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Old 02-16-2021, 06:40 AM
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Default Hmmmm perhaps time for a new outboard

The old 14 foot crestliner may need a new outboard....currently got a 15hp Honda on the back short leg which works fine with a 15" transom..would like at least a 20hp but she is rated for a 25hp.....any real time experience or thoughts on what is available? Dealerships that have great customer service too?

Got a few months to narrow this down
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Old 02-16-2021, 07:00 AM
AlbertanGP AlbertanGP is offline
 
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I looked at 25-40HP when I was shopping for my Lund. In a 25HP model, it's Yamaha all the way. Their F25C 2-cylinder is 30-40lbs. lighter than everyone else's. It has a bit of vibration at idle. But that's about all anyone can find fault with it.

BTW, you don't have a few months. Good luck even finding one. I had to order a Suzuki DF30...for June arrival.
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Old 02-16-2021, 07:37 AM
Drewski Canuck Drewski Canuck is offline
 
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No one has ever been able to touch Bass Pro prices in Ardrie. But you are buying Mercury product.

On small engines, these are being built by Tohatsu, and you will find few complaints.

Drewski
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Old 02-16-2021, 08:47 AM
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Originally Posted by 58thecat View Post
The old 14 foot crestliner may need a new outboard....currently got a 15hp Honda on the back short leg which works fine with a 15" transom..would like at least a 20hp but she is rated for a 25hp.....any real time experience or thoughts on what is available? Dealerships that have great customer service too?

Got a few months to narrow this down
Will you be selling the 15???
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Old 02-16-2021, 09:28 AM
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Will you be selling the 15???
yes I will....just gotta find a new one first then move the other right away....or have twins on the back...
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Old 02-16-2021, 09:50 AM
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I put a new Yamaha 25 on the back of my 14 ft Princecraft in 2019. I am very happy with it.
It doesn’t have the top end that my previous 25 Yamaha 2stroke had but it makes up for it in other ways.
So quiet , bottom end torque is excellent, it sips fuel.
I got the E start version and highly recommend that option.

My buddy bought a boat that year with the 25 Merc on it which I almost went for too but it is quite a bit heavier being a 3 cylinder. Seems like a nice motor though very smooth and quiet also.
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Old 02-16-2021, 10:41 AM
dougwol dougwol is offline
 
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The old 14 foot crestliner may need a new outboard....currently got a 15hp Honda on the back short leg which works fine with a 15" transom..would like at least a 20hp but she is rated for a 25hp.....any real time experience or thoughts on what is available? Dealerships that have great customer service too?

Got a few months to narrow this down
I have an older model Evinrude 20hp since new that's been very lightly used. I've had it in storage for the last 10 years. I would probably sell it for $700. PM me if interested.
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Old 02-16-2021, 11:55 AM
Windsweptcoast Windsweptcoast is offline
 
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The new Mercury 20 hp is fuel injected, and only weighs 99 pounds. They have some nice features including the shifter is right on the tiller.
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Old 02-16-2021, 12:28 PM
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If you want a great dealership to deal with, call the guys at Free Spirit in Edmonton.

As for motor, I'm still a huge fan of the Evinrude, they may still have a couple kicking around.
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Old 02-16-2021, 12:43 PM
Howard Hutchinson Howard Hutchinson is offline
 
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https://www.mercurymarine.com/en/ca/...Ha_shakeshout:

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Old 02-16-2021, 01:55 PM
AlbertanGP AlbertanGP is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Willowtrail View Post
If you want a great dealership to deal with, call the guys at Free Spirit in Edmonton.

As for motor, I'm still a huge fan of the Evinrude, they may still have a couple kicking around.
The only knock against Evinrudes is they are only obligated to provide parts for those motors for 15 years...at least that's what I read in their press releases last fall. A lot of these little motors have a much longer lifespan than that. Too bad really. Although they are a homely looking outboard, they outperform the four strokes reliably.

I could also tell you how Free Spirit took care of me after they hung a 300 Suzuki on my Warrior and then decided not to carry Suzuki a couple of years later.

