How much horsepower is enough?

[fishinggeek]

Would you recommend getting the max recommended horsepower for better performance? I heard you should not get the max, but the next motor down, so the boat doesn't take too much stress and lasts longer.

Edited April 9, 2008 by fishinggeek

[Terry]

you should get 85% of max or more

there is nothing wrong with getting the max HP...if you don't want to go as fast as max HP will give you then 3/4 throttle and you will save lots of gas and wear and tear on your motor...IMHO

[irishfield]

What Terry said.. no matter how big you don't have to use it all unless you really want to !

[jjcanoe]

I've got a 14.5 ft Lund console with a 40hp on it. The max is a 50hp but I couldn't imagine a 50 on it since the back end sits quite low in the water with the weight of the motor and I can run about 33mph all trimmed out. don't think I want to be going much faster than that in such a small boat. But with a bigger/wider boat you might not notice the speed as much

 

jjcanoe

[fishinggeek]

Thanks for the info so far. I'm leaning towards a 14 foot tinny that has a max rating of 30HP. I was wondering if I should go for the 30 or get a 25.

[irishfield]

One thing worth reading before deciding on HP would be your home insurance policy.. some have an 18HP limit.. some 28.. some others. to cover you for liability at no extra cost under your house policy. Our 25 was originally covered, for liability, under our cottage policy at N/C (where a 30 wouldn't have been), but then a couple years later they changed their fine print to 18HP. I now pay $162/yr for theft coverage of $5800 replacement and 2 million liability for it's useage (which is criminal considering I only pay $900 for my 2150 Lund Baron and toys)

Edited April 9, 2008 by irishfield

[fishnsled]

Thanks for the info so far. I'm leaning towards a 14 foot tinny that has a max rating of 30HP. I was wondering if I should go for the 30 or get a 25.

 

Ditto what Terry and Wayne have said. I've always been told to get the max HP or very close to it. I was in a boat a few years ago and it was rated for a 100 and it had a 60 on it. It took 3 of us to get up to the front of the boat and the throttle wide open to get the thing on plane, which took a very long time. Luckily it was calm, would hate to do that in rough water. Burned more gas in that boat that weekend then I do in mine with a 115 on it in a 3 weekends. One of the worst things to do (imo) is to under power a boat. In your case either the 30 or 25 will do the job but if it was me I'd get the 30, you won't be disappointed with the performance.

[Bernie]

If you can do it, get rated horsepower. How often do you run your automobile wide open throttle? Hardly ever I bet, but it has the power to get you up to speed on on ramps. I also find that usually you save fuel too.

[Guest skeeter99]

go for the max horsepower

 

less stress on engine and you will actually save fuel because the engine is not working as hard to get the boat moving, but if you are like me and run wot most of the time there is no fuel savings

[Mike the Pike]

Ya go for the max HP .

 

in my case my boat is rated for a 60 but the 50 does a fine job.

 

Here is an example Percher has a Lund Classic 1660 with a 50 Merc top speed 35mph.

 

My friend Kenny has a Lund 1660 Classic with a 60 Merc top speed is 38mph.

 

I don't think 25 to 30 hp will make a huge impact but I would go for the 30.

 

What I find odd is Legend pushes the sales of their boats way under powered.

 

I have seen them 16 footers full load and full wrap winshield powered by a 25hp give me a break

 

I know someone who can't get on plane with 3 adults in the boat.

 

Good luck with your purchase.

 

MTP

[2 tone z71]

Max it out no regrets

[danbouck]

Get what the budget allows!

[boatman]

I have a 14.5' Springbok Resorter deep and wide aluminium boat. I have had a 15, 20, 25 and 30 hp on it. The boat is max rated for 28 hp. It is probably comparable to your boat. The 15 hp was too small. It worked really hard to get me on plane. It would not plane two people. The 20 hp had to work hard, but would plane two people. The 25 hp and 30 hp both performed about the same. There was no discernable difference.

 

The suggestion is no less than 75% of the max rating. Therefore, you shouldn't consider anything less than 22.5 hp. So you are correct in looking at 25-30 hp. If I was buying new (not that I would do that) I'd get a 25 hp since its cheaper and you won't notice much difference. If I was buying used I'd get whatever motor was the best deal in 25 or 30 hp. I'd also give thru hub exhaust motors preference over non-thru hub.

[2 tone z71]

I have a 14.5' Springbok Resorter deep and wide aluminium boat. I have had a 15, 20, 25 and 30 hp on it. The boat is max rated for 28 hp. It is probably comparable to your boat. The 15 hp was too small. It worked really hard to get me on plane. It would not plane two people. The 20 hp had to work hard, but would plane two people. The 25 hp and 30 hp both performed about the same. There was no discernable difference.

