In The MarKet for a Pontoon

[midnytlady]

I Have been looking at 22 thru 24 foot Ones..What does everyone think about the Cypress Kay pontoons compared to the Benningtons..I am thinking about 115 horse engine...would Like a Mercury 4 stroke but the Benningtons had a Yamaha 115 on it.

I am in the Bull Shoals area of Ark. and would like to buy here just for the warranty stuff etc..

Anyway, GoIng to pull the trigger here soon, but really know nothing about them. I am open to just about any brand but have only looked at the two I mentioned..Would like to know what to look for and what to avoid

Thanks
Mary

[Cyncwby]

Well Mary there's lots of things to consider as well as options. Are you looking for a triple pontoon or just two .....what are you planning on doing with it, pleasure cruising, fishing, pulling tubes? You can get any engine you want, remember it's your money. Every body told me "you have to get a 4 stroke" well I wanted a Merc 175 Pro Xs and that's what I got on my Bennington. Do lots of shopping and talking to folks......except salesmen. Look at the boat trader website, ton's of nice toons in there, new and used. Get back to us if you need help. Here's my rig100_1223.jpg100_1417.jpg

[midnytlady]

Thanks for your Reply. We are looking at a two tube boat mainly used for pleasure cruising and pulling some tubes. Yep everyone has told me that I need to get a 4 stroke too, I am kind of sold on that. I am going to shop around but I do think I am going with a new boat...
Boy you sure have a nice rig.. Really like that..
Thanks again..

Mary

[Grandpa]

sunset.jpgBruce_Norma_at_Anglers_Choice_Marine.jpgfishing_toon.jpgpicking _up_the_new_pontoon_2.jpg
hi Mary

I bought a 22ft Bennington two tube with a 115 hp Yamaha 4 stroke last fall, mine is dark blue with a tan interior, i got the one with the 2 fising seats in the front and the 2 in the rear also. One thing i was insistent upon was no carpet, it has the vinyl floor same color as the seats, and we love it, just hose it off and forget it. What sold me on the Bennington was the warranty and the customer service ratings that they have. And i was lucky to have a Bennington dealer right in my town here. All your Benningtons will have Yamaha engines, they come pre rigged from the factory that way.

I am not familiar with the Cypress Kay, other than reading their brochure.

Good luck with your search, and if you have any questions, we all will be glad to give your our honest opinions here.

Bruce

[midnytlady]

Hey Bruce, now I know why all the Benningtons had Yam. on them...Going to look at a Lowes today it has a 115 merc. on it. It is a 23ft boat..

You have very nice boat.. Thats about what I am looking for..Is that vinyl flooring slick? Thanks for the pics.. the first one is beautiful..

Thanks for the reply

Mary



Mary

[GOTTA BIG SACK]

Cant go wrong with a Bennington. I am trading my ski boat in on one next week. Im going with a Bennington 22' with a 150 Yamaha 4 stroke (i want it to be quiet). Getting the lifting strikes also. Looked at probably 6 different brands last week at the boat show and I thought Benningtons were the nicest ones without getting into really serious money.

[Bamaman]

We've been avid pontooners for 28 years, after bad experiences with two inboard outboard ski boats.

The top 4 pontoon boat brands are Bennington, Harris, Premier and Manitou. I would be proud to own a South Bay, Tracker, Cypress Cay, Avalon/Tahoe and another dozen brands, and they are perfectly decent boats. All of the popular brands have 3-4 different models of trim and interior packages mounted on the same quality boats--and prices go from very reasonable to outrageous. It all comes down to how much you want to spend. You can read all about pontoon boats on PontoonForums.com.

Many pontoon owners start out in a 20 or 21' boat with a 50 or 60 hp motor only to quickly figure out their boats don't run fast enough and handle enough people. They'll be quickly trading as small engines are boring. I believe in buying one boat that fully suits your needs with as large an engine as you can afford, because you can never have too much horsepower.

