Time for a new outboard

I'm purchasing a new outboard this year and I want to make sure I get enough engine for the boat. I'm considering a Tohatsu tiller motor and looking at the 9.8, 15, and 20 hp models. My boat is a Tracker Grizzly 1448 with a plywood casting deck front and back. Most of the lakes in my area are 10hp limit, but allow larger engines if you adhere to idle/no wake. Some are unlimited hp lakes and I'll probably split my time almost evenly between them. I considered the 9.8 for fuel efficiency, being able to run it on all the lakes I fish w/o worrying about being ticketed, and lower cost, but I wonder if it is enough engine for two grown men and normal amounts of fishing gear. I'd like to get the boat on plane and get to my destination without feeling like I'm putting around. Any opinions on the issue are appreciated.

That's a tough spot. I'm somewhat in the same boat (slight pun intended) as I finally saved up enough to buy a 1648 Alumacraft and am unsure if a 9.8 Tohatsu will do the trick for me. Like you I really want the 9.8 to work for cost plus having two 10hp restricted lakes very close to me.

Is there any way you can find a buddy or maybe a friend of a friend who has a 9.9hp 4stroke you could try out on yours for maybe a small fee? I know the new Tohatsu 9.8's go for right around $2000 so to me that is too big of an investment to get a motor that doesn't work. I guess there is also the option of re-stickering the 20hp model. If your lakes allow larger motors at idle speed they sound more lenient than mine, meaning if you have the 20 with 9.8 stickers and drive respectfully you would probably be ok.

I guess for me, my situation is slightly different. I think the 1648 I'm getting is a couple hundred pounds less than you. Plus I already have a 9.5hp Evinrude and 35hp Evinrude and am willing to switch them out when I go to larger reservoirs or the river. I doubt that old 9.5 will plane me but that is to be determined after I get the boat. If it does, then I will buy the 9.8 Tohatsu next spring.

Good luck.

I don't have the option of borrowing/renting an outboard. I considered restickering a 15 and calling it quits.

From the choices you listed (9.8, 15, or 20), I'd get the 20. The 15 is the same motor (weight) and you won't be happy w/ the 9.8 on the other lakes. Plus, your HP lake will allow the larger motor. Those Grizzlies are heavy boats, you may even consider a 25.

Ictalurus said:

From the choices you listed (9.8, 15, or 20), I'd get the 20. The 15 is the same motor (weight) and you won't be happy w/ the 9.8 on the other lakes. Plus, your HP lake will allow the larger motor. Those Grizzlies are heavy boats, you may even consider a 25.

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I agree with this if you go that route. The 15 and 20 hp are the same powerheads, with the 15 being detuned, so they weigh the same. The 20hp just has a higher WOT rpm range and likely has a larger carb throat/high speed jet and better exhaust to get it to those higher rpms.

I'd go for the 20hp and would add an electric trolling motor.

Get the 20 and order some 9.8 decals.

I would get a 25 horse four stroke for that boat. It will be plenty on the unlimited lakes and you would be able to get by on the limited lakes.

The biggest tiller model I see listed is 20 hp, which also maxes out my motor budget. So those of you who recommended a 20 hp do not think 15 is adequate?

team101 said:

The biggest tiller model I see listed is 20 hp, which also maxes out my motor budget. So those of you who recommended a 20 hp do not think 15 is adequate?

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The 15 and the 20 are the same motor. Spend the extra $ and get the 20. You're not saving any weight by getting the 15. If you want a 15, find an older 2 stroke merc, evinrude or johnson that is based on the 9.9/15 platform. Should save you a considerable amount of weight. You can also put the 9.9 sticker on that. I'm not sure a 9.9 sticker on a modern 20 hp 4 stroke would fool anyone, they are BIG.

team101 said:

The biggest tiller model I see listed is 20 hp, which also maxes out my motor budget. So those of you who recommended a 20 hp do not think 15 is adequate?

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I'm sure a 15 would be adequate. But you are still over 10hp limit. My view on it is if you are going to bend the rules, might as well go for the bigger one.

If you wanted to stay legal but have 15hp, you might buy an older (70's-80's) OMC 9.9hp and put a 15hp carb and exhaust on it.

i peeled the sticker off my yamaha 4? years ago,nobody has called me on it so far.go big.

If your most limiting lakes will allow a bigger motor, as long as you run at idle/no wake speed...then I'd go for the largest motor that I could afford. When you are on the open lakes, all of the power will be appreciated. The limited lakes won't care as long as you follow the rules.

