tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

[boater1234]

I have a brand new 1436 lowe that weighs approx 185lbs which is really light and it is rated for a 20hp max.I have owned tohatsu's all my life and love them to death but only the 2strokes.Here is my problem or dilemma i have and i need good expert help so i do not make a big mistake.

So here we are i am looking at the 20hp vs the 15hp same powerhead and cc's at 351 i know everything there is to know about these motors except the performance i should expect from these outboards because i have never ran one in water yet.I know tohatsu makes mercs and nissan up to to the 30hp/efi but my big dilemma is do i go with the 15 or 20hp 4stroke.

I have heard about 50/50 on that theory that u will not see a big overall difference in performance is this a fact because i'm sure u will get some difference, but how much will u really gain,torque is the most important to me i need to get on plane fast as i fish in shallow water in fl so top end is not the biggest concern to me.

The dealers i talk to say about 1 to 4mph top end difference which does not justify spending a few hundred more but if it has a significant difference in hole shot please someone with any type of experience help me i do not want to make a mistake because i'm on limited funds and can't afford to make a mistake.

I have found a new 20hp tohatsu in the box for $2300 including shipping and no tax which is great since i called all over the us for this motor.The cheapest i found it was at onlineoutboards.com and after doing like 5mths of research i found a marina that has a new 09 in the box and he has the one for that price and after that they will be $2675 so this is like a right now kind of deal.

I have found 15hp mercs and tohatsu's which is the same motor except for the front shifter for around $1850 which is a good price to and the merc has a 5yr warranty now for a month and a half so i need help asap on this dilemma.

So anyone who has some good facts for me please feel free to write what u have experienced with these motors,i have not actually been in a jon boat with a 4stroke on the back yet so i'm hoping someone can help,also if anyone has had any brand of 15 or 20hp and felt a difference please let me know thanks for any help i need all the info i can get.

I have also thought about the suzuki 15hp because how light they are and have heard nothing but amazing compliments about the motor and no flaws at all.So i will take what info or facts u guys can give me and run with it,so the big question is there a major difference in a 15 or 20 hp 4stroke or is it to minor to justify spending the extra money.

 

[John_S]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

I love my Nissan 2-strokes , too.

I don't have any experience with the 4 stroke, but you said they both have the same powerhead. Logic says they will have about the same low-end torque, with the main diff being the wot speed. ie low end torque is mainly about displacement. With the motor over 100lbs, on that narrow jon, you will want to balance with having battery or fuel toward the bow.

I am sure someone will chime in with "real" world experience.

 

[pvanv]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

Difference between the 15C and 20C is induction. Bigger carb on the 20. Yes, the 20 is indeed a third more power. In terms of kilowatts, 14.7 kW for the 20 vs 11.0 kW for the 15. And FWIW, torqe and horsepower are always related. You don't get one without the other.

 

[John_S]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

Difference between the 15C and 20C is induction. Bigger carb on the 20. Yes, the 20 is indeed a third more power. In terms of kilowatts, 14.7 kW for the 20 vs 11.0 kW for the 15. And FWIW, torqe and horsepower are always related. You don't get one without the other.

Yes, that is true, but I think he was wondering if it had more torque at the low rpms, time to plane. If it is just an induction change, I would expect that the torque curves match fairly well, until the hign rpms. I'd bet the 20 has a higher max rpm than the 15. Flat bottoms, typically plane fairly quick compared to a v. As a dealer, do you have access to torque curves and/or hp? I would certainly be interested in seeing them if what I stated was not the case.

BTW, I'd choose the 20 for the extra mph, but that is me.

 

[boater1234]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

Ok let me put it in my terms,if u took the same boat and same weighted person or persons and put the boats side by side and one had a 15hp tohatsu and one had a 20hp tohatsu would it be like night and day on the low end torque of it,also would the 20 just flat out leave the 15 behind or it wouldn't be noticable enough to justify getting the 20 and stick to the 15. that is were im coming from is it worth getting the 20 over the 15 for the 2 reasons.thanks for replies.I figured it would be easier this way.

 

[po1]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

I picked up a Nissan 18hp 4stroke in 2008 from onlineoutboards for my 16' lowe jon. Same motor as the tohatsu just a different paint job. I also run shallow alot of the time and my motor gets me off to a plane very quickly. Best investment I've made in a long time. This motor is very smooth and quiet, from trolling for muskie's to running full out to my fishing spots across the lakes.

