Best and Worst Pontoons (After Inspecting 50+ Pontoon Boats at the Greenville Boat Show)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ย. 2024
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If you got the money for a $100k+ pontoon, good for you. I choose to stay away from 1500.00 a month payments for 15 years. If it floats, runs and you can enjoy it who gives af if it’s on the worst/low end list.
Amen. Not gonna live on it, just fish and spend some time on the water.
Lots of people care. Great if you dont care, many people do care.
I'm typically a best bang for your buck guy and if it needs work or mods that I can do, we'll then...
If I can get a used top quality one in pristine condition for the price of a cheap one, well then...
Great video. As a marine specialty adjuster, national instructor of boat and marine craft, life long boating enthusiast, I am critical of "review" videos. You did an excellent video. Great information and review. I am very knowledgeable in pontoons and their construction. It's easy to recognize someone who shouldn't be speaking to this subject. So, Great job. Thanks for the info.
Hi there! Since you seem knowledgeable about these boats, maybe you can provide some input...we are looking at a 2014 Premier 220 Sunspree, trailer, and lift. Original owner, 82 hours, well taken care of (professionally maintained, heated storage, battery tender, etc) Owner is asking $28k for boat/trailer & $6500 for the lift, which is about $2k over JD Powers average retail. What are your thoughts regarding this? Is the boat market softening, or is this a good value?
What is your opinion of Avalon / Tahoe made in Michigan?
@charleenshakman8926 There has been some softening in the market in the second half of 2023. To answer your question about the price. It's subjective. Typically, I would ask, has the boat been stored under roof It's entire life? How long do you intend to own the boat? If you plan to own it long term and it's been stored under roof, it might be worth the investment to pay a slightly higher price. However, when negotiating, cash in hand talks. They want to sell, you want to buy. I would bring to the sellers attention tha lots of boats have low hours, so that's not as attractive as a vehicle with low miles.
Wife and I just purchased a Bennington SL. 18ft....and we couldn't be happier. Yamaha 45hp. Enough power....just a great pontoon.
Due to the crazy used market i sorta settled on a 18 tracker dlx22 115 merc, but I polished the toons, removed all the decals, added good audio and really enjoy it. Now having had the upper seat storage I think I could go mid to high tier and my wife would say I miss our last boat.
I also added Hydrofin hydrofoils and it went from a splashy 25mph to a clean silent gliding 33mph and it’s an experience I didn’t think I’d get with a pontoon at all. Kinda amazing. We’re now a dealer
Very very interesting.
Love the information, I bought the Ranger FC 23 in 2019. It’s been amazing for our family so far and the price point was right where it needed to be. I chose Ranger because at the time there weren’t many manufacturers powder coating the toons at the time and nobody was offering the veterans discount that Ranger was offering as well. I’ve had several warranty claims over the years and Ranger stepped up each time, no questions. For the price point I would’ve loved a bit better fit and finish but overall I couldn’t be happier. I think you assessment of it being mid-grade is right on point.
Just bought a Prince craft 21. My last pontoon had two toon sand a 60 Hp. Upgraded to a tri toon and a 150 Hp. I don’t know a lot about boats but we did take care of our last one ( kept covered and regular engine maintenance) for three years and it was very good to us even though it would fall under your “value” line. Only ran non-ethanol and planning on doing the same with the new one.
High Rock Lake , NC
I'm a first time Boat owner and I got the 16 foot sun tracker my family and myself is happy with it and it’s comfortable and it comes with a 50 horse mercury but it’s my first boat so I think it’s a good boat
I got the same bass buggy. It's awesome
We have an '83 Gregor, 20 foot octapon.
Super basic!!!
And super light.
Have had it for 32 years, and we use it...a lot!!!
We sit on beach chairs, and recining patio chairs.
90 horsepower, 2 stroke Mercury engine.
And a trolling motor up front.
We have restored it, and eliminated the wood floor, with composite.
Runs 34 mph.
150 lbs skiers are no problem for it.
We take good care of it, and store it indoors.
We have under $7000 in it...and its bullettproof!!
Hose it off, and wipe it down at the end of the day.
Spilled drinks/food, dogs, whatever...doesn't matter.
