9.9hp vs. 15hp

[MackPrince]

As some of you know I am working on refinishing my '61 14ft Sea Nymph. It has a 2-stroke 8hp Suzuki that runs well most of the time, but has gotten touchy if I troll much longer than 90 minutes without taking a short open throttle ride. As it is now the 8hp gets me on plane at about 17mph, and I sometimes use a trolling plate if I have a tailwind or need to control my fishing speed.

Realizing that I don't have a major pay raise in the near future I've been starting to look at options if I replace the 8hp by summer of 2011.

I know any 4-stroke (8hp or bigger) is going to weigh more than my current motor, but I found a 15hp Suzuki that comes in at 97lbs. compared to a Merc 9.9 at 84 I have quick question...

**Will a 15 hp with the same prop as a 9.9 troll at the same speed or faster? And is the 15 worth the extra weight on a 14ft boat?

 

[SmokeOnTheWater]

GREAT QUESTION! Exact same prop (diamenter & pitch) on both motors will depend soley on your idle speed (RPM). Faster idle = faster speed.

I used to have a 14' Smokercraft with a 15HP, 2-stroke that was an all around fantastic set-up. Just a few turns (or less) on the idle adjustment screw (while running) allowed me to troll extremely slow. When I sold the boat, the buyer didn't need the motor so I used it for years as a kicker on my bigger boat (17.5' Smokercraft) and it continued to work great. Then along came an offer I couldn't pass. A friend of mine sold me a 2004, 8HP, 4-stroke and I haven't regretted the move. The two nicest features are electric start and much quieter operation.

If you're using one motor for all your needs, I'd go with the maximum HP rating for your boat. It gets you to your fishing spot faster and off the lake faster for bad weather or any other emergency.

If speed is not your concern and you're sitting close to the motor, I'd opt for the peace and quiet of the smaller 4-stroke.

Hope this helps?

 

[skookum9]

I agree with SmokeOnTheWater that the 15 is the way to go. I don't have a lot of experience with the newer motors but my experience with older ones would have me to steer clear from anything by Merc for a trolling motor. I know there are probably many here who would disagree but I have had nothing but problems trying to troll with a Merc. They do go like a grape ape when you throttle them up though. One tool that I have learned that I like to carry with me is a sea anchor. I use this when I want to slow my downwind troll or when I want to slow my downwind drift for using my jigs. The 15 should troll down just as slow as the 10 but if that's still not slow enough, the sea anchor will come to the rescue. Used to use a 9.5 Evenrude with a trolling plate on a 14ft aluminum boat and it worked great but always wished I had more top end.

 

[Full_Monte]

I use a 25hp Yamaha oil-injected 2-stroke on my 15 ft. boat. It trolls all day down to .7mph and will get it up on a plane. I really like the motor. It's a 1988 model and I don't think I want anything else. It's also electric start.

 

[Bduck]

I have a Merc 9.9 4stroke as my kicker and have no isues at all with it. It does exactly what I want it to do. All motors have a certain degree of noise but some are more quieter than others. The newer built motors built today have come a long ways vs the older 2strokes. As time goes on, there are going to be more lakes that are going to have more restrictions with 2strokes. My 4stroker runs from the same gas tank as my main motor. Thats a good advantage to have. Never have to mix oil & gas. It runs quiet as well.

 

[onlychild]

I have a 9.9 honda 4-stroke and love it as mentioned by Bduck mine is also plumbed in my main fuel tank some thing to think about is with ele. start you also have a charging system it may not keep up with running everything but a little juice being put back into your batteries doesnt hurt

 

[salmonster]

Great point on the charger. I have a '96 Johnson 4 stroke 8 as my kicker. Quiet, reliable, runs all day on almost no gas. On multi day trips running the auto pilot and electric downriggers, I could use some extra charge. i installed a solar charger, but it is a trickle at best.