motors

Hey folks 1st post here, and trying to learn my way around. Go by the "Night Krawler", live in North Carolina and mostly fish Oak Island, Southport, Wrightsville, and Carolina Beach. Usually ramp out of Oak Island and fish the Lockwood folly River area, and Davis Canal at night, usually gigging flounder, and day's we fish for what ever is biting!

Running a 2011 Alumacraft 1542 with a 6hp Yamaha 2stroke, and getting ready this week to buy the new Tohatsu EFI electric start 15hp or the 20hp......hoping for some opinions. I'm leaning towards the 20 after reviewing a few threads here about the power folks are getting. Got the $$$ to get either one, and since they are the same weight i figure might as well get the 20.

I usually fish with my buddy Rex the Hex, and we load out at 215 on the boat, I'm 175, Rex is 190, got a small deck on front with a guard and four 50 LED's, and two 500 12 volt driving lights out front, cooler, gear, and a 2000 Honda genny.........so we must be pushing right at 1000 lbs with the new motor (Tohatsu @ 94 lbs I believe).......

the old six is a good one and she pushes this whole rig 10-11 mph on a GPS.....so I'm wondering if the 20 will get up to 20 mph and maybe over by a bit.......by myself it should do it easy I think.......but again any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

NightKrawler

It will get you close, the bottom line is no one ever said I wish I would have went smaller. You will progressively go bigger, boat, motor etc. Go as big as you can, when you upgrade your boat you will be glad.

I had a 1973 Starcraft 12 footer that had the 6 hp Yammy on it, and now I got this one...I have recently looked at the Xpress 16 DBX just the other day, and it is a nice rig @ $10,495.00, and it had a 25 Yamaha EFI Electric start Tiller on it, which might be underpowered a bit loaded out, but really I'm having a blast gigging and just running these back waters in my area. Think the 1542 with the 20 Tohatsu might be a good combo!

Thanks for the input,
NightKrawler

Alright guys and gals, the boat has been dropped of at AK Mac's for the new 2018 Tohatsu 20 HP EFI with electric start. Had a hard time deciding but had a great weekend selling off old boating stuff ie 11 ft Zodiac, some St Croix davits, and two motors (the little 6 hp Yammy and a 2.5 Yammy 4 stroke). Neither motor was running, but just needed carb service. Hey, picked up $2490.00 bucks on old stuff I wasn't using. AK's has the Tohatsu for $3099.00 plus tax. Pretty darn close to the best price out there!

Hopefully those dead carb days are over with the EFI, and I will run only non ethanol from here on out as well........will post up some pic's when I get her home tomorrow.

Sounds like a winner.

I have some fond memories of Hayes St in Fayetteville.

I had a Tahatsu. One of the best little motors that I ever had.

I had that engine on my last boat, a 1436. I don't see 20mph happening with the load you mentioned, but it should definitely push that with just you. That engine is super quiet and fuel efficient. I really liked mine a lot. The only reason I sold it and went to Yamaha 2 strokes was because I feared something messing up with it and it sitting at the dealer all summer for warranty work. I do all my own wrenching or that wouldn't have mattered to me. I sure do miss that fuel economy!

water bouy said:

Sounds like a winner.

I have some fond memories of Hayes St in Fayetteville.

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LOL, good place to get shot now.

" sitting at the dealer all summer"

I understand that Tohatsu makes nearly all of the small Mercury motors. I'd think any qualified Mercury guy could get parts and fix them easily enough.

richg99 said:

" sitting at the dealer all summer"

I understand that Tohatsu makes nearly all of the small Mercury motors. I'd think any qualified Mercury guy could get parts and fix them easily enough.

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I would agree. And this might not have ever been an issue even if the awesome little engine had torn up, but around here it seems there is always a lengthy wait time with the popular repair shops. Lots of river/lake life here and I guess it keeps those guys busy. Anyways, I had zero issues with that Tohatsu and so far my little Yamaha has been great as well.

Well got the first five hours of break in time done. Just me and Rex a cooler and one bag of ice and three rods and a tackle box.....guys, that little motor will fly, and I never got it over 70% of throttle. We were running up and down Lockwood Folly River with little wind and at slack tide so nothing to impede the speed. She jumps up on plane with no effort at all, runs easy on the back third of the boat, and has a bundle of throttle left. I can say after running jons for fifty years, I am impressed. Maybe its the EFI, and no lag from carbs at all, don't really know but she's def fast. Can't wait to GPS her empty with just me in the boat to see how she does......from what I felt this Friday, hitting 25 empty will be a breeze. My dad had a 14 footer with a Mercury 25 back in the early 1970's that felt like a race care running across them Arkansas lakes where I grew up. I always seem to compare any of my jon boats to how that boat run.....but these new EFI 4 strokes got me loving them so far. Probably can't wrench on one at my mechanical level, but oh well!

Word of advice....

EFI motors still suffer from staled fuel, the difference is that now with EFI, "fixing" the results of stale fuel can be quite a bit more expensive (VST filter, injectors, fuel pump, etc). Just thought I'd mention it, FWIW.

Fully agree we all need to keep fresh, non-ethanol fuel in the tank at all times! I still add a little fuel stabil as well, and for the record the new Tohatsu 20 is a monster LOL, seriously this little motor is quite fast....still have not run her wide open, and will GPS her this week, both two man and one man runs just for the record. Also got my depth finder wired in, and permantly mounted the transducer on the back. I did have a temp set up before that on a 12" aluminum flate stick, but the motor was too fast for that set up and would bend the mount causing a rooster tail off the back.......took care of that......mounted, and sealed!

Also, the new Tohatsu 20 has a fuel/water seperator under the hood. It is small, but easy to use when you are checking your fluids before each trip, and this can only help with fuel matters.

Roger that......got to keep this motor in top shape.....LOL.....the wife just got the bill from the CC company, and knowing her as well as i do she always pays the full amount every month no matter what! That's why i love her so much! Now just gotta get her to let me upgrade the trolling motor!

well we been out a few times now, the break-in period is over, and the motor runs great. Packed for bear with me and my buddy she still flys......I am surprised. Empty of gear by myself, it jumps up and runs like jet ski, LOL! Not sure if the 1542 size does better than my old 1648 from years ago, but I think it is really faster without a doubt. Will GPS it next time out and take a pic just so I know for certain, but I can say this, it really does everything I wanted it to, and I'm glad I chose this motor over some others.