How Big Of A Motor Do I Need For My Pontoon Boat?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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For those looking to enjoy water sports with their family, we recommend a horsepower of 115 and above . The more horsepower you have, the more riders you’ll be able to pull behind your pontoon boat. For those who like water sports and day-boating, a 200 hp motor will keep you smiling all day.

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What size motor do I need for a pontoon boat?

For those looking to enjoy water sports with their family, we recommend a horsepower of 115 and above . The more horsepower you have, the more riders you’ll be able to pull behind your pontoon boat. For those who like water sports and day-boating, a 200 hp motor will keep you smiling all day.

How big of a motor do you need for a 24-foot pontoon?

If you own a 24-foot pontoon boat, we recommend getting an engine of at least 150 to 175hp for optimal performance.

Is 115 hp enough for a pontoon boat?

A 115 HP engine is considered to be powerful enough for a 20-feet long pontoon boat . You can go below 115 HP only if you desire to use the pontoon on occasions. That too, in a small water body, and at a low speed. That being said, the resale value of a low-powered pontoon is quite low.

Is 90 hp enough for a pontoon boat?

Horsepower and Speed

A pontoon boat with a 70 horsepower engine is plenty for tubing. At that level, you might be able to get up on skis too, but 90 HP will serve you much better . After that, the more HP in your engine, the more adventurous you can get with your water sports.

Can you put a 150 hp motor on a pontoon boat?

The typical entry-level performance pontoon is a tritoon with a 150HP engine. This combination is a good place to start if you’re on big water or have a large crew.

How fast will a 50 HP pontoon boat go?

Size and Model Horsepower MPH 20 ft Sweetwater 2086 50 15 20 ft Sweetwater 2086 90 24 20 ft Quest 820 Lanai (Tri) 115 34 20 ft Ultra 202 Fish & Cruise 115 27

How fast will a 75 HP pontoon go?

The Party Barge is an 18-foot boat that has a 75hp engine. The max speed is right around 25 miles per hour with a medium load.

What size motor can you put on a 20 foot pontoon boat?

So, unless you are buying a pontoon under 20 feet, buying for use on a small lake, or want a pontoon just for cruising and don’t care so much about resale value, 115hp is your baseline. With that said, a 115hp engine on a pontoon can do a lot. Although to do a lot, your boat will typically need a few features.

How fast is a 200 hp Tritoon?

NEW 2017 Crest II 210 L Tri-Pontoon powered by 200 hp Suzuki 4-stroke test run hit a top speed of 45 mph .

Can I put a bigger engine on my pontoon boat?

A 90 hp engine on a pontoon with a few people on it can easily hit 22 mph. For beginners at water sports, you probably don’t even want or need to go that fast. ... You can still do some high speed water sports and you don’t have to spend the $1000 to upgrade to a bigger engine when you get your boat.

How much does a 115 hp outboard motor cost?

$11,995.00 . New Honda 115 HP outboard Motor.

How fast will a 115 hp pontoon boat go?

With a 115 HP engine in your pontoon boat you might expect to be able to go as fast as 25 to 31 miles per hour , depending on certain variables relating to your boat weight load, size and other adjustments. Typically, you could see a 10% speed increase versus a 90 HP engine.

Can a 115 hp pontoon pull a tube?

If your pontoon boat has a 115hp engine, you’ ll likely be able to tow tubes or ski even with a full boat . It won’t be as much of fun as with only 4 or 5 people, but you’ll be fine.

Will a 75 HP pontoon pull a tube?

Horsepower and Speed

A pontoon boat with a minimum of 70-90 horsepower will give you the ability to get you tubing. At that level, you might be able to get up on skis too, but 115 HP will serve you much better. ... A pontoon with a 70hp to 90hp engine will give you the ability to do very basic skiing and towing on tubes.

What RPM should a pontoon run at?

So an average outboard with a maximum recommended wide open RPM of 6000 should usually be cruised in the neighborhood of 4500 RPM . If fuel efficiency is your goal, you’ll want to back that throttle down a bit. Most efficient cruise usually comes shortly after the boat begins planning, in the 3000 to 3500 RPM range.

Is 40 hp enough for pontoon?

While a 40 hp engine might be okay to push a pontoon boat around the lake for a leisurely ride, it’s not going to be strong enough to pull most skiers. ... This size motor will give you plenty of speed for towing tubes, as well as pulling most skiers and wakeboarders too.

Can you pull a tube with a 50 HP pontoon?

The 50HP will definitely be enough to pull the kids on a tube . Tube speeds don’t have to be excessive, and since they float, it doesn’t take much power to get them gliding across the water.

Why are pontoon boats bad?

Rough Water. Pontoon boats offer an incredibly stable and wobble-free ride most of the time; however, in severe storms when there is heavy chop on the water, a pontoon boat is more dangerous than a traditional V-hull boat. ... Within a matter of seconds, the winds kicked up to over 30mph and the waves pounded the boat.

How fast will a 250 hp pontoon go?

Pontoon Type Pontoon Length Top Speed Premier Pontoons 290 29 feet 52 mph South Bay Super Sport 925 27 feet 57 mph Manitou 25 X-Plode XT SHP 26 feet 62 mph Harris Crowne SL 250 27 feet 63 mph

How fast will a 22ft pontoon boat go?

