Brand new to this site

[smalljaw]

Hi, I am brand new to this site. I am in the market for a pontoon and I thought this would be a good place to get advice. I am wanting to purchase a pontoon but don't know if I should get new or used. The problem I am having is that all ads advertising new pontoons dont give you prices for the most part. They always say contact dealer for pricing. I don't really want 300 salesmen calling me on a daily basis. So.....short story long.....I am wanting a pontoon that will comfortably seat 8 adults, 3 children, and still be fast enough on the water to get somewhere. Also, plenty of power for tubing is a must. I am thinking tritoon with atleast a 115 horse motor. What is the most affordable, yet dependable option I would be looking at as far new pontoons go? Maybe I just need to keep looking for a used one. But MAN!!! people are really proud of those prices right now! Thanks in advance all.

[ROLAND]

I am wanting to purchase a pontoon but don't know if I should get new or used. The problem I am having is that all ads advertising new pontoons dont give you prices for the most part. I am wanting a pontoon that will comfortably seat 8 adults, 3 children, and still be fast enough on the water to get somewhere. Also, plenty of power for tubing is a must. I am thinking tritoon with atleast a 115 horse motor. What is the most affordable, yet dependable option I would be looking at as far new pontoons go? Maybe I just need to keep looking for a used one. But MAN!!! people are really proud of those prices right now! Thanks in advance all.

Smalljaw... wow, that's a double edged sword there.. obviously several schools of thought can be applied when shopping for a new toon. If your like me, and you are mechanically challeneged, I say go new.. with that option you have a warranty and everything is brand new. Obviously you can save money and you can still get a great deal on a boat if you buy used. But before I would buy anything used ( unless I knew the previous owner ) I would have a certified mechanic go over the motor. My boat has a 75 four stroke on the back and I'm guessing to replace that would run somewhere around 7K. So if you get a great deal on an older boat, but end up with a motor that needs replacing, well then your great deal has gone to hell in a handbasket. However there are some newer used boats out there that can be had for a great price, but you have to keep shopping.. I don't have a tri toon. Just 2 logs below a 20 foot benny with the 75 yammy on the back end. With three people on it in somewhat choppy water, I got 23 mph at wide open throttle . I probably could have gotten 24 or 25 ( splitting hairs here ) if my two passengers had been sitting in the rear of the boat instead of up in the front fishing chairs. I will tell you this, my son has a 24 footer with a 115 on it, and he says my boats as fast as his, but then again his boat weighs more than mine. A general rule of thumb is : if you can afford it, get the largest motor that your boat is rated for. And if I could interject one more thought here, don't be wowed by bells and whistles. If money isn't an object, buy one loaded out. But here again, my son's boat has quite a few ammenities on it that mine does not have and to be honest with you, we don't really miss them. We bought it for cruising and fishing and so far we're delighted. Sorry so long winded.. Good luck with your boat shopping. I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever you end up buying.

[dockholiday]

Price wise bentley (encore now i think) an suntracker are pretty good value for the money. think you can get a price on the net on suntracker if not local bass pro shop. where are you located?
doc

[smalljaw]

Thanks for the replies and thanks for all that wonderful insight. To be honest with you, I am wanting to keep my purchase in 16-20k range. So brand new is probably out. As far as having one with every bell and whistle, I dont need that. All I basically want is comfort, depenability, and something to pull a tube while still being loaded with adults. Fuel economy is something else I will be looking at. Do i/o drink fuel or are the pretty economical? I am assuming 4 stroke will probably be best on fuel. Thanks again guys for yor advice and response. And to answer your question, I live in Nashville, TN.

[OlJim]

In that price range you are probably looking at 2007 or older if you go with a 22 ft or larger. If you settle for something smaller you can go newer. It seems the trend is for the 21, 22 footers with lifting strakes and largest motor it can carry.
If you are considering the resale value, this is how I would go. I don't care what people say they all would like more speed.
More speed equals more dollars. I got lucky and found a 22 ft Suntracker 22 Party Barge Regency Edition with a 90 HP Merc and a Motor Guide TM and GPS Locater with tandium Axle trailer with 6 new tires for 15K. I looked for a long time and didn't get in a hurry.

[dockholiday]

Probably get a bentley with 150 tri toon for around 25k or 26k. Don't rule out the 2 stroke.....the opti is a great motor with plenty of zip. Are you needing a trailer or are you going to slip it. boat trader is a good place to get an idea of prices in your area.

doc

[Ray Jr.]

This spring we got a 2009 Premier 225 Sunsation LTD with 90hp Merc, injected 4 stroke for 21k with new trailer.
It was a rental that had been used in 09 and we got the full new warranty on the package, but got the boat at used price.

[DWill3332]

I looked for several months and found a 2007 24' Smokercraft Sunchaser with a 90 hp Mercury and a tandem axle trailer that was practically new for less than $11,500. I looked on Craigslist in Columbus and the neighboring towns and found my boat at the BassPro Shop in Prattville, AL. The 90 has enough power for us. My son is close to 300 pounds and it will pull him on a tube with three other adults on board and give him all he wants as far as speed inside and outside the wake. It took a while, but we are very happy with what we found and the service we received at BassPro.

[smalljaw]

wow. thanks guys for all the information. I can tell already I am going to love this site. I did stumle across a 2007 22 foot sun tracker regency with approximately 10 hours and less than 20 miles on the trailer that comes with it. I want a trailer because although this boat will be slipped, I also plan on taking it to neighboring lakes from time to time for vacation. Anyways, this boat looks like new and it has the 3.0 mercruiser i/o with alpha one drive, two logs, no lifting strakes. The price is 15000. Seems like a pretty good deal but my concern is why would the guy be selling it unless this is underpowered and slow. I know the i/o weigh more than outboards. How fuel efficient would this boat be? Is it underpowered? Good deal or should I stay away?

[OlJim]

If the engine and I/O check out it sounds like a good deal.

http://boat.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/boat.cgi? ... submit=+GO+

Jim

[badmoonrising]

No way is it going to be underpowered, the 3.0 is 135 horsepower and a bullet proof motor/drive. Both my boats have the same setup and it's very reliable and only takes basic tools to maintain, unlike an outboard. As for efficiency, they are about the same as an equal HP carburetor-equipped outboard. My PC is 32 ft., and our total annual fuel bill is under $400 per season and we are slipped April 1 - late November.

Some of the guys that have the same size boat with the 3.0 haven't complained about top speed either...

[ts250girl]

Welcome-I am a newbie here myself. I just wanted to pitch in my 2 cents worth
I have a 32' sun tracker party cruiser, basically a giant version of the Tracker you are looking at. I took it on 3 LONG (several hours each, ranging between 7 knots and 14) trips in the last several days, in rough water and with many people on board (12 today) and I still haven't used up all the gas in the tank. I have the 3 liter 4 cylinder as well. And it's been runing great (except for dieseling once at shut-off but I don't think it's an engine issue). Hope this helps

[badmoonrising]

Dieseling is usually caused by the idle being a bit too high, may wanna turn it down just a little...easy with a flat blade screwdriver.

[smalljaw]

thanks again for all the advice. I hope the guy still has it. I also found a 2001 premier 22' tritoon with a 115 yamaha 4 stroke on it. the guy wants 12500 for that. Sound like a good eal or should I stick with the Regency? Both seem to be in excellent condition. Also, excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is "dieseling"?

[lakerunner]

If the Premier is nice I would go that one