Time to repower

[tmfd]

I have been running a '95 Merc 2 stroke, 25 hp, manual. After a lot of researching I found that unless I buy brand new, 4 strokes are just too dang heavy and big. I looked at a '04 Johnson 4 stroke, beautiful motor, but HUGE. Literally made the 25 Merc next to it look like a toy. And at 183 lbs, well, that's just to much. Now, a brand new Suzuki 25, 4 stroke, with EFI, is only around 130, quite a difference. But with the electric start and PT its a bit more than I want to put on this boat. Boat is rated up to a 30 hp. Going to go with a newer Merc, at least 2000, but more importantly, ELPT, tired of pulling ropes. And with the money I save over a new 4 stroke, I can upgrade my trolling motor to an I-Pilot, which I would love to have.

 

[Sea Rider]

Check if possible to upgrade that 25 into a 30, will save you lots of $$$. If that's a rebadged Tohatsu model the conversion is less then 10 bucks, worth every buck.

Happy Boating

 

[steelespike]

Suzuki is actually;y about 161lbs with e start and trim and tilt.
Comparing Suzuki displacement to Tohatsu and Etec Suzuki is 29.8 Tohatsu is 32, and the Etec is 35.2.
Tohatsu is a 3 cylinder.Usually more displacement equals better hole shot and weight carrying.
The Etec 2 stroke direct injection has twice as many power strokes for hole shot and weight carrying.
A new SF14 Is about 68" wide and a little over 14 ft long,Transom is 60" and capacity is 1,000.
I don't think 15 or 20 lbs will bother it. It may be possible to make the Tohatsu a 30 hp.

 

[tmfd]

Thank you, very interesting replies.

 

[pckeen]

What is the weight of the Merc you are running now?

 

[tmfd]

Around 110 or so. It's a manual start and manual tilt, 20" shaft, '95 Mercury

 

[pckeen]

If the concern is motor portability, then I agree, that extra weight will make the motor non-portable.

If you are thinking that the newer motors are too heavy for the boat, you may not actually have any problem at all. Ordinarily, when people are upgrading older motors, they are adding a lot of weight, if buying a newer motor. Lots of users on here have done that (I'm one - I replaced a 250lb motor with a 390 lb motor on an 18' Starcraft Holiday). In terms of the Suzuki, that extra weight on the transom is like putting an extra jerry can or two of gas in the boat - which shouldn't be any problem at all.

In terms of the substantially heavier motors, provided the transom is strong enough, then a heavier motor won't be a problem. Any decent marina should be able to inspect the transom and tell you whether it will take the heavier motor. If the transom is weak, then you may be needing a transom replacement anyway.

If you are concerned about the riding of the boat in the water, add an 80 lb weight to the back of your boat and take it for a spin to see if it makes any difference (My bet is it won't). While this isn't an exact test, as the weight of the motor is behind the boat, it will give you an idea as to whether the extra weight will cause you any problems.