A 22' boat with a 115 hp and two toons will get you there, and pull a kid on a tube. But the most satisfied owners, especially if they're on a large lake, are running 22' to 24' tritoon boats with lifting strakes and 150 hp or larger four stroke motors. The lifting strakes on toons get the nosecones out of the water, cost maybe $600, and they're good for a 5+ mph increase in speed.

I bought a new Bennington 24SSLX tritoon with a F150 Yamaha last year. With a Reliance 15 pitch prop, I'm seeing 41 mph @ 6100 rpm's. (The 150 hp motor is substantially more motor than a 150 hp.) The engine's very quiet and fuel usage is relatively low. My boat's very seaworthy and will take any wave our wide, deep lake gives out. Even though it's Bennington's budget line of boats, my SSLX is absolutely beautiful with its' 48" rear facing lounger and extended rear end.

Many people think pontoon boats are generic, but there are differences between the manufacturers. Often, the quality of the boat is covered up with sheet metal in places you cannot see. There are two pontoon boat manufacturers that are seeing great sales increases--Bennington and Forest River's Berkshire group. The rest of the retail market is flat.

Bennington is #1 in sales, and I'm very sold on them as a company. While they're the largest purchaser of Yamaha motors worldwide, Benningtons are available with any brand of outboard motor and with I/O's. Bennie has 4 different lines of boats (S, G, R and Q) with an incredible number of lengths and models--to suit any needs. They're a very inventive company, and have warranties unmatched by any other manufacturer. And Bennington is completely customer driven. I seldom see any Bennies on dealers' lots, as they sell so fast used.

We are fortunate to have our boat hanging in a boathouse, and we use it all the time. We enjoy every minute we're out on the water. I just wish my 6 year old grandson would let me drive my own boat, as he thinks it's his.

[midnytlady]

Gotta Big Sack and Bamaman thanks for the info...I am leading toward a Bennington, didn't get to see the Lowes today..Probably tomorrow. I was told on Bull Shoals Lake that I didn't need a tritoon. Who Knows??.I just put in a boat lift for a two tube boat in my dock.Hope I didn't make a mistake, but I am going with a 2 tube boat now..

Thanks Again

Mary

[Boatseller]

Hey Bruce, now I know why all the Benningtons had Yam. on them...Going to look at a Lowes today it has a 115 merc. on it. It is a 23ft boat..

You have very nice boat.. Thats about what I am looking for..Is that vinyl flooring slick? Thanks for the pics.. the first one is beautiful..

Thanks for the reply

Mary



Mary

Actually you can get a Yamaha, Mercury, or Etec and maybe even some others on a Bennington. It is just that 98 out of 100 Bennington's sold have a Yamaha

[Bullshoalscat]

Mary I have a place on Bull Shoals also, (Theodosia area) I just sold my Harris this past fall (bought a Crownline ski boat) 24 footer with tritoons and lifting strakes with a 200 Verado,scooted along about 47 according GPS Tritoon gives a much smoother ride also make sure you get the underneath enclosed so you don't get a loping type ride. My Bass oat is PUma FTD kind of orange with orange seats. If ya see me come say hi

[midnytlady]

Hi Bullshoalscat, love the Theodosia area we had a small cabin in the Pontiac area a long time ago..We sure will look for the orange Puma and say hi..

What do you mean by "make sure you get the underneath enclosed" I have never heard of this.. Thanks for your Reply

Mary

[Wildcat Dude]

He's talking about underskinning the boat. Cuts down on noise, water slapping up against the members and slowing you down, slight increase in MPH, better fuel economy. skinning a boat - RestorePontoon.com - Page 1

[Bullshoalscat]

Thanks Wildcat could not recall exactly what it was called., but it makes a world of difference in the ride. Mary what part o Bull do you live on ?

[midnytlady]

Skinning a BoaT, I will check into that. No one has mentioned it to me at all.. Thanks..

Bullshoalscat we are In Arkansas, if you know where Bullshoals Marina is we are one cove north of there..I guess about 2 or three miles from the Mo. Ar. border..If you see a red and silver ranger 620 with a big old white Akita in it...That's us..Say Hi.

Mary