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NEED SOME HELPFULL INFO ON MOTORS

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VJAY

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Not an owner yet but will be soon ! Looking at a SF21. Two logs. Either a Merc FS 90hp CT or a Merc FS 115XS CT. Curious if anyone out there has either combo. What kind of performance should i expect between the two motors ? Soon as i get the daughter married and out of my wallet i will be placing an order. Can hardly wait !! Thanks for any info.


Vic
 
The standard rule of thumb is to purchase the maximum hp allowed by your Coast Guard capacity sticker. No one ever wished they bought less horsepower.
 
If performance is a priority, absolutely make sure it has lifting strakes or you'll probably be disappointed.
 
VJay, what will the boat be used for? What water will you be boating on?
 
Local lakes here in the Ozarks. Mostly fishing and some tubing with the grandkids. Speeds not everything but Would like to be able to go 30mph or so with 3-4 adults. Have decided on the lifting strakes for sure. The thing about the 90hp is that we bought a new one last year to repower an older pontoon and was thinking about using it on the new one. Doubt i can get a decent price outa that boat. Hate to lose a bunch on that. Have some time to try and sell it. If i do i will for sure be going with the 115. Just not sure what the 90 is capable of on this model. Local dealer orders all these models with 60hp. thanks
 
The description performance, tubing and 30mph would have me thinking 150 if it could fit the budget/build. You'll hear a lot on here about the 115, it's a love/hate thing. Only thing I've never heard is someone being upset they bumped up to a 150. Just saying! ;)  
 
VJay, If the grand kids are older then 5 or are planning to be older than 5 they will eventually meet the limits of what those two options can provide pretty quickly. I had a 22 s series with a 115 and lifting strakes and could do 35mph with just me and the yellow lab, but when you added a couple more adults it dropped to the upper 20's. Add a tube and it was working hard. We sold that boat and bout a 24' s series with the sps package and a 200 and it will do anything I need it to. I'm just sharing our experience with the 115. I totally understand having a budget but I just didn't want you to get your hopes up like I did.


If you are just doing slow sunset cruises and some fishing go with the 90.
 
goldnrod24 said:
The standard rule of thumb is to purchase the maximum hp allowed by your Coast Guard capacity sticker. No one ever wished they bought less horsepower.
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I also thought that,but with the newer performance pontoons those horse power rating are getting way up there. I beleive a new version of my boat is rated for 400HP. Not  happening. Bad enough that I can burn 19 gallons an hour with a full load.I'm sure a 400 wouldn't pass the fuel dock!   :angry:
 
I don't have the Merc but I have a Yamaha 115 on a 22SSX with lifting strakes.  Lakeliving pretty much hit the nail on the head for performance.  With myself or my wife and I on the boat I can hit about 32-33.    Once I add 2-3 other people I'm looking at 26-28 tops.   With 2/3 on board and 2 teens on a tube I could do about 25.  I've had my extended family on board (6 adults 2 kids) and 2 on the tube and didn't get over 20.  My opinion is that the strakes help a great deal.
 
After much thought we went with the Yamaha 150 and so glad we did.  Last pontoon had a 90, grands always wanted to go faster.  Funny, but I don't hear that anymore.
 
I too was questioning the horsepower and dreading, but not regretting, spending the extra money on a larger motor.  I know if I would have went with the smaller motor, I would have been kicking myself over it.  Now that the money is spent and we're on the lake, thankfully we aren't trying to chose our next boat.  Good luck with whatever you choose.  Everyone on this forum will be there to help you along the way!
 
Mike31406 said:
After much thought we went with the Yamaha 150 and so glad we did.  Last pontoon had a 90, grands always wanted to go faster.  Funny, but I don't hear that anymore.
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We just jumped from a 90 to a 150, and wow, what a difference. I was going almost as fast at 4000 RPM as the 90 would do WOT. And still had 2000 more RPM to go. :D  
 
BigKahuna said:
Buy what you can afford.......
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This! You don't want to buy so much boat that it limits the rest of your lifestyle. (I know, I know.... with some of the responses I'll get from this is going to be something like "what other lifestyle. Boating is my lifestyle), but we all know it's not. Just don't regret spending more than you are capable of. 
 
Spoiledrotten said:
This! You don't want to buy so much boat that it limits the rest of your lifestyle. (I know, I know.... with some of the responses I'll get from this is going to be something like "what other lifestyle. Boating is my lifestyle), but we all know it's not. Just don't regret spending more than you are capable of.
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Agree with you. But please do not take "afford" as "Buy as much as your credit limit will allow." Two totaly different things.
 
Rockie69 said:
Agree with you. But please do not take "afford" as "Buy as much as your credit limit will allow." Two totaly different things.
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I didn't recall using either one of those terms. Mainly because my credit limit doesn't play into what I buy. When you write a check for something, they don't care about a credit limit. 
 
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VJAY, I have written about our experience with a 20' two log pontoon a few times in the past. Our pontoon did not have lifting strikes, it had a 90 hp  Merc and we rarely saw 30 mph. 28 mph was the max constantly with the bimini down and a couple of adults. We had ours for fourteen years and used it for water sports like knee boarding and skiing. We didn't do much tubing. Once our kids grew up it became harder and harder to ski with more then a few on board. We Now have a 22' Tritoon with a 150 hp Yam 38 mph is our new norm and we have yet to have to many people (adults) on board to enjoy all water sports. Good luck with your decision.
 
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