Running & Speed Test of a 15 HP Mercury Outboard

Running a newly redesigned 2020 15 HP Mercury outboard manual start after the break in period. Wet test on a 13 foot utility Jon boat and attained speeds of 20 MPH with two adults and fishing gear. Mercury 15 HP speed test and cruising to a fishing spot in the river.
Link to the products I used:
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Inshore hook: amzn.to/2VKnC26
Leader: amzn.to/3zdKTIp
Braided Line: amzn.to/2VUdkwD
Sun Shirt: amzn.to/3rtImY1
Fish Fry mix: amzn.to/2UpzB4R
Affiliate Amazon links

[@mattwaters6987]

Very nice. You guys are scooting along really well. I've clocked my 2018 9.9hp Merc at 30 kmh or 19mph. on my 12 ft V hull. Luv it! Happy fishing! 😊

[@RealFishin]

@Matt Waters I watched your short! you have an nice looking boat and are running strong with your 9.9!!

[@Kana0211]

I've tried putting a 15 and 8 2 stroke merc on a 12 ft aluminum and the acceleration on that was crazy.

[@ia6980]

I clocked my saturn inflatable on 6hp tohatsu at 17 mph

[@DaydreamAboutNiceThings]

That’s pretty good. I just bought a v14 Alumacraft with a 20 hp Mercury and it does pretty awesome as well.

[@RealFishin]

@Daydream About Nice Things- Awesome boat! What are you mainly fishing for and where are you fishing? Tight lines!

[@Eric_nail]

Can confirm, my bass tracker tadpole 14 hits 21mph with the same and it’s killer!

[@RealFishin]

@rockstar363 fantastic! Sounds like you have a nice ride!

[@CaptDavesSportfishing]

I had a long shaft, of course it's a tohatsu. my only complaint was within a year. the paint was bubbling on the trim motor. I too am in jville. I use mine for trolling offshore. must be the water around here. St Johns River loves to destroy things.

[@donaldkenney2648]

Nice I just got a 20 hp mercury can't wait for spring 😊

[@RealFishin]

@donaldkenney2648 spring is almost here! Where are you fishing and targeting?

[@relavantoccurence94]

Just got a 2022 can’t wait til it arrives

[@RealFishin]

@Greg Braun, Sweet! What boat did you pair it with? I know you will love the engine! The kill switch does not do well in the sun and stretches out, so maybe keep that inside.

[@relavantoccurence94]

Picked it up today. 2022 electric start! Putting it on my 1436 tracker topper. Think I’ll get 25 mph!? Boat only weights 140 I think

[@Nardage]

@@relavantoccurence94 yes you will lolol

[@felixmikkialmosttoasted3911]

I would have thought you were moving faster than the gps said- just by looking at the wake and the land behind .

[@RealFishin]

Thanks! I think the 4K footage makes it seem faster.

[@martinjohansen8100]

Definitely going about 65 and a 1/2 miles an hour

[@Prototheria]

Pausing at 30 seconds... I'm surprised that it didn't start first pull what with being EFI and all. I don't think I've seen that with these Merhatsu engines before, but I guess everyone's doing hot starts. Thanks for the honesty.

[@Nardage]

The guy at the boat shop RNF marine told me to get an electric start because the old guys have a hard time starting it.

[@Prototheria]

@@Nardage That's as good a reason as any. My 75 year old dad recently had shoulder surgery and there's no way he'd be able to pull start one of these engines, even with the decompression feature. Personally, I'd always chose electric start if it's available. On these engines in particular, it only adds nine pounds, plus the cables and a lipo battery and you're talking an overall weight gain of around 13-14 lbs. Well worth the convenience if someone's able to swing the extra cost.

[@RealFishin]

I see the point on the electric start. The dealer did not have any electric start in stock and I wanted to save the weight since it is a small boat. I will say this engine is much easier to start compared to my previously owned 9.9 carb Yamaha. if cold starting the mercury it will take two pulls.

[@Nardage]

You gotta start it on the first pull when it's warmed up already. If you mess up on the first pull it'll take 5 lol. When it's cold like 2 pulls to start. My boat is a 1436 and I was going 27 mph with 2 guys and trolling motor n battery in the front.

[@sadsausage2224]

Hi, what is the maximum transom thickness for this outboard? My transom is 63mm.

[@jeffbrown1492]

I have the same motor except for the electric start. My boat is a Lowe 1448.

[@RealFishin]

Hi Jeff! I bet that’s a nice setup! I wanted to cut down on weight so went with the manual start. Do you use a smaller battery or a larger one!

