25 HP too big?

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sirbeigealot

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I have a 77 Valco 14 footer...
I currently have a Mercury 7.5 on it that runs fine...not as fast as I'd like, but sufficient.

I have spent the last few months considering buying a bigger boat, but this Valco was my Dad's boat, and I am just not ready to part with it yet, so I am thinking of hanging onto it a bit longer.
I was thinking that maybe having more HP would be a nice improvement to help me to enjoy this boat for a few more years.

I have found a 25 HP Mercury motor, an 82 model...looks clean, the guy says it starts and runs great.
He's asking 800.00.
I was suppose to go look at it this morning but I have been reading mixed reviews on whether or not 25 HP is too much power for a 14 foot aluminum.

I would appreciate any and all comments!
 
Most 14ft jons are rated for 15HP I believe. I would try to find out what your hull is rated for then go woth the maximum.you can always buy the motor and keep it for when you upgrade boats
 
My 14' Lowe flat bottom is rated to 20 hp, and I have a 25 on it.
Not considering weather it is legal or not, I would say yes, it's too big, but it would work if you are careful. I usually fish log infested rivers and no-wake lakes, so I'm rarely up on plane though.
 
My biggest concern is the transom strength and possible weight of a 25...
Also I am thinking that if I could find a 15 HP, that in itself is double the current power...25 may be too much
 
I think there was something like 34 lbs difference between my old 9.5 hp and the 25 hp, so I don't think weight would be a huge issue as long as you are using some kind of transom saver. I just carpeted a 2x6 and bolted it to my trailer and it does the job. There were some cracks forming in my transom that I had to get welded up before that though.
 
Since you have used a 25, would you say its too much for the average 14 aluminum...I mean isnt there also such a thing as going too fast? lol
 
Sirbeigealot: There is a sticky at the top of the motors forum on this site that gives a formula for calculating max hp. I have a 14 ft Starcraft Seafarer and according to this formula, I think my max is something like 23hp...rounded up to 25. Of course, my boat is a little wider than most 14ft aluminum boats. I think Starcraft officially rated my boat for a max of 20hp, but when I bought the boat it came with a 25 that had been used on it since 1973. The guy I bought it from seemed to think that the 25 was a perfect size motor for this boat and I immediately agreed as soon as I got it out on the water.

I'm not familiar with a 77 Valco, so I can't say, one way or another, whether 25 is too much motor for that boat. However, I can attest to the fact that 25hp suits me just perfectly on my 14 footer and I would not wish to have any less hp. It gets me up on plane in a hurry and I can get across large bodies of water rather quickly. Perhaps someone more familiar with your boat can offer some advice, but I say that 25hp is definitely an appropriate motor for some 14ft boats.
 
Yeah, like txneal said, it totally depends on the boat and I'm not familar with yours. On mine, yes I would say a 25 is too powerful for it if you spend a lot of time running around wide open. I've only had it wide open once and it was a little nerve racking.
 
From what I've seen of the Valco's, they look to be very well built hulls. I wouldn't hesitate in the least to put a 25 HP on one. Unless your boat is very dissimilar to the Valco's seen on this site, I'd be suprised if your boat wasn't rated for a 25 HP. Also, my 14' is rated for a 25.
 
Out of curiosity, I just did a quick search and read a little about 14ft Valco boats from the 70's. If yours is like the ones I saw, then I would not hesitate to put a 25 on it.
 
Here is a pic of my boat:

https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f209/sirbeigealot/boat3-1.jpg
 
In any event, that 25 will sell fast...if I dont get it first.
But I am not yet convinced that it is appropriate for my boat.
He did say that the motor has something attached that would assist it in planing...
 
I would go with the 25hp. It looks like your boat can handle it, and in the event you upgrade to a 16 ft or better in the future, no motor upgrade required. I have a 25hp on my Lowe L1440M and I'm very pleased.

https://www.loweboats.com/jon-boats/l1440m-jon/
 
I think that if I were in your shoes, I would snatch up that 25. $800. for a great running 25 seems like a very fair deal. If you try it out on your boat and think its too much motor, I'll bet you could quickly resell and get your money back. My guess is that you'll love it and keep it!
 
He said he would take 700.00.
https://images.craigslist.org/5I35Lb5Kb3n93I63Jbc49de4ffacabe46156c.jpg

The only motor I have ever had is this 7.5, so those of you with more experience with motors...would it be worth it to have that extra power? I dont know why I am having a hard time with this :roll:
 
I'm running a 1983 mariner 25 hp on a 1971 1436 jon. It's fast and fun!
 
sirbeigealot said:
He said he would take 700.00.
https://images.craigslist.org/5I35Lb5Kb3n93I63Jbc49de4ffacabe46156c.jpg

The only motor I have ever had is this 7.5, so those of you with more experience with motors...would it be worth it to have that extra power? I dont know why I am having a hard time with this :roll:

just because you have the power doesn't mean you always have to use it, I've got a 300hp truck that I drive like a grandma! but if you need or want to use it its there. you could let the money decide too, go there with 600 cash if he takes it great if not O'well you weren't sure you wanted it anyway!
 
I have a 50 hp on my 14' and I thoroughly enjoy it, I am pretty sure it is about double what should be on there but I have beefed up the transom and drive carefully. The initial weight isn't too bad but add 12 gallons of gas and a couple people it will start to get pretty heavy.

As far as the 25, I would say go for it, that's what mine came with and it was a good balance till the lower unit exploded. I didn't look into the link you posted but in my area you could probably find a better deal (my '89 Force 50hp was $300 and included everything).

I hold no responsibility if a 25hp doesn't fair well on your boat! :lol:
 
I have a 30 HP Evinrude on a 15 foot Gregor Baja special. That boat in supposidly constructed of heavier metal than a reguler Gregor. Anyway on that boat the 30 is fine.

Regards, Keith
 

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