Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hey there! new to the forum, and new to the world of boat ownership. We have recently moved onto the water and i'm on the hunt for a boat. I have decided I want a tritoon with a minimum 200hp outboard. Open to all makes, models, options, etc. Only requirements would be the 200hp, tritoon, and probably a 24 footer min.

What I really want is an entry level tritoon, that has quality guts (toons, outboard, etc), but low on bells and whistles. Basically, I want the chevy and not the cadillac. For example, sun tracker seems to be a brand geared towards what I'm looking for.

What brands/models should I be targeting? Let's say I would like to stay around 40-45k (new).

I'm also open to used, but it seems to be pretty hard to find many options out there on the used market....unless I"m looking in the wrong place.

Thanks for the help in advance!

Dylan

for $45K you can buy a pretty decked out 22 foot tri with 200. List is much higher but I found they come down hard and fast.

Once you start shopping you will see each toon has 10-20 different floor plans.

Have fun and get exactly what you want.

Most importantly buy from a dealer you like, trust and if any way possible, close to you. Because it will have a thing or two not quite right and you have to go back.

There is a lot to learn here and on a few other forums but this forum provides an unbiased approach not paid for by any brand pontoon company.
If you start reading past posts you will start to see that some pontoons or tritoons may have less issues than others or that some may go the extra mile when building them to keep issues down the road at a minimum. As has been said above, all major outboard manufactures are reliable and would go with a dealer you (or someone you trust) knows or trust and is the closest to you for service as it will need some service.
I would not rush into a purchase and take your time and make sure you get what you want. I know you are excited and may want one NOW but If possible I would go to several boat shows and look at various brands side by side. See the differences. Some boat show prices are very good. If you decide on what make and model then you can also save on end of the year models as the new ones come in and dealers can offer large discounts. This can get you into a better boat or a cheaper price on the one you want. All dealers will come off of MSPR a good amount so don't think you have to pay that amount.
My advice for what its' worth is: Don't be in a hurry and you will find what you want but if you jump into the first boat you like then you may be looking for another boat within a year or two..There is a lot of knowledge here so don't hesitate to ask...

Cool thanks for the replies friends.

I am not in a hurry - I live in WI so I won't be on the water until april or May at the earliest. Of course ordering one can take a while but again i'm in no rush.

Any particular brand of boats you guys find as great value or bang for the buck in the more entry level range?

Thanks!

tha_waco_kid wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 27, 2018 8:27 am

For example, sun tracker seems to be a brand geared towards what I'm looking for.

I don't have any experience with Sun Tracker but have some friends that do. I have been told by multiple people (multiple times) that if at all possible, stay away from Bass Pro and go with a local (or as close to local as possible) Sun Tracker dealer.

Also, do not elimiate other brands (i.e. Harris, Bennington, etc.) based solely on pricing. When you tell the other dealers you are looking at Sun Tracker, they will show you comparable models and generally get competitive with pricing up front.


Finally, I cannot encourage you enough to FIRST find a reputalbe dealer(s). Don't limit yourself to a particular brand upfront. I have had Bentley (entry level), South Bay, and Xcursion and those boats were bought because of the dealer. While those boats are not Harris, Bennington, etc., I have been completely satisfied with my boats. There are pros/cons to all makes and models but the dealer is the key to your happiness.


That is my $0.02 and good luck on your search!

Also, my boat came with more bells and whistles than I really needed or wanted. Yes, cool and fun, but bells and whistles are always what break. Mine came with rear underwater lights, WTF? lasted maybe two weeks. Replaced by me, under warranty of course, and I think they were installed with the wrong screws first time around and the plastic lenses were cracked because of it.

If you are a do it yourself person, no matter what brand you buy, you will be fixing little things that you should not have to fix, but its way easier than hauling it back to the dealer. But it's that way with ANY boat you buy.

good luck.

Good luck with your search, have fun and welcome to the club.

Welcome to the forum. Getting a boat is a great lifestyle change that you'll enjoy. My only regret is that I didn't do it much earlier in life!

As others have said the dealer is important. I always say PICK YOUR DEALER, THEN PICK YOUR BOAT. Even though pontoons are relatively simple boats, you'll still want a dealer you can count on. As far as brands go, any of the major brands are similar. One good place to go some info and comparative pricing is www.godfreypontoonboats.com . Godfrey has 5 different brands, all similar, but with different features and whistles and bells. The nice thing about their website is you can compare them side by side and build quotes with a MSRP. In the boating world, MSRP means nothing, but it's a good way to get an idea of what costs what. The biggest single cost will be the engine. It's easy for the engine to be more than a third of the total price.