Last edited by AlbertanGP; 02-16-2021 at 02:01 PM.
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Old 02-16-2021, 02:39 PM
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I have a 20hp Honda on my 14' Lund. It has been a great motor; plenty of speed. If I was to do it all over again I would buy the 25hp Yamaha. It is substantially lighter than the Honda 25hp and it has RPM control. I have heard about the vibration at idle issue though, that may drive me nuts over time.
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Old 02-16-2021, 04:30 PM
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I have a 20hp Honda on my 14' Lund. It has been a great motor; plenty of speed. If I was to do it all over again I would buy the 25hp Yamaha. It is substantially lighter than the Honda 25hp and it has RPM control. I have heard about the vibration at idle issue though, that may drive me nuts over time.
Yamaha portable F25C seems to be getting my attention, electric start, EFI, back up pull start and lighter than competition too....
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Old 02-16-2021, 04:37 PM
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Yamaha portable F25C seems to be getting my attention, electric start, back up pull start and lighter than competition too....
And the integrated troll control on the tiller handle...albeit only in 500rpm increments. It's a no brainer in the 25HP category IMO. Just no power trim and tilt. Well, you can get it with power T&T, but you have to order the remote version to get it and then buy a separate tiller handle and rigging kit...$$$.
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Old 02-16-2021, 04:40 PM
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Yamaha portable F25C seems to be getting my attention, electric start, back up pull start and lighter than competition too....
That’s the one I have. I forgot to mention the adjustable idle control which you can set up or down with a push button for that perfect trolling speed.
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Old 02-16-2021, 05:45 PM
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Lac La Biche Sports, talk to Albert. Prices are very fair and he can supply you with a Honda, Mercury or Yamaha. Service has always been excellent.
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Old 02-16-2021, 06:05 PM
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Yamaha and Honda for small outboards are the way to go. Bullet proof reliability solid dealer support.

I've run dozens of small outboards, of almost every brand, and these two gave me the best performance, least troubles and best resale.
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Old 02-16-2021, 07:32 PM
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Lac La Biche Sports, talk to Albert. Prices are very fair and he can supply you with a Honda, Mercury or Yamaha. Service has always been excellent.
Good to know and thanks might go ice fishing too
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Old 02-17-2021, 07:31 AM
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It's going to come down to whoever has stock in the hp and brand that you are looking for. I picked up a 9.9 4 stroke Merc last summer to put on my 12' instead of the 5 hp I had on it. Very few in stock anywhere.

I'm with AlbertanGP on buying Evinrude at this point. I have a 2003 Yamaha F25 where a piece in the recoil assembly broke and the part was discontinued. It has been a royal pain to find that part and in the end I had to buy a whole assembly for $500 from Japan instead of what should have been a $100 part locally. I would not voluntarily buy a new motor knowing that would be a very real issue in the future.

SS
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Old 02-17-2021, 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted by SamSteele View Post
It's going to come down to whoever has stock in the hp and brand that you are looking for. I picked up a 9.9 4 stroke Merc last summer to put on my 12' instead of the 5 hp I had on it. Very few in stock anywhere.

I'm with AlbertanGP on buying Evinrude at this point. I have a 2003 Yamaha F25 where a piece in the recoil assembly broke and the part was discontinued. It has been a royal pain to find that part and in the end I had to buy a whole assembly for $500 from Japan instead of what should have been a $100 part locally. I would not voluntarily buy a new motor knowing that would be a very real issue in the future.

SS

Ya I hear you but I am not in an immediate hurry so place the order and wait until it arrives if they don't have one in stock....still got the 16 year old honda putting around behind me...like the Yamaha for the EFI too....I know if it's not broken don't fix it but making these motors lighter and more efficient would be nice as I know there are more putt putt motors out there then one realizes.

Might go long leg cuz the old crestlimer might not be around in 5 years and I might have a boat with a 20" transom....unless I win the lottery
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Old 02-17-2021, 09:48 AM
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Personally I’d go with a mercury over Yamaha. I’ve got a 20hp 2013 merc and have no complaints. Use it on a 16’ aluminum and can see how more hp would be nice, butI really like the lowest speed of 20hp for trolling for big pike. My problem with Yamaha’s is the shift lever because I hate it. Only experience with the Yamaha’s has been at a lodge so naturally it doesn’t start as well as my merc but it’s also been used a lot more so can’t draw much of a conclusion there. Suppose if you’re fishing by yourself all the time then maybe the lever is nicer for backing down easier but overall not a fan.


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Old 02-17-2021, 10:14 PM
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Personally I’d go with a mercury over Yamaha. I’ve got a 20hp 2013 merc and have no complaints. Use it on a 16’ aluminum and can see how more hp would be nice, butI really like the lowest speed of 20hp for trolling for big pike. My problem with Yamaha’s is the shift lever because I hate it. Only experience with the Yamaha’s has been at a lodge so naturally it doesn’t start as well as my merc but it’s also been used a lot more so can’t draw much of a conclusion there. Suppose if you’re fishing by yourself all the time then maybe the lever is nicer for backing down easier but overall not a fan.


