pontoon boats.. what to look for.

[OtisBlkR1]

Im starting to think about boats, pontoon boats.. im thinking about a 20-24 ft would work well. It would most likely get used on my lake (just a mile long stripper pit) both my neighbors have pontoons. I wont pretend i know anything about boats, I dont know about boat motors either.. The intended purpose of this boat would be Fishing, relaxing, maybe pulling a kid on a tube, swimming..

When i pull the trigger im figuring ill spend $3,500-6,000 for a used boat.. Maybe up to $8,000 What should i be looking for, does brand matter in pontoons ? what should i avoid, whats to small a motor ?

What say you ?

 

[RTexasF]

The biggest potential problem will be the wood in the floor and seat bases. A rotten floor will be expensive to replace. The steering should be smooth and free of any "kinks" felt when turning the wheel full left and right. There will be a placard near the helm showing the maximum horsepower. Get the max allowed or just under it. Pontoons are meant to be loaded down with folks & gear so a puny engine just won't cut it. Speed is not the idea, pushing a heavy load is. The larger engines swing a bigger prop and will accomplish at part throttle what a smaller engine will do at full throttle.

Paying a boat dealer to go through the entire rig and run the boat is a very smart idea. In all honesty you might have to raise your budget a few grand to get a decent set up.

 

[RTexasF]

This might help you locate one:

http://www.boattrader.com/

 

[OtisBlkR1]

ah, much thanks ! i will look.

 

[Silverado12]

Rotted aluminum pontoons.

 

[another Todd]

Just too many things to list here that you have to look out for if you know nothing about boats. I suggest you find a good friend/neighbor who is knowledgeable about boats help you inspect and test drive (always put a used boat in the water and run it for a while) any boats you are looking at. They can even help you evaluate the price value. Good luck on you upcoming purchase.

 

[OtisBlkR1]

Originally Posted By: another Todd
Just too many things to list here that you have to look out for if you know nothing about boats. I suggest you find a good friend/neighbor who is knowledgeable about boats help you inspect and test drive (always put a used boat in the water and run it for a while) any boats you are looking at. They can even help you evaluate the price value. Good luck on you upcoming purchase.


This sounds like solid advice. Thank you, my neighbor is already elping me.

 

[Barkleymut]

For only a mile long lake I would not stress over the HP/size of the engine unless you want to take people tubing. You want a reliable experience on the lake so make sure that the engine starts up easily and runs smooth all the way to redline. Pull the plugs and see how they look. Ask lots of questions about how the boat is stored over the winter.

I bought a 2001 Crest 20' with a 50 HP Mercury 2 stroke last summer for $6,000 cash. It was in great condition and completely rigged with 2 covers. It took quite a bit of looking, but finally found an estate that was looking to get rid of it for a really good price.

 

[ironman_gq]

You won't be pulling much in the way of tubes with a pontoon, unless the kids want a lazy river ride. Most boats in that size range you'll be looking at will have between a 25hp and a 50hp motor which will get ya up around 10-15mph on a good day.

Biggest thing to look for is any sign of rot. Climb underneath and inspect the whole underside for bad spots, wiggle the seats and console and make sure they are solid. Make sure the motor runs and all the electrical stuff works. Boats can turn into a money pit really quickly when it comes to motors and electrical, parts are expensive and they aren't the easiest thing to diagnose.