60hp or 75hp, that is the question.

[Justbass11]

 My amazing wife has given me permission to purchase a new boat. She is tired of driving an hour and a half to fish Lake Hartwell. We have a lake that is less than 20 minutes away but has a motor restriction. Which to me makes absolutely no sense.  So I did some research and I’ve decided to get a Ranger RT 178. My dilemma is do I go with a 60 hp or a 75 hp. The type of fishing I will be doing is week day fishing  just me and My Wife. Obviously the 60 is less money which is very nice. Not too much worried about speed. Anyway y’all’s opinion is most appreciated thank you.

[gim]

I have a 2015 Ranger RT178 with a 75 four stroke merc on it. I never even considered sticking with the 60 that came with it when I knew the max was 75. I’m sure the 60 would work but the 75 will work better and it will get you up on plane easier. My advice is to put the biggest outboard on a boat that they allow.

[slonezp]

If this is a Mercury, the block is different and that's why the extra expense. I believe the 75 is the same block as the 115. 

[NYBasser]

Better resale value on maxing out the hp as well

[GaryH]

If it's in the budget go with the 75 hp. Very seldom do you hear I wish I would have gotten the smaller motor. 

By the way great luck on your boat search..

[Vilas15]

1 hour ago, slonezp said:

If this is a Mercury, the block is different and that's why the extra expense. I believe the 75 is the same block as the 115. 

I've heard this too. The 75 90 and 115 are the same. Check the weight difference between the 60 and 75. Might be a decent chunk for only 15 more hp. Test drive if youre really considering the 60 to make sure you're not disappointed when you pick it up.

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, GaryH said:

If it's in the budget go with the 75 hp. Very seldom do you hear I wish I would have gotten the smaller motor. 

By the way great luck on your boat search..

Agree 100%. You'll never hear someone wishing they had a smaller motor on their boat unless it's to meet a motor restriction for a lake.

[Kyle S]

I know I wish I would've gotten a bigger outboard on my boat. Good Luck and make sure you share pics of your new ride when you get it!

[Dirtyeggroll]

Biggest motor you can get.

It’ll be one less thing to think about in the future.

 

Honestly, it probably won’t make a huge difference while your fishing, but when you’re not fishing I could imagine some thoughts such as:

”I wonder if I could get up on plan better.”

”I wonder if how much faster I would go.”

 

etc.

 

Get the 75 hp and be done with it.

[Captain Phil]

Buy the biggest motor the boat is rated for.   That way you can concentrate on fishing instead of wondering what you should have done. 

[A-Jay]

No replacement for displacement.

Get the rated HP for the rig.

A-Jay

[TnRiver46]

Tim the tool man Taylor has the answer to your inquiry 

[12poundbass]

I’m only two years into having a bigger boat, so honest question. At only a 15 hp difference from what I’ve read you’re gaining maybe 5 mph but the price difference is a few grand. So besides resale what’s the gain by going 15 hp bigger? In my uneducated brain I understand a 50 plus hp increase but I’m not so certain 15 hp can justify the increased cost. 

[Michigander]

To me, it really comes down to whether the boat can easily get on plane with the weight of stowage and passengers. We have an underpowered boat in my local circuit and the passenger has to lay on the deck during takeoff to get the bow down enough that the boat can get on plane at all. ?

 

[Fishes in trees]

What is the horse power limit on the lake you're going to be focusing most of your fishing on and how is it enforced.  As far as motor restrictions go, it doesn't matter if you don't understand why it is there, it is just something you must deal with.

Here are some different instances that I must deal with in Missouri.  Many of Missouri's lakes owned & maintained by the Conservation department have horse power limits - many of the lakes less than 300 acres have a 10 hp limit.  Many lakes allow you to run your bigger motor, as long as you don't create a wake.  I'm ok with that - I have a 100 hp Yamaha and it is quieter than many 8 hp 2 strokes.   Some lakes are "electric only" but they allow you to use your bigger motor to put in & take out.   Some lakes have an "electric only" restriction and they are religious about enforcing that.  I don't go there.   I know of a couple of lakes up by Kirksville, MO where you can launch your boat with the larger motor, but the motor must be trimmed completely up out of the water AND the prop removed AND it is a guaranteed ticket if you don't.   It is a bit of a drive for me to get there and despite the stellar reputation of this lake fish wise,  I think it is more trouble than it is worth to drive & put in there.   There are some guys in this area who own 19 & 20 ft glass boats with a 10 ph motor, just to fish this lake.  (These guys own several boats ).

There are other lakes around Missouri operated jointly by the Dept. of Conservation and the nearest city which have unique rules.

