Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

[knightman]

Hey,

I'm looking to sell off my old 1985 Tyee and I see a Lund 2000 Fischerman 1700 for sale on craigslist that sports a year 2000 Honda 115 Horse 4 stroke. I 'm not familiar with that motor and can't find much about the reliability of that years model. Anyone that can shed some light for me on the 2000 Honda 115 it would be greatly appreciated.

I like to slow troll walleyes with Lindey spinner baits, will this size motor troll down slow enough or am I going to need a kicker? Anyone have an Fischerman in the 2000 year class that has a kicker? Will I have turning radius problems and is there a place to park myself well within reach of a kicker if I need one?

I haven't gone to look at the boat yet because of the distance but it looks like a good deal from the pictures. Any help on the motor especially would be much appreciated!

 

[Expidia]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

Welcome to iboats

My opinion is the brand has nothing to do with it.

I owned a 5 hp Honda that I bought brand new because of this:
http://marine.honda.com/company/aboutus

What's more important is how well that 115hp was broken in, how well the owner or owners documented the service intervals that 4 strokes require. Oil changes, lower unit gear oil changes, plugs and occasional valve adjustments. Proper winterizing at the end of each season. Was the boat covered all the time or garaged. Was it ever moored uncovered on a lake? You have to be a good detective so you can ferret out the history without getting stuck with a lemon and still do all of this quickly so you don't lose the boat to someone else! Lunds sell fast, very fast. Took me two years of searching and finally had to go new!

My first clue to how well it was taken care of is that the owner is already trying to cut corners and avoid paying a listing fee in a local paper by selling it for free on CL. I'm not saying he's not advertising else where too but CL does not always have the greatest sellers on it.

So it's all about how well that motor was taken care of. Was it ever in salt and how many others have owned it. Was it used for water skiing? or by the owners kids beating the p*ss out of it constantly?

With proper maintenance they can run for many many years. I think Honda actually designed the first 4 stroke (I think). But with most technologies they get better with the newer models, like lighter weight, no carbs, EFI, more cylinders etc.

And I personally would never think of trolling with a 115 hp machine that was designed to run at high speeds all day long but not designed to idle all day long. I don't care if some owners use trolling plates to slow it down or drift socks that motor was never designed for trolling.

Invest in a kicker. For your size boat you might want to bump it up to a 15 or 20 hp depending on how you fish or how windy it is where you fish.

The Lund boat itself if it doesn't have any lose rivets and is leaking or has been previously damaged and repaired should be fine. Lund is top of the line. Should have plenty of room for the kicker as these boats are fishing machines.

I'd get one of those brackets to mount the kicker on which allows it to pop up easily and change the height too. You can get those connecting links that hooks onto the main outboard so you can steer the kicker from the helm too.

Hope this helps guide you with some of your questions!

 

[knightman]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

Thanks! All good advice!

 

[DonHof]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

I have a Honda mower and could not be happier. Probably the best one I owned.

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

We have a 2008 Lund 1750 Fisherman. It isn't all that different than the model you're looking at.

I agree with everything Expidia said, but would ask if you might consider an electric trolling motor instead of a kicker. There should be room for a deep cycle marine battery under each of the two consoles (so you can get 24 volts for a 70# thrust motor), and for an onboard battery charger in the dry storage up front on the port side. That's how ours is rigged and we love it when trolling for walleyes.

Our course, our boat is trailered and stored in the garage every night. If your boat will always be in the water tied to a dock away from an electrical hookup, never mind! -Ken

 

[Tcrum5711]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

I agree with Navy Jr. about the kicker. You're just adding weight on the transom that you don't need. The 115 will take any sustained trolling and being a four stroke that even makes it easier on it. I have three buddies with Lunds in my fishing circle with mid sized four strokes, a Merc 115, Honda 130, and a Yamaha f150. All of them use their main motors for trolling and none of them have ever had a problem with them. I use my bow mount Minnkota in all but the roughest weather and found it's easier to control and to get a precise troll speed. Use the extra money you'd save and buy a nice locator/gps, you'll get more use/enjoyment out of it.