Would'nt trade it for new fangelled luxury pontoon.
I own a 2013 Suntracker 18 ft Bass Buggy with a 60 hp Mercury bought new in 2013. Absolutely love the boat. It's a fishing machine. I took the money i saved and bought a quality depth finder and a minn kota terrova trolling motor with spot lock.
In my 6th year owning a 2018 Qwest 24'(30' with front and rear decks) Tri Toon with a 150 Honda. It's been a pretty great boat for our family. It does have its limitations on power/performance. Materials have held up extremely well. The "power steering" system leaves VERY much to be desired as it takes more effort than it should to turn since day 1. Some finishing work seems very low end with the style of sheet metal screws/wood screws holding a few fixtures together. If this boat had a larger outboard (Max 250HP per sticker) and a better power steering system, I would have no regrets recommending it to anyone. If you're the type of person that doesn't mind paying a bit more for a 200 or 250 and are willing to upgrade to an aftermarket power steering system: Go for it.
Me and my wife looked at all kinds of boats and we was on a budget and for the best bang for the buck we got a 22 foot Godfrey Sweetwater with a suzuki 115 I'm impressed by how the engine dose we get 35 mph with 4 people we love how it's built
Thank you so much for taking the time in checking out all of these pontoons and presenting them to us! An excellent, thorough presentation! Thx.!
Great job on the video! We purchased a 20’ Avalon pontoon w/ Merc 200 last year. Just put into service this spring. Love it so far. Handles great & very smooth. Had a deck boat before. We had delt w/ dealer for years on our last boat. They are very good to work with.
I have a 4 year old Premier Sunsation 230 with a 90 horse Yamaha. Absolutely love it. Very smooth and solid with very comfortable seating. No issues to date. It gets a lot of compliments on the water. I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase again.
We're very happy with our 2021 SYLVAN LS3 w/ Yamaha Vmax 250. Boat turns very nice, lots of fun tubing and has a top speed of ~50mph. The Bimini is build very strong and no issues with cruising +30mph.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Rinker's Boat in Montgomery TX did a fantastic job from A-Z. No issue at all and great customer service after the sale.
Still like the Sylvan? Looking at an L series 23' or X series 22'. Does it list at rest or while driving (tilted)?
I have a 25 foot Sun Tracker party barge pontoon. It is all aluminum construction. No wood at all. The seats are composite construction as well. This was my main point for purchase. No wood rot to contend with.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon purchased new in 2006. I upgraded to the inboard/outboard mercruiser engine. Still running great. No complaints at all.
I have a 1997 25' Suntracker Party Barge. All aluminum, no wood at all, repowered with a Suzuki 140. All new fruniture. Can't beat it.
Great video and great channel! I've done a ton of research myself, and I agree with your brand assessments. Lots of good boats out there. I ended up buying a higher-end Premier, and I've been very happy. They just do a fantastic job in the luxury pontoon segment with their build quality, attractive style, and their unique options and innovations. Also, their new ownership seems awesome--I’m glad they came through the Weeres/Palm Beach debacle OK.
I just bought a 2020 suncatcher elite with 8 hrs on it in near perfect condition and I will say it’s built like a tank and the seating is extremely push and detailed. I would say it’s pushing the top tier as far as quality goes. I’ve looked at Bennington and crest heavily but found the perfect boat for me
I purchased a 2019 Bennington 23 SLX3 Tritoon with a 115HP 4 stroke Yamaha about a month ago. It was an upgrade from a 17ft Mirrorcraft fishing boat and my family loves it. I think we have gotten up to about 23mph with it. Loving it and definitely appreciating learning more about pontoons. There are sooo many models that it can be overwhelming when you are trying to decide which one to buy.
I owned a 16'2" mirrocraft outfitter for 25+ years, too small , but loved it. I switched to an angler qwest tri-toon in 2021, wish I had done it years ago when my kids were still young. My point being, Don't procrastinate about buying the boat your family needs. You can't buy back those years and missed opportunities. Glad you realized this and made a switch.
