Motor size for 18" pontoon

[patrickerica]

I am going to purchase an 18" Sun Tracker pontoon this week. I am torn between a 60 hp mercury bigfoot or a 75 hp mercury. I want enough power for tubing. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[86 century]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

Welcome aboard

On my folks 18'er that came with a '86 force 85hp would make around 25mph drinking fuel.

After a year of that I swaped it out with an evinrude 48spl lost about 3mph but uses less than half the fuel.


It will still pull a tube no problem.

Good luck hope this helps

 

[lil buggy]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

i had a 93 18ft with a 60 hp mercury tracker 2stroke
20 mph at wot
no issues swingin the tube out of the wake
we skii'd behind it for 2 summers(with wider skiis)
still about mid ankle deep but not laborsome at all
plenty of power to pull us out of the water as well
top speed 20 mph 2 people cooler of beer 12 gal gas. and the skiier in the water
burned 5 gal in a few hours of tubeing pretty efficeint.

but no complaints on the 60
for 3grand you could put the pontoon waterglide(3rd toon) and undersheeting
and boost that 60 to about 27mph
hope it helps

 

[patrickerica]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

Thank you both for the advice. I'm new to boatings and the related acronyms. Can you tell me what wot stands for please?

Thanks,

Erica

 

[5150abf]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

Wide Open Throttle

 

[steelespike]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

If you can afford it go for the 75. it will have all you need for power and speed.Just keep in mind
a 75 will use about 7.5 gph(gallons per hour) at wot a 60 about 6 gph.
The advantage of the bigger motor is it will be loafing when operated at the 60 top speed while using
about same fuel as the 60. The smaller motors almost allways end up running close to wot to make any kind of speed.
As suggested If you added the undersheeting and 3rd toon the 60 would perform like a 75 without the modifications.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

Is it a new model? I have a 60 BF on my 20' and where it is adequate and you can tube behind it, I would go bigger if the choice was there. There isn't much price difference in the 75 and the 90, but I believe the max. hp on an 18' is 75.

 

[jjohnson120]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

I have a 50hp Honda and I hit 22mph. On a smooth day with only a couple of people I can hit 24 mph. I have a mini tow tower and I pull people on the kneeboard, wakeboard and tube.

 

[patrickerica]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

Thanks everyone for your responses. A lot to think about, but it sounds like a can't go wrong with either a 60 or 75.

Erica

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

Erica:
You're in the middle of the boat show season. If one is going on in your area, I strongly urge you go to one to gain purchaser's knowledge before you buy. Unfortunately, you don't say what part of the country you live in, what kind of lakes you'll be boating on, and what you'll be doing with it.

I always thought that 18' pontoons were for little lakes, fishing, and for lakes that have severe horsepower limitations. I would be afraid to step foot on a boat that small with a 75 hp motor.

I live full time on a major lake and have had a pontoon boat for 26 years. You should reconsider spending the $4K more, and going to a 20' pontoon boat. They are wider, much more seaworthy and have so much more room. 20' pontoons are big sellers, but 18' pontoons are no where to be found on my lake.

I would just hate to see you have to trade within the first year, and that's probably the scenario--like it or not.

If you purchase the boat that really suits your needs, you could still be running it 25 years from now. I can attest to a pontoon's true value.

Now for a motor: A 20' with a 40 or 50 hp is for old people. They run okay with 60 hp Bigfoot. But if you're young or have growing kids--70 hp 4 stroke or 75 hp 2 stroke is the way to go. If you're going to putt around, go 4 stroke. If you're going to run fast much of the time, a 2 stroke is better and pulls tubers better. On a Tracker product, you're usually talking Mercury power.

Good luck with your search. SunTrackers are good boats, but will never be the lowest priced. That's why I suggested going to the boat show to compare prices, quality and total value.

My wife and I went to the boat show this weekend. Now, she wants a new 22' Bennington tritoon with rear facing double sunlounger seats and 150 hp. But first, she wants a 3 carat diamond ring and a trip to Rome for Easter. Well, maybe next year on the new pontoon.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

+1 (except for Rome and the three karat ring). I don't normally try to talk folks out of something if they seem resolved, but I'll deviate from that policy now. The Coops had an eighteen footer and outgrew it one season. It had a fifty horse Yammie, which was the maximum recommended horsepower and was a sweet little rig, but after a few trips to the small lake we frequent I convinced the girls to go to a bigger one with much more traffic and that was all it took for them to start campaigning for a bigger barge. Although it's rated for (and can safely carry) more you'll find that six people are the most that will fit comfortably on that size boat, and you'll also find that choppy lakes will make less hearty passengers nervous. Again, it's only perception, but perception is often all it takes....... Happy hunting and welcome aboard. Keep us posted.

