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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,054 Likes: 12
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,054 Likes: 12 |
Looking for a small, quiet motor to push my 12' aluminum boat around the lake. Leaning toward a 3.5hp Mercury at this time, but willing to listen to any suggestions.
Just a Pond Boss 'sponge'
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,655 Likes: 1
Ambassador Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Ambassador Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,655 Likes: 1 |
How big is the lake? Trolling motors work well for small to medium size ponds.
"I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they've come up with so far." � Neil Simon,
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 53
Fingerling
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Fingerling
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 53 |
I'd go electric unless it is a pretty big body of water, or you need extra power. With the additives in the gas these days unless you are going to use it enough to use the gase quickly I wouldnt do gas. If you do gas, I'd go with a honda, super quiet, and reliable. We've got a guy on our lake with an 17ft bass tracker with a minnkota edrive in the back, and a 109lb thrust TM on the front, and he can hit 8mph. Really frustrating in our tournaments that I've got a 150hp Merc on the back, and I can't use it, and he beats us to the best spot
William
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,980 Likes: 15
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,980 Likes: 15 |
There's always propane. None of the hassles associated with gasoline. Make sure there is a dealer nearby before purchasing. http://golehr.com/lehr-2-5-hp-4-stroke-outboard-engine/
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,186 Likes: 44
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,186 Likes: 44 |
I went with the 4HP mercury for my little boat, I never looked back. I also use alcohol free gas.
At idle, I don't bother the ducks. At full throttle, it moves quite well.
Brian
The one thing is the one thing A dry fly catches no fish Try not to be THAT 10%
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058 Likes: 7
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058 Likes: 7 |
Have a 20hp on a 14 foot aluminum with a wide beam. It scoots along quite well but not as well as I would like. The trade off is the four stroke is very very good on fuel. The 15hp Yamaha on this boat as a two stroke and it would really scat.
For the weight the 20hp four stroke merc went on the 14 foot and the 15 two stroke went on the 12 foot.
Cheers Don.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1 |
Ebay has some really good prices on brand new Mercury 4 strokes of all sizes from a Worcester, Massachusetts marina. IIRR shipping is free. That's what I'll be putting on my 14 1/2 foot Starcraft semi v come spring.
You can wire a couple of deep cycles in parallel for an electric motor and get twice as much staying power.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 11/10/15 07:49 PM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,589 Likes: 855
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,589 Likes: 855 |
I have a 5 hp 4 stroke Merc. Quiet, and it has the option of using the internal gas tank or hooking up an external tank. It sips gas, I'll go through less than 10 gallons in a season. You DO have to watch how you lay it down, mine has to go tiller down for transport, or vertical like on the transom because of the oil inside. It's quiet.
I picked it up from the local marina as a new motor, but I got a deal on it because it had an hour of run time on it. A customer of the dealer bought it without measuring the transom of his boat and the shaft was too short. So, he couldn't use the motor and the dealer wouldn't take it back. I guess I was in the right place at the right time. He didn't fill out the warranty, so I'm listed as the orig owner.
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,054 Likes: 12
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,054 Likes: 12 |
Thanks for the input guys. I'm a bit too lazy to carry a battery to the pond every night. I'd rather gas it up every few weeks and just walk down to the pond. I'm leaning toward the Mercury 3.5hp 4-stroke. That should be plenty of motor for my 16 acre pond, even when my boys get older and weigh more. I like the idea of buying the ones on ebay pointed out by Cecil. They are about 100$ cheaper and if the shipping is free, that saves me 80$ that it costs at most other places.
Just a Pond Boss 'sponge'
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,980 Likes: 15
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,980 Likes: 15 |
Remember too, that service after the sale means a lot. I'm not real familiar with the marine side of things, but from an outdoor power equipment perspective many dealers will not work on something that they didn't sell. It might pay to ask beforehand.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,320 Likes: 304
Moderator
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Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,320 Likes: 304 |
NEDOC, I have a 24 volt trolling motor on my 14" tin boat, and it scoots pretty well. I have a small conditioner/charger mounted on the boat, and I just plug it for a few hours after i pull it in. It's basically maintenance free.
AL
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