Which 50-60 HP for aluminum boat?

[jawjatek]

Got a new Alweld 1756 Marsh VV coming... need a motor for it. A 50 HP should be fine for this boat. Boat dealer has Yamaha and will prob work with me on price on an F50. I was also looking at the Mercury and others. What new motors do you guys prefer in the 50-60 HP range? Thanks. Recreational fisherman - no tourneys, don't need high-speed. Reliability and value are my two priorities.

 

[whorrall]

Honda. Most reliable motor out there, used by many, many commercial entities.

 

[richg99]

While I presently own both a 50 hp Merc. (2009) 2 cycle. and a 50 hp Johnson (1996) 2 cycle, and each runs well... I wouldn't pass up a Yamaha if I had a chance to put it on either boat.

 

[bcbouy]

this aught to be good.every motor known to man is going to be suggested.i vote etec just for the holeshot.what the heck,lets throw in the warranty as well. opcorn:

 

[JNG]

While I'm a Merc man myself, the one outboard brand that seems to generate the fewest repairs/complaints is Honda. If I needed an outboard and my sole focus was long life and boring reliability, it would be Honda. In reality there are no real 'bad' brands out there. Be aware that Tohatsu makes most of the small outboards (under 50-75hp) irregardless of brand name. All Honda, some Suzuki, and some Yamahas are the exception to that. While Honda costs more up front, the real value is in long life and few repairs. Hondas generally don't perform as well as say a Merc but the performance difference is minimal. In your situation it might mean 1-3mph. But you did mention that did not matter to you.

 

[jawjatek]

Honda seems like a good choice. Right now I'm leaning toward a Yamaha or Honda - but what do I know? I know they cost a lot! 8)

 

[whorrall]

That's for sure! Both 4 strokes I assume? I will try to give some unbiased information.

I think conventional wisdom is that the Yamahas have a bit more bells and whistles, and the Hondas are known for simplicity and reliability. (Although the Yamaha has a great reputation too). The Hondas have paint issues over time. Hondas are favored more by commercial entities because of longevity and low maintenance cost. I work for the Navy and they're all you see on the back of patrol boats and work skiffs. There are more Yamaha dealers out there, so getting a Yamaha serviced locally may be easier.

 

[whorrall]

Hondas are pretty heavy too. My BF200 weights 600 lbs. You can get a v8 Merc for less weight.

 

[jawjatek]

The Honda 50 is ~30 lbs lighter than the Yamaha, looking at spec sheets - unless I am mistaken. Every Honda machine I ever had, from car to lawnmower, was pretty dependable! That Honda is looking good so far.

Some of these models have a "high thrust" version available. The literature seems to suggest these are for heavier pontoon boats, and I'm thinking not needed on a 17' tin boat with a big guy fishing from it?

 

[LDUBS]

The Honda 50 is ~30 lbs lighter than the Yamaha, looking at spec sheets - unless I am mistaken. Every Honda machine I ever had, from car to lawnmower, was pretty dependable! That Honda is looking good so far.

Some of these models have a "high thrust" version available. The literature seems to suggest these are for heavier pontoon boats, and I'm thinking not needed on a 17' tin boat with a big guy fishing from it?

I have a Honda 50 HP Four Stroke with tilt/trim on my 18' Gregor walk-through. Performance is good. Only about 50 hours on it but so far so good. Not sure about a different version for pontoons.

 

[richg99]

A number of years ago, I looked at buying a Honda. One thing that the specs seem to tell me was that they stated their weights without factoring in the tilt/trim option.

So, if you bought the tilt/trim option, their weight was comparable to other engines equally equipped. Not sure if that is still the case.

 

[whorrall]

My weight comparisons are with the larger outboards. I don't know about the smaller ones in regards to weight.

My friend has a Honda 50 Jet and he loves it. It has been super reliable
He has even sunk the boat and the motor still runs great. He says it has begun to burn a little oil, but not a whole lot.

Those high thrust motors are for big craft. My friend is considering one for his houseboat. Think of it as like a big truck engine vs a Corvette engine. You don't want to go that route with a small light craft.

 

[LDUBS]

A number of years ago, I looked at buying a Honda. One thing that the specs seem to tell me was that they stated their weights without factoring in the tilt/trim option.

So, if you bought the tilt/trim option, their weight was comparable to other engines equally equipped. Not sure if that is still the case.

I think you are right on money here. Spec's for mine say 214 pounds with T&T listed as available. I"m pretty sure the 214# doesn't include T&T.

PS: you probably remember when a "Honda 50" meant something else entirely.

