60hp or 75hp, that is the question.

[Captain Phil]

Some of you may enjoy this little story.  In the late sixties, organized bass tournaments were just getting started in Florida.  I fished my first B.A.S.S. Federation tournament out of Walaka on the St. John's river.  I was fishing out of a 15' Terry Bass Boat with a 70 HP Johnson.  Most of the boats were faster.  This was before high performance bass boats.  One guy had an inboard ski boat with a bass seat in front of the windshield bolted to the deck.  It was a flare start and everyone took off as a group.  Wakes were everywhere and it amazed me no one capsized.  It scared the heck out of me. 

 

When I got home, I sold my 70 and bolted on a 135 Johnson.  This didn't make my boat much faster, but it did look faster.  It also made it a terrible handler.  Once while fishing Holiday Park in the Everglades, I saw a 15' Terry Bass with a 150 Merc and stick steering!  I never saw that boat again.....

[A-Jay]

39 minutes ago, Way2slow said:

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.

X2 ~ 

I believe some folks miss this ~ 

A-Jay

 

[Michigander]

You can call Mercury and discuss with one of their techs. Often it's one of their engineers that gets on the phone and historically they have been very helpful and love to get into the mathematical weeds with you.

[Vilas15]

On 12/4/2020 at 7:32 AM, Way2slow said:

The bigger motor may actually give better mileage because it's not having to work as hard to hold an average cruising speed.

This idea always made sense to me until you look at cylinder deactivation in trucks. My truck gets better gas mileage by dropping the v8 to 4 cylinders allowing them to work a bit harder at the same speed. It's more efficient running 4 cylinders harder than having 8 cruising along.

[WRB]

$2K and weight is important to consider. If the 75 is a tuned down Optimax 115 (3 cylinder or 1/2 a V6) excellent engine the torque is a major factor to consider and prop options become very important. Don’t go with a stock 3 blade aluminum, upgrade to SST.

If you go with the smaller 60hp upgrade to a 4 blade SST.

Good luck with your decision it’s your money not ours! $2K gets you a spot lock TM, game changer!

Tom

PS, 2 or 4 stroke engines? 75hp 2 stroke weighs about the same as a 60 hp 4 stroke.

The 4 strokes are 247 vs 327 lbs.

[NoShoes]

I bought a tracker 175 tx over the summer with a 50 hp Mercury. I was worried I’d regret not holding out for a 75hp but it was too good a deal. 
 

It runs 30 mph with three 200 lb rednecks and fully loaded (gear, 3 batteries, gas). Planes out just fine. I fish a lot of electric only so the 50hp’s lighter weight is a blessing majority of the time. Just another data point of experiences for you to consider. 

[GaryH]

13 minutes ago, NoShoes said:

I bought a tracker 175 tx over the summer with a 50 hp Mercury. I was worried I’d regret not holding out for a 75hp but it was too good a deal. 
 

It runs 30 mph with three 200 lb rednecks and fully loaded (gear, 3 batteries, gas). Planes out just fine. I fish a lot of electric only so the 50hp’s lighter weight is a blessing majority of the time. Just another data point of experiences for you to consider. 

Noshoes. Does a 200 lb. redneck weigh more than a 200 lb. non redneck? I'm a redneck and was just wandering. LOL

[Way2slow]

Redneck weight is usually about 20% more than claimed, because he's probably lying about it.

OH! wait a minute, I am a redneck and I know rednecks don't lie, that 15" bass held out at full arms length toward the camera weighed at least 10 pounds..

[NoShoes]

Redneck weight fluctuates based on whether the beer has been tapped into yet. 

[VolFan]

Redneck weight varies by a function of 12 to 16 ounces dependent upon who has been tasked to 'Hold my beer and watch this.'

[gim]

If a guy had a choice, you would assume that everyone would select the 75 over the 60. I would not even consider the 60, much less a 50.

 

The Lund Renegade in that size of aluminum mod v bass boat can handle a 90.

 

The only logical reason to select a smaller outboard would be if you regularly fished lakes with a HP restriction.

[WRB]

Back to the 2 vs 4 stroke ? What are you considering?

It appears the 4 stroke 75 hp Merc is a 150 hp engine tuned down weighing 80 lbs more then the 2 stroke 75 Optimax Merc.

Tom 

 

[scbassin]

I have owned Ranger since 1974 & now in a Z21. Ranger Boats are heavier then most bass boats of the same size. With out a doubt I would put the 75 HP with trim & tilt & a S/S prop on it. This will give a much better hole shot & be able to lift the bow back to about the console so the front is skimming the water instead of plowing thru it. It will get you better fuel economy plus help keep you dry in a chop at about 3/4 throttle. If a squall comes up that extra H/P & trim will help you get to a safe place.

[BurrStone]

I have a 2019 rt178 w/60 hp 4 stroke merc. It works fine for me, i usually fish alone or with 1 partner, and the money I saved on the motor went into electronics which do more for my fishing than those 15 hp would do. If I fished tournaments or lived somewhere with bigger waters I'd probably still be saving up for a boat!

[MickD]

15 hp is  a 25% increase over the 60, will make a significant difference.  The only reason I would not go with it was if its weight would be too much for the boat.  The suggestion to try it before spending the bucks is the right way to go on major purchases like this.  

