Which motor? 9.5 sportwin or 18 fastwin

[ashedd]

I'm very new here, so forgive me if this is in the wrong place. Mods just move it if that's the case.

I getting a 13.8' inflatable boat this weekend and I've been looking for a cheap motor to run it. Max HP on the boat is 30 hp. Aluminum floor with hard inflatable keel. I have two motors I have narrowed down, both run well. I don't know which one would I want between the two. The boat would be used for lakes and occasional exploring in a saltwater bay, with occasional beaching. No fishing or trying to pull anything. I'm going with inflatable because I have nowhere to store a conventional hull boat and trailer.

1969 18hp Evinrude fastwin for $200 shortshaft or
Unknown year 9.5 Evinrude sportwin shortshaft with Johnson parts motor for $250

As I understand it, both should be reliable old motors if properly cared for. I actually like the looks of the sportwin better
Which would be better at pushing the boat? I understand one is 8 hp larger, but does 8 hp(from a brand new engine) make a real difference? Will they both have similar fuel consumption? Is the 9.5 considerably more quiet? I would like the ability to go fast when I want to, and I would need the ability to get out of the way of freighters/cruise ships. I would always travel with another full size human male. The third option would be something even larger, like 25-30 hp, and more expensive. It's got to be an older used motor, new motor prices are insane.
Thanks

I love the forum btw.

 

[ashedd]

Testing the subscribe function..

 

[racerone]

The 18 is an excellent motor to own.----------Basically the same for nearly 20 years and parts are everywhere for them.

 

[Chinewalker]

18hp hands down - assuming it is essentially healthy (good compression, nothing broken or missing). The rest is tune-up stuff that you'd do to any motor you bought...

 

[bwkre]

I've got a 76 9.9 and a 61 18hp. Both 2 stroke but the 18hp uses almost twice the oil mix. The 18 is about 25 lbs heavier ( 80 lbs ).
I'll take the 18hp over the 9.9 any time I can. Although it uses more fuel, I think it runs nicer and is quieter. I pushes my 16' Commander no problem with 3 adults. I think you will appreciate the power & speed of the 18 hp over a 9.5.

The only time I use the 9.9 is on restricted hp lakes.
Like racerone says " it is an excellent motor to own"

 

[tjandrews]

I own a '64 9.5, a'54 10, and a '56 15. I've used all three on a lightweight 14' aluminum boat on the St Lawrence River, near Ogdensburg, NY. As long as motor weight isn't a factor, and assuming the same condition, I'd vote for the 18, too. Any of them would get you out of the way of freighters, (they have for me) but if the boat is what I'm imagining you won't get much speed when you want it with the 9.5. The HP numbers are deceptive when it comes to speed, as that depends on the configuration of the boat, the propeller, and other factors. I wouldn't be surprised if, on that boat, the 18 would give you twice the speed the 9.5 will when you want it. And remember, if you want to go slower, it's easy enough to back off on the throttle of a bigger motor.

 

[ashedd]

I went with the 18 fastwin. I have it here in my storage closet. It actually wasn't as heavy as I thought it would be, the guy I got it from acted like it was 500 lbs or something. It's all there and complete, feels like good compression, ran well. I didn't notice a small crack in the cavitation plate until I was pulling it out of my car, but that's easy enough to get welded. It's been in salt water, that's for sure, I'm going to have to replace some hardware that isn't looking too good. The cowl needs painted or something, it's all faded out. The head gasket looks original and what I would consider a little iffy looking. Is that something that should be replaced as good measure? I'm going to change the impeller, drain/fill the lower unit, plugs, look at the coils for cracks, and clean the carb. Then lube up everything I see and go from there. I need a fuel tank too.

 

[tomhath]

The head gasket is cheap and easy to replace. That also lets you clean out the water passages. Take a look at the thermostat too, it might be missing.