2.5hp gas outboard vs electric trolling

Hi Everyone,

I recently purchased a 14' Sportspal pointed canoe and a side motor mount. I've been reading up for a few months on how to power the canoe with a motor. This is my first canoe, and I plan on using it to fish primarily on small lakes. I went with the lightweight canoe to avoid having to trailer a boat and to get into shallow areas. I see a lot of deals right now for small 2.5 hp Mercury outboard motors but not seeing very many positive reviews on this motor.

The alternative to the gas setup was a Minn Kota 45lb thrust with a deep cycle battery. I was just looking to see what everyone's thoughts were on each. I like the thought of not having to fiddle with a gas motor as I've seen people spend half hour trying to start them if things go wrong. It's nice to just connect a battery and go. However, a battery setup has it's own issues with being heavy and the costs add up eg. group 27 battery, motor, battery box, charger, cables.

Is there a lot of maintenance for a small hp gas outboard? An oil change maybe once a season? I'm looking for low maintenance and reliable. Is there such a thing?

Annual maintenance would be, change the lower gear oil, change the plug, and draining the gas, carb and fog the motor. Not hard to do but without prevention, next spring can be a royal pain. On the other hand, a Gp27 battery alone can weigh more than the motor.

Personally the only advantage to the electric for me is the nice quiet power, but that's where it ends. A couple gallons of gas can last many days if you go on a back road trip. Plus, specially with a Sportspal and it's thin aluminum you better have some sort of long box for the battery to spread out the weight across the ribs.
I don't know anything about those Mercs so I can't comment on that. I've got an older 1.5 hp Johnson for my 12ft Sportspal, which is a great fit.

Cheers

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Originally Posted by bringit

Is there a lot of maintenance for a small hp gas outboard? An oil change maybe once a season? I'm looking for low maintenance and reliable. Is there such a thing?

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You mention an oil change, so I am guessing you are talking about 4 strokes. Yes, at minimum, the engine and lower gear oil should by changed yearly. I have used both two and four stroke small displacement engines and prefer the two stroke. To me they are more robust and lighter, given the same HP. This is important, especially if you are going to be carting them through the bush.

My vote ...go electric .
Glen

Thanks for the info so far.. The only experience I have with a two stroke is with my old weed wacker. I didn't like having to mix oil/gas and that thing always gave me a hard time starting. I've disassembled and cleaned the carbs, changed the plugs and throttle plate and still never wants to start. I ended up replacing it this year with an electric.

The last thing I want is engine trouble while on the lake and have to paddle back. I don't mind simple oil changes and plug replacements if that's all that's required. What I like about the electric is that all I need to do is ensure the battery is in in good shape and holds charge. My primary objective on the water is fishing, and just want something reliable to get me to and from my spots.

While I have been up the river with a dead battery a few times, rowing (oars, not paddles) my Sportspal is no problem. I have 3 electrics now and use them all on various craft....

Some advantages of an electric motor vs gas.
1. Quieter.
2. Allowed in some area's gas motor are not.
3. Better stability on a side motor mount. Motor is lighter & battery in bottom of canoe will be far less tipsy.

There are advantages to both. I run an electric on my sportspal, because I have it. I've been toying with the idea of a 2.5 Honda, because they are air cooled, and my fishing boat could use a small kicker for emergencies as well. So the batteries are heavy, but I already had a transom mount minn Kota and several deep cycles so it just made sense. You will get way more range out of a gas motor, but the electric is excellent for quietly trolling along as well as instant power, no pulling a cord when your actually fishing, so control is better. I guess it depends how long you want to be out for. I can get 6 hours out of a 27 series and 50lb thrust if used at moderate speeds and intermittently for fishing. Dial up the speed for travel and time of use drops significantly.

The Honda 2.3 was the motor that I wanted based on what I read it was air cooled and low maintenance but they cost a pretty penny. They're on special for $999 which is $200 off msrp. I keep thinking there must be a reason why the 2.5 Merc is selling for so cheap at 700-750 on sale. But, after reading all the posts, I think I'm leaning towards electric, as it seems the only thing I have to worry about is the battery.

If I'm out fishing, I want to relax, rather not have to worry about the mechanics. Just the thought of trying to start that weed wacker for half hour and almost throwing out my shoulder has gotten me thinking.. don't need that stress. At the moment, I have no overnight hauls, only short 5-6 hours on the water so I want to maximize my enjoyment out there. Speed isn't a concern either as I'm just on the water for some fun.

I'm not trying to change your mind bringit, but don't base your thoughts on two strokes by the probs you had with what was probably a cheaper model string trimmer. I too had probs like that with my initial weed wackers before I went out and bought a quality machine. With all my 2 stroke engines I have now (7 of them) I use only premium fuel and add Seafoam to all my fuel mixes. My Echo trimmer for example is now 6 years old and still runs like a charm. My 1972 6hp Johnson has had one carb kit and a couple of impellers in it's life apart from regular maintenance like lower unit oil and plugs.
Basically what I'm saying is that there are literally millions of two stroke engines out there. With proper maintenance, using good fuel and making sure to drain fuel out for the off season and running the carb dry for outboards after use they are very dependable engines.

Cheers

My choice would be a gas motor. Lugging around a heavy battery and have it go dead when you need it most. Just do the maintenance on the gas motor and it will treat you right. My 1986 Evinrude 6hp will run a week on a 2.5 gallon tank. I'm guessing a 2 or 3hp would go twice as far.

I agree 2 stroke motor. will last forever,and prpblems can usually be solved with a google search. Usually comes down to giving the carb a good cleaning.

2 stroke engine for sure, just not a merc....it would make a great anchor though.

S.