Your observations mostly match what I've seen while we were looking for ours. My wife wanted a luxury pontoon but I refused to give an inch on performance from our Monterey 218SS. We landed on a new 2021 Manitou Oasis 230 SHP 575 with a Suzuki 250SS. I've gotta say it is fun to have a tritoon that cuts and turns like a v bottom boat and runs low to mid 50's. I'm not disappointed with our trade.
Awesome video! What I needed to hear and learn as I am shopping for a pontoon for the family. I appreciate your time and knowledge!
Glad it was helpful!
I’m a new boat owner, being in Canada the used market is ridiculous, so I opted for a new Legend Pontoon 21’ Lounge Boat since the cost of a new one is almost same as a 10yr old used one. All I can say without being biased is that the price was excellent and the boat looks great.
Have a 2017 18ft Bently with 60hp Mercury CT. Entry level pontoon boat. Really have had great experience with this little pontoon boat. Nothing fancy but well built.
We bought the Ranger 223-FC with a Mercury 200 in 2019 and we love it. It’s great for cruising with the family, towing the kids skiing, or fishing. In my mind it’s the best of both worlds. There’s been some items the dealer needed to address (typical boat stuff) and Ranger stepped up every time. The great thing where I’m at in Georgia/Alabama I rarely see another Ranger in the water which is nice. Very nice fit, finish, and overall quality and I’d highly recommend a Ranger pontoon.
I own the 2020 223-FC. I concur with all you have said here. The 200 moves this pontoon at 40 mph, the interior fit and finish are great. Lots of compliments from marina personnel when we fuel up. I like the powder coated pontoon look. Time will tell if it ages well. I too would recommend this boat.
I have a 2000 Sylvan Supreme LX, 22 ft with 2001 Mercury 4 stroke 75hp outboard. I think the layout is perfect, and I love having two side entry gates
Love your videos they really help a lot. I just picked up a Bennington 20sx for 39k with trailer. And for that 39k I feel like I made out pretty good, the biggest selling point for me was the 90hp Yamaha it came with and Benningtons 10yr bow to stern warranty.
Love my Bennington but be forewarned, getting replacement parts has been a nightmare as they change parts a fair amount and won't help you find out where to get the old ones.
I own a Bennington 2275fsi it’s a 2003 and I’ve owned since 2005, bought from original owner. Has a 90hp Yamaha. It’s a fishing and skiing package model. Can’t really ski off of it with only a 90hp.
Overall very well built pontoon. Upholstery looks new. (I’ve taken good care) information that you provided is much appreciated and very helpful. Looking at a new pontoon possibly. This info has been very educational. I like the new Barletta’s but get ready to go deep into the wallet.
Thanks for info,
Good luck
I have 2019 Harris sun liner. I looked at all local dealer boats and the dealer I bought from sold Bennington and Harris. I went in to my purchase a Bennington fan as I’ve owned before but kept being drawn to the Harris for many reasons. Prices were comparable but the interior on the Harris won in the end.
Lots good tritoon out there, but the fit and finish of The Harris is the best hands down
First season with a 2018 Bentley and are happy with it. Very comfortable. 26ft.
I got a 2019 sun tracker bass buggy with a 60 hp mercury 4 stroke,,,its made for fishing,,,I have enjoyed this boat more that any I have owned
Great vid and very informative. Just FYI though, my 2018 Southbay has the composite flooring. I would agree it's a mid-level, maybe high mid, but it's been great. I like the Dealer but they're far away so I use a local Merc shop. I wish one was closer and could provide great customer service. I will definitely take that into account for my next boat.
Have a 1997 Godfrey 20 foot particraft, love it. Needs work but it functions and all hardware and general build is intact and flawless.
We went from a 1988 Larson to a 24’ 2018 200hp Bennington, not sure the model but she has that fancy switch back seat. I hope to hold on her for 30 years just like the other one.
We bought a 2016 Sun Tracker 20DLX Party Barge. Its certainly an entry level boat, which made it a great first boat for us. It has been a solid boat which has seen inland lakes and rivers and Intercoastal Waterway. Other than a fuel pump issue with the Mercury 60 that is on it, we've had zero issues with it. I added a Lowrance GPS/Fishfinder right after we got the boat. Improvements I'd go for? Mercury Smart Gauge and more modern GPS/Fishfinder tech. I'm not thrilled with Mercury... but when it works, it works.