 

[jjohnson120]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

+1 (except for Rome and the three karat ring). I don't normally try to talk folks out of something if they seem resolved, but I'll deviate from that policy now. The Coops had an eighteen footer and outgrew it one season. It had a fifty horse Yammie, which was the maximum recommended horsepower and was a sweet little rig, but after a few trips to the small lake we frequent I convinced the girls to go to a bigger one with much more traffic and that was all it took for them to start campaigning for a bigger barge. Although it's rated for (and can safely carry) more you'll find that six people are the most that will fit comfortably on that size boat, and you'll also find that choppy lakes will make less hearty passengers nervous. Again, it's only perception, but perception is often all it takes....... Happy hunting and welcome aboard. Keep us posted.

I agree with this for the most part. I bought an 18 footer cause I wanted something that could fit a bit more people, and was all around more enjoyable for what I do. Granted i upgraded from a 17 foot bow rider, this pontoon feels like a lot more boat. The main reason I went with mine is cause most of the time it's just 2 or 3 of us. Sometimes that might get close to 6, but never for long periods of time. We also have a waverunner, so for me, I couldn't justify buying a bigger pontoon. My boat has been great and if I could do it over again I'd probably have talked with the guy less so I could have had it out on the lake sooner that day. If you don't have a lot of other lake toys I think a 22 footer would be a nice size boat, especially with that size of motor.

 

[patrickerica]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

Thank you all for the great input. So we just bought a summer house on a fairly small lake (Silver) in Wisconsin. We've never owned a boat before and don't consider ourselves boaters. We basically want the pontoon to hang out on the water, going swimming off of, (lake is too shallow near our dock) and take our 9-year olds tubing. After reading your responses, we have come to the conclusion that we should go with the 75 hp motor. But since we don't expect to take the boat to other lakes, I'm not sure we'll really want to trade up for something larger. I'm happy to spend the money on a 20" if needed, but have limited experience with boats, and felt like 18" would be easier for me to manage. And if I go with a 20", wouldn't I likely need a bigger motor? So while I came here looking for advice on the motor size for an 18" pontoon, you now have me wondering if I really do need a 20". A bit overwhelming.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

Erica, based on what you've said I think you'd be happy with a 20' to 22' with a 90 horse. I know that's a little more boat than you originally envisioned, but stay with me.

First, a 20' barge really isn't any more difficult to handle than an 18 footer. If anything it's a little easier because there's more boat to work with in rough water, and those extra few feet really don't impact maneuverability at all, but they sure do come in handy, which brings me to my second point.

By the time you, your hubby, and the nine year olds pile onto an eighteen footer along with a cooler and the tubes and all the other detritus that seems to multiply on a boat, especially one with youngsters aboard, you will be crowded. Forget bringing anyone else. I know whereof I speak, and I only have one nine year old.

Third, a properly maintained ninety horse on a 20 to 22 footer will be enough to give the kids a fun tube ride for the next few years and will cost only marginally more to operate than a 75 because you'll only be at or near WOT when towing or outrunning storms and giant catfish.

Fourth, if you get a barge that size and decide it is too much rig (which you won't) you can always trade down. However, the inverse is not the case. And, just so you know, we primarily boat on a two thousand acre lake. Our barge is a 21 footer with a 90 and it's perfect. It's small enough for that lake but big enough for another family to join us and big enough for the larger Corps impoundments should we decide we want a change of pace. We trailer it and tow it behind an Expedition and it's really a piece of cake.

So, if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and at least put the entire family aboard a couple different sized rigs and mentally place everything you'll have aboard with you, then add thirty percent. Then, if you're confident an 18 footer is the ticket get one with a 75. And, please understand, I'm not knocking 18' barges. They definitely have their purpose, but they're harder to move than their larger counterparts, so if you get one you'd better be sure it's what you want, because you'll likely have it for a while.

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: Motor size for 18" pontoon

When I went from a 18' V bottom to my 24 ft. pontoon, I thought I was motoring around on a large island but that was short lived. Within a year and a half, I was considering looking for a 28 ft. pontoon so I could have more room! I fish about 80% of the time alone (peace and quiet time) but by the time I add all my "extras" on my current pontoon, that wide-open space disappears real quick, with a generator, gill net container, cooler, shoplight stand, etc... And when I have several people (who bring additional stuff onboard) then I'm starting to feel like I'm back in my 18' V bottom again, stepping over things and not seeing much floor space. And this is all without wrap around furniture like the ones you're probably looking at. (I've removed all but 1 bench from mine).
At the least (as stated by others) you should consider a 20 ft. or even a 22 ft. if you can get a good deal, you won't be disappointed. Of course if you do get a larger pontoon, you won't realize what you've gained by doing so, since you didn't experience motoring a 18 fter around first. I couldn't even imagine going smaller than a 24 ft pontoon. Best wishes on whatever size you decide to go with.