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Recommendation Needed

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smorourke

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Hey folks - I am in the process of upgrading from a 2014 21 SL to a 2025 22' 22SXSRCSE. I've spec-ed it out with the 150 HP Yamaha VMAX SHO. During the "build" process on Bennington's site, it recommends the "Steering - Power Hydraulic Assist" which then also requires the "Steering - Sea Star Hydraulic w/ Tilt Steering". My question - do I really need both of these? One of these? I've seen other builds that do not have either, so clearly it's not required, but unclear if it's worth the ~$7500 in upgrades. Also to note, the boat is mostly "pontoon cruising" with some (prob less than 15%) going fast for water skiing and just getting to and from a restaurant a little faster.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts. Thanks!
 
Any motor 150 hp and above yes. Also a stainless prop ,which is from your dealer and part of the rigging .
 
You don't have to have either, but highly recommend. There have been other members here that have added after at a higher cost than factory installed. You can do a search in the upper right corner, for others experience.
Some will chime in on your questions .
 
I have a 22' elliptical pontoon that had the hydraulic steering but no power assist. 95% of our boating is getting to fishing and cruising with friends. I went to power assist after a couple of seasons because it takes 2 hands to dock. One on the wheel and one on the throttle. Without the assist it takes both hands to move the wheel quickly. It has made a world of difference. I would never have a boat without power assist again.
 
My rule of thumb is with a 150hp or more, get the power assist steering. It is a world of difference in easy and handling. One hand, heck one finger steering. Can be handy: docking, quick maneuvers, certainly for water sports, etc…

Just one of those things that keeps the captain at the helm a little happier by making their job more comfy all the time while at the helm. I would add in age and physical fitness can also impact the degree of helpfulness and/or necessity these options can become for people.
 
Definitely recommend the power assist steering. My favorite option on our 2021 Bennington with a 150SHO. You can turn with one finger. Good luck!
 
Power assist is amazing.
 
My current boat with a Merc 150 has Seastar hydraulic steering. No power assist. We ski and wakeboard and have no trouble turning the wheel! We had built in power steering on our old I/O and it turned like a Cadillac but we don't need it with our 150.
 
smorourke said:
Hey folks - I am in the process of upgrading from a 2014 21 SL to a 2025 22' 22SXSRCSE. I've spec-ed it out with the 150 HP Yamaha VMAX SHO. During the "build" process on Bennington's site, it recommends the "Steering - Power Hydraulic Assist" which then also requires the "Steering - Sea Star Hydraulic w/ Tilt Steering". My question - do I really need both of these? One of these? I've seen other builds that do not have either, so clearly it's not required, but unclear if it's worth the ~$7500 in upgrades. Also to note, the boat is mostly "pontoon cruising" with some (prob less than 15%) going fast for water skiing and just getting to and from a restaurant a little faster.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts. Thanks!
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Yikes! That’s a chunk of change for sure. However, while it’s obviously not a requirement, having both will make your boating experience more enjoyable and add to the resale value down the road.

Bennington cracks me up with their model codes!
 
We recently updated to a 150 engine on our 2275GCW. Steering is same as before…cable and it’s no problem for us at all. And in our area of shallow water, leaving on an aluminum propeller makes better sense. Sorry for the pun, but do whatever floats your boat.
 
The following is a description of steering products and my opinion of what is appropriate for your application.
Most steering products are manufactured by the Dometic Marine Group under the Sea Star trade name. Key to selection of the right product is steering effort at the dock and both effort and safety while underway. The most common low cost system is mechanical steering that links the steering wheel turn to the motor turn with a push pull cable. Hydraulic steering links the two with a hose. Standard hydraulic steering requires the same effort as mechanical but it comes with anti-feedback. Anti-feedback blocks the forces from a more powerful motor that is not trimmed properly. Under those conditions the steering wheel can spin if you let go of the wheel. Dometic makes power assist products to ease the effort on both mechanical and hydraulic steering systems. Bennington does not make available the much lower cost mechanical power assist. That is unfortunate because it has anti feedback. My personal experience is that it lacks good feel and universal application. When I bought a 22 Bennington with 115 motor I ordered it with hydraulic steering for the anti-feedback qualities. I did not order power assist. At the time single hand maneuvering at the dock was not a issue. When I doubled the power the steering became heavy handed. I could have lived with it but my wife could not. Adding hydraulic power assist changed everything. Now even I cannot live without it. When I repowered a 22 pontoon up north with a 115 motor my wife then viewed that steering from a different perspective. The steering on that boat was not up to her new elevated standard. However all it took to meet that new standard was just a tractor steering wheel spinner knob. Recently my neighbor added one to his 22 pontoon with 150 motor (no power assist). This made cranking the wheel at the dock much easier.
Answer to your question: “Do you really need both hydraulic steering and hydraulic power assist?” The answer is no.
 
You're not trying to dock crew 9 at 10,000 mph in outerspace... The spinner knob makes all the difference in the world. Save money...Be happy I love my knob...
 
fitz73222 said:
You're not trying to dock crew 9 at 10,000 mph in outerspace... The spinner knob makes all the difference in the world. Save money...Be happy I love my knob...
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I do love my spinner knob. Still have power assist too, but threw that on a few years ago. You aren’t kidding. It makes a big difference, particularly when zig-zagging while tubing.

FYI if interested in a cost effective one that looks decent. This is what I added to our boat in 2019(?), and it’s still working great. Still looks good.
Steering Wheel Spinner Knob
 
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