[@jeffbrown1492]

@@RealFishin, I went down from a 25 horse Evinrude to this one. I have a larger battery and a three gallon fuel tank. The motor, battery and a full fuel tank is less than 150 pounds. The motor weighs 95 pounds. The 25 horse was 150 pounds before the other stuff. This off season, I’m planning on replacing the wood casting decks with aluminum to take even more weight off. Nice video my friend.

[@RealFishin]

Sounds like a nice improvement! I’m guessing you lost some top end speed from the old 25hp vs the new 15? Good luck installing the new aluminum platform! What are you mainly fishing for?

[@JoeyDrones]

Thanks for sharing this Video. 🙌🏼👍🏼 nice Mercury

[@RealFishin]

Thanks for watching!

[@lesroberts2244]

Thanks for your effort.

[@RealFishin]

@Les Roberts My pleasure!

[@stephenhart6934]

My 15 merc 2 stroke does 44klh.

[@victorpeirce4753]

*My 2 stroke 15hp Mercury on 1O foot aluminum boat does 6Okmh/36mph with just me in it and I weigh 9Okg/2OO-2O5lbs. It's so much fun to fang around in. I get this speed with engine trimmed out as far as I can so basically only 2-3 inches of boat in the water. Happy Days.💯%*

[@kajmolin297]

Wounderful motor I have one.

[@RealFishin]

@Kaj Molin where do you mostly fish? I have loved owning the trouble free engine!

[@stuartswanuk]

I have this motor on a 3.3 inflatable flat floor it’s scary I can only open the throttle up fully for about 5 seconds at a time 😂

[@RealFishin]

@stuartswanuk awesome! I know it's a fun ride!

[@frankmangieri2077]

hey nice rig!i just got the same motor, what does your transom measure where the engine sits to the bottom of boat? i have to build a new transom and i think mine is too low due to it's age (1968). its a 14' seanymph deepV similar to your boat.

[@RealFishin]

@Frank Mangieri here are some other videos to see where the engine sits on the transom. the engine lower unit should be flush with the bottom hull. is your engine too low? kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJyQmWqqd8qIf9k kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZ_Ml4qMjsiBqpY

[@m.r315]

Hi, does the engine work great, does it have the original propeller? how many pitches does it have?

[@RealFishin]

@M. R - I love the engine and it has the original propeller . Check out my review here Redesigned 2020 Mercury 15 HP EFI Outboard Review & Starting Engine For The First Time!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bH2wlmiIe7R8g9k Overview of the boat: Affordable Jon Utility Boat setup for FISHING with a Redesigned 15HP Mercury EFI Outboard Review kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJyQmWqqd8qIf9k Adjusting the redesigned 15-20 HP Mercury Multi Function Tiller Handle & brief Engine overview kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZ_Ml4qMjsiBqpY

[@6thwatergateplumber]

Wow...having recently used a 10hp Tohatsu on a large lake this 15hp has a lot more performance. That 10hp could only putter around the lake compared to what I see here. But, I see Merc has several types of 15hp. Long shaft, short shaft, did this have an alternator? What model was it?

[@RealFishin]

@6thwatergateplumber 2020 Mercury 15 HP short shaft 15 inch outboard engine, manual start engine!

[@danielhorinceanu2875]

Hello, I have a small problem with starting this engine, if I attach the battery it doesn't sketch anything!! Can you make a tutorial how to attach the battery and start electric?? Thank you

[@RealFishin]

@Daniel Horinceanu I do not have the electric start and only a pull start (to save the extra weight). Make sure the cables are firmly attached to the battery (you might need a wrench to snug them down). Your issue is starting the engine?

[@cbdane]

A little confused. I’ve been looking at this EFI unit to replace a Honda 15 4-stroke on a 14ft aluminum boat. It scoots along at 25mph at sea level now. I drop down to 10mph at 7000ft (Lake Tahoe) since it’s carbureted, hence my interest in EFI. I hate to lose more than 10mph at sea level so your result worries me. Why do you think the Mercury is so slow?

[@RealFishin]

@cbdane I think one reason is the run was done with two big adults (225-235 pounds each) plus a lot of fishing gear. Also, the boat is a utility v bottomed boat which likely causes more drag vs a typical flat bottom jon boat. With one person, the boat moves along very fast. I will have to grab a speed test video of me running the boat by myself. Is your boat rated for a 20 HP or max of 15HP? I would go with the max HP allowed.