If you don't need long duration then electric seems to fit your preferences. Get a motor with the maximizer type of feature to extend battery life. Although more $$, a sealed gel or AGM type battery avoids worries of acid spills. If you use a wet cell the piut in in a bettery box with cover to reduce exposure to acid.

I would base my purchase on the distance you have to lug it through the woods. We run about 6 Johnson/Evinrude 2 and 2.5 hp, built in tanks 2 stokes for the back lakes. They weigh about 25 pounds, and will run for 6 hrs on a tank. They are a dime a dozen, and once you get them figured out, require about 20 minutes each to winterize or get ready for spring. If they fail, a flat tip and new plug will solve most issues.

I carried a fresh battery out to a dead tractor once, about three km. If it would have been my tractor, it would still be there.

I agree lugging around a battery is horrible, every spring and fall when I haul it in and out of my boat, it sucks, I always mudder to myself friigin heavy POS.

If you spring for the Honda you won't have weed whacker issues. That Honda will probably last a lifetime. Like others have suggested, starting problems stem from todays 87 octane gas, especially storing over the season without additives. Use premium and store with some Seafoam and you'll have very few starting issues.

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Originally Posted by sawbill

If you spring for the Honda you won't have weed whacker issues. That Honda will probably last a lifetime. Like others have suggested, starting problems stem from todays 87 octane gas, especially storing over the season without additives. Use premium and store with some Seafoam and you'll have very few starting issues.

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Also look for ethanol-free gasoline- usually premium such as Shell Gold.

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Originally Posted by pinepointer

Also look for ethanol-free gasoline- usually premium such as Shell Gold.

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^this.

I've owned at least 3-4 electric trolling motors. Some light-duty with a single deep cell battery...and at least two heavier set-ups (50-60lb. thrust) with a 24v/2 battery set-up, built-in chargers, etc. Honestly, I've always been underwhelmed with them whether they were in my boat, or on those belonging to buddies. I think I've seen every electrical issue they can have over the years too and quite frankly...I've grown to sort of hate them for it. Batteries are dreadfully heavy too, I wouldn't want to lifting one into/out of a canoe very often. Wouldn't take much to crack or punch a hole through the hull.

Gas motors have they're own little issues but in my experience...either WORK, or can be made to work with very little preventative maintenance. The little Hondas and Yamahas appeal to me, but I've had the most experience with the noisy little 2-stroke Evinrudes with the built in tanks. Very light, lots of punch, and not too much that can go wrong with them. I fish in a big, heavy-duty kayak now and am contemplating adding a motor...so this has been on my mind lately too. I know what it WON'T be~an electric.

One last thing to check is does the motor have a neutral setting for starting. Everyone on here that has suggested a two stroke never mentioned it. The people that use them want light weight so it gets left out and this can cause some safety issues for some when you start it up (side mounted on a canoe causes it to start moving right away). If you are aware of this and you can get your motor to start at a low rpm you should be okay but I found it to be a pain in the you know where. I have fished in some pretty remote areas and have used a battery for most of them but I seem to enjoy paddling the most as it brings back memories (caught a few trophy specks while paddling). Good luck on which ever you chose as it will bring you many years of enjoyment.

I do believe Honda makes a 2hp with clutch engage to alleviate the instant take off. http://marine.honda.ca/portables/BF2_3

I fished with the trolling motor for years... I'd go with the small outboard. Either Honda or Yamaha. (I preferred the Yamaha).

I used to wish for neutral while fighting a fish. With my Evinrude I would just point it out to open water and hope....

The 2.5hp Yamaha motors have a shift lever with a neutral position. Our camp has one, it's a great little motor.

I had a Sportspal canoe for more than 25 years and loved it. I always struggled with the same decision and ended up getting no motor at all. Sold the canoe last year and I'm looking for another one now.

Anyway, one thing to consider is weight distribution.

I always thought I'd put the battery in FRONT and sit at the back myself with the light electric motor.
With the gas motor you don't have that option! You sit at the back with the motor and may need to place gear or a rock in front to keep the nose down.

Not only is all the weight at the back on a gas motor it is also off center on a side mount bracket.

One of the advantages of electric that you should consider is a solar panel, my little 40 watt Coleman is all I use for the Truck camper 12V Deep Cycle marine battery. The panel is small enough to transport and strap to cross member on Canoe for charging during the day. In full sun it takes about 2.5 to charge up this battery. I use that battery power at night to run the tv, Boxee Box and charge my phone. It lasts about 6 hours or two movies when duck hunting. On a cloudy day it can up to 6 hrs to charge. SO if going on a solo overnight or a couple day trip it serves a couple of purposes for you. This year I will installing a new 100 watt panel on the roof of Truck camper and upgrading to a true Off Grid battery (210 AMP hours), but will still the 40watt and 12V marine in the camper as a back up.

Here is a picture of the set up.

Attachment 34814

Actually the weight of the gas motor is only a few inches off center on most mounts. I used to carry a five gallon water jug up front. If you almost fill it on site you have 45 lbs of ballast and by leaving it not quite full it will float if you dump the canoe.

I ended up scoring a sweet deal on a 2.5hp Suzuki 4 stroke. The internal tank holds 1L of gas, is that enough for a day? The smallest gas cans I see are 4.8L. Is that necessary? I was thinking maybe using those 1L aluminium water bottles to just carry another spare litre in case I run out.

Hard to predict how much gas you will use in a day, but those 4.8 (one gallon) cans are about the minimum I would carry for a day with my 2hp. Since mine was 2 stroke it also worked for my chain saw.

I have 70lb minkotta and it is very powerful. It is 24 volts with 2 batteries. Will last long time