So a 22′ boat with no load may get up to 29mph, but will likely slow down to 24.5mph with 1,000 pounds of people in the boat (5 or 6 adults).

Is a 20 foot pontoon big enough?

20 to 22 -foot boats are well suited for lakes and rivers that do not have large waves. The mid-sized boats are well equipped to seat up to 13 passengers. The larger 23 to 28-foot boats are capable of cruising through rough waters and offer enough space for up to 15 people to enjoy a day on the lake.

Can a 60 HP pontoon pull a tube?

If your boat has a top speed of 20 miles per hour, then, yes , you will be able to pull the inner tube. ... Most modern pontoon boat motors that are 60hp or larger should have ample enough power to pull people behind a 22-foot pontoon on an inner tube at a basic level.

How fast can a 150 hp outboard motor go?

fiberglass bass boat powered by a 150-hp outboard will have a WOT speed in the 50-mph range , and will have its most economical cruise in the mid-30s with two people aboard. Who needs to go faster than that?

How fast will a 50hp outboard go?

With the new Honda 50 hp four stroke I find it will plane at about 17 or 18 mph . Top speed is 30 mph.

What size boat motor do I need?

The rule of thumb is based on weight alone, and says you should have between 40 and 25 pounds of weight for each horsepower . For example, a 5,000-pound boat could have an engine with between 125 and 200 horsepower.

What is the biggest motor you can put on a pontoon boat?

Based on the previous information, most 24-foot pontoon boats would do just fine with a 150HP motor . The best performance, however, can be achieved with a 175HP or, better yet, a 200HP outboard motor.

Which is better pontoon vs Tritoon?

Both pontoons and tritoons are good for a relaxing day on Rice Lake and are also great for fishing. While a tritoon theoretically offers greater stability, you’re unlikely to notice the difference on small bodies of water.

How fast does a 200HP boat go?

A typical 26 feet pontoon with 200 hp motor easily reach speeds up to 40 mph . Even under full load conditions, you can go to 30 mph. From my experience, the optimum speed for water sports is 15 to 35 mph. So your pontoon might be a little slow but will be just fine for any water sports you like to do.

How much is a new pontoon motor?

Commonly, small pontoons require around a 90 HP engine which costs between $12,000 to $14,000 and if you want to upgrade to 115 HP you can expect to pay an extra $2,000+.

How do you calculate the maximum horsepower for a pontoon boat?

  1. Multiply the volume of the pontoons in cubic feet by the longest pontoon length in feet.
  2. Divide that by the pontoon diameter in inches.

How much does a Mercury 115 cost?

$11,995.00 . Brand New 115HP Mercury 4-Stroke EFI CT outboard motor. XL Command Thrust fits both 20′′ and 25′′ boat and pontoon transoms. Model Includes Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) plus Power Tilt & Trim.

How fast will a 400 hp pontoon boat go?

While efficient, delivering 2.2 mpg at 24 mph, the Powertoon X-Treme 3110 shows the company is still on top of the performance game; the boat is outfitted with twin 400 hp Mercury Racing outboards that propel this boat to a top-end of nearly 65 mph .

How much does a 115 Mercury 4 stroke cost?

Mercury Marine 115EXLPT FourStroke • $9,630

Mercury FourStroke outboard motors are incredibly powerful and efficient, and they feature a wide range of applications. Crafted for less weight and high displacement, they generate abundant torque and immediate power.

Why are outboard motors so expensive?

The boat engine (outboard) is expensive because they need to withstand the marine environment well , so all the parts used in making one are expensive stuff. And they don’t sell numerous motors all the time, so to stay in business, they need to make a profit, so the price of an outboard (boat motor) is high.

How fast will a Yamaha 115 outboard go?

115 HP. The Yamaha Outboard VF115 V MAX SHO is the fastest 115-hp four-stroke ever, with a top speed of nearly 51 mph . This 377-pounds outboard is a class leader in torque, top speed and efficiency. It’s not only the fastest but also 10 pounds lighter than two-stroke competitor outboards.

Will a 40 HP pontoon pull a tube?

While a 40 hp engine might be okay to push a pontoon boat around the lake for a leisurely ride, it’s not going to be strong enough to pull most skiers . ... This size motor will give you plenty of speed for towing tubes, as well as pulling most skiers and wakeboarders too.

How big of a boat motor Do I need to pull a tube?

A: Although you could pull tubes with just about any size outboard, to be safe you would need at least a 90hp engine to satisfy the tubers in your family. The ideal engine would be a 115hp or 150hp engine if your family is big into water sports.

How hard is it to launch a pontoon boat?

A pontoon boat is easy to launch . The easiest way to launch a pontoon boat is with another person. Two people can get a pontoon boat into the water in a matter of minutes. Although it takes a little more effort to launch a pontoon boat on your own, it is still easy to do.

David Evans
Author
David Evans
David is a seasoned automotive enthusiast. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for all things related to cars and vehicles. With his extensive knowledge of cars and other vehicles, David is an authority in the industry.