9.9hp or 15hp Yamaha 2 stroke for trolling?

[roots]

Last summer I picked up a 14 ft aluminum boat to replace my old 12 ft and now I'm looking for a motor to match the 14 ft. I was looking at the 2009 Mercury 9.9hp and 15hp 4 stroke until I told about the extra weight so then I found the Yamaha 2 stroke. I was told the 9.9hp and 15hp Yamaha 2 stroke is the same motor but the 15 has a larger carb but I'm not sure if this will make a difference on the lower speeds when trolling. I have always been told bigger is better but I don't want to over do it. I know 4 strokes are better for trolling but the Yamaha 9.9hp and 15hp 2 stroke are only 79 pounds and I don't want to lift much more then that. On the other hand the Yamaha 9.9hp 4 stroke is 91 lbs dry and the 15hp is 104 lbs dry.
I guess the questions are
Will I be able to troll with the 15hp Yamaha 2 stroke? I usually have one or two adults with me.
If I go with a 4 stroke, should I get a Yamaha or is Mercury a better motor?
I will go to the Sportsman show this weekend and look around but any advice might help me out.

[JohninAB]

15 horse 2 stroke Yamaha will troll just fine and if you need to slow it down a bit more, can always use a drift sock or backtroll. Where a 2 stroke will out shine the 4 stroke is in the holeshot and time to plane and may be a bit faster on top end. Having said that, the 4 stroke will shine in fuel economy, quiet operation, no smoke and be friendlier to the environment. Yamaha 2 strokes run at 100:1 mixture so not sure how much smoke their will be from it. As for which one, both Yamaha and Mercury are fine motors as are the Suzuki and Honda 4 strokes. Also if possible go with the 15 horsepower over the 9.9, the extra few horses will make a difference especially when you are loaded.

Weight of a 4 stroke 15 horse is going to be anywhere from 21 to almost 30 lbs heavier depending on the make and model.

What make and model of 14 foot boat do you have?

[Waxy]

JohninAB gave you really solid advice.

I think you'll be able to troll just fine with the 2 stroke, I was able to troll with a Merc 20HP at about 1.5-2mph as long as I wanted with a 14' aluminum, if I got down to the 1mph range, it tended to load up and flame out after a while. A quick burst of throttle usually solved the problem. I eventually switched to an electric trolling motor though, it's just a lot more pleasant and gives much better boat control.

The 4 stroke is obviously better for trolling, but it has it's downsides as you know. You can always use a drift sock like JohninAB said. You may have to do a little tweaking and more maintenance on the 2 stroke if it's used for a lot of trolling - adjusting the idle setting on the carb to get it bang on is a big factor, and it will foul more plugs.

I'd recommend the 15HP too, hands down, UNLESS, you plan on having someone under 16 operating the boat or you fish lakes with a HP limit, then I'd recommend the 9.9HP so you're legal.

Waxy

[JohninAB]

Waxy brings up a good point, that if you go with a 9.9, no need for registration of the boat with Service Canada (free service or used to be) plus the obvious operating requirements ie under 16 etc. I would still recommend the 15 horse though!

[roots]

The boat is an older Harbour Mfg, made in Canada and rated for 15hp. This maybe the last year anybody can buy a new 2 stroke so I think the Yamaha with 100:1 fuel mixture and less smoke is the way to go. My daughter is 6 years old and will not be operating any boat for several years and I will always have my 1984 4.5hp Evinrude that runs great and would be good to teach a child with.
I went to Riverside and the price for the 2009 15hp Yamaha 2 stroke is $2955 + GST. I will call around a few more dealers to see how the prices compare. I would also consider a slightly used motor if the condition was like new.

[JohninAB]

roots, there is the shop called Marine Madness and Sports in northern Edmonton. They are advertising some good used 15 horsepower engines. Their number is 780-484-5863. Based on the year of your boat I would assume it is a 15 inch transom?

Here is a link to their ad for a 15 hp Evinrude, electric start tiller.

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-boats-15-Hp-Evinrude-1995-W0QQAdIdZ111887295

[fish99]

I have a 9.9 yamy and it trolls great at 100: 1 oil mix you dont smell any fumes. but as a main engine on 14 ft boat I would go with the 15hp engine

[surhuntsalot]

"I know 4 strokes are better for trolling but the Yamaha 9.9hp and 15hp 2 stroke are only 79 pounds and I don't want to lift much more then that. On the other hand the Yamaha 9.9hp 4 stroke is 91 lbs dry and the 15hp is 104 lbs dry."

I don't know why you would even consider the weight differance as a factor... it's only 11 pounds... the weight of a nice fish (I'd just get a lighter fishin buddy)!:lol:

I used my 4 stroke 60hp Yamaha jet drive to troll with the same fuel efficiency as my 2 stroke Suzuki 9.9. The quietness, fuel efficiency, and reliabillity of the 4 strokes are unbeatable. As for registering the motor over 9.9hp, it's not a big deal. If you're just trolling, and doing short runs with 2 people in the boat, a 9.9 is plenty. If you plan on trying to take 3 or 4 big guys 10+ miles across Slave Lake for eg., You might want to go bigger...

