115 or 150 Yamaha
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Go with the largest motor you can afford. Doing it later is only going to cost you more, and make you wish you had done it in the first place. I started at a 150 and I wound up with a 250. Knowing you can't go any higher gives you piece of mind.
Remediation
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I agree with Rockie. You will always be wishing you had gotten the bigger engine. As a very smart person told me "Back in the day" build your second barn first and buy your second tractor first.
...just as a reference. Each time I stepped up (150, to 200, 200 to 250) was a sleepless night. I kept racking my brain trying to decide what was the best thing to do. getting to the top, 250, left me no choice as I cannot afford to step up to a R or a Q...YET. 
Wild and Free
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I agree bigger is better, I am in the process of trying to upgrade my 150 to a 200 myself and am having trouble finding a dealer to trade it in and so far no bite on my adds either. The one dealer who would take it in on trade wants 13K to boot mounted for a 200 sho, pretty bad considering I can buy one straight out online for 15,500 plus shipping and mine booking at around 8000.
You will love it with the 150 We have a 2375 GCW with the EPP and Yammi 150 on the warehouse. Our docks are not in yet but our dealer had an event last weekend and we took one out. It was great. We traded a RL2575 standard two toons and it did not drive like a boat more like a barge. I would guess your top speed with the 150 will be about 40. The boat we took out was not broken in and at half throttle we were cruising about 28. You will love it!!
1TOON3
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I understand the "need for speed", but another consideration would be the requirement of power steering on a 150. Based on the added cost of the bigger motor and the steering was going to be in excess of $5000, my decision made for me.
copperline
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I have a 2013 2550 rbr with a 150 and I got up to 41 this past weekend. Hope this helps
copperline
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If you go to the member spec part of this form, it looks like someone put the same boat your getting with a 115 on it and there gettin 35 mph out of it
I have a 24SLi with a 115hp - standard two log set up. I get 28 mph. Kids tube and ski - tubing is no problem and pulling kids on skis is no problem. I haven't tried to pull an adult on skis though.
kaydano
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We have a 24SSL, with the express package and 6 strakes. We get 35 mph pretty regularly with the 115. With just the wife and two kids, tubing is SCARY fast.
But, it bogs down big time with a full boat (8 people or more) and tubing becomes very unexciting quickly. I recall 18-20 MPH tubing with that many on board. And that's full throttle.
Gas mileage is good, but I would go with the 150 if I had to do it all over. Especially with Mercury's new 150 which is a lot cheaper than the verado and all the digital controls (which was my only choice at the time). I'm sure you know this, but with the 150 you'll probably want power steering, so factor that in too. Our 115 takes two hands to steer at high speed, but it's not a big deal. I probably wouldn't spend the $ on power steering for a 115. 150 is likely a different story...
I do understand your dilema though. If you search, you will find me asking the same questions you are about a year and a half ago!
I am curious what the dealer is telling you for a price delta between the two engine sizes. I recall it being $4-5k (with power steering). It jumps to $5-6k if you want to do it later...
Maybe I don't want to know...
But, it bogs down big time with a full boat (8 people or more) and tubing becomes very unexciting quickly. I recall 18-20 MPH tubing with that many on board. And that's full throttle.
Gas mileage is good, but I would go with the 150 if I had to do it all over. Especially with Mercury's new 150 which is a lot cheaper than the verado and all the digital controls (which was my only choice at the time). I'm sure you know this, but with the 150 you'll probably want power steering, so factor that in too. Our 115 takes two hands to steer at high speed, but it's not a big deal. I probably wouldn't spend the $ on power steering for a 115. 150 is likely a different story...
I do understand your dilema though. If you search, you will find me asking the same questions you are about a year and a half ago!
I am curious what the dealer is telling you for a price delta between the two engine sizes. I recall it being $4-5k (with power steering). It jumps to $5-6k if you want to do it later...
Maybe I don't want to know...
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Bamaman
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What I like about the Merc.150 FourStroke is that it's $3K less expensive than most Yamaha's, and you can choose to make it as technically advanced as your pocketbook allows, The OEM power steering assist on the Merc. is also cheaper, however I've heard people say online they like the SeaStar's more expensive power steering--drives better.
