Horsepower question

[HTHM]

I have a chance to get a 20 hp for "Lure Laundry" at a reasonable cost. The hull is rated for a 25. Will the 5 less hp make much of a difference?

I am currently running a whoppin' 7.5 and get FANTASTIC fuel economy, but 7 mph at WOT. I have had it out for close to 12 hours and still have 1/2 tank of gas left.

[Terry]

it should do just fine

[Mike the Pike]

Not much difference go for it.

 

I am running a 50hp 10hp below maximum and it does a fine job.

 

upgrading to a 60hp would be nice but gaining only 3 to 4 mph top speed is not going to change the way I fish.

 

[Garry2Rs]

I was on Jack's Lake today with a client, and we followed a 16 foot tiller with 3 guys on board, running a 20hp.

It was on plane and making good time despite the load, with a wider hull than yours.

I say Go-For-It too.

[modny]

was gonna run a 40 hp on my boat. its the max HP. but ended up getting a 30hp 4 stroke. i think it was a better choice.

 

it runs quieter and the only diff is a lil top end speed. but who cares. aslong as i get to my fishin spot. if i wanted to go 60 mph i probablt wouldn't have a fishin boat

[wallyboss]

It should be plenty.

[jace]

Can't go wrong with words like bigger, more, and better when it comes to toys. The extra 5HP won't be missed. I don't know if a lot of peple here know this, but a lot of outboards close in size have the same engine that are tuned to different specs. On waterways where there are hp regulations, boaters often skirt around this by choosing carefully and de-spec'ing the engine.

[Randy]

Hometownhandyman, I don't think 5 HP below the maximum rating will be problematic because it is still within the rating of the boat. But suspect that if you are satisfied with your 7.5 HP, with a 20, it should fly. The 20 should use more gas though.

 

I have a 16' aluminum that has a max rating of 90 HP. I chose to run 50 HP for the prime reason that I use the motor to troll as well. If I ran a 90, I bet I'd need to get a trolling plate or run drift bags in order to get down to a nice 2.5 mph. The 90 would make the boat fly, but I'm generally in no rush. Once on plane, I always throttle down to 4000 rpms anyway. With gas prices always going up, I think fuel economy will always trump speed.

[ccmtcanada]

I have a 14 foot tinny...it's rated for 25hp and we are running an 18hp on it. It gets up on plane nicely and GPS has clocked it at 33km/h, so I'm sure a 20hp will be fine for your setup! I brought 40 liters of gas with me up to Lakair and fished pretty hard for 3 days straight (at least 8 hours per day). I hadn't even used half the gas by the end of the weekend.

[Spiel]

Sounds like a "done deal" to me.

[pikehunter]

I have a 25hp on a 16' hull rated at 30hp max. Pushes it along fine with 2 huge guys in it.

 

12.5 litres will last about 4-5 1/2 hours of trolling and the occasional full throttle and 3/4 throttle run.

[HTHM]

Thanks for the advice guys! Keep your eyes open if your looking for a excellent running evinrude 7.5 out board. I think one is going to show up in the classifieds soon...... Ask Garry 2rs if you want an honest assesment.

Edited July 3, 2008 by hometownhandyman

[jwl]

that will run your boat just fine no probs, my boat is rated for a 50 and I run a 40 on it woith excellent performance, I can get almost 40mph out of it pretty much, I am not too worried about a drag racing hole shot..lol

 

my wife's uncle has a startcraft deep modified V rated for a 30 and he runs a 20 on it and it is great for that boat.