IMHO

[Waxy]

I just bought a kicker from these guys a couple weeks ago and got a REALLY good deal on it and great service, including the shipping. I know you're looking for a Yamaha, and they're a Mercury dealer, but it may be worth a call...

http://www.mercurymarina.com/index.php

Waxy

[roots]

JohninAb, yes it is a 15 inch transom but I'm looking for a rope start. I don't keep the boat on a trailer so having a battery to carry is one extra thing to haul back and forth. The cabin I have right now is not lake front and I usually pull the boat onto the community beach where the rest of the small boats are stored and keep it there for the rest of the season. I only have to carry the rods, tackle, and motor back to the cabin.

[surhuntsalot]

I just put a 4 stroke 9.9 Yamaha kicker on my boat. You might want to give Dave a call at Explorer Industries a call(780-430-8591). They deal in Yamaha outboards, and they have always given me the best deal I could get...

[roots]

surhuntsalot, thanks for directing me to Explorer industries. There price was less then Riverside but it may not be worth the extra drive when I live next to Riverside in St.Albert.
"I don't know why you would even consider the weight differance as a factor... it's only 11 pounds... the weight of a nice fish (I'd just get a lighter fishin buddy)!"
My main fishing Buddy is my wife and I avoid the weight issue around her:). I just might get given more chores on fishing day.
The Mercury 9.9 four stroke is only 84 lbs without oil and I'm torn between that and the 15hp 2 stroke Yamaha.

[camshaft]

I will chime in with this.
I have a 14ft crestliner 1462 (weighs 150lbs) with 2 big guys in the boat, it would not plane using a 05 yamaha 9.9 4 stroke. That was the reason I sold the motor.

Get at least a 15 horse, you will regret going any smaller. I picked up a 09 tohatsu 20hp 4 stroke from Free Spirit Marine in Edmonton over winter for $2400 + tax. That is $600 less than some people mentioned being quoted for smaller 2 stroke motors.

May want to see if they have any 2 stroke 15 tohatsu's in stock. I will say this about the yammy though, unbelievable quiet and efficient. I could use it all day on about a gallon of gas.

All merc's under 25hp are 99% tohatsu's anyways, as are nissan...fyi

[JohninAB]

camshaft I forgot all about Freespirit Marine and Tohatsu's and I bought my boat from them last year. They do have very good prices and as you stated, Tohatsu makes the engines for Mercury for their 25 hp and under.

[roots]

I'm off the Sportsmen Show in Edmonton soon to see what there is. I may ask to lift a few motors and see if I can handle to extra weight of the 4 stokes. I wish I was 18 again. Beer can do amazing things to your body:rolleyes:.

[KyleM]

If you have used both a new 9.9 in a 2 and 4 youll notice pretty quickly there isnt much difference in the noise and fume department for trolling.

I would still buy a 4 stroke though. Dont plan on gas getting any cheaper and there is a major difference in that column.

If I were purchasing a 9.9 I would look for something thats barely used.

Camshaft, whats the warrantee on that tohatsu?
2400 is what you pay for a new merc, yammy, honda 9.9 the last time I checked.

Ive purchased a few mercs in the past and Im pretty sure my next motor will be Honda....Someone told me silver attracts big fish :lol:

[camshaft]

KyleM
I believe all 09 Tohatsu's have 3 year warranty. At least according to their specs.
$2400 and up, is probably ball park for most 9.9's. My yammy retailed I think for $2700 at the time. Rediculous if u ask me.

Anyways, $2400 for a 20hp 4 stroke cant be beat in my opinion. Free Spirit bought a bunch when our dollar was really high. Weight of mine is 115lbs. But, the weight of my yammy was 105lbs, so it was a good trade off to gain that much more power for only 10lbs.

[roots]

I just got back from the sportsman show and I was hoping to see more but I didn't have the time. My daughter had a great time. By the end of the show it was hard to get a burned out salesman to talk to you. I was very impressed with Freespirit Marine and was by far the best to talk to. They had a deal on a 15hp 4 stroke Suzuki with electric start for $2800 but at over 100 lbs it was just to heavy.
I think the 15hp Yamaha 2 stroke is the way I will go but I will think about it for the rest of the week.

[Freedom55]

Consider this when you buy a new outboard that you will likely have for the rest of your life. The environmental people are always lobbying to rid the world of polluting gas burning engines. Some jurisdictions have outlawed 2 stroke engines entirely (California et al) and the lobbying continues. I considered this when looking to replace my 35 hp last fall and ended up buying a new Lund with a 40 hp 4 stroke Mercury. I did not want to risk loosing my engine in a few years because I smoke too much and I plan to die in my boat! Just a thought. Dave Si

[roots]

My biggest worry is that I'll be stuck with a motor that will be illegal in 10 years :( however there would be a very angry county if every person that has a boat with a 2 stroke had to buy a new motor. The dealers would not be able to keep up with the demand. I think they will just stop building 2 strokes and let the old stuff break down until they are recycled.

[roots]

Just got back from the lake to check up on things. An old popular must of broke during a storm and managed to fall on my 14 foot boat. Damage is beyond repair so I guess I'm in the market for a new boat. My wife says it was an act of god and was meant to happen. Not sure if insurance will cover it but I'll call them on Monday. The good news it I'm going ice fishing on Sunday!