My wife and I bought a 2021 suntracker 22RF XP3 with a 200hp Mercury. We love the boat except we have had a problem with the Canopy. The straps broke while we where running and bent the frame of the canopy. New rule. We don't run wide open with the new $1500 canopy up.
We’re in the process of building a new Premier 31’ Boundary Waters with a 10’ beam to replace the same model that is now six years old.
The boat we are trading has performed wonderfully while we’ve had it. It has a single 350 Yamaha, and carries 22-24 people. We are typically in the 6-14 passenger range. The touchscreen control panel that Premier used back in 2015 was quite quirky and low def, but the new boat will incorporate a Simrad system with a beautiful touchscreen.
Additionally, our new build will have twin Suzuki 350’s with joystick control. Should be fun!
I should mention that we weren’t really thrilled with the current layout that Premier is offering, so they agreed to build us the same floor plan as the boat we are trading. There’s more usable and comfortable seating in my opinion.
I have a 2019 Quest 818 w/ a 70 HP Yamaha. Love it and it was right in my price point.
You hit the nail on the head based on your recommendations. I have owed both Sun tracker and sylvan. You have them in the correct tier in my opinion.
Viaggio is a newcomer ..and one of the better pontoons out there.
Pricing is also very good. Construction quality is outstanding.
Did you even read the posters reviews? The Viaggio is on his top five worst boats!
I have a 2021 Sunchaser Eclipse 25 SSB with a 350 XL Verado. Paid $89k incl. a brand new trailer. With the exception of the furniture & bimini, which aren't luxury, I have all the bells & whistles one could ask for and would consider it an upper mid tier boat. It's a beast!
Recently purchased a 2021 Lowe ss210 CL and i am extremely impressed so far. 115 Mercury
Top speed?
I just bought 2014 Atlantis 230 by Landau 140 suzuki. Big upgrade from 1997 Trinidad Suncruiser that was treated very well by me and previous owner. Thanks for video
Bought a 2021 Barletta LC23U. Most awesome boat I have ever owned and I had had a few. 300 HP Digital Yamaha.
Would definitely place Forest River in high end quality. As a dealer who has gone through nearly all of these boats, their boats are the best performing and in my personal opinion, the best looking. I would imagine that you did not get a chance to see the twin engine upper tier that they built. They build the fastest production tritoons. Check out a Trifecta Sport Series with Twin 450Rs. Blows anything out of the water in performance and looks.
As mentioned Forest River in the Berkshire brand in premium. As a boat dealer for many years and selling some of these brands you are wrong discarding the comment and not including them. Also you do have some wrong information as well in the video. One of them is that Forest River started using the composite flooring in 2018 MY.
I bought a new 2016 Premier 20ft SunSpree with a 50hp Yamaha. Still looks like new, we get compliments all the time asking if it is new. We keep it covered at all times if we're not using it. I've done quite a few creature comfort upgrades, (second battery with an isolator, water pump with hose to wash the deck, added forward bimini and wall enclosure to enclose the boat, overhead lighting in the bimini top as well as under the boat, additional switch panel with an additional 12v outlet and USB charging.) only complaint I would have is the amazingly comfortable seats do not have a layout that allows you to sleep on them and the local dealer has closed with the next closest dealer over 250 miles away.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon We do still have a Yamaha dealer so I can get parts for the engine. I'm able to do most of the maintenance myself but can rely on them for the more technical stuff. The hard part is finding Premier OEM parts for the boat itself. Greatlakesskipper.com has some things but not everything.
My dad got a copper red 2024 Bass Buggy pontoon 16 xl because we are getting older and retired disabled Service! I am doing research on this pontoon! 🤔
I work at a boat store.. we sell Godfrey and premier.. but we service all kinds and years of boats.. so I get the privilege of operating different boats everyday.. with that being said .. South Bay is one of the smoothest and great handling boats.. but it is on the higher end of price.. premier used to be better anything before 2015 .. there warranty is not so good at this point but the leadership has changed hands .. so we will see .. but for a mid price boat that handles excellent and runs great with good warranty.. a Godfrey sweet water with a 200hp is a great all around boat.. thank you for your videos
Just got a 2023 Sylvan Mirage 20ft party fish. It is brand new straight from the factory. It doesn't even have an engine on it! We're picking it up in about a week while they install the engine, a 115 hp Suzuki.
