Purchasing first new pontoon boat and need help on different manufacturers

[confused2012]

Hello,

We are looking at our first new pontoon boat and have learned so much that it has just confused us more. We have decided that we would like a triple tube with a 150 hp motor. Of the following manufacturer models, what do you all think is the best option for quality and resale value:

JC Neptune 23TT - 150 hp Suzuki

Sweetwater 220 SL - 150 hp Yamaha

Bennington 22STIX - 150 hp Yamaha

The Bennington & JC are more than the Sweetwater but we are not sure if it is worth the extra dollars.

We appreciate any information you can share.

Thank you!

 

[Charlie61]

Re: Purchasing first new pontoon boat and need help on different manufacturers

No two boats are alike ,like motors go for the best warranty and price

 

[WaterDR]

Re: Purchasing first new pontoon boat and need help on different manufacturers

All good boats and good companies.

Of those listed, I think Bennington is probably teh best reputation. I don't really like the styling of the JC toons and I think will be harder to sell in the after-market.

 

[WaterDR]

Re: Purchasing first new pontoon boat and need help on different manufacturers

BTW, my Sylvan has a very similar layout as the SW one listed. I love the open layout and you can get a lot of people on it. Sort of a good andf bad thing about that layout is that it is like having two separate rooms. The folks in the back are very separated from those in the front.

Also, it has less storage than a traditional sun deck.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: Purchasing first new pontoon boat and need help on different manufacturers

Welcome, "Confused". All are nice rigs. Benny & JC have the better, more established reputation. A strong, relatively close dealer support is a big plus. Concentrate on the layout & power you really want. Good luck !!!

 

[WaterDR]

Re: Purchasing first new pontoon boat and need help on different manufacturers

+1 on the layout and the dealer support.

 

[imported_John o]

Re: Purchasing first new pontoon boat and need help on different manufacturers

Bennington has the best quality of those boats listed. It is a very strong brand with good resale value.

That said, there really aren't many bad pontoon boats made anymore. Get the floorplan that fits you best.

One other thing to note is performance. Bennington (with the ESP hull) is one of the top three performance boats out there (Manitou SHP and Premier PTX being the other two with Manitou being the most maneuverable and Premier being the fastest). I do not know how JC and Sweetwater compare to Bennington on performance. If performance is an issue, go with the Bennington over the other brands you listed.