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That's interesting ..... my only "major" complaint about Mercury was that some of their smaller engines were a workout to get going and temperamental as heck if fuel wasn't perfect, of it was too cold, too wet, too dry or too warm .... lol

Kinda like my Toro snow blower (that I don't use anymore) - it was a workout to start .... and could work up less of sweat shoveling that I would strating the darn thing !!!!

Having said that, my buddy has a newer Tohatsu (same as Merc) and she starts pretty good - so I haven't had a new or newer Merc in over 10 years so maybe they are better now.
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Old 02-18-2021, 07:04 AM
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Personally I’d go with a mercury over Yamaha. I’ve got a 20hp 2013 merc and have no complaints. Use it on a 16’ aluminum and can see how more hp would be nice, butI really like the lowest speed of 20hp for trolling for big pike. My problem with Yamaha’s is the shift lever because I hate it. Only experience with the Yamaha’s has been at a lodge so naturally it doesn’t start as well as my merc but it’s also been used a lot more so can’t draw much of a conclusion there. Suppose if you’re fishing by yourself all the time then maybe the lever is nicer for backing down easier but overall not a fan.


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Merc Too heavy.....given what I see the yammy 25C electric start but not tilt/trim seems to fit what I want.
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Old 02-18-2021, 08:37 PM
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I have a 2014 20 hp Merc on my Naden 14 foot. it's an excellent motor, no starting issues, lots of torque, trolls beautifully BUT at 104 lbs it's a heavy motor. You need to really get your back into it when lifting it up at at the launch.
Have run a 25 hp Yamaha at a sask fishing lodge and really liked it.
Seemed to be less weight than the 20.
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Old 02-20-2021, 08:53 AM
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Well chatted with Teri at lac la biche sporting stores and got my name on a new yammy ...should be in mid March as he placed an order a while back...said that they were once considered a mid range motor but with the keto diet they dropped weight and are front runners now in this 25hp class for portable motors....the little tinner gonna scream across the lake now.....well sorta
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Old 02-20-2021, 10:47 AM
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Well chatted with Teri at lac la biche sporting stores and got my name on a new yammy ...should be in mid March as he placed an order a while back...said that they were once considered a mid range motor but with the keto diet they dropped weight and are front runners now in this 25hp class for portable motors....the little tinner gonna scream across the lake now.....well sorta
I assume you went with the electric start. You’re going to love that motor. Instead of a big marine battery I went with a small utility battery and am sure a atv battery would also work fine . Saves a lot of weight .
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Old 02-20-2021, 12:37 PM
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I assume you went with the electric start. You’re going to love that motor. Instead of a big marine battery I went with a small utility battery and am sure a atv battery would also work fine . Saves a lot of weight .
Nope went with the manual start as my readings on the motor indicated that it had a decompression feature as you pull the cord making starting even that more easier....trying to cut on weight too overall. Many thanks for all the input though as it really narrowed the playing field down. Talking to Teri who sells many mercs, Hondas and yammy's said this was the one due to all the work put into it to scale down weight, efi, and take it from a mid class to a portable class which is perfect for my 14' Crestliner as she is a bit heavy with the mods I put into it.
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Old 02-20-2021, 12:44 PM
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I'll be honest, I was quite happy with bass pro last spring, they were 400$ less than any other dealer I contacted for the BF20. There was a issue with my bank card when I was there, and I wasn't able to pay for it. They met me in Camrose for pick up a couple weeks later.
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Old 02-20-2021, 02:53 PM
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Nope went with the manual start as my readings on the motor indicated that it had a decompression feature as you pull the cord making starting even that more easier....trying to cut on weight too overall. Many thanks for all the input though as it really narrowed the playing field down. Talking to Teri who sells many mercs, Hondas and yammy's said this was the one due to all the work put into it to scale down weight, efi, and take it from a mid class to a portable class which is perfect for my 14' Crestliner as she is a bit heavy with the mods I put into it.
How much did it end up being for that motor? You made the best choice by far, almost makes me want to trade in my Honda but it's been good to me.
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Old 02-20-2021, 04:33 PM
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How much did it end up being for that motor? You made the best choice by far, almost makes me want to trade in my Honda but it's been good to me.
The F25SMHC is $4599.99 plus $75.00 for freight and pdi and another $150 for fuel tank and hose/primer.

I like the 15HP Honda I got now but was always looking at the 20hp for a little more juice but then the yammy jumped out at me which simply dominates the portable class in all aspects....so I went this route.
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