Own a 2015 23’ Crest Classic tri toon with a 150 Evinrude. Absolutely love that boat and it’s been nothing but fun. Super solid and well built. We’re trading it in now for a 2024 Crest Platinum 220 tri toon with a 250 Merc Verado. We live on Cape Cod and only use our boat in the ocean. Amazed at how stable and well the Crest tri toon performs in chop. Perfect boat!
Yeah Barletta's are great but damn they are insanely expensive for what they are. If Winnebago bought them I def think the quality is going to come down a bit.
I am surprised you have Barletta at number one. Everything I know/heard about them is pretty much the opposite of what you said. A lot of cutting corners for cost savings and using cheaper material that won’t last. Bit of a surprise to me but we will see.
@fluffypuppy4388 You are absolutely correct. Barletta does not allow comments on videos, you have to have a vin number to join an owners group, and comments are turned off on online forums. This is only done to separate future buyers from current customers that are constantly complaining about quality issues such as upholstery and other known problems. They seem to be the only brand that takes this approach where every other luxury brand is more transparent. Matt is obviously getting money from Barletta. His opinion is that they are always the best but with no visual proof to back up these statements. Show us pictures of comparisons of Barletta, Harris, Godfrey, and Bennington. There is a reason he does not. Harris, Godfrey, and Bennington are all better built boats than a Barletta. The fact that Manitou is second is laughable. This is just so if you look at a Manitou the Barletta looks much better because Manitou should be last on the list or not on the list at all and no way Godfrey doesn't make a true top 5. I am an Avalon man and I know where they stand. It is not among the top 5 but they also do not claim the be "The Best" like Barletta when everyone in the pontoon industry knows that would be Bennington. Seems like Barletta has been spending a fortune on Marketing rather than perfecting their product and this channel is just one of those marketing places. 90% of what Matt says in most of his other videos is actually pretty spot on and he has some great video's but on his pontoon luxury brand videos it is clear he favors Barletta and has nothing bad to say ever.
Nothing really surprising about that list. I've owned Crest and Harris boats and they were solid. Looking forward to the delivery of our 2022 Barletta!
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon one more question;) My nearest Harris dealer is around 400 miles away. Is that a deal breaker? I have a Merc dealer 10 miles away.
Playcraft is by far the strongest, most durable, and most dependable pontoon on the market. A couple of the brands mentioned get beat to death fairly quickly here at Lake of the Ozarks.
I just shrink wrapped a 27' Playcraft here in CT. Dealer sticker was Wisconsin. This is my first seeing this brand boat up close and I was super impressed how stout the construction is done from the pontoons, engine mount (Merc 450 installed) to the welds on everything even the HUGE T-Top was seriously over built. My guess is the list is for mass produced boats vs custom built boats. But yeah, Playcraft, holy crap, what a seriously made boat.
As much as I love the layout of a pontoon boats, living in CT, I boat both on lakes, rivers and in the ocean. Because I boat in the ocean, I cannot see a pontoon boat taking on 4'+ seas. So, I have held off ever getting one though on a lake, it's an awesome boat to chill, fish, hang out, etc. But who knows, maybe I'll stop trailering and settle down to boat in one location only in the future....eh...I hope not.😁
Suprize Vernda not in the top been no wood in the boat , I did several month research n bought a 2021 Veranda because built better for the value. All good anyway
That list is ridiculous. Not putting Bennington at 1 or maybe 2 shows that you don't know much about the pontoon industry. Putting Harris in the top 5 is insane and Manitou shouldn't even be in the top 10. Your list is laughable.
@@JackFlatfoot Had to be a lot of money for the guy to give up his integrity completely and for him to make himself look like a fool. That entire list is a joke! Haha, It makes him look like he doesn't know anything about pontoons. He would probably say that the best Marine engine in the industry is a Honda as well or a BRP product!
Great video! I’m in the market and looking at the swingback options. Any input into who makes the best swingback layout tritoon of those in the video? Manitou has a SL layout but haven’t seen much on it. Thanks!
Check out the Barletta lineup. Their swing back lounges can be configured into many different seating arrangements, including totally flat for a bed. We ordered a 2022 Barletta Corsa 23U tri-toon. It has the swing back lounge.
@@deepsea5107 thanks for the help. I’ve talked with a Barletta dealer and the Cabrio is in my price point and is great but there is no raised helm option and a few other items that I’m looking for. Congrats on the Corsa, they are awesome. The wife loves the swingback layout so I’m trying to research and go from there. Thanks!
