Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Manual or electric start on new 15HP boat motor?
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mgraber |
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Podunk |
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2AirIsHuman |
Many Facts to Consider 1) An electric start outboard will be heavier 2) Some electric start outboards don't have a recoil (manual) start, but most do 3) Batteries are heavy and expensive 4) An outboard that won't start, won't start any better with electric start 5) Some models exist that will charge a battery even though they do not have electric start 6) In the LED lighting era in many cases 12v lights are no longer necessary It comes down to use case. If you will be removing the outboard from the boat very often then weight is a major consideration and you would want to avoid electric start. This would be the case if you plan on portaging the boat, or for theft prevention, or if you are one of the people who brings a motor to a resort and rents a boat there. On the flip side it depends who is using the boat and whether they have the arm strength to start a motor manually. My wife does not have the arm strength to start a motor, so if I want to have her drive the boat, ever, it's got to be electric start.
That's a huge motor for a 14' IME. I have a 9.9 on my 14' and it's more than plenty. A larger motor is extra cost and extra weight on the transom.
Most small electric-start outboards have extremely modest battery charging capabilities, typically around 5 amps, just enough to keep the battery charged for starting and for running the lights. There are a few that have a little better output, shop around. But either way the motor isn't going to recharge the battery enough to overcome what the trolling motor uses, you'll have to plug it in at night for that. The places that make and sell trolling motors and outboards want you to have two batteries but there isn't any sound engineering reason for that. Of course, if you run your trolling motor until the battery is dead you won't be able to start your outboard if they share a battery, so don't do that. |
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Grizzlyman |
2AirIsHuman: "Hello tcoeguy I will very respectfully disagree with this statement. That is pretty standard setup for 14' boats. I have one similar 14' aluminum duckboat. If in doubt- just check around. FB marketplace is chock full of 15hp & 25hp motors on 14' boats. I think most new 14' areusually equipped with either 15hp or 25hp as the standard |
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thegildedgopher |
I'm not sure about using your trolling motor battery as the cranking battery? Mine are separate -- marine cranking battery for the outboard, lights, and pumps -- this one gets recharged when running. And then a marine deep cycle for the trolling motor, which needs to get hooked up to a charger after each use. |
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mgraber |
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thegildedgopher |
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cyclones30 |
I would not recommend using your trolling motor and outboard on same battery for very long. (plus any electronics, lights, etc) As mentioned before...get a deep cycle for the trolling....get a regular cranking for the outboard plus electronics. Or in my case....2 deep cycles for the 24v trolling motor and 1 cranking for outboard. |
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cyclones30 |
And if it's breezy or you have 2+ people in the boat you'll be glad you've got a 15 on the back :) |
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Grizzlyman |
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ayudell |
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tcoeguy |
My question is this... Is it worth an additional $300 to get the electric start? I just have an old bare bones 14 foot boat with bench seats. I did string up my own lights in there and I have a trolling motor and battery already. I'm assuming the motor with electric start will charge these. But is it worth $300? I'm assuming a new motor will be pretty easy to pull start. Please share your opinions. Thanks! |
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ppine |
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AmarilloJim |
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Savage Voyageur |
Side note on motor prices. Make sure you are sitting down when they tell you the price of it. With Covid in full mode they are charging super high prices. My brother in law just bought a 90 hp merc and it was $4000 over what I paid 3 years ago for my 90 hp. It used to a 90 would cost $9000. He just paid $13,000 for a 90 hp. Supply is low because of shortages, world wide demand is high, prices are high. |
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tcoeguy |
Savage Voyageur: "I just bought a Yamaha 9.9 hp motor for my 14’ alumacraft boat. I did not get an electric start motor. But I don’t have electric lights and a trolling motor. If I were you I would get the electric start for your boat. Savage, I did notice a wildly different price between 2 dealers. I guess that makes sense now what you are saying. One dealer is sticking with their normal price and one is taking advantage of the laws of supply and demand. The places I have talked to have basically told me that if I want my motor by next spring, order is soon. |
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whitecedar |
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AtwaterGA |
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tonyyarusso |
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