When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Yar-Craft 1785 Back Troller 2007 and the Yar-Craft 186 TFX 2011 are modified vee designs with composite 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 — Yar-Craft 1785 Back Troller 2007 at 17,0 ft versus Yar-Craft 186 TFX 2011 at 18,5 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Yar-Craft 186 TFX 2011 tips the scales at 1 975 lbs — 600 lbs less than the Yar-Craft 1785 Back Troller 2007 at 1 375 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.
The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 200 hp, the Yar-Craft 186 TFX 2011 has a 125-hp advantage over the Yar-Craft 1785 Back Troller 2007's 75-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 36 gal and 35 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Yar-Craft 186 TFX 2011 is rated for 6 passengers, while the Yar-Craft 1785 Back Troller 2007 caps at 5. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Yar-Craft 186 TFX 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Yar-Craft 186 TFX 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 6 passengers and at 18,5 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Yar-Craft 1785 Back Troller 2007 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 5 that costs less to run day-to-day.