pontoon boats

Rhinoridr · #1 06-18-2018, 12:16 PM

I have being looking at used pontoon boats , I being looking at tri-toons with 135-250 hp motors ,I don't know that much about them and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on what to look for and what to stay away from.

brendon444 · #2 06-18-2018, 07:38 PM

good choice on the tri-toon and motor size. Biggest complaint I have is most buy with an undersized motor and makes the experience less enjoyable. Very slow.

fordtruckin · #3 06-18-2018, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brendon444

good choice on the tri-toon and motor size. Biggest complaint I have is most buy with an undersized motor and makes the experience less enjoyable. Very slow.

Yep. I have a boat for work, max HP is 115, they put a 75 horse merc on it. It does fine when it is just you but as soon as you put 3 people in, the thing is a dog. Get as class to max HP as you can afford you won't regret it.

Rhinoridr · #4 06-19-2018, 02:10 PM

I was wondering if someone with experience could recommend some of the boats to stay away from, and some of the more top choices. Also what motors to go with.

Immigrant · #5 06-19-2018, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhinoridr

I was wondering if someone with experience could recommend some of the boats to stay away from, and some of the more top choices. Also what motors to go with.

I have a 25foot tri-toon with a 150hp Evinrude. Nice and light. Some of the bigger 4 stokes are really heavy and weighs the boat down. I would not go less than 150hp on a tri-toon. It reaches a top speed of 35mph with 5 adults and a few children. I can slalom ski behind it with no issues. I have the "fish and ski" options. With pedestal seats front and back and the "sofas" in the middle. It works pretty good for fishing and you don't get slime on the seats. I would not go with a carpet deck. It gets dirty real quick.

Think about storage in the winter. I have a 60foot shop and it takes a lot of space with the motor and with the front of the trailer sticking out it is almost 35feet long in total. They are a lot of fun. I have a Starcraft. Not a top end model but it meets my needs.

darren32 · #6 06-20-2018, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhinoridr

I was wondering if someone with experience could recommend some of the boats to stay away from, and some of the more top choices. Also what motors to go with.

I don't have one but we have quite a few friend with them.
I agree on the tri pontoon, they seem to handle a lot better.
From the boats I have been on I would say 150 hp min.

For brands, 2 of our friends have Manitou boats with 300 e-tec and they are very nice boats.

Good luck. Enjoy

7mmremmag · #7 06-20-2018, 08:51 AM

I have a 24' Sylvan rear fish with a 115hp Merc.
I really think it all depends on how much you wanna spend?
Mine is not a Tri-toon. And after being on several other Tri-toons I decided it was not something I was willing to pay extra money for.
Mine is fine without.
I find mine handles the same whether theres 3-4 people in it or 12.
Mine will do 29mph. Which is plenty fast enough for my young kids.
Im not sure about the other brands but the Sylvans have an RPT pontoon, its flat on the bottom, seems to make it handle nicer.
I honestly see very little difference between my Sylvan and my buddies Bennington even though his Bennington was 20,000$ more.

rena0040 · #8 06-20-2018, 09:04 AM

My wife has always wanted one but I've heard they're fair weather boats and can't handle rough water. Without high jacking, can anyone weigh in on how the tritoons handle waves and wind.

sharpstick · #9 06-20-2018, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rena0040

My wife has always wanted one but I've heard they're fair weather boats and can't handle rough water. Without high jacking, can anyone weigh in on how the tritoons handle waves and wind.

