New to pontoons need advice

[BILLVO]

I have been a Sea Doo personal water craft junky for about 15 years and have recently sold them to upsize to a pontoon. I have researched a bunch of them and am partial to the Premier pontoons with the PTX performance package. I would like to go with a walk on upper deck also and was thinking in the 23-25 ft range. Is there any other pontoon on the market that can compare to the premier? What else is there to look for in a quality pontoon?



Premier Pontoons - Pontoon Boats, Pontoon Boat Manufacturer, Premier Marine, Inc. - Home

 

[Hoefler]

Look for D shaped logs versus round ones, the D shaped provide more floatation. Get a outboard motor instead of a inboard/outboard. Maintenance is considerably cheaper, they are easier to work on, and you can run them in the winter with out to much trouble with winterizing them. Buy more horse power than you think you need, you can always throttle back, but full throttle is full throttle and that is that.

 

[WCPoe]

Get a triple tube pontoon and max the power

BILLVO - My 2 cents is to get a triple tube performance package and install the maximum power in an outboard. The triple tubes with the lifting strakes really let the pontoon get up on plane quickly. I ended up with an Odyssey by Forest River Industries because I got a heck of a deal on a left over model. My model 722C Odyssey, (was their top model last year - now they they call the higher end units South Bays).

The inboard/outboard or stern drives are cheaper but as Hoefler said my choice would be an outboard. I ended up with a Mercury Optimax which is a direct injected two stroke which I also got a leftover good deal on. I believe I would have to suggest a four stroke outboard and from what I have heard I think the Yamaha is probably the best of the class. Others may have a different opinion but the Mercury Verado is also one to consider.

The upper deck adds some weight and a slight top heavyness feeling as a friend of mine has a top of the line Harris-Flotebote Crown model with the upper deck. It's a 25 foot model with a 200 Mercury Verado supercharged 4 stroke and it moves out well.

The Blue Ridge Lake Marina in north Georgia where I have my pontoon docked under cover carries the Bennington brand and they look great as well. The Benningtons look super plush. Here's a site which list several brands, just scroll down and click on the various brands:



pontoon boats, manufacturers and pontoon boat builders



Anyway, I would check out the dealers near you and what other peoples experiences are on the lake you use. A good dealer can be a great asset.

Bill Oo.

 

[BILLVO]

Thanks for the replys. I checked all my local dealers and got down and dirty in details and after intense inspections of about a dozen different brands I found that the Bennington is about as good as it gets overall. I found a 22 foot with a performance plus package which has 3 tubes and lifting strakes on all tubes and has a 150 yamaha fourstroke. They will have it available for me to demo next week. Oo. the down fall is the 35k price tag:{.

 

[Hoefler]

Another thing to consider in your motor selection, 2 strokes weigh about 20%-30% less than a comparable 4 stroke. The 2 stroke will have more torque than a 4 stroke in the same horse power rating. If you are worried about the environment, the new 2 strokes are just as clean if not cleaner. They are also about 50% more efficient than they use to be, which which levels the field with the 4 stroke.

 

[BILLVO]

I am partial to the 4 stroke. But this boat is rated for up to a 225hp engine. I was afraid to ask the price difference after hearing what it was with a 150.

 

[hintonJ]

Spend the extra coin and upgrade the trailer to LED lighting and stainless hardware and fittings, it will save $ and headaches for you down the road. I speak from experience.....

 

[BILLVO]

Well here is an update.



We took the big plunge and bought a 2007 22 foot Bennington 2275GL triple tube with lifting strakes and a 150 hp 4 stroke Yamaha and power steering. Now to find time to get it in the water Oo. . It has a 35 gallon fuel cell so the range should be really good if I can drive it nicely.



We got to demo it for about 2 hours and couldn't believe How quiet and smooth it is. It will do about 38-40 mph and planes out instantly as soon as you give it as little as 1/4 throttle. not bad for a pontoon. :-laf



I will post pics when we get it home in a day or two.

 

[Bertram65]

The Yamaha 150 is susposed to be a great engine, good luck with it, I bet you would be hard pressed to burn 35 gallons in a day.

I bought a 25hp 4 stroke a couple years ago I have it on a 16' aluminum boat I use to fish and take camping, I have used it all day and used less than 4 gallons of fuel, it just sips the gas, I used to have a 25hp older 2 stroke, we had to take 2 6 gallon tanks if we were going out for a day, the difference is unreal.

 

[WCPoe]

BILLVO -We're still waiting to see your boat pictures

BILLVO - Where are those pontoon boat pictures you promised? Also I am considering upping the power on my 22 foot triple pontoon from a 115 Mercury Optimax to a 175 hp motor for towing performance while carrying more people. How is your 150 Yamaha doing with about 6 or seven people on board especially when turning fairly sharp.

Thanks for your input.

Bill

 

[BILLVO]

Here are pics of the new tritune. It will do around 38 mph and it is fully plained out at about 1/4 throttle. It is really quiet and smooth as silk even in 1 foot chop. It has power steering so there is no feed back but is a bit slow to turn. It has a 35 gallon tank and we have put 10 hours on 3/4 of a tank with driving being a well rounded full throttle to mid range to low range putting. This thing gets to full speed within a few seconds. It has lifting strakes on both sides of all three 25 inch tubes. The pics were taken on the Missouri river just north of Bismarck ND. You really need to watch out for sand bars and logs but it is great. The prop and skeg are already polished from shallow sand bars. #@$%! Thank the Army corp of engineers for that.

 

[BFoughty]

Hey Billvo... very nice looking toon. Is the ride as smooth as they say with the tri? Looks great, enjoy. Brian

 

[dezeldog]

Billvo, that is a real nice boat and yes bennington is a great product as is harris-kayot. Just a word of caution... . be sure to follow the mgfs. recommendations for fuel and additives. My buddy just had a $1200 repair on a 4 stroke merc because didn't use and additives in the gas. I guess that the gas we are getting today is as poor of quailty as the diesel fuel. Enjoy the boat.



Jim

 

[BILLVO]

Well only 18 hours on it and I found a submerged log already. Bent the skeg a little got it back straight and bent the prop shaft and prop. Got the prop shaft straightened at a local machine shop and am replacing the aluminum prop with a factory Yamaha black stainless prop and getting the aluminum one straightened for a spare.

 

[WCPoe]

Bummer - We also ran our pontoon across a shallow spot about a week ago and caught some sandstone type rocks. Fortunately it didn't bend anything, just roughed up the leading edges of the cheap aluminum prop. I touched it up with a hand file and it seems OK. If I don't upgrade my 115 Mercury Optimax hp to the 175 four stroke I'll probably spring for a stainless and keep the aluminum for a back up.

 

[OL RATLR]

Bummer - We also ran our pontoon across a shallow spot about a week ago and caught some sandstone type rocks. Fortunately it didn't bend anything, just roughed up the leading edges of the cheap aluminum prop. I touched it up with a hand file and it seems OK. If I don't upgrade my 115 Mercury Optimax hp to the 175 four stroke I'll probably spring for a stainless and keep the aluminum for a back up.

With the stainless you might be putting a lower unit in and not filing.

 

[WCPoe]

Good point!!! We normally don't have any problems on Blue Ridge lake in north Georgia but this year with minimal rain the lake is at a record low. I believe last year around Labor Day the lake was about 12 feet higher than it is right now. We usually pull the boat out for the winter long before it gets this low.

Thanks for the pointer, however.