 

[knightman]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

Thanks all for your responses!

Knightman

 

[Expidia]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

I'm sure this type of thread could go on forever back and forth kicker vs trolling with a large outboard . . .

To do it right a decent bow mount electric runs $1000 plus and probably 50-75 lbs. Two batteries on a 24 volt system weighs over 100 lbs and over $100. On board 3 bank charger probably another $200.

If you are an avid bass fisherman a bow mount is the only way to go.

My 4 stroke 9.9 Merc was only $1500 and I think it weighs less than two trolling batteries. The gas comes from my main tank anyway so no extra weight.

As to trolling with a large o/b. Many say it's OK with a 4 stroke, but I don't do it. And I don't know if someone says "me and my fishing buddies do it all the time" if this is the best advice to take. I'd call the o/b manuf. and asking them too.

If you are trolling for Salmon, Lake Trout etc. I'd prefer a small kicker (I have both as I do both kinds of fishing).

I'd hate to depend on an electric getting me back to the dock with an impending storm or lightning on the way. Or your batteries are dead from a days trolling.

I've never seen a freshwater fishing charter using an electric troller???

Sure plenty of boaters use their big motors for trolling but this is the reason I personally would never buy a used outboard myself. If it came on a used boat I'm selling it for a new one as soon as I could (but this is just me, I can afford to do that).

Stores sell trolling plates and bat wings but the o/b manufacturers don't. I can't imaging spending $15,000 on a new big E-tec and then putting on an E-tech trolling plate or an E-tech bat wing. Oh, ya they don't make then cause they want you to buy an E-tech 9.9 kicker when you buy a new rig. But they don't make 9.9's (yet).

Here is an old thread where the same question is asked back in 2002. 11 years later and the same questions are always asked.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=118220

So that's just my opinion. I think o/b's are awesome machines so I don't abuse them. I think the human body is awesome and that's why I don't smoke. Now if I could just eat a little healthier and drink a little less . . .

That's it . . . I'm not drinking anymore, I just told that to my Wife . . . . (but I'm not drinking any "less" either hehehehehe )

 

[Tcrum5711]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

Well, I think that these forums are for giving real world experience. Hence "my buddies and I". Otherwise we'd all just call the manufacturer and go with that. I'm sure if he called Honda or whomever, they're going to say the kicker is the way to go. They build gas motors, not electric trolling motors. Why wouldn't they tell him to buy their motor?
In his sig, he's from Minnesota, where I'm from. We fish 500-1500 acre lakes, possibly going up to Winnie, Mille Lacs or Leech occasionally. Most of the time on these bigger lakes, if there is any amount of wind you're drift fishing with 30 other boats on a piece of structure, then moving to the next. Even if your pulling cranks in the main basins, you can troll with the big motor.
The guy asked about a specific boat package. Not about charters or that other thread you gave which was about a '73 merc two stroke. Hopefully technology has improved in 37 years. Around here, most charter/guided trips are of the fiberglass Ranger DVS type or big Lund Pro V's. They use kickers because your normal trolling motors aren't big enough to move the boat the way they want it and they have large two strokes sitting on the stern. Which from your prior post is entirely correct, those motors are meant to be run wide open and not trolled all day long.
Used Lunds in the upper mid-west don't last too long for sale if they're a good deal, so we're probably bantering about this for no good reason any way.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

