best motor for pontoon

[nikk]

what is the best motor for a 24'pontoon" etec evinrude-bigfoot-suzuki"

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: best motor for pontoon

I've got a 4 stroke Bigfoot and really like the fuel economy and quiet running. The heavier gear setup works well. I've heard really good things about the e-tec as well.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: best motor for pontoon

Pontoons are essentially barges and need lots of "push". A Merc Big Foot for example uses a larger lower unit with 2.34:1 gear set vs the standard Merc which has a 1.83:1 gearset. The later runs a 10-1/2 inch diameter prop and the Big Foot can run a 14 x 9P pontoon specific four blade prop. E-tecs and Suzuki's also have deeper gears than some other outboards so they can swing larger diameter pontoon specific props. I have a Suzy on my toon and it works well.

 

[nikk]

Re: best motor for pontoon

thanks guys..... im not so sure about the bigfoot i heard mercury motors are made in mexico but etec-suzuki sound good

 

[gmc1962]

Re: best motor for pontoon

I found that when you are looking for a motor for a toon make sure you don't get too short of shaft. I have lots of freinds that complain about cavitation. I always want my prop well below the bottom of the toons...I buy long shafts. You can always mount them higher and it also keeps your power head dry....Cheers

 

[imported_John o]

Re: best motor for pontoon

The Yamaha Vmax has worked well for me. Also have heard good about the Mercury Optimax and the Evindrude E-Tec.

The three engines are about the same with a slight edge to the E-tec due to less maintenance required.

Only problem I've had with my Yammie is that it runs so quiet I'm not sure it's on when I start it. :^)

 

[BuckyBadger]

Re: best motor for pontoon

I have a 2008 60hp bigfoot and have been impressed so far. Just a quiet smooth engine. It has been great on gas. I have a 30 gallon tank and I'm convinced if I kept it under 4K rpm I could run it all summer on 1 tank of gas.

 

[steelespike]

Re: best motor for pontoon

The etec is an impressive motor with lots of guts.
I believe they have somewhat pontoon friendly gear ratios.and turn somewhat larger props.40,50,60 are 2.67, 75 and 90 are 2.00.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: best motor for pontoon

I have a 2008 60hp bigfoot and have been impressed so far. Just a quiet smooth engine. It has been great on gas. I have a 30 gallon tank and I'm convinced if I kept it under 4K rpm I could run it all summer on 1 tank of gas.

exact same setup here, although I'm fairly sure it will make the summer on 6 gallons!

 

[ecru028]

Re: best motor for pontoon

I have a 1994 Monark 24' that has a 120 horse force on it. I am new to boating and this boat is new to me. It seems to have great push, I havent had it out that much yet. Will update further along.

 

[jafo9]

Re: best motor for pontoon

there is no right answer. you want to find a compromise between the biggest motor you can afford and the biggest motor your boat is rated for. what do you want the boat to do? another big consideration is who will work on it. it its you, it doesn't matter as much. at my lake there aren't any honda mechanics. not a huge deal since i do most stuff myself. if i were totally dependent on a mechanic, i'd be hosed. finally, getting the right prop will be much more essential than the sticker on the side of the motor.

 

[nikk]

Re: best motor for pontoon

Thanks everyone.....