motor help

[fishsalot]

guys i got a alumacraft 15x42 jon boat its says its rated for a 25hp what do
you guys think i should put on there..

go used or new

 

[Popeye]

Personally if you can afford it I would put a 25 hp on it. Can't recall anyone complaining that they had too much hp on their boat. As far as brand? I have had no real problems with my Merc. But when you get into outboards it's like asking what brand of vehicles do people prefer, Ford or Chevy. New/used? Again, that would depend on your budget. I am mechanically inclined and could do most my own repairs (except carburators, they hate me) so I wouldn't hesitate to consider used. If you are not so inclined then new might be a better choice for you.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Same as what Flounder said

Good reply =D>

 

[Popeye]

See Cap't, I can come up with some useful information sometimes.

 

[SlimeTime]

Agree with the info already given. However I'd get the motor I found the best deal on, if it's a 15HP, so be it......I'm never in that big of a hurry to get anywhere anyway. Besides.....once we go zippn' around the lake turning it into a blender....then we become similar to the pleasure/power boaters & jet-skiers we all complain about :wink:

ST

 

[brewfish]

As far as the amount of horse power I would take into consideration how heavy the boat is or is going to be after mods. Obviously the heavier she is the more muscle you'll need and me personally I would rather have a little bigger than a little smaller. Nothing saying that you have to run WOT all the time but if you're way the heck away from the ramp and it starts getting nasty you'll be happy you have those extra ponies at your disposal.

The only thing I have to say about brands it's really a personal choice. I would try to stick to the popular / major brands simply because parts tend to be cheaper & more readily available as well as certified mechanics to work on them.

 

[bassboy1]

I have got a 40 on a 1542. That is nice!....

I think I am getting close to 30 mph (may be at 30) with 2 people aboard. Plus, my mods made my boat a fairly heavy one, and this 40 is an older one that is a tad weaker than the new ones (crankshaft rated 40, not propshaft rated - 10% difference there)

 

[fishsalot]

my boat is only rated for a 25hp would the warden say anything if i went biger :?

 

[hardwatergrampa]

my boat is only rated for a 25hp would the warden say anything if i went biger :?

over powering the boat may be a safty issue amd most likely ad more weight to the boat thus cutting down on the amount of cargo and personal you could safely carrie on the boat

 

[Popeye]

Over powering with only a slightly (30 instead of the 25) bigger motor would probably do nothing adverse. Over powering by a lot (50 instead of 25) could cause serious handling issues. The hull is designed for a certain top speed. If you exceed that, then the boat may not handle correctly and if you try a higher speed turn you could be in serious trouble. The boat may not turn or it may just whip around violently throwing people and gear out of the boat. And like hardwatergrampa said, a bigger motor weighs more and you need to stay within the load limit guidelines.

 

[ben2go]

What are the possibilities that your lakes will ban 2 strokes?This has kept me off the lake.My local lakes have banned 2 strokes.No exceptions.Currently 4 stroke outboards are crazy expensive.If I had your set up I'd go with a Mercury 4 stroke 25HP or the same in the Honda 4 stroke line up.Used or new,keep in mind maintence and who will be doing it.