Buying a new four wins h230 , is it worth the money to get the 350 hp . dealer says there is not enough difference between the 300 hp. he has a 300 in stock
depends...what's the money we're talking about? a few hundred or a few thousand?
On a 20', 3,100lb boat the difference is roughly 4mph. Both have max RPMs of 5,800. Both are 5.3L unless you go to the 6.0L? Which gives you an additional .9mph increase.
That is great. I think the more hp you can get the better, However, since the dealer has the 300 hp in stock, if he gets the feeling you really want the 350 hp, maybe that's bargaining chip on your side.
top RPM is the same but the 350 has larger props so that should give it a little more top end while the extra horsepower will still get to plane quickly I would think . Our current boat has 270hp and have been kicking myself for not getting the 300 hp . Do not want to make the same mistake , Thanks for you thoughts
The old saying, there is no replacement for displacement. HP is great but it takes torque to get you up. No one talks torque much anymore and the numbers are getting harder to find documented.
When I bought my boat there was a test ride, maybe ask for two in order to compare. Most boat sales folks are just like car sales, they will say anything to get you to buy.
Edit: also note there getting some of the extra HP by increasing the RPM
The 300hp will be ok as long as you can keep weight of passengers and gear below 600-700lbs. If you want to carry more passengers it might be good to pay the $5,000 extra for the 350hp.
If water sports are going to be a big part of your use, it would be a good idea to look at the TS series. The Volvo forward drive makes a huge difference when a boat is used for tow sports.
Boats are very similar to airplanes. A saying in aviation is, "there's no substitute for horsepower."
I have a 21' deckboat with a 5.0L. At light weights its response to throttle is delightful. At heavy weights, it's a bit of a dog until achieving 3,000 rpm.