That said, my 24' Express Pkg./Yamaha F150 with SeaStar hydraulic steering steers very easy until about 32 mph. But we seldom (if ever) make tight turns going that fast, including tubing. Power steering would be nice, but it's not required until your @ 175-200 hp and above.
And I don't care anything about the SmartCraft type gauges and the wireless binnacle controls. They all would be a waste of money on our 16 mile long inland lake, and I prefer to keep my life simple. I have no intentions to spend $3K on gauges and a throttle/shift control installed, and would never care to shell out $5K for a supercharger 8 years from now.
That said, my 24' Express Pkg./Yamaha F150 with SeaStar hydraulic steering steers very easy until about 32 mph. But we seldom (if ever) make tight turns going that fast, including tubing. Power steering would be nice, but it's not required until your @ 175-200 hp and above.
And I don't care anything about the SmartCraft type gauges and the wireless binnacle controls. They all would be a waste of money on our 16 mile long inland lake, and I prefer to keep my life simple. I have no intentions to spend $3K on gauges and a throttle/shift control installed, and would never care to shell out $5K for a supercharger 8 years from now.
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Manitowish1
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Went with the 250 Verado Pro, no regrets.
Bamaman
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Money is not just money, for at one point buying toys break the camel's back. We live on the lake, and everyone has to have a couple of PWC's too.
But the Bennington S models with EPP and a 150 hp is a good balance of speed/cost. You can spend $10K more on a larger engine and hull, and you'll only get about 3 mph more.
My sister, a Lexus dealer, hasn't seen my Bennie, but asked how I liked the new boat. I told her that owning a Bennington is like driving a Lexus, except that the Lexus is cheaper. And that's the truth. But the difference is that I plan on owning my Bennington much, much longer than I intend to drive my Lexus.
But the Bennington S models with EPP and a 150 hp is a good balance of speed/cost. You can spend $10K more on a larger engine and hull, and you'll only get about 3 mph more.
My sister, a Lexus dealer, hasn't seen my Bennie, but asked how I liked the new boat. I told her that owning a Bennington is like driving a Lexus, except that the Lexus is cheaper. And that's the truth. But the difference is that I plan on owning my Bennington much, much longer than I intend to drive my Lexus.
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kaydano
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I love Bamaman's comments in the post just above. Actually, both his posts above. He explained my attitude EXACTLY on the speed/cost ratio. The way I look at dollars is to know the point where you should stop so you can fight another day.
For example, I just bought into a tailgating bus with 12 other guys. The $ I saved on the S with the 115 are now in a bus. It will be like extending boating season all the way thru Thanksgiving!
For example, I just bought into a tailgating bus with 12 other guys. The $ I saved on the S with the 115 are now in a bus. It will be like extending boating season all the way thru Thanksgiving!
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Ben & Suzy
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Buy the 150. You do not NEED hydraulic steering or power assist for a little 150. The hyd. steering is a convenience, not a necessity. The std dual cable no-feedback system will be more than adequate to handle the power of a 150. We used to run in excess of 300hp with our race boats with just the std. dual cable steering. A few guys still do.
You can always upgrade to the hydraulic steering at a later date if you feel the need or when your pocket book allows, but you will never have a better (ie cheaper) opportunity to buy more horsepower than when buying new. Another reason to buy the 150 over the 115 is a mechanical benefit. The Yamaha F150 has a more refined running quality because it has a counter-balanced crankshaft. It's much smoother running than the F115.
My brother has the Yamaha F115 on his Bennington RL tritoon. He's in the market for a 150 if that tells ya anything lol.
You can always upgrade to the hydraulic steering at a later date if you feel the need or when your pocket book allows, but you will never have a better (ie cheaper) opportunity to buy more horsepower than when buying new. Another reason to buy the 150 over the 115 is a mechanical benefit. The Yamaha F150 has a more refined running quality because it has a counter-balanced crankshaft. It's much smoother running than the F115.
My brother has the Yamaha F115 on his Bennington RL tritoon. He's in the market for a 150 if that tells ya anything lol.
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