[@cbdane]

Thanks for the feedback! I have a Klamath 14’ with a max rating of 15hp.

[@Nardage]

If you're gonna get a new motor I'd get the 20.

[@BackOutside]

haha omg! looks so fun

[@huberthenry5033]

Very nice

[@RealFishin]

@huberthenry5033 thank you!

[@victorpeirce4753]

*Trim the motor out way further and you will easily get over 2O knots. Going to 4 stroke outboard engines was the worst thing they ever did. I have a 2 stroke 15hp Mercury on a 1Ofoot aluminum v bottom and my top speed trimmed out with one person is 6Okmh/36mph and it's so fun. Sorry but your boat is a slug.💯%*

[@mattioder]

Do you still like this motor and is it still always take two pulls to get it started?

[@RealFishin]

@mattioder yes, still like the engine! two to three pulls if it the motor is cold (right when we put the boat in the water in the morning). If it is warm, it will usually start with one pull.

[@way75mit9]

Hello I just got the same motor for my 12 Plastic boat it 's made by KL Industries and it's rated for a 15 hp outboard, I had 2 stroke on it and that worked good , but the old motor wore out, And I picked up a 2021 15 hp Mercury that is a lot heavier than the old motor , did you have any problems with the difference in weight when you upgraded , Please advise !!!

[@RealFishin]

Congrats on the new motor!! I have not experienced any issues with the extra weight! It’s not really noticeable on my boat as the difference is only 20 pounds or so and I am glad I bought the bigger engine. It’s smart that you did not exceed the hp ratings of the boat. How much heavier is the new engine vs your old two stroke? Can you reduce weight in another area? I see KL Industries makes the American 12 jon fishing boat that has a hp capacity of 6 hp and the pro120 which maxes out at 10 HP. Do you have either of these or a different model?

[@way75mit9]

@@RealFishin Hello sir , thanks for the reply , my old motor weighed 99 lbs and the new one is 130 lbs , my Sunpro is a 06 model and it is rated for a 15 hp , gonna follow your advise on the break in , I’ll let you know how it goes , again thanks & be on the water Wayne

[@RealFishin]

Did you get the electric start- which would add about 25 pounds? Have fun out there and catch them up!!

[@aripl9479]

Very nice.. what is the weight of your boat?

[@RealFishin]

@aripl9479 hull weight is 150 pounds. Gear is another 100 pounds or so. the two people are between 400-450 pounds.

[@johngordon9140]

I'm getting ~20 Mph with Mercury 9.9, so how do you think what to expect with 15 HP? I guess 30 Mph will be possible?

[@bebeslife4519]

Probably 22-24 mph highest. 26+ is possible with a tiny tiny boat.

[@RealFishin]

@johngordon9140 if you are doing 20 with a 9.9, I believe you would get 30 out of a 15. I upgraded from a 9.9 to the 15 and the performance is way stronger.

[@Kana0211]

I get 23 mph on a 12 ft aluminum boat with a 15hp 2 stroke. Solo, but it definately gets there too easily and I weight 130. If I do get a more aggressive prop I can probably get 30mph. With 2 people, I get 21mph. With a 8hp 2 stroke, I get 19 with 2 people.

[@johngordon9140]

@@RealFishin Well 20 mph was not true value with 9.9, got 17 mph only on 9.9 and 22.5 mph with 15. I'm disappointed, I expected more.

[@JRCproductions15]

Are you using an app to see how fast you’re going? If so what is it?

[@RealFishin]

@JRCproductions I have the Navionics app on my phone. I highly recommend it for a backup GPS or if you are using a rental boat or friends boat. the cost is between $15-25 per year and well worth the cost. the app uses the GPS on your phone so you do not need to be close to a cell tower as I use this 50 miles offshore. Navionics was bought by Garmin a few years ago. here is the link: www.navionics.com/usa/apps/navionics-boating

[@JRCproductions15]

@@RealFishin sounds good!! Thanks buddy!👍🏼

[@drinkinnworkin]

How is the motor holding up a year later?

[@RealFishin]

@Drunkhilbilly6 still love the engine! no issues and running strong!

[@genarocabrera3974]

Q combustible se debe usar en este motor

[@RealFishin]

REC-90 es una mezcla de gasolina sin plomo de 90 octanos sin etanol

[@pawelsniadala]

what fuel are you using for this engine

[@RealFishin]

Rec-90 also known as ethanol-free gas

[@kajmolin297]

I don´t fish by me self.I have another guy who takes care of that for me. I live by a nice lake in Sweden, called Jaernlunden. It is located in the southeastern part of the country.

