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Did I buy enough?

Keep the 150 and don't think anymore about it.  Your cost will just keep going up. :)   ...that said the 200 is very nice...and I'm sure anything above that would be even better.  


For us, I cruise around at 3000 RPM.  I really don't check the speedometer very much...but when we need to get up or downriver quick.  The 200 makes it much easier...and it is fun passing some fiberglass boats.
 
I am sure you would be happy no matter which you go with. I happen to think the 200 with the SPS is a fantastic combination. I would go with the old adage, buy what you can afford. The boat I just purchased do to the PADS virus in just a year was 3% more MSRP.
 
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Agree buy what you can afford but I assure you PADS will set in.  I know the price I paid in 2013 and I see the prices on the boat builder [knowing what I would expect to pay] and I assure you will have PADS and think I cant afford to trade in and then pay that much more.


Therefore even if it is a reach get the boat with all you want.  Finance it if you have to and then know I am paying tomorrows payment with yesterdays money


Otherwise you will be like me; love my boat but wish I had the bigger motor - upgrade the motor or give in to PADS
 
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Link said:
Finance it if you have to and then know I am paying tomorrows payment with yesterdays money
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while I have fun today.  (when applicable)  Seriously, my Benni rocks with the 150, you wont be disappointed. 
 
Sooooo PonTuna Salad,  are you any more closer to deciding after we all chimed in?? As the replies show, the 22' S series boats do fantastic with the 150, the 24' S series boats seem to have a consensus of the 200. Obviously buy what you can afford, but from the previous experience here, there's no cheaper time to buy horespower than now! Either way I'm 100% sure you'll love you're Bennington!!! Good Luck! :)  
 
Okay, my two cents as well. I think you need to decide what you want from your boat, just like you did when purchasing the three previous Sea Rays. Easy cruising with a load of people? Water sports? Water sports with a load of people? Flat out speed? And how about you personally? Can you ever let it go that you didn't get a larger engine, no matter how well the 150 performs? If every time you come aboard you longingly think about what might have been, do what you need to do, NOW. As other's have said, it only gets more expensive down the road.


Although we both have different set-ups, I think we're probably in very similar situations. I've got a large, fairly heavy boat with 100 HP less than the maximum rating. However, it works great with my normal light load, but also does very well loaded with 16 people. Water sports are not a problem, either, as I have great low-end performance. What I don't really have is top-end speed, but like CapKaz states above, high speeds on a pontoon for extended periods of time is not all that comfortable for most people due to wind.


It's a big decision but if you carefully examine what you are truly looking for in your new Benny, I'm confident that you'll make the right decision and end up loving the heck out of it. Good luck...
 
Great discussion.  When the max HP on my 24' (with SPS) three years ago was 150, I was happy with that.  Then the dealer said I could get a 200, so I went with that.  I recently heard from a regional Bennington rep at a boat show that S models (Premiums?) can get a 250.  I have seen 45.0 once on GPS with my 200, have been over 44.5 a number of times, and easily/routinely get over 43 mph with clean toons.


But straight line speed isn't everything (although I love the bragging rights).  We do some water sports, but just mostly cruise with 2 - 8 people.  The 200 gives me great "load sensitivity."  I'm sure I could have been happy with a 150, but that being said -- when I eventually upgrade to an R or Q (with ESP) I will agonize over how much HP to get (meaning $$ to shell out).  Those 300s (plus?) are just so darn sexy!  
 
Thanks guys for talking me off the ledge. I believe the 150 will work for me. I normally cruise 25-30 in my bow rider anyway, so being able to cruise like that in a pontoon will work for us.  I know you enjoyed trying to help me spend my money  :p


Mrs. Salad and I are at a stage in life where cruising will be the most we do. Our girls are on their own and when they visit they like cruising and lounging now. Since we don't have grandchildren yet (CWAG wants to loan us some) so by the time they get big enough to do any high speed water sports it will be time to upgrade for sure. 