[MT204]

1675 Lund ProGuide here with a 75 HP big tiller, certainly glade it's not a 60!

[slonezp]

On 12/5/2020 at 11:30 AM, Vilas15 said:

This idea always made sense to me until you look at cylinder deactivation in trucks. My truck gets better gas mileage by dropping the v8 to 4 cylinders allowing them to work a bit harder at the same speed. It's more efficient running 4 cylinders harder than having 8 cruising along.

Your 4 cylinders aren't working any harder at cruising speed. That technology has been around since the 80's Cadillac had what they called the V-8-6-4 engine. The technology was ahead of its time and was a flop. With modern transmissions and computers in cars, it's a viable option for fuel savings. I would never own one as I believe it's one more thing to go wrong.

 

The theory doesn't apply in this situation as outboards do not have transmissions. 

[MickD]

Depending on how you define "working harder."  It takes the same power to cruise down the highway whether using 8 cylinders, 4 cylinders, or 1 cylinder, but with fewer cylinders doing that work, each has do generate a larger share of that HP if part of an engine with fewer cylinders.  But, it doesn't take much power to cruise a truck even at highway speeds, so the cylinders are "not working very hard" even with a larger share. 

 

It takes a lot of power to cruise a boat, even on plane, and they operate more often at wide open throttle and higher RPM's, so the duty cycle of boat engines is much different than that of auto/truck engines.  And they are designed for it.

 

Does a  60 operate any more efficiently than a 75, both cruising at the same "efficient planing speed?"  I expect the difference is peanuts.  Of course the 75 will use more fuel at wide open than will the 60, but will get you home sooner.

 

 If it were my decision I would take the highest ouput engine that didn't throw the boat out of balance due to its weight (assuming all being considered are within the specs for the boat).  And I would not commit until I had tried it out.

[Vilas15]

1 hour ago, slonezp said:

Your 4 cylinders aren't working any harder at cruising speed. That technology has been around since the 80's Cadillac had what they called the V-8-6-4 engine. The technology was ahead of its time and was a flop. With modern transmissions and computers in cars, it's a viable option for fuel savings. I would never own one as I believe it's one more thing to go wrong.

 

The theory doesn't apply in this situation as outboards do not have transmissions. 

At the end of the day, adding cylinders and horsepower is never going to get you better fuel efficiency.

 

It's easy for everyone to spend other people's money and say max it out. If you're happy with less than the max HP, that money can go towards anything else like better electronics which may actually help you catch more fish. The additional resale is not worth it because you're getting hit with even more depreciation on the higher original purchase price. You'll do better saving the extra money and keeping it under your mattress until you sell, let alone using it on something else youll enjoy.

[slonezp]

15 minutes ago, Vilas15 said:

At the end of the day, adding cylinders and horsepower is never going to get you better fuel efficiency.

 

It's easy for everyone to spend other people's money and say max it out. If you're happy with less than the max HP, that money can go towards anything else like better electronics which may actually help you catch more fish. The additional resale is not worth it because you're getting hit with even more depreciation on the higher original purchase price. You'll do better saving the extra money and keeping it under your mattress until you sell, let alone using it on something else youll enjoy.

OP asked a question and my initial response was they use 2 different blocks and nothing about maxing out HP.

 

I'm a tradesman. I can go to Home Depot and have my choice of 10 different brands of drills at 10 different price points. They all do the same thing. If buying a $200 drill will avoid me the inconvenience of the $100 drill failing, then that's my choice.  

 

The smaller Mercs are made by Tohatsu, including the 60hp, as far as I know. The 75hp is made in America. A different engine block could mean all the difference in the world as far as longevity. 

 

The boat and motor are a tool to catch fish. Nothing more, nothing less. The tool should be reliable. If a bigger block is more reliable in the long run, than that's the one I want. 

 

My personal opinion as far as trucks is the same. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I have a 6.2 gasser in my SuperDuty. My son has a F150 with the Ecoboost 6 banger. IMO he should have got the 5.0, but dealers around here do not stock those. There is no substitute for cubic inches.   

[Vilas15]

1 hour ago, slonezp said:

OP asked a question and my initial response was they use 2 different blocks and nothing about maxing out HP.

 

I'm a tradesman. I can go to Home Depot and have my choice of 10 different brands of drills at 10 different price points. They all do the same thing. If buying a $200 drill will avoid me the inconvenience of the $100 drill failing, then that's my choice.  

 

The smaller Mercs are made by Tohatsu, including the 60hp, as far as I know. The 75hp is made in America. A different engine block could mean all the difference in the world as far as longevity. 

 

The boat and motor are a tool to catch fish. Nothing more, nothing less. The tool should be reliable. If a bigger block is more reliable in the long run, than that's the one I want. 

 

My personal opinion as far as trucks is the same. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I have a 6.2 gasser in my SuperDuty. My son has a F150 with the Ecoboost 6 banger. IMO he should have got the 5.0, but dealers around here do not stock those. There is no substitute for cubic inches.   

Love my 4 stroke Merc 60, no maintence issues and with the small lakes I fish it only needs gas a few times the entire summer. Also love my new 2020 Hemi 5.7 ?.

 

OP test whatever you plan to get and spend your money how you want.