[@RealFishin]

@Kaj Molin You live by a beautiful lake!

[@fatazz3177]

Shame there’s no two stokes now😢

[@RealFishin]

@fatazz3177 crazy to think they are not available!

[@frankartieta4887]

That a tohatsu !

[@RealFishin]

sure is, with the Mercury stamp! but she runs strong.

[@frankartieta4887]

Yes ! A lot of people never realize the actual manufacturer of the engine they own ! @@RealFishin

[@brandonrickbornponyexpress6574]

Looks like Charleston

[@RealFishin]

@brandonrickbornponyexpress6574 close! I am in Northeast Florida!!

[@kevinyoung947]

How heavy would you say your boat is with how you have it set up?

[@RealFishin]

Hi Kevin! Hull weight is 150 pounds and I’d say add another 100 pounds for the gear and anchor. I have smart trim tabs that help level the boat.

[@kevinyoung947]

@@RealFishin hey thank you for the quick response I did really well on a 2020 motor with a easily fixed gas issue getting back on Tuesday from the shop can’t wait to take it out!

[@RealFishin]

Have fun!!

[@jeremyhaws1562]

How fast would your 6hp push the boat?

[@victorpeirce4753]

​​@@RealFishinThe 'smart' trim tabs should be trimming the motor out further for better performance and less drag. This thing is ploughing through the water. You would use a lot more petrol how it is setup now.💯%

[@00powerstrokin]

How fast did it run with the 9.9? Was the jump to a 15 a big difference?

[@RealFishin]

@Aaron Hemberger if you use the 9.9 with one person in the boat, she would run nice at about 15-18 MPH. With 2 adults- the speed was around 10 MPH with the trim tabs - without the tabs it would run a few MPH slower. a couple thoughts on the slower speed- I believe the utility vee needs more power to plane vs a true flat bottomed jon boat and we are two bigger adults that weight 220 to 250 pounds so requiring more power. The 15HP is noticeable improvement and I recommend the bigger engine. fuel consumption is still really good with the bigger engine.

[@99fxgtjc]

That's pretty fast

[@RealFishin]

@David Aloia - it is a big improvement over the prior 9.9 and 6 HP Yamaha (on the same boat)! The 15HP Mercury has been a solid engine!

[@99fxgtjc]

@@RealFishin I have a mercury 3.5 hp fourstroke on my jon boat it gets the job done but it's not very fast , looking to upgrade to the 8 hp fourstroke mercury , I hear it has two cylinders and a lot more power

[@RealFishin]

@David Aloia, jumping to an 8 or 9.9 hp would be a game changer from your 3.5hp! It looks like the weight of the 8 and 9.9 are the same. I would go with a 9.9 hp if you boat is rated for the bigger engine.

[@99fxgtjc]

@@RealFishin yes it's rated for up to a 15 horsepower motor however I don't have the money right now to buy it I'm saving up for the eight horsepower because that's all I can afford actually

[@kenbrown9552]

What speed did you achieve?

[@kenbrown9552]

I should have waited 🙃

[@RealFishin]

Thanks for watching!!!

[@RealFishin]

I also have trim tabs on the boat with two grown men with fishing gear.

[@sea_knot]

All these tests are useless, cause everything depends of load and PROP pitch. What prop do you have in these test? I am missed info, or you didn't say. Thanx. Nice views!

[@RealFishin]

This is the stock model including The prop that came with the engine out of the box. Load was two large adults and my fishing gear.

[@tlteal]

How's that 15hp mercury efi working out for you? Any issues with it?

[@RealFishin]

zero issues! It is a solid engine and one that I do not regret pulling the trigger on.

[@tlteal]

@@RealFishin ok thank you. appreciate it.

[@nigelorion]

What boat is that?

[@RealFishin]

DURANAUTIC 13 foot utility boat- marathonboat.com/wp-content/uploads/MBG-006-Duranautic-Catalog-R13-BRETT.pdf

[@wesrobson5176]

why are u sitting in the middle you cannot steer properly

[@RealFishin]

I bought the boat used and the seats were already installed. The boat is not that wide so it would be tough to offset the seat due to the weight.

[@brianchisnell1548]

Offset the seat and balance with the tank

[@masterful7574]

“Mercree ”???????

[@RealFishin]

she catches fish and that is all that matters!

[@ia6980]

why they calling a motor that is he, a "she" boggles my mind.