Just ordered a 2024 and in my opinion the best pontoon for the price .
@@bradwolfgram6345 Sorry for my essay-like response. When I wrote that comment I was all exited about getting one, but they actually screwed us over. The next day the dealer called and said that the price was incorrect, it's actually more expensive than they had advertised. Luckily, the money we put down on it was refundable. So we got our money back and rethought the whole thing.
There just happened to be a boat show in a couple weeks. We went there and talked to the dealers and compared brands and prices vs features. We ended up still really liking the Sylvans. They are a cheaper brand but the seats felt much more comfortable than the Benningtons. Something else we found out is that we were going to stick to pontoon and not get tritoon because tritoon is too expensive and not worth it for the calm waters we live by. Something else we found out was that on the 22' the fishing seats are captains seats, whereas on the 20' the fishing seats are small little stool-like seats. We also found out that we really like the extended back deck, a feature where the back deck is extended by a couple feet.
So, what we ended up getting was a blue exterior with grey interior 8522 party fish with extended deck with 115 Yamaha. The extra couple feet on the back deck is awesome for fishing and for people getting out of the water. We love the boat and hope you love yours.
Just from the 10 hours of inspection dedication alone, you get a thumbs up from me.
2021 Bennington 25 L Bowrider (full center toon) -- absolutely amazing handling. You still have to account for the box shape pulling into a slip, but on open water, she handles VERY much like a similarly sized Bowrider/Runabout.
I was looking for originally a Harris, but the only dealership within 100 miles that had boats ready to go was Bennington. Only regret was not bumping up to the 26 LX they had in stock (with Joystick controls), but the Bowrider setup was too good to pass up (and sold us the most)
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon the front really doesn't have a great entry point, you have to step on the seat ... The 26 LX had white seats, the 25 L had Gray... I based my choice on what the kids and dogs would do to the seats LOL
But overall, the finish is awesome
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon out of curiosity, any experience with the Yamaha Helm Master EX? (That's the joystick Control with only ONE outboard)
It seems that when you use the term "value", what you really mean is "basic". Value means good combo of price/quality, not basic. An expensive boat with lots of high-end elements can be a good value if it's less than similarly appointed boats who are more expensive.
I currently have an Avalon 22 Venture FNC but have been more impressed with Regency and their seat construction which has self=contained storage bins below the seats and tilt head cushions also with storage bins below. The Avalon, everything is on the floor basically and gets wet constantly.
Long time boat owner. Crownline, Southbay and now Bennington. Your advice is spot on - specifically about “best dealer” vs best boat. No truer words can be said.
just bought a pontoon and it is crazy that the used ones in the lot were about the same cost as the new ones. they had one that saw more sun than the fishing pier. the seats were all cracking. the dash was all faded. there were some completely rusted bolts for the hull. that boat was $200 cheaper than the new one. made no sense to me why anyone would buy it. it was 5 years older and same size too. same HP engine just it was Evinrude and the one i bought has Yamaha
Owned a Sea Ray 19 foot bow-rider with 4.3L I/O for 18 years. Now that we’re in our 50s with dogs we felt the move to a pontoon was the right decision. That and we were sick of repair costs. We were looking for a pontoon that was at a decent price point as we weren’t looking to have a really high payment this late in life.
Bought a 20 foot Suntracker party barge with 90hp Mercury. We’re very satisfied with the quality for the price point. 🙂
Bought a 2021 Godfrey Sweetwater 1680CX with a Suzuki 50hp...would have gone longer but my boat house was sized for a V-hull runabout. So far quite pleased after 3 months of ownership. It'll hit about 20mph WOT and can carry 7-8 folks quite comfortably, it has a pop up changing room and quite well constructed. I was a bit surprised that the toons are only 23" when even the bargain SunTracker has larger toons. The radio (bluetooth) is so-so and the instrumentation could be more extensive but all-in-all a nice quality boat and about perfect for our central Florida 2400 acre fresh water lake.