 

The point of this rant is to raise the point that in different places horse power limits mean different things and you might be prudent to know exactly what you're getting into on this particular lake.

 

I know this thread started with a question about big motor horse power requirements and I'd agree with the majority to get the biggest motor that the boat is rated for and that you can afford.   Be mindful that this advice applies to trolling motors also.   Don't go with a 12 volt - 24 volt at least and if there is the battery room and on board charger room for it, go with a 36 volt trolling motor.   The extra cost is worth it.

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, Michigander said:

To me, it really comes down to whether the boat can easily get on plane with the weight of stowage and passengers. We have an underpowered boat in my local circuit and the passenger has to lay on the deck during takeoff to get the bow down enough that the boat can get on plane at all. ?

 

I get what you’re saying and my boat is under powered especially if I have 3 adults in it which I never do because it’s too small. If I added 15 hp would that little bit really make a difference? 

[Shimano_1]

Always get the biggest motor you can afford or the boat will handle. I have too much power....said no one ever! Especially new I wouldn't even consider the 60

[Michigander]

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

I get what you’re saying and my boat is under powered especially if I have 3 adults in it which I never do because it’s too small. If I added 15 hp would that little bit really make a difference? 

Depends on how many more HP your hull needs. If it's underpowered by 13HP, then yes. LoL

 

That's not helpful I know, but I'm sure there's some math out there that would calculate it.

[Big Rick]

I made my purchase based on the "what-if" factor. In my case it was a 75 or 90. Sure, an additional 5 mph isn't much unless you're in a situation that 5 mph is the difference between disaster or escaping. There are many scenarios where an additional 5 mph would be much appreciated. Weather, accident avoidance, and, heck, just getting there a few minutes earlier, are several reasons to spend the extra. 

 

The main reason I upgraded was the same reason you should based on your original post. It's apparent you're gonna have a fishing partner. Those extra ponies sure make motoring from spot to spot much more pleasant. I promise, one mad dash back to the ramp to beat a sudden thunderstorm and your "amazing wife" will be thinking you're amazing because you kept her dry and safe. 

 

YMMV

[Way2slow]

If the 75 is a larger displacement motor, don't even think about getting the 60.

All the reasons given are very true.

A 60 will only make you regret not getting the 75,  no matter what you do with it, even when you decide to get rid of it.

[Jigfishn10]

I'm on the ocean a lot and the seas can turn on a dime in any given time. When you see that "biggest swell you've ever seen" coming towards you and you need to either get over it or get the heck out of there in front of it then give me all the HP I can put on the boat.

Otherwise, if I'm on a fairly small, calm body of water then is the added expense to the motor and fuel really that important for a few HP more?

In all honestly, I guess it's really what your pocket book can handle?

[Junk Fisherman]

I'd get the 75.  That is 25% more horsepower over the 60.

 

I will say that I bought a 175 over a 200 max on my boat and I have no regrets.  I knew I wasn't a speed guy and that a couple more mi/hr on the top end wouldn't make a difference.  Most of the time I cruise at 35 to 40 mi/hr.     

[Michigander]

We have a 55mph speed limit on the water around here, so top speed is irrelevant for me even though I have a 250HP Pro XB which is going to make my future boats seem sluggish I'm sure. What's key for me is getting my holeshot down to the minimum and for my acceleration to be as high as it can be. I want to go from still to 55 as fast as possible.

[Way2slow]

It's not about the top speed, there will probably be minimal difference there, it's about the difference hole shot and general performance of the boat  when gas, gear and two people are in the boat.  That's where you should see a big difference between those two motors.

Everyone seems to associate a bigger motor with more speed, what extra speed you get is not the main issue with going with the biggest possible motor you can get, it's everything else the bigger motor brings to the table that makes them so much more enjoyable to operate.

Some think the bigger motor will burn more gas, that's true only if you are running WOT.  It takes a given amount of HP to push a boat a given speed.  At the same hp for that given speed, both motors should burn about the same with the new computer controlled systems.  The bigger motor may actually give better mileage because it's not having to work as hard to hold an average cruising speed.

[gim]

24 minutes ago, Way2slow said:

It's not about the top speed, there will probably be minimal difference there, it's about the difference hole shot and general performance of the boat  when gas, gear and two people are in the boat. 

 

Absolutely true, good point.  Although I do think you would notice a difference in top end speed too.  I've got a 75 on mine and I still use the factory aluminum 4-blade prop but if I upgraded to a 3-blade stainless steel prop I think I could get more speed.  I also have a 12 foot talon that has added some weight and wind resistance.