Are you wondering if you should buy your boat with the max HP rating? Are you curious if a smaller engine is okay? We often receive questions about horsepower at L&M Marine and Day Break Marina and in this article, we’ll thoroughly explain the pros and cons of buying your boat with max HP as well as the pros and cons of purchasing your boat with a smaller engine.

Your Intended Use Impacts Your Decision: What Are You Using the Boat For?

When deciding whether you should buy your boat with the max-rated HP or not, it’s important to consider how you intend to use the boat as well as the type of boat. For example, an Xpress H20 Bay (which is one of our most popular boats) the max HP rating is 150, but the majority of what we sell are equipped with a 115 HP engine.

Although most people who purchase an Xpress H20 Bay don’t opt for the max HP rating, bass boats are always rated for max HP - we’ve never sold one that wasn’t. This is because the clientele is more geared toward performance while Xpress H20 buyers are more focused on the fuel economy of the 115 versus maxing out with a 150. Most pontoon owners view their HP rating the same as Xpress H20 Bay owners as their goal isn’t performance, so they elect the bare minimum HP. 

The difference between a smaller engine and one with a max HP rating is similar to buying an F-150 versus a Raptor, or a Mustang with a V6 versus a Mustang with a V8 - if you want to go fast then buy the Raptor or the V8.

Max HP Rating Versus Smaller Engine Statistics 

There’s a misconception that most people want max HP - here are some statistics based on our experience:

• Less than 50% of our customers opt for max HP

• Less than 10% people of customers who purchase an Xpress H20 Bay opt for the max HP (150) as the 115 HP is the most economical

• Skeeter FXR bass series - every single unit sold has been sold with the max HP rating  (250) 
  
  

Most of the time manufacturers, like for H20 bay, have recommended a horsepower rating both a a max rating and minimum rating. The engine they put on the boat is the minimum horsepower power and the ride quality remains the same regardless of the horsepower rating.

Ultimately, the deciding factors are how and where you use your boat and how much you want to spend. 

A Bigger Engine Results in a Higher Cost: How Much Do You Want to Spend? 

When it comes down to buying a boat with the max HP rating or a boat with a smaller engine, ultimately it’s a financial decision. If you do purchase a boat with max HP, this also affects your steering systems, a hydraulic steering system is required versus a cable steering system. This affects the price of the boat and could take the overall price of the Xpress H20 Bay from approximately $40,000 to $45,000. But if you purchase the next size up, such as an Xpress H22 with a 175 it could potentially only cost you $2,000 more. Most manufacturers will always give this cost incentive as an effort to encourage customers to purchase the next size up.

The Difference In Performance

When you choose a boat with max rated HP, this improves the performance of the boat and if these things are important to you, buying your boat with a max HP rating would be the way to go:

• Speed

• Water sports

• Heavy load

If you’re using your boat for watersports, if you’ve got a heavier load (whether it’s passengers or equipment) than the average person, or if you’re more performance-driven, for example, a tournament angler where speed is a factor  - getting a boat with a max HP makes sense.

Here’s how buying a boat with the max HP rating affects your speed and performance:

Xpress H20 Bay

115 HP vs. 150 HP

• Typically, an Xpress H20 Bay’s max speed is about 45 miles per hour with a 115 HP motor.

• If you opted for a max HP rating (150) the difference in speed would be an increase of about 5 miles per hour. 

2200 Pathfinder

200 HP vs. 250 HP

• A 2200 Pathfinder with a 200 HP engine would work for 90% of what you’re doing and runs in the mid to high 40 mph range. 

• If you opted for a max HP motor, 250 HP, this would provide you with more power, create a bigger wake, and go faster - about 60 mph, which is about a 15 mph increase.

The 22’ fiberglass bay boats are where you see the biggest disparity in horsepower, sometimes you’ll see a 150 HP engine on a 22’ or sometimes it’ll be a 250 HP on the same size boat. The typical HP range for a 24’ boat bay boat is 300-400 HP. 

Max HP Rating: Center Consoles vs. Bay Boats

For center consoles, in a rough water environment having a boat with a smaller engine may affect your ability to get through big waves versus having a boat with max HP. Many of the bay boats we sell aren’t at the max horsepower rating and ultimately, no matter what kind of boat you have, the decision to go for the max HP rating all depends on the primary usage of the boat. 

Pros + Cons: Max HP + Smaller Engine

The size of your engine affects your efficiency, having a smaller engine will result in better fuel economy and overall a lower cost while choosing the max HP rating will provide better thrust and more speed. 

Summary 

If you’re carrying heavier loads, if speed is important to you, or if you’re into watersports (as it takes force to get people out of the water for activities such as wakeboarding), going for a max rating would be the better fit versus a smaller engine. That said, don’t be concerned about buying a boat with a minimum HP rating/smaller engine, if the manufacturer has it rated for the amount of horsepower, then it will work. 

Another thing to keep in mind when trying to decide between a max HP rating or a smaller engine is that you could pay an additional few grand to upgrade your boat to a larger engine, or you could use that same money to purchase a larger boat. Overall, if you want to just cruise, the minimum HP rating is okay, if performance is a factor, then go for the max rating.

L&M Marine (251) 931-1380 and Day Break Marina (850) 434-9022 are happy to answer any of your questions regarding horsepower and which engine is the best fit for you. See our inventory here and our loose engines here.