Outstanding work comparing all of these brands
I have a question about your opinion of Veranda. You mention the "apppointments". What do you mean by that? I just purchased a VR22RC and honestly, I can't imagine what could make it more towards the upper tier. I love the no wood approach for sure.
You didn’t mention Nepallo, any info on this brand?
I don't have anything yet, but thank you for these videos. My time is coming soon. I'm leaning towards the Lowe SF214
My buddy just bought a 2021 Godfrey Sweetwater with a 60hp Mercury motor. I would've recommended the 90hp, but hey, it wasn't my money. lol
Buyer beware, although the pontoon is a very nice boat, he (or should I say the dealer) learned after placing the order last fall and waiting all winter to accept delivery, that Godfrey changed the skirting to an option this year. When he went to pick up the pontoon, there was no skirting. Fortunately, he and the dealer actually discussed the finished look of the skirting when ordering it. The dealer's first thought was that one of his guys in the shop misplaced it. Only after contacting the manufacturer, did the dealer learn that the skirting is now an option and no longer standard. So, they were able to get the skirting and put it on for him. Obviously, at no cost to him.
Now, I don't know if that was an oversight on the dealer, or a change that the manufacturer should've made known to the dealer. Either way, between the dealer and Godfrey, they made it right. Just make sure you're getting what you ordered!!!
Happy boating and thanks for the great information!!!
Just bought a Cypress Cay 191 cruise. 60 HP Command Thrust. Solid boat and motor.
I have a 2010 22ft Veranda and its till going strong, we fish and tube with it, hit several stumps and it has showed little to no damage. Seats are having seam issues but for an 11yo boat thats been out in the sun its been good. Welds seem to show no sign of stress or cracks.
We have a 2007 22' Veranda. Sold on the aluminum deck. Smooth underside so no "surging". Plan on removing the carpeting and installing vinyl. Worth upgrading!
Great video! I think I saw an ad for Crownline, dual motors and the ability to turn them both outboard so you can move laterally. Crazy.
JC MFG INC. I have had 5 of them, they are really nice. The Tritoon hulls ride way better than a normal pontoon.
Thoughts on JC MFG...owned two of them and 4 trippletoons overall...JC was the best performing...including my Harris 250 Crowne
Very, very good review, congratulations. I learn a lot today. Thank you
I have owned the Southbay 925 with yamaha high thrust 60 which gives you the bigger prop and for money , it ,s a fantastic boat , for the family , Forest River makes a great pontoon...in My book .
Great video. Question, Why do so few 2 tube pontoons under 22 ft come with lifting strakes? I would think people would prefer having the added performance benefits.
Purchased a Barletta L25ue with a mercury 300 this summer... Love it!!
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon I did approximately one hour ago. I came across my "suggestion" on TH-cam. Very pleased with the boat and the customer service from Barletta.
We own a 23ft RL Bennington boat with a 100hp Yamaha year 2000 hasn’t been covered but I look softer it. The vinyl upolestry looks and feels new .It is23yrs old and people think it’s only a few yrs old runs perfect.
We have owned pontoon boats, and we were looking to upGrade for the past year. I don’t understand how you put Avalon / Tahoe in the top tier. They seemed so cheap and poor quality. The neighbors had one and didn’t like it. We looked at new ones cheap is all they are. Paper thin material for the seat material,etc. We had a brand new 18 Cypress Cay and by far was a way better boat than that. The Barletta is definitely a beautiful boat, but didn’t have a upper deck option that we were looking for. Bennington is a beautiful boat but the local dealers upper deck had no options.. So we went with a 22 Berkshire 27 EUD and absolutely love it. Very well make boat. Just can’t believe you put Avalon in the top tier really makes me think about this review. Everyone we have been talking to for the past year agreed they are definitely cheap. They make a Upper Deck boat that was about 10k cheaper than our Berkshire but the quality was not there sorry.
appreciate the info. What are your thoughts on the "Fiesta" pontoon boat line up?
I’m not familiar with that manufacturer. I’ll have to do some research.
I own a 2021 sun tracker 20' dlx fishing barge with mercury 90 hp 4 stroke command thrust.