The pontoon industry is still living in the dinosaur age when it comes to construction with the use of marine plywood in the decks. All the mentioned manufacturers charge huge premium prices, some of their boats near the 200k range, and you still get wood? How can South Bay not only be on this list, it should be at the top. South Bay has joined this century in boat construction with the use of composite decking. South Bay offers a lifetime warranty on their composite decking while Manitou offers 10 years parts and labor and limited lifetime for materials so when your wooden deck rots out you have to pay to have the boat taken apart and repaired.
I appreciate your experience and knowledge but respectively disagree about the use of marine grade plywood in modern boat manufacturing. At today’s boat pricing, there’s zero justification to use wood in boat hulls. I’ll agree that Plywood definitely has some structural advantages to composites in boat building however, there is no lifetime guarantee on any sheet of marine plywood. You are well aware there is an entire marine industry dedicated to repairing and replacing water logged stringers and transoms. Barlletas own warranty says Limited Lifetime Structural Warranty and the 10 Year Bow to Stern Warranty but they conveniently leave out the specific details of coverage for the plywood decking. I’ll bet the plywood is covered by the 10 year fine print. While yes a Verado 300 V8 is in the 25K range there still is no justification for the high pricing of the high end deck boats even if you take into account the labor to weld the tubes which is significantly less than the intensive labor to layup a fiberglass hull and deck. Barlettas, Manitou and Bennington use the same deck construction methods and wood decking materials that Sun Tracker uses and we know the quality of a Sun Tracker is sub par. I believe a South Bay tritoon may still hold the world record for fastest deck boat over 100moh at a LOTO shootout. Anyway, appreciate your content, opinions and videos. Keep them coming!
I bought my Bennington in June, thus far I am not very impressed. Bolts are already coming loose, seats are cheap! Not the vinyl or the cushioning, but the way the seats are made themselves. Speaker covers already falling off. I had a 24 foot chaparral for years, never had a single issue like this. I’m actually rather pissed off. Six figures for this boat, none of this should be happening. If I could go back I would not buy a Bennington. I’ve given this Bennington boat one star reviews everywhere I can. Nice video though. Oh, and the fiberglass pieces on this boat are basically see-through. This is the thinnest fiberglass I have ever seen on a boat. Completely disappointed! I ordered the boat so I never got to see it until it was delivered.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Completely unacceptable! And I forgot to mention the mooring cover. There’s no point in even using it. It literally rains inside the boat. I already have moisture under the screen of the Garman, and the stereo itself is soaked anytime it rains. They told me if they sent me a new cover it would do the same thing??? I bought this boat because I heard great things. I’ve never been more disappointed. Thanks for the response..
I'm really surprised about that myself. Just got my Bennington early spring this year and so far, the only thing I will address to the dealership is the 3 screws that came loose on my aft fishing seats. I agree with you that this shouldn't be happening on a brand new boat. Even though I can easily tighten those up myself, I paid 5 figures for this 20 footer. I want it fixed!!!!!! LOl
@@chrispanagiotopoulos8162 I don’t disagree with that at all.. but it is still unacceptable. I’m being told I could probably sell it at a breakeven price, I’m think I’m going to try and do that. I planned on keeping this boat for at least 12, 15 years. But with everything already going on after only 60 hours of use, it will never last that long. First, and last Bennington I will ever buy.
Looking at all of this through the eyes of a newbie and trying to stay positive. I honestly had a great time out on the Lake this past season and looking forward to another great season. But I am a realist. I know that there are pitfalls in everything in life. With that being said, thank you all for your comments. Whether negative or positive, they are helpful.
Thanks for your thoughts, but obviously I disagree . My parents have a Southbay and although it’s a nice boat, it is not built better than the brands on this list
Own a 2015 23’ Crest Classic tri toon with a 150 Evinrude. Absolutely love that boat and it’s been nothing but fun. Super solid and well built. We’re trading it in now for a 2024 Crest Platinum 220 tri toon with a 250 Merc Verado. We live on Cape Cod and only use our boat in the ocean. Amazed at how stable and well the Crest tri toon performs in chop. Perfect boat!
Updating and modding a 23’ crest now 1996 in really nice shape
Yeah Barletta's are great but damn they are insanely expensive for what they are. If Winnebago bought them I def think the quality is going to come down a bit.
Great list, thanks. Give Canadian pontoons a mention e.g. Princecraft, Legend, and yes, Sea-doo Switch.
Good info... hopefully u will get to a in depth review on the wallet friendly Suntracker line up.
awesome list - this is super helpful!
I am surprised you have Barletta at number one. Everything I know/heard about them is pretty much the opposite of what you said. A lot of cutting corners for cost savings and using cheaper material that won’t last. Bit of a surprise to me but we will see.