Well, I think that these forums are for giving real world experience. Hence "my buddies and I". Otherwise we'd all just call the manufacturer and go with that. I'm sure if he called Honda or whomever, they're going to say the kicker is the way to go. They build gas motors, not electric trolling motors. Why wouldn't they tell him to buy their motor?
In his sig, he's from Minnesota, where I'm from. We fish 500-1500 acre lakes, possibly going up to Winnie, Mille Lacs or Leech occasionally. Most of the time on these bigger lakes, if there is any amount of wind you're drift fishing with 30 other boats on a piece of structure, then moving to the next. Even if your pulling cranks in the main basins, you can troll with the big motor.
The guy asked about a specific boat package. Not about charters or that other thread you gave which was about a '73 merc two stroke. Hopefully technology has improved in 37 years. Around here, most charter/guided trips are of the fiberglass Ranger DVS type or big Lund Pro V's. They use kickers because your normal trolling motors aren't big enough to move the boat the way they want it and they have large two strokes sitting on the stern. Which from your prior post is entirely correct, those motors are meant to be run wide open and not trolled all day long.
Used Lunds in the upper mid-west don't last too long for sale if they're a good deal, so we're probably bantering about this for no good reason any way.

That's why I mentioned E-tec cause they don't make kickers (re-read) and if I was an outboard manufacturer I'd say "troll all day with your nice new big outboard purchase" after all we sell more outboards that way

You sound like an honest guy . . . so let me write the ad you're gonna put in your local paper or Craigslist when you someday upgrade you current outboard . . . .

Great motor, never used in salt water, always serviced at regular intervals, used very little, NEVER TROLLED WITH SINCE I HAVE AN ELECTRIC FOR THAT! A steal at this price offered!

Or

Great motor, never used in salt water, always serviced at regular intervals, used very little but I have TROLLED WITH THIS BIG HOG ALL DAY LONG FOR YEARS, FOR MANY HOURS ON END. She idles like a kitten . . . A steal at price offered.

Be honest now . . . which ad are you going to put in??? Oh you don't have to answer. This is why I'll never buy a used outboard, unless it's from a friend where I know it's history.

 

[Tcrum5711]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

LOL. Now that's some funny stuff. Cheating people on Craig's List. I'm not going to even acknowledge that stupidity with a response. How is that even close to what the original intent of this thread was? I didn't even say I trolled with my big motor. Thanks Dad but maybe you should be the one to go back and reread what's been posted and what hasn't. Wait, I'll cut and paste for you-

I use my bow mount Minnkota in all but the roughest weather and found it's easier to control and to get a precise troll speed.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

This is what you posted:

I have three buddies with Lunds in my fishing circle with mid sized four strokes, a Merc 115, Honda 130, and a Yamaha f150. All of them use their main motors for trolling and none of them have ever had a problem with them.

Did I pull this quote from someone else's thread

My point is others come to this forum to read through threads when they do a search with a question like "is it OK to troll with a big outboard?"

Well you just showed them 3 of your friends do it . . . so it must be OK . . . although I don't know what the boat brand has anything to do with the outboard that's going to be used to slow troll with.

People will have varying opinions on every subject, my opinion was not to use a big outboard to troll with! True, my experience is from something like 43 years of using various outboards. But hey, why give that any weight.

Everyone has a right to their opinion. All I was pointing out that the best and safest one to ask this type of question is the outboards manufacturer. I paged through my 40 hp 2007 Merc 4 stroke manual and didn't see any mention of how to slow troll with this 4 stroke . . . but oh, that's right, they make kickers too!

"Thanks Dad" And if I'm really your Dad, then my best advice to you is to "stay in school"

 

[Tcrum5711]

Re: Lund 1700 (Reliability of 2000 Honda Four Stroke 115)

You're totally right that boat brand has nothing to do with slow trolling. The guy that started this thread asked about a specific boat and motor. It was a Lund. I have three friends with Lunds that are comparable in type, size, and motor. Maybe I've spent a little time in each one. I don't think it's 43 years, but it's long enough to know how those boats perform.
As for telling people on the Internet that it's ok to troll with big outboards, doesn't Mercury have the Smart Craft gauges that allow your to monitor all sorts of things AND adjust the idle speed to change TROLLING speeds? I don't have a Mercury but I think that I've heard that advertised somewhere. Don't know if it'll work on a 40hp, but I've read they work on those Big O' Hogs of outboards.
You right about going back to school. I should go finish up my masters degree. It was stupid of me to leave school without completing it.