Looking and buying used...

[fall50]

Have been looking at buying used have owned a pontoon for a 20 years but its a POS

prices seem to be all over the map with dealers being way high on used boats

Recently saw what I thought was a great deal on Bennigton 2005 205L for 10k including sea legs with 50hp Merc


Have not see anything that good after that

How close is NADA for pricing? for example

using the above example NADA is $6,310 + 1,700 (motor) =9k though the 10k price included sea legs which are supposedly around 5k.......seems like a decent price

Anyways should NADA be my baseline? In Midwest so not sure if I should be adding on X % to the NADA guide.

Also any motors I should be staying away from? Were on a NO-WAKE lake so finding a boat with a bigger motor I would be overpaying.

Would like to find a nicer one.......besides Bennington, Premier, Harris what should I be looking for


Any advice or suggestions would be great

Would love to throw a few boats I see and get an opinion on whether you thinking its a good deal

 

[BiXLL]

Re: Looking and buying used...

I'm pretty much in the same "boat". I let a couple get away I thought were pretty nice, price I felt was good, but I am seeing a lot of stuff in rough shape asking for big bucks that I am not even considering!

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Looking and buying used...

The Boat and RV NADA guide books are just tools for banks to use--so they can require their customer to put more $ down. The NADA guide is not used by dealers, and is probably somewhat a work of fiction authored by someone that's never even been out on a boat.

You'll do better deciding a price if you research the retail pontoon market on Boattrader.com and Ebaymotors.com and even Craigslist.com. You'll have to allow for the lower value for such a small motor--not commonly seen on a top line pontoon boat.

 

[lakegeorge]

Re: Looking and buying used...

It would seem to me that if you are on a no wake lake you could float just about anything on it without worrying about waver hurting it.
Look at all brands, Pontoon boats just don't have many problems & even less without waves.

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Looking and buying used...

+1 for Bamaman. As far as motors, IMHO, the quality of all within the last 10 years or so are very close to being equal. Most engine experts will give Yamaha a slight edge, but I buy AMERICAN made products when ever I can even if the product is a little inferior or a little more costly.

 

[fall50]

Re: Looking and buying used...

Thanks for the replies so far......I have a private message into 5150abf....but would like additional info on the Sedona series.....I have come across a 06 Sedona with Yahma 50hp....they are asking 12,500....

.My question to any Bennington owners is whats the difference bewteen 2005 205L Bennington and the 06 Sedona L21. I figure if I can get the Sedona party to come down on price it would be a decent deal..as the the 05 Bennington 205L with 50 Yamaha could have been had for 10k

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Looking and buying used...

FYI, I have been thinking of rebuilding my 25' 1992 toon and after realizing it would cost me over $4K to do what I want, I am looking at this factory direct toon that would be very close in price if I were to sell mine. This company is right down the road from my cabin and there are tons of this brand on my lake so it is a known quantity as far as I am concerned.

You might check them out..

http://pontoonfactory.com/

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Looking and buying used...

The Sedona is a lower end pontoon while the Bennington is a higher end. Getting the Benny for 10K compared to the Sedona at 12K is a no brainer assuming both are in good condition.

 

[nuboater]

Re: Looking and buying used...

I put in a lot of time and effort finding our 2006 SunTracker, and my experience with NADA was that boat dealers are generally a good bit above that, especially with late model pontoons.
In my case, it was 40 degrees out with two more months of winter ahead, so I offered the exact amount specified by NADA and I pulled it home.
Pontoons seem to be in very strong demand, so if you find something really nice don't feel bad if you need to pay up a little.

 

[KsPete]

Re: Looking and buying used...

We just purchased a 1997 Landau Bandit BT-20 with a 2002 50hp Mercury with tilt&trim and a Bear trailer. Out of curiosity, I checked NADA after buying it. According to NADA, I paid about $2,500 too much. However, judging by what's being offered on Craigslist and at dealerships in this area, I got a decent deal. This toon came lake ready with a livewell, Bimini top, pop-up changing enclosure, boat cover, sink, fish finder, electric winch, life jackets, mooring bumpers and more. It's in very nice shape... no rips, tears, softspots, rot or dents. We took it for a spin the day after we bought it and other than some difficulty loading (due to low water level and inexperience) everything went well. It runs like a champ and handles nicely.

The previous owner said the toons are filled with foam, but I'm not so sure. They sound pretty hollow to me.

But I digress. I think you need to research your area to determine pricing. I wouldn't go strictly with the NADA or you might miss out on a good boat.