 

The suggestion is no less than 75% of the max rating. Therefore, you shouldn't consider anything less than 22.5 hp. So you are correct in looking at 25-30 hp. If I was buying new (not that I would do that) I'd get a 25 hp since its cheaper and you won't notice much difference. If I was buying used I'd get whatever motor was the best deal in 25 or 30 hp. I'd also give thru hub exhaust motors preference over non-thru hub.

Non thru hub thats what pre historic lol

[pikehunter]

I have a 16' tinny rated for 30hp. I have a 25, 2 stroke on it and it is pretty much a perfect match. So a 25 would suit it well. Look at the weight factor between the two motors, if the 30 is much heavier than a 25 then that will probably be a better choice.

 

If this doesn't make any sense then let your budget dictate.

[lew]

Here's an interesting tidbit while were talking about maximum horsepower.

 

I've got a 1650 Crestliner with 2 different horsepower rating plates on it.

 

The boat was manufactured in the US and is rated for a 90 HP motor......which is what I have.......but it also has a rating from the Canadian Coast Guard for only 50 HP, which I doubt would even get the boat on plane.

 

I called the CCG when I first purchased the boat new to ask about the difference in HP ratings and was told that CCG is much more cautious when rating maximum HP for boats sold in Canada. He said it was perfectly legal for me to use the American rating but it could cause problems with my insurance company if I ever had an accident and it was proved to be caused by too much HP.

 

Anyone else find this on their boats ??

[mbac31]

Max it out if you can. You can never have enough power.

 

Same like fishin. All you want is that 5 lber and once you get it you want a 6 lber. Addictive.

Edited April 10, 2008 by smalliefisher

[OhioFisherman]

I bought my boat years ago as a package deal, rated for a 60 hp and sold with a 35. I have regretted not getting at least a 50hp on it ever since. 25 hp below max is a bit different than the difference between a 25 and a 30.

 

Mine has been fine for most of the lakes here in Ohio, smaller lakes, 3000 acres or less mostly and a lot of no wake zones. It does limit me on bigger, rougher waters.

 

Best bet? consider what the boat will be used for and on what waters, a lot of times it`s easier and cheaper to get a boat suited to your purposes than to try and upgrade later.

[Randy]

One thing you may want to consider is that if you max out, and you like to slow troll for walleye, then you may have to throttle the boat speed by using a trolling plate, buckets or drift socks to get down to the right speed. Or you may have to get a kicker. Therefore, maxing out may not be the best option in all situations.

[corvette1]

if you dont have hp you cant use it go for the max go to small the motor works harder

[charlesn]

While maxing out the boat is conventional wisdom and some good points raised here. For a 14' tinnie with a 25 or 30. To be honest, different makes and models of those 25s or 30s could mean that some 25s are actually better than some 30s. I'd go for a 4-stroke 30 if I could afford it. I'd guess it would be fine from idle, to trolling to your top end which would be about 30-35 mph depending on the boat's hull design, weight, how much stuff you load it down with, # of passengers etc..

 

Things like trim tabs, hydrofoils, jack plates, stainless steel props, etc. that can affect performance (not just speed) are pretty irrelevant at those HPs...

 

Find the best deal is my advice. If you buy a 25 and get to a point where you think, man, I wish I could go faster, you're gonna need to upgrade the whole rig to get a noticeable difference.

 

That's based on my personal experience anyways from starting with a 16' tinny with a 40, to putting a 60 on there, to a 17 tinny with a 90, then 17' glass with a 115 and now a 20' glass with a 225, but wishing I could strap 300+ ponies back there. lol

 

Charles

[fishinggeek]

This board rules. Between this and my brand poll, I've gotten a lot of good info from experienced boaters. Thanks for everyone's input. I think I'm leaning towards a Honda 4-stroke and maxing it out.

[boatman]

My heavy 14.5' boat with 30 hp goes 26 mph WOT. 5 hp isn't going to make a big difference in these motors. Prop pitch will.

[pikehunter]

I think I'm leaning towards a Honda 4-stroke and maxing it out.

 

Go for it!

[musky66]

I bought my used Starcraft with a 4 stroke 50 hp on it- it was rated for a 125 max+ big mistake! 5o was fine with 2 adults in calm water- but if I was fighting the wind- I would be pushed backwards! Cost me a small fortune to upgrade to a Yamy 115 fuelie but what a difference! I knew better but let the dealer and my finances talk me into the purchase. I had a wide 14' tinny with the max 25 hp 2 stroke on it and it would tube an adult with 2 adults in the boat as well!