 

[Blarney413]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

Is there a weight difference in the two motors? would that play a factor in getting going faster?

 

[po1]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

There's no weight difference between the two motors.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

I can only tell you the difference between a 15hp and 9.9 2 stroke outboard on a 14 foot boat is a big difference. Props make a big difference when the boat is loaded or at higher elevations. I went from a factory prop on my 15hp 2 stroke , 14' klamath to a solars 4 blade. Now I can get 5,000 rpms with 2 people and fishing gear at 4500' elevation. I lost some top end speed at sea level with one pob.
As a kicker motor on a big boat I gained 3mph going from a 15hp 2 stroke to a 25hp 2 stroke kicker. Went from 5mph to 7-8 mph.
For most fishing you probably cannot justify the 20hp, unless you are traveling long distance and need the extra speed or you always run 3-4 pobs in the boat.
Ever thought of looking at a high thrust 20hp honda.

 

[boater1234]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

What is the top speed for your 16ft jon if u don't mind me asking?I still have not got my answer but am getting closer to it i guess and some good info so far and i thank u for that but still need to know if i should go 15 or 20hp and they do weigh the same at 114lbs.

can u really feel the difference in the 2 motors while getting on plane and top end speed that is my dilemma,also price difference of course.

 

[John_S]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

can u really feel the difference in the 2 motors while getting on plane and top end speed that is my dilemma,also price difference of course.

My bet is that you wouldn't be able to tell a diff until close to 4K rpms.

Consider going thru a local dealer that would let you try a demo motor, or just buy the 20 knowing that it everything the 15 is, plus some additional top speed.

 

[pvanv]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

I would agree with Imported John... The 20 will be all the 15 is, plus a little more.

"I have found a new 20hp tohatsu in the box for $2300 including shipping and no tax which is great since i called all over the us for this motor.The cheapest i found it was at onlineoutboards.com and after doing like 5mths of research i found a marina that has a new 09 in the box and he has the one for that price and after that they will be $2675 so this is like a right now kind of deal."

So, you would be paying 2300 for a 20 from a real, local dealer? I can't imagine doing better than that.

 

[boater1234]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

Thanks for the info fellows,so basically the 15 will scoot me really good and the 20 also but with a hair more top end.I'm looking into getting the merc just because of the simple fact it has 2 more yrs of warranty on it right now, it is the same motor as tohatsu makes them and the nissan and i'm sure u know that already.

I found a brand new 20hp merc from last yr same as this yrs model electric start in the box $2469 that is a steal considering the tohatsu is $2480 on onlineoutboards.com and yes no tax or shipping but i will take the extra warranty for a few hundred more and the tohatsu is a manual start also.I think the 15hp will do excellent but that 20 is so pretty to have and i found a 15hp manual merc for $1875 and that is highway robbery to me.


So i have a decision to make i don't want to get the 15 and wish i had the 20 but your talking a big money difference so i must think hard on this one.Thanks again for help.Plus i forgot there are few and far between tohatsu dealers in my area as merc are on every street corner so that could come into play to.

 

[John_S]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

If you buy a "long distance" motor, make sure there is a local dealer who is going to do the warrantee work. Some will only do warrantee work on ones you purchased from them.

 

[pvanv]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

"but i will take the extra warranty for a few hundred more"

Basically, these motors don't need a long warranty. They are a mature technology, and very solid. If they make it through the first season -- which they always seem to do -- they are expected to last a full lifetime. The vast majority of problems are typically caused by operating outside of proper conditions -- overfilled oil, poor fuel, running without water, etc.

Consider the value of buying from your local dealer, and the rapport that you will have with them, vs the dealer a thousand miles away. If that last few dollars is that important to you, and if a long-distance dealer can give you a better price, that's understandable...

But, keep in mind that the long-distance dealers cannot perform a PDI, and the manufacturer may not be required by law to honor the warranty (though they typically will honor it), unless a PDI has been done by a dealer. You will be personally responsible for making sure that the motor is setup properly. In the case of a Tohatsu, you should be able to take the motor to a local dealer and have the PDI done, and that should be at no charge to you, as long as you do it within a reasonable amount of time after the sale.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

If you buy a "long distance" motor, make sure there is a local dealer who is going to do the warrantee work. Some will only do warrantee work on ones you purchased from them.