 

[hipster dufus]

i currently run a g3 1756 cc w a 70 hp 4 stroke yamaha. boat is rated for a 75 hp. if i went to the 75 i would have gone up to the physically bigger 90 hp engine design. boat had a 70 on it at the dealers. same block as the 50 and 60. i originally thoght i wanted a 60. dealer said small difference in price, so i bought as it was.performance is 33mph top speed and low gas consumption.i had planned on using on a lot more gas but it didnt happen. i have owned tohatsu engines and was very happy with them. honda is always an option but dealers are hard to find. i never worried with my tohatsu cause it was a mercury in reality, or the other way around. honda i was surprised to find was more then a yamaha. i would go with the biggest engine that u can hang, but like i did watch for the physical size.i am quite happy with my yamaha. the closeness of dealers is also worth considering. but all of the engines seem to be reliable nowadays.my rig is pretty heavy. i wonder sometimes about people and their desire for speed. i went from a 30 hp tohatsu that hit 27 mph to a 70 hp that is twice as big and only gained 6-7 mph. now granted its a lot bigger boat, 1648 vs 1756, but the law of diminishing returns applies.good luck and keep us informed.

 

[LDUBS]

this aught to be good.every motor known to man is going to be suggested.i vote etec just for the holeshot.what the heck,lets throw in the warranty as well. opcorn:

Very true. Haha

I think they are all pretty good. I have a Honda because they had an incentive going and that was what was included with the package deal. I would have been just as happy with a Merc, Tohatsu, or Yamaha. I cannot remember the when I've seen an etec at the lakes I frequent. Not sure why, so might have been a little leery.

 

[turbotodd]

The Yamaha is a 4 cylinder.

The Honda is a 3 cylinder.

ETEC, forget ETEC. (for a lot of reasons)

Don't discount Suzuki either.

I prefer Yamaha because I have experience with them. I've run tons of motors, 90% of tiller steered and under 150hp, except that one F225 Yamaha that went to the lake the other day. Brrr..

Anyway, the weights aren't much difference between Honda and Yamaha. Both are good motors. What's cheaper? I don't have MSRP's in front of me. Yamaha goes out of their way to make it user friendly from a servicing standpoint. Worth mentioning. The 4 cylinder is going to be smoother and quieter running than the 3 cylinder-and likely be slightly more responsive. I have run one and while not quite as smooth running as the F70, it is a very close second. On the F70, it's nearly impossible to know it's running unless you can hear the pee hole water hitting the lake below (at idle speed). The F50 isn't much different-well because it's the same engine (but different cylinder head). It's so quiet, in fact, that when you remove the cowling and start the engine, you can hear the injectors "ticking" at idle speed. I used to have a video of it and used to play it in slow-mo for giggles. Honda has a 2.08 lower unit. Yamaha has 1.85. Advantage: Honda with the lower unit. Higher gear ratio equals faster to develop RPM to get out of the hole, but at the same time it's probably required since the Honda has a smaller engine which likely develops a little less torque (typical of Honda to be honest) at lower engine speeds than the Yamaha does. Yamaha comes standard with PT&T. Honda is available without-which is why they list their weight as lighter. It's all marketing tactics. Does Honda have a dealer closeby? You already found the Yamaha...do you like that dealer? Are they fair with you? Those are considerations though honestly it's unlikely that you'll ever have to use any of the warranty on either a Honda or Yamaha.

Haven't looked into Tohatsu much, though I probably should. They've made a lot of changes in the last few years. Good looking motors.

Also haven't looked too much into merc, though I have a 40hp 4 stroke in the shop now that's JUST outside the warranty period, and the exhaust cover gasket is leaking water, peeing it into the lower pan, fills the pan up, then the motor is "drinking" it's own exhaust water. Motor's got like 9 hours use on it. 3 cylinder like the Yamaha, I assume the 50 is similar if not the same block. It does shake a little at idle but not a lot. Noticeable though. The Yamaha F50? Pretty close to silky smooth.

 

[jawjatek]

Well, I ended up going with the Yamaha F50 from the boat dealer (at an awesome price). I have friends who purchased boats at this place with fair treatment and price, and it made sense to deal with him, and have Alweld prep the boat for that motor. I can't wait to get it and GO FISHIN!. I got one or two quotes on a Honda, but it was a grand more than the Yammy. I already have trolling motor, batteries, and electronics. Can't wait!

 

[richg99]

Sounds wonderful. Northern GA. Are you able to catch fish all winter long?????

I have a Summer place near Knoxville, and it sounds pretty chilly.

 

[eshaw]

The boat you're getting is just a tad bigger than my flat bottom, a 1650. With that 50 your boat should hum right along. I'd love to have the Yamaha 50 on mine. My 40 moves mine about 28 and the boat weighs quite a bit.

 

[whorrall]

Awesome man! Would love to see pics of boat/motor setup.