No question here, for me. richg99

I had a 1448 riveted boat at one point. I "think" it was a Waco, but I never found a HIN or any identification at all on it. Plywood front deck, no rear deck. One 27 series battery, the normal tackle, and a cooler full of ice. I bought it with a brand new 20 hp Tohatsu, power tilt, electric start. I found quite a few things about the motor that I didn't like but it did it's job. The boat was really underpowered when two were in the boat fishing. About 20mph is all I ever saw out of it with just me; with two of us it was around 17mph at full throttle. If I were to do it again, I'd put a 25 on it and be done with it. Underpowered bothers me, especially in a boat...where you're on the river, 7-8 mph current, and you need to get upstream. It is less than confidence-inspiring when it struggles to get on plane and only goes about 12 mph upriver at full throttle; makes for a long trip. I loved the stability of the boat and was just fine with the motor, and how easy it was to start and use. But it was underpowered on that particular boat. Current boat is considerably heavier (350 lbs hull weight) but it is rigged with a Yamaha 25. It is rated for a 40. The 25 works just fine for what I do; usually see about 29 to 29.6mph on average with just me, 26 with both of us, and I never feel underpowered. Could I put a 40 on it and run it? Absolutely. But out here, a lot of public waterways are 25hp max, and because of that the 25hp is more sought after and therefore slightly more desireable. When the day comes when I can't fish anymore, maybe the 25 will be worth a little.

I would get the 20 w/electric start and power lift if ya can afford it, fish n shallow water and do a lot of stops and starts you would appreciate both before long,,,, have 1548 G3 vbw, its footprint not much different then yours, with a 25 etec make about 28mph with me at 260lbs and gear in the boat, when I 1st got the boat ran a 6hp Tohatsu and was able to 6 and 7 mph, my boat planes out at about 15mph,, youll never make it with 9.9 and dont think 15 would get you up on step with any load,,, was thinking about the 20hp Tohatsu when I bought mine but I wanted a true power trim and the 25 etec was about the only thing that came with it, all ill say I have no regrets on the etec

Ictalurus said:

team101 said:

The biggest tiller model I see listed is 20 hp, which also maxes out my motor budget. So those of you who recommended a 20 hp do not think 15 is adequate?

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The 15 and the 20 are the same motor. Spend the extra $ and get the 20. You're not saving any weight by getting the 15. If you want a 15, find an older 2 stroke merc, evinrude or johnson that is based on the 9.9/15 platform. Should save you a considerable amount of weight. You can also put the 9.9 sticker on that. I'm not sure a 9.9 sticker on a modern 20 hp 4 stroke would fool anyone, they are BIG.

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Like lctalurus said go with the 20hp over the 15, bigger carb and tuned better. If your looking at Tohatsu/Mercury look into Suzuki for 100$ bucks more you get same HP with lighter and faster outboard that is more quiet and fuel injected. A win win.

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I have one of those old Johnson 9.9's that was converted to a 15 on a 14 foot semi Vee boat. With just me in the boat it flies, add another person plus gear... its like day and night difference.
My two cents, but where the heck am I going in such a hurry anyway? Not like its a $45,000 bass rig. lol

Read a good quote the other day. Might have been here, or some other site...

Guy said....."I never caught any fish when running faster than 5 mph"

That makes a whole lot of sense. richg99

I guess I'm one of the few who fishes a large variety of waters. I frequent a large deep impoundment. 40,000 acres. I also fish a smaller, tree-filled lake. And then the Arkansas river from time to time. Then sometimes a small shallow river, might be 100 yards wide at the widest point and a foot deep-if that (sometimes). Another river, 300 yards wide, 2 foot deep (or less in a lot of places normally).

At one point I fished exclusively out of a 1432 flat bottom tin boat. 9.9 Rude with a 15 hp carb. I thought it was fast!

On the big lake, it took me about 35 minutes to get from the ramp to my favorite hole. That's a long haul at 13 mph, especially if the wind picks up, or you're in a hurry to get back before the storm gets there, or anytime I had a cooler full of crappies or catfish. But the smaller stump filled lake was fine, never got over an idle and didn't have to go far. On the 2 shallow rivers, if the generators were fired up and the current picked up, if I were downstream, it was not fun to get back up stream. 13mph is the boat's top speed and the maximum current was 7 to 8 mph, so you're creeping along at 5-7 mph on plane at full throttle. I learned real quick not to go downstream very far.

Sold that old boat and got me a 1548 with a 25hp motor. Top speed about 30-ish. Night and day difference. Much more confident in fishing those same exact waters. I don't know how I fished them with that old 9.9. Heck I don't know how I didn't die when that one storm rolled in out of nowhere. The boat I have now is not a "big" boat whatsoever, but it sure beats the heck out of the 1432 for what I do.

Yes, never caught a fish at more than 5 mph. But getting TO the fish, different story. The 35 min ride at 13 mph seemed like 3.5 hours at 6400 RPM, all the while, big boats passing me. I had a guy drive right past me once and later on I get to my favorite tree top, and that guy was there tied off to it, catching crappie one after another. That did not set well with me but you know, I fish for fun, and found another spot....15 minutes from that spot, around the back of an island that the bigger boats couldn't get to easily (submerged stumps/trees/etc).

Like lctalurus said go with the 20hp over the 15, bigger carb and tuned better. If your looking at Tohatsu/Mercury look into Suzuki for 100$ bucks more you get same HP with lighter and faster outboard that is more quiet and fuel injected. A win win.

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I actually wanted to go with the Suzuki, but nobody sells or services them around here. Mercury (Tohatsu) is the prevalent brand in my locale.