Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Purchased at auction today a 2008 Fisher Freedom 240 DLX "Tri-Toon" with trailer but no motor. So I need some suggestions for a good outboard motor and suggested horse power???

In the past I have owned a 22FT Bennington Pontoon with a 115hp Yamaha 4-stroke but I was not happy with its cruising speed and wide open speed. Hoping that this Tri-Toon with the right outboard will perform much better.

Let me know what you think??

Mercury 115 4 stroke is a good choice too.

I think this motor would do the trick:


UMMM.... If I were choosing a motor for a tri-toon, I'd start by looking at the rating sticker inside the boat, then get the biggest one I can afford.

As far as name brands, almost anything goes. For the whopping short time I've been a member here, no one has really posted about buyer's remorse over a particular brand. Stick with the top 3-4 manufacturers, and you probably wont go wrong.

I've never heard anyone say they wish they had less power on their boat. I would first look to see what the power rating for the boat is and then purchase something in the upper range of the rating. Definitely keep in mind the weight of the motor though. The four stroke motors are heavier than the two strokes by a pretty good margin. I would think that boat would be rated at least for a 200 hp motor, maybe a 250.
I've been very impressed with my Etec 250HO motor. Great holeshot , midrange and top end. Instant acceleration when you punch it.
Know that you will probably not get 50 mph performance with whatever you put on the boat but you should be able to get 40+ if top speed is what you are looking for.

Whatever you get, set it up correctly. Anti Ventilation plate visible in the prop wash on plane and propped to give optimum rpm range with the load you normally carry. Most boats are set up with the motor set too low in the water which causes extra drag and then propped too high which lugs the motor with a load. Both bad for performance and longevity of the motor.

+1 Check the capacity plate and get the biggest motor you can afford. You won't be sorry. My Benny is now rated for a 225 so a 24 ft 3 tube should be at least 250. Honda now makes a 250 hp motor. Good luck.

+1. Look at the manufacturers rating and then buy the highest hp you can afford. Unless you an on doing your own work/maintenance, you may want to look at the shops around you and see what brands they are certified to work on. To get my boat to a Honda guy, I have to pull it 45-60 minutes on a heavily travelled road.

So far all you have had is bad advice.

I would look at the capacity plate and buy the biggest or close to max HP allowed on that toon.

You can borrow this one just to see if you like it. I think it's rated around 250 ..give or take a couple zeros but that's not important. I pulled it from my race car a few years ago but I think if we file the points, try to figure out where all those red wires hook up, and squirt some methanol at it, it may fire right up...

Talk to the manufacturer and see what they recommend. The capacity plate can be heavily influenced by manufacturer liability and may be inaccurate. I love my Honda and have never had an issue with it, but my manufacturer buddies swear by Suzukis. I would also get the biggest I could afford.

you guys are idiots!!!

MSAuto
Look at the capacity plate and get the max rated HP.

Always Always follow my advice.

These are a buch of dumb ass knuckle heads giving you advice.


Look at the capacity plate and buy the most HP you can afford!

I would go with 2 of these! Lol seriously like everyone else said look at the plate get as close to that as u can afford! Brand is like chevy verses ford! Bla bla bla but yamaha honda suzuki are very good choices! Just remember if it comes in black send it back! Lol

Ron Burgundy wrote:These are a buch of dumb ass knuckle heads giving you advice.


Look at the capacity plate and buy the most HP you can afford!

Call me a dumbass to my face and I will apply my knuckles to your head - BITCH!

The_Hellbilly wrote:

Ron Burgundy wrote:These are a buch of dumb ass knuckle heads giving you advice.


Look at the capacity plate and buy the most HP you can afford!

Call me a dumbass to my face and I will apply my knuckles to your head - BITCH!

That was a joke. Go back over the post and read real slow. You might get it then.

I would go max hp also. The 150 hp is a good compromise between performance and fuel consumption.
Depending on the weight of your boat the 150 would put you near or at 40.
doc