They handle the waves better than a regular boat but the wind does blow them around pretty good and makes it tough to anchor over a fishing hole if its windy. The worst is trying to load them on a trailer with a cross wind.
I had a 27 foot Harris with a 300 Merc Verado and we loved it. You would think that it would burn through tons of gas with the big engine but I was very impressed with the fuel economy. I filled it in May and never had to put gas in it until mid Aug, but we mostly just cruised the shorelines and enjoyed a couple beverages or floated in the middle of the lake and the kids swam. When they wanted to get pulled on the tube, of course it would burn more fuel. One day I was out in it and the wind picked up pretty good where there was huge whitecaps and rollers and a friend was in his 19 foot Chapparel, we were heading in to shore and I was surprised at how it handled the waves. He had to slow right down as he was getting pounded and soaked and we were dry and it sat on top of the waves and didn't bounce at all. I think that was due to the length of it as it didn't go up and down it the waves, it just stayed up top of the waves.
We also had the Pontoon Legs and you could pull up to any dock or beach and just hit the button for the legs to drop and lift the boat out of the water. No boat lift needed. Depending on the lake, I would highly recommend the Pontoon Legs. Hi would also highly recommend the Tri toon, better stability, floatation and gets you up on plane faster than dual. which in turn increase fuel economy as its not plowing water, rather its up out of the water. these are my experiences, as with anything, you get what you pay for.
If money was not an issue, I would seriously look at the Avalon.
Good luck and enjoy, they are a fantastic family boat.

Cheers,
SS

Rhinoridr · #10 06-20-2018, 05:24 PM

Yes I like the tri-toon ,I just want it for cruising the lakes with the family and friends ,pulling the kids with tubes etc, and doing some fishing(not a big fisherman). Is there one motor to choose over another?

EZM · #11 06-20-2018, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhinoridr

Yes I like the tri-toon ,I just want it for cruising the lakes with the family and friends ,pulling the kids with tubes etc, and doing some fishing(not a big fisherman). Is there one motor to choose over another?

Given a choice I'd choose a Yamaha or Honda every single time. Had lots and lots of all of these brands and there is no comparison if you want bullet proof reliability. Neither of these gals are high maintenance and they are perfectly content with a beer and a hot dog off the grill.

Sure Hondas are boring and old technology - but they are quiet and start every time and run smooth for 1000's of hours. You can fix them with a combination screwdriver and duct tape if they EVER break - but they never will. Damn things run like sewing machines. Not the best on gas, not the worst, certainly not the prettiest girl on the dock. But this chick is ready to go when you are ...... all the time without question.

Yamaha's have released new technology, but have done so slowly to maintain their market position and are truly another reliable brand - the most popular in the world. Fuel efficiency and lots of service providers around. Although a little heavier compared to a Honda - This girl better looking and is more fun than the Honda - and she's ready to go for you too.

Mercs are high technological, powerful and fuel efficient - but they are complex and if something like a simple fault happens - you are left scratching your head on the dock. She a complicated woman, don't ever ask her "if she's mad at you" ... she only eats at places with a table cloth and needs to be noticed and told her hair looks great - otherwise - you are on the couch.

Evinrudes are powerful and technological but have had some reliability issues with a few configurations that make me wary of buying the "latest and greatest" at the expense of reliability. I don't want to drive 8 hours to my vacation to have my motor fail and ruin my vacation. If you read i-boat or other forums - quite a few concerns with some of these. This is a red head, when she crosses you, she's out for revenge .... your coming home to all your coworkers and soccer buddies leaving your place with a big smile ......

My advice .... Read boat forums and read reviews - The most reliable outboards on the market are consistently Honda and Yamaha's. That's what you see in remote camps, and along the NW coast most often. They are also sold more around the world. Pretty hard pressed to find more than a handful of bad reviews on these brands.

Cageyc · #12 06-20-2018, 08:51 PM

Check out YouTube and search for family marine. A lot of information there

FlYiNGuY · #13 06-20-2018, 10:14 PM

Tritoon with a MINIMUM of 150HP. After that it is just personal preference.

I had a 21ft tri toon 115 and was always wishing I went with more HP.

Rhinoridr · #14 06-21-2018, 01:16 PM

Yes ,I will have to go on the boat forms and research motors and boats

Walleyedude · #15 06-21-2018, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhinoridr

Yes ,I will have to go on the boat forms and research motors and boats

That's definitely the best thing you can do. Two things to keep in mind though

- satisfied customers rarely go to the forums to post about how great their outboard is.
- some manufacturers sell FAR more motors than their competition, and even with the same or lower percentage of failure rates, they're going to have more people commenting on their problems. That's purely a numbers game.

Some of the descriptions above, while admittedly colorful, are not exactly accurate in my opinion.

Do your homework on the different brands, different models from each brand, and just as importantly, the quality and availability of service in your area for each brand.