Pretty much know what you guys are going to say but here goes.......

Renegade34

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I need to let the dealer know which way to go in the next couple of days to secure pricing but want to see what you guys think. I'm trying to decide between a 25' swingback with a 200hp four stroke or a 23' swingback with a 150hp. The 25' with the 200hp is $5000 more. I know it's more boat and more power but I'm not sure if I need it. The boat will have the SPS package. We do pull tubes with a fairly good load on the boat fairly often.
 
You'd be happy with the 150. My buddy and I have yet to drag race yet to show the difference in a 150 and 200.
 
What about the 150hp on the 25'? Too much boat for it or would performance change much from the 23'?
 
What about the 200 on the 23'? If it's not rated, you be able to get the Capacity plate changed.
 
Im with Rockie, 200 on the 23'. More Power Got to have more power!:)
 
I have the 25 GSB, SPS with the Evinrude G2 200HO. I think it boils down to three things: How many people are you going to typically carry and how crowded do you want to be? You lose space for 2 people on the 23 foot. If you aren't usually going to have more than 9-10 people, no need for the 25. How important is top speed? You should gain about 4-5 mph with the bigger engine and top out at 40-43 mph. If you are OK at 34-37 mph go with the 150. Tubing performance should be equal on either. How important is cost vs. resale? Down the road I think the 200 will get you better resale value but that is not certain. I faced the same decision when I ordered mine this year and determined that I didn't want any regrets and went with the biggest engine I could get on the SPS. I think you will be happy either way. I boat on a large lake and it was important to me to be able to get around quickly so I went bigger. Dave
 
I have a GCW 2574 (27'9") ESP with a 250 Verado Pro and would not suggest going with less HP. I think your 25' would be the same size as mine but not sure about total weight. Mine performs well with a full load and water sports, but I think if I had a 200 as the dealer suggested, I'd regret it. Might be buying a new boat and will give a 300 HP serious consideration.
 
Thanks a lot for the input guys!! I really appreciate it!
In the end my conservative side won and I went with a 23' with the 150hp. I usually don't have the boat loaded too full and I'm not looking to win any races (just want a bit better performance than I had with the 2 tube with a 115hp). For resale I think the 150hp is a decent motor for a 23' boat but if I would've went to the 25' a buyer that actually needs a 25' boat to haul a bunch of people would probably be looking for more power. Also, the lake I'm on isn't really that big so that factored in as well. The $5000 difference isn't a huge amount of money but it will be a pretty good down payment on a future jet ski or another toy:)
 
Thanks a lot for the input guys!! I really appreciate it!
In the end my conservative side won and I went with a 23' with the 150hp. I usually don't have the boat loaded too full and I'm not looking to win any races (just want a bit better performance than I had with the 2 tube with a 115hp). For resale I think the 150hp is a decent motor for a 23' boat but if I would've went to the 25' a buyer that actually needs a 25' boat to haul a bunch of people would probably be looking for more power. Also, the lake I'm on isn't really that big so that factored in as well. The $5000 difference isn't a huge amount of money but it will be a pretty good down payment on a future jet ski or another toy:)
You'd probably see about 5-6 mph difference between the two motors on a 23'. A 150 is the sweet spot for power, but the 200 was really nice on the back of my second boat.
 
Renegade34,
If you haven't spent a whole lot of time on a craft with the larger outboard you are going to be thrilled with your choice. The 150 is a super motor. We don't do a lot of tubing but I can tell you that any time you try to make a hard turn without a substantial increase in throttle you are going to lose speed. This is true with our 150 and was true with a 90. Just happens when you start to push water. Enjoy your new Bennington.
 
Thanks! My last two boats were 2 tube with 115hp so this will be the biggest outboard I've owned and first tritoon as well. I know the stock performance will be more than adequate for our use but my only concern is that I have to add sea legs due to our particular situation so I just hope the extra weight and drag doesn't impact the performance too drastically. My goal is 30mph with the legs installed. We shall see.
 
Welcome! Guess you're our new "sea leg" expert. Seems we get such questions from time to time so it will be nice to have an authority. Think you're going to love your new set-up!
 
Ha ha. I don't know about expert but I have had a couple sets of them. This will be the 3rd set. I have nothing but good things to say about them but I do know there are certain circumstances and certain lake bottoms were they wouldn't be ideal. Fortunately for us the lake that we're on is perfect for them and they've been great.
 
I rode in a friends 22 foot Bennington tritoon with a 150 Yamaha it was a smooth riding impressive boat. I purchased a 24 SSBXPDL with a Yamaha F200XB . It's a little faster and a little smoother. Like you said it's more expensive. Only you know what's best for you but I think the 150 tritoon is very nice riding and good performance.
 
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