I had a 95 Sweetwater 20' for our lake then we moved didnt like the wood seat boxes. We moved back to our house so I got a 2007 Playbouy with aluminum seat frames so much nicer it cleans up completely under the seats w no moisture or odors wood seat frames can get. Our lake is electric only so motors werent a concern I had to sell the gas motors and get the $3k Minn Kota eDrive 48 volt outboard. Much slower but quieter and more peaceful fishing wout the need for blaring radio and we can talk wout yelling over the noise. The homeowners on the lake probably appreciate the electric motors the most lol.
I'm confused. Your title says best and worst pontoons but there was no listing of best and worst. Only a list of tiers of boat price/quality and you said you can't go wrong with new boats on the market. So which brands are the worst??? Trying to make sure to avoid the worst. Thanks
The value brands are built the cheapest
Im curious what trim levels of the Legend, Bennington, Princecraft and Starcraft you looked at? I thought Princecraft uses a 25% stronger H36 grade aluminum, and their Vogue trim level is gorgeous.. Starcraft uses a heavy hat construction on most of their models and generally don't offer entry level models (have you seen a Starcraft CX, MX or SX?? Also, I was surprised to see Legend in the mid tier, they have always been entry level...
Avalon/Tahoe are two brand names by the same parent company Playbuoy . The models are all identical, just branded under a different name.
Any insight on the Godfrey Monaco line construction? I know it is a newer brand for Godfrey. I was curious if it is more of a suped-up Sweetwater or if it is built more like an Aquapatio. To make things more confusing, I noticed that Godfrey is also part of the Polaris umbrella with Bennington. It looks like both boats are made in the same town. Are the Godfrey / Bennington brands becoming more like a GM Yukon / Tahoe situation? Thanks, I love the channel
Went to the Houston/auto show 2022 and crawled under every pontoon they had on the floor. Thought we would wind up with Bennington or Harris. Bennington wasnt at the boat show but ill get back to that. Harris was there and within 5 minutes we knew it wasn't what we wanted. You listed it a luxury, it may be that to the naked eye but it is a poorly built, low quality boat. Lipstick on a pig. Go shake the "playpen", they shake like crazy. Lift the cupholders, the holder comes right out only to find vinyl that hasn't even been stapled or glued.. completely unfinished. Wife and I both just looked at each other and said "what a cheap pretty boat". Like a suntracker with fancy interior at best.
We came back to the Starcraft over and over at the show. What a very well made boat very comparable to bennington/Barletta. This is what we ultimately purchased.
Bennington wasnt at the show so we went to a dealer after and test drove an S- series and an L series. Both left alot to be desired for the 80K range. It might be a Bennington but its not really a Bennington. Value boat model. Same 80K in starcraft gave high end quality and dozens of add ons.
Point here is Less credit to Harris and more credit to Starcraft/Sylvan! They deserve more credit than they have ever been given.
If a mechanic is seeing a brand of motor more than another that tells me that motor could cost me in both money and time on the water! It could also mean more of that particular brand was sold.
I just came across your site and find it really helpful. Thank you for what you do. I was wondering if you can comment on JC limited pontoons. I am considering one that has been maintained in tiptop shape like new however, it has a 2014 Evinrude E tech 135 engine being new to the pontoon scene. Not sure if I should be concerned.
JC is a good quality mid-tier pontoon brand, I wouldn't be too excited about the ETech unless you can do the work yourself or have an Evinrude tech in your area that can/will do service on it for you.
Over time, it will make resale harder and likely will sell for less (likely is selling for slightly less than most on the market already) because BRP closed down the brand back during the pandemic
Great video. Thanks for all the information. We are looking for a pontoon and there are so many models that it's hard to choose.
On another note, may I suggest that you invest a microphone/headset. $60 corded gaming headset would improve your audit quality a lot.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon get a Focusrite Scarlett Solo Audio Interface and cheap XLR mic. Your sound will be much better. Check my buddy's channel: History class with Dr W. He just published Vietnam history vidoes. it will give you an idea of the sound quality. th-cam.com/video/c968lLw7h8Y/w-d-xo.html I edit his videos...
I did not see JC on your list...gosh they have bee around for years and really innovate for such a small company. What was your reasoning for keeping them off your list?