@fluffypuppy4388 You are absolutely correct. Barletta does not allow comments on videos, you have to have a vin number to join an owners group, and comments are turned off on online forums. This is only done to separate future buyers from current customers that are constantly complaining about quality issues such as upholstery and other known problems. They seem to be the only brand that takes this approach where every other luxury brand is more transparent. Matt is obviously getting money from Barletta. His opinion is that they are always the best but with no visual proof to back up these statements. Show us pictures of comparisons of Barletta, Harris, Godfrey, and Bennington. There is a reason he does not. Harris, Godfrey, and Bennington are all better built boats than a Barletta. The fact that Manitou is second is laughable. This is just so if you look at a Manitou the Barletta looks much better because Manitou should be last on the list or not on the list at all and no way Godfrey doesn't make a true top 5. I am an Avalon man and I know where they stand. It is not among the top 5 but they also do not claim the be "The Best" like Barletta when everyone in the pontoon industry knows that would be Bennington. Seems like Barletta has been spending a fortune on Marketing rather than perfecting their product and this channel is just one of those marketing places. 90% of what Matt says in most of his other videos is actually pretty spot on and he has some great video's but on his pontoon luxury brand videos it is clear he favors Barletta and has nothing bad to say ever.
What about Godfrey?
Did you watch best and worst pontoon video?
Nothing really surprising about that list. I've owned Crest and Harris boats and they were solid. Looking forward to the delivery of our 2022 Barletta!
What do you think about a silver wave pontoon
Great vid, I really like Harris 210 cruiser in the tri toon configuration with the SLDH layout!
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Yes, rear lounger dual captains chairs. Is there big difference in build quality between the Cruiser and Sunliner?
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon one more question;) My nearest Harris dealer is around 400 miles away. Is that a deal breaker? I have a Merc dealer 10 miles away.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Yes I have Barletta and Premier as well as Sun Catcher or Chaser close by.
Interesting but very general review/ranking. Where would the Avalon line land?
How do you feel about G3 pontoons?
Can you give me any insight on G3 suncatcher by Yamaha?
Sure, they are a solid mid-tier pontoon brand owned by Yamaha so you'll only find Yamaha engines on them.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon thank you
What about south bay? It’s been a great boat!
Playcraft is by far the strongest, most durable, and most dependable pontoon on the market. A couple of the brands mentioned get beat to death fairly quickly here at Lake of the Ozarks.
I just shrink wrapped a 27' Playcraft here in CT. Dealer sticker was Wisconsin. This is my first seeing this brand boat up close and I was super impressed how stout the construction is done from the pontoons, engine mount (Merc 450 installed) to the welds on everything even the HUGE T-Top was seriously over built. My guess is the list is for mass produced boats vs custom built boats. But yeah, Playcraft, holy crap, what a seriously made boat.
Is veranda any good
I cover Veranda in my best and wort pontoon video… have you seen it
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon I Have not but let me check your Videos and see. thanks again
Are Voyager tritoons good boats?
Not familiar with that brand
As much as I love the layout of a pontoon boats, living in CT, I boat both on lakes, rivers and in the ocean. Because I boat in the ocean, I cannot see a pontoon boat taking on 4'+ seas. So, I have held off ever getting one though on a lake, it's an awesome boat to chill, fish, hang out, etc. But who knows, maybe I'll stop trailering and settle down to boat in one location only in the future....eh...I hope not.😁
Where’s Avalon
I agree! Avalon makes a great chassis.
I just discovered that Cobalt made Tri toons for a short time. Anyone have any knowledge about these?
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Are they worth looking at?
Suprize Vernda not in the top been no wood in the boat , I did several month research n bought a 2021 Veranda because built better for the value. All good anyway
BENNINGTON BABY!!!!!!!!!
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon 2021 20 ss
😫God I hope not! I'll keep my eyes 👀 and ears 👂 open and keep you posted 🤔
That list is ridiculous. Not putting Bennington at 1 or maybe 2 shows that you don't know much about the pontoon industry. Putting Harris in the top 5 is insane and Manitou shouldn't even be in the top 10. Your list is laughable.
Thanks for the comments
Have you watched the full review?
@tylernetter9663 I wonder how much Barletta pays him.
@@JackFlatfoot Had to be a lot of money for the guy to give up his integrity completely and for him to make himself look like a fool. That entire list is a joke! Haha, It makes him look like he doesn't know anything about pontoons. He would probably say that the best Marine engine in the industry is a Honda as well or a BRP product!
