Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

[lascola7]

Im looking to buy a new pontoon boat and my spending limit is $20,000.. after going to the boat show and looking around at all different pontoon boat manufacturers i narrowed it down to two pontoon boats.. Xcusion x19c with 50hp 4stroke merc bigfoot for $19,500 or Bennington 20sl with 70hp 4stroke yamaha for $19,900.... every pontoon boat manufacturers offered a boat in 18-20k price range but all looked low end except the xcursion x19c and bennington 20sl.. i really like how the xcursion looks. but with the 50hp i think it may not have enough power and i cant afford the motor upgrade

ps.. i know bennington makes a good pontoon boat,, but i dont know anything about xcursion... does anybody know if this a good or bad pontoon boat

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

Quality of boat aside, go with the bigger motor. I have a 60 bigfoot on a 20' barge and wish I had a 90. Also, it's hard to beat a Benny on quality.

 

[playbuoy24]

Re: Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

I also went to a boat show last friday for my money i'd have to say go with the bennington it seemed to be the highest quality toon at the show i went to.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

Maybe "5150" will chime in here, but i believe Xcursion is yet another off-shoot of SouthBay, like Berkshire. Good luck !!!

 

[lncoop]

Re: Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

Welcome aboard. If you're the least bit concerned about being underpowered, and it sounds like you are (correctly IMO), you'll be much happier with the Bennington. For only another four bills that would be a no brainer for me. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out. We love new family members.

 

[Johnny Knoxville]

Re: Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

Just finished looking, doing research, and attending a local boat show. Now I have to admit I didn't do as much research looking for a pontoon boat as I usually do because I think based on owner conversations and spending time on Forums I just went to the best.
My short list was Bennington, Manitou and Sweetwater. I selected these on quality, reputation, service and dealer proximity to my location.
Ultimately we selected the Bennington. Excellent quality, warranty (transferrable), I prefered the Yamaha over Mercury although I still own boats with both motors and have had good results with both. I think Bennington has more pontoon configurations enhancing performance above and beyond others but you may call me out on that one. We had some other criteria, vinyl floor with snap in/out carpeting, changing area, extended platform, reasonable top end 35+ as we are on a resevoir over 80 miles long and we pretty much cover it all over the course of the boating season.
We ordered one to get what we wanted so the lead time is 8-10 weeks.
BTW no one ever told anyone they bought too much motor. You can always throttle back, but once you are at WOT there is no more. "Captain, Captain, I'm given ya all she's got".
My neighbor has a 90 on his 22 and wished he had a 115hp, especially after last summer when he was caught 10 miles away from his dock, in a sudden storm with 30 knots winds trying to get back to the slip, going up wind. My vote, Bennington with a 90. Shop it hard.

I thought the Xcursion, mid-line was ok but once I found out Berkshire Hathaway owned Forrest River that was it. I wouldn't buy a product owned by Warren Buffet.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

YA they add or change names all the time, a few years ago they were Oddesey, then Southbay, now Excursion, my take on that, a joke of coarse, is that thier boats are so bad they have to change thier name to stay ahead of the bad reputation of the last name.

I try to stay out of the Bennington discusions at least until they have decided, I am pretty badly bias you know, you are in good company Johnny, we are currently building 31 boats a day and going to 32 in 2 weeks so the 2 month wait really isn't too bad, we are scheduled way out.

 

[Johnny Knoxville]

Re: Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

5150abf Definitely looking forward to the Bennington 2274 with 150 and putting it on Tellico in East TN. Haven't received an acknowledgement on the delivery from the Dealer. They said 8-10....but being in manufacturing myself......maybe you can check for me.

Glad to hear business is brisk!!

 

[5150abf]

Re: Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

Send me a personal message with the dealer name and I will try to look for it.

I really don't understand it, all you hear si how theconomy is doing terrible and we are doing 155 boats a week, can't be that bad.

I was talking to a sales rep the other day and he said he sold 80 boats at the Detriot show alone which is the best he has ever done, I will take it but certainly don't understand.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Having trouble deciding which pontoon boat

Send me a personal message with the dealer name and I will try to look for it.

I really don't understand it, all you hear si how theconomy is doing terrible and we are doing 155 boats a week, can't be that bad.

I was talking to a sales rep the other day and he said he sold 80 boats at the Detriot show alone which is the best he has ever done, I will take it but certainly don't understand.

Part of the reason, according to a dealer I was speaking to is that many boaters are switching to pontoons because they can get the space and comfort as a bigger deep V cruiser without the enormous fuel bill. He said that he is selling more pontoons than any other type of boat.