Great Video..... Thank You🙂
Where do you actually list worst and best in each Catergory?
I enjoyed this video....it was informative......i would really like you to go and get a good look at Viaggio/ Misty Harbor......i think they are producing more for less.....interested in what you would think.
My wife and I are thinking about a pond toon boat in our retirement we were looking at the sun tracker 20 fishing barge because of our age 63 do you think we are looking at the right type of boat? Please let me know if I should get a smaller boat or a different type. Thanks for your input
Have you heard of Windsor?
I’m looking to purchase a Lexington 3 series right now 320 with a 140hp Suzuki. Can you tell me why Lexington is not a good brand to purchase?
Bennington offers a 10 year warranty stern to bow, how do the other brands compare?
Oh gee, my pontoon boat doesn't have lighted cup holders, I suck. Nothing in this video means anything at all.
If you all had to choose one - Sun tracker or Princecraft?
I'd go with the one with the best local dealer nearest me
Just saw reviews on new Manitou Rotax S 150 H Dual Engines. Any opinion new design and potential issues with submerged outboard or under board Motor , as some refer to it?
I personally would not buy one at any price because of the design. If it’s under water at some point water will get inside and then you’re in trouble
I bought a 2020 Birkshire 23 STS Entertainer (Forest River) with a Yamaha 250 HO. After extensive online research I decided to go with Birkshire because of the good reviews and the composite deck. All for not... the pontoon had a serious list to the starboard side, after 8 months of trying to have the boat repaired I traded it in on a Bennington. The first 6 months was wasted on them taking the stance that the starboard pontoon had water in it, even after having it checked 2x time, finally on the third check they concluded it was not a water issue. At that point they realized that a replacement or repair of the starboard pontoon was not going to fix it, they took the stance that lists are normal. Last offer, they referred me to a new dealer who would buy it at wholesale, repair it, resell it and sell me a new boat. Great deal right? I politely turned it down. Bottom line I would not touch a Forest River boat with a 10 foot pole, their warranty is bunk !!
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Initially I suspected it was structural, that the pontoons / deck had been jigged wrong. I had a carpenter and a machinist measure the boat and neither found anything of significance. The Dealer measured as well, thought maybe it was twisted, found nothing. When I talked to Birkshire (initially) they told me the port side was heavier (300 pounds) due to the table and chairs, any list should be on that side, a driver would counter that. Later they discovered that the starboard side was in fact heavier. I think they loaded the starboard side to counter a perceived weight imbalance. By putting the heavy stuff on the wrong side they amplified a existing list, add a driver and vola - 500 pounds too heavy on the starboard side. At one point they suggested I add ballast to the port side, carry around extra weight might level the boat but at what cost? that was a hard no. When I realized they were unable to fix the boat I honestly thought they would take it back and send me a new one, that was naive.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon 100%, you nailed it. This was my first pontoon, all previous boats were fiberglass. I was surprised to learn unlike fiberglass boats, most pontoon builders do not water test their boats, they are sent to the Dealer unrigged. The Dealer may or may not water test them, in Canada, almost never. When I spoke to the Birkshire tech, he mentioned that a Entertainer model was being delivered to a Marina Dealer and they would see how that one sat. That suggested to me that the Entertainer configuration had never been water tested (as equipped), hence why the list was never identified and corrected.
You've obviously not looked at a Bentley Elite! I've yet to find a better boat under $60K with a 200 with tons of standard features for the money. Then there's a great warranty.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon I did so much research on the Bentley's, especially the Elite price range and quality. You didn't come close in your analogy but I do respect your opinion and knowledge on mostly everything! Give the latest Bentley another look.
He have a play craft Hampton try toon and it is a wonderful boat. It’s quick nice and comfy. Only have a 150 Honda on it.
Thanks for the info new to pontoon boats what do you think about a 20year old Bennington withe a 115 Yamaha?
Do you really think 10 hours of your lifespan at a boat show gives you the right to be a critic and self-proclaimed expert of pontoon boat manufacturers processes and boat dealership ethics?
What brands of mid tier and luxury use aluminum or composite for the pontoons floor. Longevity