I came from the world of fiberglass v-hull bowriders and was a Sea Ray owner. Sea Ray is one of the top brands in their market. When I went to a pontoon, I ended up with a Sweetwater, which I would say is in about the middle of the pack in the pontoon world. It offered everything I needed, without a premium price. To give you and idea, the SRP from the website for my boat was about $51k, which doesn't count taxes, etc. I walked out the door of my dealer at $39k all inclusive.

Good luck in your search. Let us know how we can help!

What Steve said is correct in that dealers can and will discount their boats. And a good dealer will make the brand more enjoyable as you will have issues...
I also am coming from a fiberglass CC and when I started shopping I started with Sun Tracker then looked at Sweetwater one of Godfrey's entry level boats and had a good price. Then, upon a friends recommendation, to a Bennington dealer which was known to be very good at customer service and only 20 minutes further away.
I was surprised that the Bennington dealer gave me a better price then the Sweetwater on what I thought was a better boat. So, if you don't check them out then you may lose out on some good deals. I am going with the Bennington because upon looking at many different boats I feel it is well put together, like the floor plan and it comes with a 10 year transferrable warranty which is hard to beat and a Great Dealer who stands behind the product...
Seek and you Shall Find...

Because a boat has a name that's got a luxury reputation, don't think the brand doesn't have entry level models. Most popular brands have different levels of seating and fencing, while the hulls are most often the same.

My boat is a Bennington 24 SSLX with the rear facing lounge seat and a Yamaha F150. It's as nice a boat as I ever care to pay for. And it was priced substantially lower than the comparable Suntracker tritoon because of Bass Pro Shop's one price everywhere marketing where they get you on expensive preparation and delivery fees.

Be aware that the difference 0f 200 hp vs. 150 hp may be as much as $2,800 for the engine. But at 200 hp, you will need the SeaStar power steering assist which can run another $3K installed. $5,800 is a lot of money for a 3 mph increase in top speeds. I seldom run my boat over 4500 rpms anyway.

Although I'm a 33 year Yamaha customer, the Mercury 4 strokes are often less money than the Yamaha motors and they do a good job on tritoons.

Bamaman speaks the truth on boat prices and on the increased cost of engine upgrades.
Many do not realize that Power Steering is not like what is in your auto and to get that you need the Power Assist like Bama stated.
I would say that even in a 150 I would want power assist and have it on my Yamaha 150. Being able to dock with one finger on the wheel is worth it to me but the Power Assist costs more than the Power Steering and to add both can add up fast and that is why many stay with less power.

Oldchuck wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 01, 2018 7:08 am

Bamaman speaks the truth on boat prices and on the increased cost of engine upgrades.
Many do not realize that Power Steering is not like what is in your auto and to get that you need the Power Assist like Bama stated.
I would say that even in a 150 I would want power assist and have it on my Yamaha 150. Being able to dock with one finger on the wheel is worth it to me but the Power Assist costs more than the Power Steering and to add both can add up fast and that is why many stay with less power.

To clarify, it's hydraulic steering with power assist.

My plan is to run hydraulic steering with NO power assist when I repower from a 115 to 200.

I need some education on the steering thing.

Mine is only 115 hp so I have no concept of how hard a 150 would be. I can easily envision the need at high HP of course, but with the gear ratio on mine, a full lock to lock turn doesn't take a whole lot effort (at my whopping 25 mph ) Has anyone owned both at 150 hp? Is it simply a matter of the combination of forward speed and torque steer?

Marc

It is subjective to the user. PS will allow you to hold a course without torque steer pulling you port or starboard.
It is PA that will allow you to easily turn the wheel like you would with PS in a car compared to manual steering.
Again personal preference but I could deal with non PA in a 115 but not in a 150 however if I were ordering myself I would get PA in a 115 due to the ease of spinning the wheel when docking. If I were 35 then I would not hesitate to go non PA in a 115 but I am about making it as easy as possible and hate to say I wish I had.
You can however add PA at any time and it is not hard so I would say try it without and if you want it then add it later.
Again, it is subjective to each boater but I would try one with and one without just to see..

As Old Chuck said, it's a matter of preference.

I came from the world of driving my car with power steering, and owning a v-hull boat with power steering. When I was pontoon shopping, the first boat I took out had the non power assisted hydraulic steering and a 150HP engine. When making a turn (regardless of boat speed), I pretty much needed two hands on the wheel and it took a firm effort to turn the boat. It reminded me of my old cars without power steering when driving at slow speed (like in a parking lot). When I bought my boat, I had the add the power assist. Now it steers just like a car with power steering. The power assist is normally a ~$2k upgrade, but I made them throw it in to seal the deal.

One thing to note..... When at idle or low RPM (docking, etc), the power assist can be a bit noisy. It sort of sounds like a car power steering system that needs some more fluid. Not terrible, but certainly not silent.