If a dealer will only do warranty work on an engine that you purchase from them, then do not buy an engine from that dealer as they are not honoring their contract with the manufacturer.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

"

But, keep in mind that the long-distance dealers cannot perform a PDI, and the manufacturer may not be required by law to honor the warranty (though they typically will honor it), unless a PDI has been done by a dealer. You will be personally responsible for making sure that the motor is setup properly. In the case of a Tohatsu, you should be able to take the motor to a local dealer and have the PDI done, and that should be at no charge to you, as long as you do it within a reasonable amount of time after the sale.

I disagree with you on this one. Dealer PDI's are a tremendous waste of time on small outboards. The engines have already been test run at the factory and nothing is gained by a dealer duplicating that test run again. In fact, the only reason that ANY manufacturer "requires" it is to prevent competitive pricing on their product amongst their own dealer network. It's not required on small Mercury, Tohatsu or Nissan outboards at all and now Suzuki is also allowing engines to be shipped after a "make believe" PDI is performed. No manufacturer can disallow a warranty based on a PDI not being performed as all states require that a consumer receive the warranty that comes with a new product...The manufacturer can hammer the selling dealer, but not the consumer.

I would urge anyone who is considering the purchase of a small outboard to shop their little hearts out and buy one from the dealer that provides the lowest delivered cost. In the case of Tohatsu or Nissan, any tiny local dealer can sell a consumer an outboard for the same price as the largest dealer and make money on it. The only reason they don't is because they don't have enough money in the bank to pay for the engine(s) up front to stock them. Soooo, if a consumer wants to subsidize poor business management, pay more money for the same product and deal with a business that is upfront dishonest and will not honor their warranty service agreement, only consider buying local.

 

[pvanv]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

Yes, you make a valid point. But, I maintain that "lowest delivered cost" is one thing, while lowest cost of ownership is quite another. A long-distance-only dealer shipping a "motor in a box" to a customer -- and then forgetting about them as soon as the Visa payment clears -- happens too much in this industry, among all brands.

There are good and poor long-distance-only dealers, just as there are good and bad local dealers.

A good long-distance-only dealer can provide some customer support over the phone...

A good local dealer can provide that... Plus... face-to-face presale and prop selection advice... can advise new owners (new 4-stroke owners especially) about nuances of break-in, operation and maintenance... and can provide face-to-face, hands-on, after-the-sale service and support.

In our shop, we consider the PDI to include a brief hand-holding-to-get-you started-with-your-new-motor orientation talk as the customer is taking delivery. That would include not just walk-in customers, but also long-distance customers. Hopefully that helps to rank us as a "good" dealer.

 

[John_S]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

If a dealer will only do warranty work on an engine that you purchase from them, then do not buy an engine from that dealer as they are not honoring their contract with the manufacturer.

So, in both scenerios, he doesn't buy local or end up with a local dealer doing the warrantee work.

My point was, based on the warrantee term being the deciding factor, make sure someone local would still do the work. If he had to ship it or drive many miles, going to eat up that savings in one call. I agree, he probably won't need any warrantee service, on small outboards, but also don't know of the buyers mechanical ability to handle most tuning/maintenance things that can arrise.

Also, if you are going to take it local for warrantee, out of respect, I'd at least see if they could come close in price (less taxes). If he is comparing another dealers leftover, unlikely they will get upset about not purchasing there.

 

[5thwheeler]

Re: tohatsu 20hp or 15hp for my 1436 lowe/need help

I have heard about 50/50 on that theory that u will not see a big overall difference in performance is this a fact because i'm sure u will get some difference, but how much will u really gain,torque is the most important to me i need to get on plane fast as i fish in shallow water in fl so top end is not the biggest concern to me.

Put a fin on the 15hp tohatsu and it will plane out at less then a third of the speed of the 15hp without a fin. The 15hp will cost less out of the box and use less gas.

I replaced a 20hp Merk that has a fin, with a 15hp tohatsu without a one. The Merk would plane out very quickly at low speeds. The tohatsu needed to go about three times the speed before it would plane out. I put a fin on the tohatsu and now it planes out just like the Merk.