 Pro Guide 2011 caps at 5. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Lund 1800 Explorer Tiller 2006 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Lund 1800 Explorer Tiller 2006 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 6 passengers and at 18,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Lund 1825 Pro Guide 2011 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 5 that costs less to run day-to-day.