Great video! I’m in the market and looking at the swingback options. Any input into who makes the best swingback layout tritoon of those in the video? Manitou has a SL layout but haven’t seen much on it. Thanks!
Check out the Barletta lineup. Their swing back lounges can be configured into many different seating arrangements, including totally flat for a bed. We ordered a 2022 Barletta Corsa 23U tri-toon. It has the swing back lounge.
@@deepsea5107 thanks for the help. I’ve talked with a Barletta dealer and the Cabrio is in my price point and is great but there is no raised helm option and a few other items that I’m looking for. Congrats on the Corsa, they are awesome. The wife loves the swingback layout so I’m trying to research and go from there. Thanks!
The pontoon industry is still living in the dinosaur age when it comes to construction with the use of marine plywood in the decks. All the mentioned manufacturers charge huge premium prices, some of their boats near the 200k range, and you still get wood? How can South Bay not only be on this list, it should be at the top. South Bay has joined this century in boat construction with the use of composite decking. South Bay offers a lifetime warranty on their composite decking while Manitou offers 10 years parts and labor and limited lifetime for materials so when your wooden deck rots out you have to pay to have the boat taken apart and repaired.
I appreciate your experience and knowledge but respectively disagree about the use of marine grade plywood in modern boat manufacturing. At today’s boat pricing, there’s zero justification to use wood in boat hulls. I’ll agree that Plywood definitely has some structural advantages to composites in boat building however, there is no lifetime guarantee on any sheet of marine plywood. You are well aware there is an entire marine industry dedicated to repairing and replacing water logged stringers and transoms. Barlletas own warranty says Limited Lifetime Structural Warranty and the 10 Year Bow to Stern Warranty but they conveniently leave out the specific details of coverage for the plywood decking. I’ll bet the plywood is covered by the 10 year fine print. While yes a Verado 300 V8 is in the 25K range there still is no justification for the high pricing of the high end deck boats even if you take into account the labor to weld the tubes which is significantly less than the intensive labor to layup a fiberglass hull and deck. Barlettas, Manitou and Bennington use the same deck construction methods and wood decking materials that Sun Tracker uses and we know the quality of a Sun Tracker is sub par. I believe a South Bay tritoon may still hold the world record for fastest deck boat over 100moh at a LOTO shootout. Anyway, appreciate your content, opinions and videos. Keep them coming!
This list is in the order of most expensive cost to purchase not best boat for the money
🤟🤟
I bought my Bennington in June, thus far I am not very impressed. Bolts are already coming loose, seats are cheap! Not the vinyl or the cushioning, but the way the seats are made themselves.
Speaker covers already falling off. I had a 24 foot chaparral for years, never had a single issue like this. I’m actually rather pissed off. Six figures for this boat, none of this should be happening. If I could go back I would not buy a Bennington. I’ve given this Bennington boat one star reviews everywhere I can. Nice video though.
Oh, and the fiberglass pieces on this boat are basically see-through. This is the thinnest fiberglass I have ever seen on a boat. Completely disappointed! I ordered the boat so I never got to see it until it was delivered.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Completely unacceptable! And I forgot to mention the mooring cover. There’s no point in even using it. It literally rains inside the boat. I already have moisture under the screen of the Garman, and the stereo itself is soaked anytime it rains. They told me if they sent me a new cover it would do the same thing??? I bought this boat because I heard great things. I’ve never been more disappointed. Thanks for the response..
I'm really surprised about that myself. Just got my Bennington early spring this year and so far, the only thing I will address to the dealership is the 3 screws that came loose on my aft fishing seats. I agree with you that this shouldn't be happening on a brand new boat. Even though I can easily tighten those up myself, I paid 5 figures for this 20 footer. I want it fixed!!!!!! LOl
@@Maynardd I think what is happening is all these manufacturers are so jam-packed with orders that quality might be taking a dip to meet fulfillment.
@@chrispanagiotopoulos8162 I don’t disagree with that at all.. but it is still unacceptable. I’m being told I could probably sell it at a breakeven price, I’m think I’m going to try and do that. I planned on keeping this boat for at least 12, 15 years. But with everything already going on after only 60 hours of use, it will never last that long. First, and last Bennington I will ever buy.
Looking at all of this through the eyes of a newbie and trying to stay positive. I honestly had a great time out on the Lake this past season and looking forward to another great season. But I am a realist. I know that there are pitfalls in everything in life. With that being said, thank you all for your comments. Whether negative or positive, they are helpful.
Berkshire is better than all of those
Thanks for your thoughts, but obviously I disagree . My parents have a Southbay and although it’s a nice boat, it is not built better than the brands on this list