When I feel the need for speed, I can jump on my HO Waverunner.  :rolleyes:
 
Good choice P Tuna! I think you will be more than happy with the 150. I had the 200 on my 2275 RCW w/ESP and speed wise it was plenty. Blew by lots of V hulls all the time. Only reason we traded in that boat was the tower model came out shortly after we got our "last boat we'll ever buy" and we decided we wanted it, and my dealer wanted me to have it!  We originally had spec'd it with a 200 again, but then figured with the extra weight of the Sport Tower and the fact that the wife wanted to be SURE this one was our last boat, we up'd it to the 250. Only saw about 2 mph difference between the two. Of course we hadn't thought about the 290lbs of batteries too!! Haha 


This seems to have cured the PADS so well that it has me trying to sell the boat without even having another on order!
 
Buy what you want and can afford! 


Never know when that dog is gonna need something! Ha!
 
PonTuna Salad said:
Thanks guys for talking me off the ledge. I believe the 150 will work for me. I normally cruise 25-30 in my bow rider anyway, so being able to cruise like that in a pontoon will work for us.  I know you enjoyed trying to help me spend my money  :p


Mrs. Salad and I are at a stage in life where cruising will be the most we do. Our girls are on their own and when they visit they like cruising and lounging now. Since we don't have grandchildren yet (CWAG wants to loan us some) so by the time they get big enough to do any high speed water sports it will be time to upgrade for sure. 


When I feel the need for speed, I can jump on my HO Waverunner.  :rolleyes:
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Sound like the classic "DO I KEEP UP WITH THE JONES' OR BUY WHAT I REALLY NEED!" I vote for what you need.I personally run a Evinrude 200HO on a 2550 RCW and love the motor. Never really leave the dock looking for a race to get into.LOL


I say get the 150 and move on, you'll love the boat, and may even burn less fuel to boot.
 
My wife and I test drove a boat with a 350 Merc Verado on the back after the Charlotte boat show. It had a great hole shot and of course the top end with 4 onboard was in the 50's with no problem. It was quiet and didn't know it was running until we saw the pee stream.


The motor alone was $30000. The boat was $82000. Boat show price was $65000. Did we need that much motor? No! Would it have been fun to have? Oh yeah! 
 
BigKahuna said:
The motor alone was $30000. The boat was $82000. Boat show price was $65000. Did we need that much motor? No! Would it have been fun to have? Oh yeah! 
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That sounds like an incredible deal! That would have been difficult to pass up...
 
Michiman said:
That sounds like an incredible deal! That would have been difficult to pass up...
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It certainly is. 42% off of MSRP would be my calculation.
 
PonTuna Salad said:
Thanks guys for talking me off the ledge. I believe the 150 will work for me. I normally cruise 25-30 in my bow rider anyway, so being able to cruise like that in a pontoon will work for us.
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Good decision! I think you're going to find that you'll actually cruise at speeds less than you did with your bowrider. Again, no windshield! I've found our sweet spot to be around 17 to 20MPH, generally speaking. And you should have no problem with high speed water sports, either, IMO. Enjoy and post those pictures...
 
1Blderbob said:
I say get the 150 and move on, you'll love the boat, and may even burn less fuel to boot.
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That is what I thought. Do I want to spend extra money on gas for minimal performance gains for that 1% of the time I go crazy?
 
Sounds like you made the right decision for your use, costs, and engine size.  Now just enjoy that 150 hp on an SPS set up. I test drove an s-series with a 150 this past fall, and it was very nice.  Based on what you shared about your anticipated use of the boat, I am sure you are going to love it!!!
 
Michiman said:
That sounds like an incredible deal! That would have been difficult to pass up...
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Alicedream said:
It certainly is. 42% off of MSRP would be my calculation.
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Believe me we thought long and hard about it! But regardless of the percentage off of the MSRP it was hard for us to buy a boat that costs as much as our 1st house! Ha! 
 
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