75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

[FlipFlops365]

I have a 2003 20' Sylvan pontoon with a Mercury 50HP Bigfoot. I get about 17MPH riding by myself and 14MPH with 10 people on board. The plate on my boat says that I can only upgrade as high as a 75HP. What benefits will I see from going to a 75? Any idea on what speed increase I will see?

 

[The Rooster]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

Not a bunch, "FlipFlop", maybe 3-4+ mph depending on load and conditions. If you can find a clean used 75 for the right price, and you think you're going to be keeping this barge for several years, maybe. Good luck !!!

 

[crb478]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

Maybe up to five mph, but it will carry more passangers easier. It will also let you run the motor at the same speed at part throttle

 

[WaterDR]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

My "gut" would be no. But, depends on what kind of deal you can arrange. Whenever I have looked to power-up, it never seems worth it. You will probably do a lot better selling your current toon and buying one with the motor you want.

 

[smclear]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

If you're carrying 10 people on a 20' toon very often, you really need to upgrade the whole rig. 7-8 people, and 1 dog, is about all I care to carry on my 25' toon. Sure, it'll hold more but I prefer comfort over trying to squeeze a "few" more friends on. In the end, people will enjoy the day more if they're less crowded.

 

[jfreeman0674]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

I don't think 70 is worth it. You should go to the 90.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

I don't think 70 is worth it. You should go to the 90.

Dont tell him to go with a motor his boat cant support.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

I have a 60 HP and can go 17 with four men on board, which is about half your HP difference, so I'd estimate you'd be able to 17 with 6 or 8 people on board and 75HP.

 

[gisele]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

Just went from 50 etec to 75 etec. From 22 mph to 27 mph on gps. Use about a third more fuel, boat sits alittle lower in water midrange is where you really can see the difference. Also have a 20ft sylvan. Sweet spot between 3000 to 3500 rpm.

 

[Old Screwball]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

I ordered my Sun Tracker with the 75hp motor. Largest available for that transom. We've run 24mph (GPS) with a 13pitch prop. I bought a 15pitch but haven' t had a chance to try it. My guess would be that the extra 25hp will allow you a larger, higher pitch prop and get you more speed.

Good Luck.

 

[lmuss53]

Re: 75HP Upgrade from 50HP Worth It?

I bought a 19 foot Tracker Pontoon in 1998 with a 75 Mariner, my friend liked it so much he bought the same boat with a 50 4 stroke. The 75 was a way better power choice for the little pontoon. The 75 would push the boat at about 25 MPH top speed but the big advantage was that it never struggled to keep the boat at cruising speed (15 to 20 mph). The 50 was always wound up tight while the 75 loped along at 3500 rpm to go the same speed. I think it is a worthwhile upgrade. A 75 Optimax or similar Etec would be a sweet 20 foot Pontoon motor. I would go with a DI 2 stroke like the Optimax or Etec if you can afford new, or a 3 cylinder (Merc, Yammy, OMC) if looking for used. I like Direct Injection 2 strokes because of the amount of power they pack into the lighter package.

One of the things that convinced me to go with the 75 was the dealer telling me about the upgraded lower unit on the Bigfoots. It was the same as the 75 and 90 HP models in those years and I think it still is. The 75 was only about $300 more than the 50 BF. I got the same lower unit benefits with 50% more power for $300. I can't swear to it today but I think the 75 ELPTO (not made today) was cheaper than a 60 BF, which made me wonder why anyone would want a 60 when they could have the 75 with all the benefits for less.