I am ready to replace my old Johnson 9.9. The new 4 strokes are heavy but much more fuel efficient. I have read suggestions for engines ranging from 6 to 9.9 horsepower. Please give me your thoughts on an adequate HP engine for the S25. Thank you!!
Advice sought on a new motor
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New Motor
3 years ago I bought a new Mercury 9.9 four stroke ele start for $2,000. It's heavy but always starts, (I've never had to use the rope). I detest junk outboard motors and would buy the Merc again. When I need parts, I will be able to get them for reasonable $$$. My previous OB was a Honda 15 four stroke and the parts costs a fortune and were only available at Honda dealers and they had to order them. My boat is a Sirus 21' and the Merc will push it 6/7 knots.
3 years ago I bought a new Mercury 9.9 four stroke ele start for $2,000. It's heavy but always starts, (I've never had to use the rope). I detest junk outboard motors and would buy the Merc again. When I need parts, I will be able to get them for reasonable $$$. My previous OB was a Honda 15 four stroke and the parts costs a fortune and were only available at Honda dealers and they had to order them. My boat is a Sirus 21' and the Merc will push it 6/7 knots.
And the Nissans...
And the Nissans even use the same exact color black now as the Mercury line. The Tohautsu's have a blue tint to the color but other than color, decals and a throttle shift the motors are identical and parts are inter changeable. My thoughts on a motor would be a two stroke Yamaha! I owned a four stroke, for my RIB, for exactly three weeks and sold it at a big loss. Heavy and slow to plane compared to the same hp two stroke!!
And the Nissans even use the same exact color black now as the Mercury line. The Tohautsu's have a blue tint to the color but other than color, decals and a throttle shift the motors are identical and parts are inter changeable. My thoughts on a motor would be a two stroke Yamaha! I owned a four stroke, for my RIB, for exactly three weeks and sold it at a big loss. Heavy and slow to plane compared to the same hp two stroke!!
A basic rule of thumb...
is that you need about 2 hp per thousand pounds of displacement. Your boat probably displaces about 4500-4600lbs or so. That would mean the 9.9 hp engine would be my choice. While you could get by with an 8 hp, or even a 6 hp engine, that might be a chore for a smaller engine if you are taking strong wind/waves on the nose and really need to get home. Most of the 9.9 4-stroke engines are gonna weigh in at around 100-110lbs or so, but I don't think that is too much for a boat like yours -- other than you'll need some help when taking it on or off the boat safely. And while Honda's are relatively expensive and their parts only sold by dealers, every one I know who has one seems to really love them. A friend of mine has a 9.9 Honda on his 1980 Hunter 25 and it really works well with that boat. I also note that you'll see a lot of Honda's on tow boats, police boats, and some smaller USCG RIBs. That would seem to be a vote of confidence.
is that you need about 2 hp per thousand pounds of displacement. Your boat probably displaces about 4500-4600lbs or so. That would mean the 9.9 hp engine would be my choice. While you could get by with an 8 hp, or even a 6 hp engine, that might be a chore for a smaller engine if you are taking strong wind/waves on the nose and really need to get home. Most of the 9.9 4-stroke engines are gonna weigh in at around 100-110lbs or so, but I don't think that is too much for a boat like yours -- other than you'll need some help when taking it on or off the boat safely. And while Honda's are relatively expensive and their parts only sold by dealers, every one I know who has one seems to really love them. A friend of mine has a 9.9 Honda on his 1980 Hunter 25 and it really works well with that boat. I also note that you'll see a lot of Honda's on tow boats, police boats, and some smaller USCG RIBs. That would seem to be a vote of confidence.
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