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Could you please give your opinion on motor size?

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gblake

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Hello, we just purchased our first pontoon boat and we still have time to change the motor if we need to. I read the previous posts suggesting that others go with more hp, and I was hoping someone could give an opinion on if this would apply to us as well. We are buying a 2018 22GSR. It does not have the third pontoon and it has no lifting strakes. The dealer said it's close to 24' long. We have two adults and three children and would be using it for tubing. We don't ski but the kids might like to try it someday. It has a 115 HP Yamaha. We could upgrade to a 150 but the dealer said if do that, we should also upgrade to hydraulic steering. He thinks the 115 will be fine for us. What do you think?
 
I'd bump it up to the 150. Given your intended use of tubing and the size of your family the 115 will struggle. We had a 22' with a 115 and strakes on a two toon setup and it was under powered.
 
I would also add strakes.
 
I have a 2017 24 foot Swingback with a Yamaha 115 and same toon set-up. With 5 on board and tubing, you will need the 150 unless you want to be a full throttle the whole time and working hard to steer it. I don't have hydraulic steering with the 115 and regreted it the day I brought it home. With either motor if you plan to pull a tube you will want the hydraulic steering. It's double the price to upgrade to the 150 once you take it home. If you can afford it, your arms and your kids will appreciate it. I don't pull tubes but I'm adding the hydraulic steering to mine as soon as it warms up here in Michigan. Good luck
 
I think, 150 and hydraulic.
 
You will not be happy with the 115hp. It is a price point motor. Since you have upgraded to a G model, seriously look at the strakes and the 150. P/S is great but you can live without it or add later. Without the upgrades, your performance will be like grandpa's old boat. The new toons are performance boats that are as comfortable as your living room.
 
Yep, buy once cry once. I agree with the others, you'll be much happier in the long run with the bigger motor. I had two F150's on my saltwater fishing boat and they are just awesome motors. Besides, I always like to spend other people's money, lol. Seriously, get the 150.
 
Bamaman said:
Back out on the deal. Buy a new tritoon with strakes and at least the Express Tube option and 150 hp. Take it from a 38 year pontooner, they are much more seaworthy than a 2 toon boat.
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This is the best advice on the thread!!!
 
Bamaman said:
Back out on the deal. Buy a new tritoon with strakes and at least the Express Tube option and 150 hp. Take it from a 38 year pontooner, they are much more seaworthy than a 2 toon boat.
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Thank you, Bamaman,
A tritoon would be great, but even if we switch to the S and get a two foot smaller model, the tritoon would still cost more than the one we are buying. But we took the advice and upgraded to the 150 and hopefully that will be a good fit for us while still staying within our budget.
I appreciate everyone's responses and opinions- thank you! I'm glad we asked on here before we took the 115. It sounds like we will be much happier with the 150.
 
Congratulations and welcome! Pictures when available...
 
I am waiting on a 22SSRXP and was also considering the 115. My dealer told me that I would never be happy with the 115 and to get the 150 with hydraulic steering. I took his advice and also added Power Hydraulic Steering based on advice from this forum. I think you will be much happier with the 150.
 
We have a 22GSR and love it. I agree with several of the other posts, go with the 150 and at least add lifting stakes if tritoon isn’t an option now.
 
I almost fell off the chair laughing at the title to this thread. Not making fun of the original poster, just knew what everyone would say.

Glad you switched to the 150! 115s are evil. Cost me about $5k to learn that the hard way. You took the advice of the forum and saved $5k. Not bad for a 5-minute post. I did not take these guy's advice back in 2011. I always tell my kids "you can learn it the hard way, or you can learn it the easy way". The 115 was learned the hard way for me. My sole mission in life is to keep people away from 115s...

I have a 150 with cable steering. Doesn't take any effort to go in a straight line. Tubing (S curves) takes some effort at tubing speeds. If you're in fairly decent shape, not too old, and not terribly lazy (like some guys on here), you can make it work. 95% of the time you will be going in a straight line. And, at slower speeds (15 mph and less) it takes very little effort as well. It's steering torque, not the weight of the motor. What that means is the faster you go, the harder it gets to turn. Eat your spinach.

There is a SAFETY advantage to hydraulic steering worth noting. Steering lock. No "circle of death" if you fall off your boat. Which, if you fall off a pontoon boat while captaining it, your probably already dead.

That twin toon doesn't happen to have twin elliptical pontoons, does it?
 
Thank you, Michiman and JPeraino!
Kaydano, I don't think it has elliptical pontoons, it doesn't say it on the spec sheet so probably not.
Mike31406, thank you, we will ask the dealer about adding lifting strakes. We purchased the GSR because it's what they had in stock, we would have also liked to see the 22SSRXP but he didn't have one. I'm really happy you love your GSR. Once we bought ours we started to worry that we hadn't looked at enough before deciding, so it's great to hear from someone who has one and is happy with it.
 
You want the strakes. NOW!
 
Maybe this site should start a 115 haters support group. If you bought a 115 were here to help you through it.
 
H2GO said:
Maybe this site should start a 115 haters support group. If you bought a 115 were here to help you through it.
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I'm a member of the PADS group and 115 group. No wonder I'm so screwed up!
 
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