Quote:
Originally Posted by mked
Hey guys. Looking for some feedback from guys that run outboard jets.
Motor will be going on a 420 solar strella inflatable
Tiller handle
Yamaha 40/30 cost around 10k, 227 lbs, electric start only so need to have a battery also.
Mercury 35/25 cost around 7k, 186 lbs, can get in pull start
With a jet is the extra 5 hp worth the costs? Anything else to factor in? Any other motor recommendations? I'd love to get a 2 stroke but not having much luck finding anything used.
Boat will be my everything boat, but mostly fishing/hunting eastern slope rivers or rivers in bc. Speed is not important. But planeing with potential weight is.
Can I troll lakes with an outboard jet?
Thanks
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Depends on if you want to keep the unit portable or put it on a trailer and keep the motor on it.
The Yammy 40/30 jet will weigh closer to 240lbs. There may be a manual start out there at 227lbs but not that I’ve seen. It’s also a physically bigger motor than the 25hp Merc 4-stroke, which makes it a 2 person lift and that’s 2 big guys who can lift a bit of weight. It’s not what I would call portable and would be better suited to a 450 that’s kept on a trailer. I have a good friend with a 40/30 Yammy on a 420 Strela Expedition with 6 hours on the motor and he’s looking to downsize to the 25hp Merc even though he’ll loose a lot of capacity. Something else to think about is every time the intake hits something solid there is that much more motor to tilt out of the water, so they could sustain damage much more easily than a lighter motor.
The 25hp Merc 4-stroke is a nice motor but Merc rates them a bit generous. It’s only 30hp at the crank, not 35. So, it’s closer to 21-22hp at the pump. Still enough to get up on step with a couple guys, some gear and a young bull moose boned out. They are somewhat portable but still a big motor when compared to a 30hp at the crank 2-stroke with a pump on it. One guy can lift it but it’s a grunt. It’s not the weight but the physical size of the motor that makes them awkward. I have 3 buddy’s with the 420 Strela and a Merc 25hp 4-stroke jet combos.
Despite what anyone tells you outboard jets suck to troll with. Unlike a motor with a skeg that works like a rudder a jet has very little steering control until you are up on step. Just nature of the beast. Add in a fairly flat bottomed boat with a bit of wind and it’s a constant chore to keep them going in a straight line until you are up and going.
My last Solar was a 380JT with a Merc 25/20hp 2-stroke factory jet. Again, probably only 17-18hp out the pump. It went good but the same motor on a 420 did slightly better. The added bottom surface area made up for the extra weight. I could pound that motor in the shallow stuff all day with the Vezdehod polyurethane intake on it. I had a bungee around the back of the motor to stop it from kicking up too far and it helped keep the intake in the water once it hit something. I also had the auto motor lock removed so that it didn’t stay up in the locked position when it hit something. You could still manually tilt the motor up and lock it when the intake plugged.
I’ve got a new 420 Strela Expedition for this year. I also have the Holy Grail of small jets to put on it. I was lucky enough to find a basically new 2012 Merc Sea Pro short shaft 25hp 2-stroke. It basically a de-tuned 30hp Tohatsu that’s still being produced elsewhere in the world and hasn’t changed since the mid-80’s. They are a rock solid motor known to be very durable and dependable. The 25 was easily converted back to 30hp by removing the carb restrictor plate and advancing the timing 5 degrees. That’s the only difference between the 30 & 25hp models. Everything else is exactly the same. Outlaw Eagle in Red Deer got me the pump kit. I’ve ported the exhaust and polished the pump housing. I also added a stainless impeller and a polyurethane intake which are both money well spent. At 134lbs total it’s the best power to weight you can get in a small jet. Just like the Merc 4-stroke 25hp it is 30hp at the crank and 21-22hp out the pump. But it winds up way faster and is a screamer compared to the 4-stroke. It’s also easily portable by one guy.
Here’s a pic of my 2-stroke next to a buddy’s 4-stroke 25hp Merc.