Mercury 20hp vs 25hp Towing Test | Live Comparison

[@gilleslavigne4338]

I had a 2016 20 hp Mercury carbureted traded it in for a 2017 25 hp Mercury EFI The 25 hp three cylinder had less vibrations and is much much quieter, Worth the extra weight and money

[@elgalandenoche]

Electric trim and starting? I have one too in a 14’ but I struggle getting in on plane.

[@RolexWatchmaker]

Did it say what speed the 25hp did? I seen the 20hp did 16mph.

[@jacobbrown9753]

the more I see on this the more I feel confident the 20hp Merc is the way to go with my inflatable sport boat, its rated for a 30hp or 150lbs, so the 20 will be well under weight and easy for me to manage at the end of the year when the boat goes into storage and off the trailer. As much as I like the idea of the 25hp Yamaha, the weight and cost savings make me think the 20 is the right way to go

[@ia6980]

Tohatsu 20 is the way to go

[@chadbassmaster9084]

Power wise do you see much difference between power and top end between the 20 and 25?

[@jswoozy517]

Got a 2013 20hp mercury 4 stroke on my 1648 tracker grizzly that I have now and it pushes me 25mph by myself with the stock 10p prop. Just ordered an 11p prop because its over revving the 10. Had a 2019 20hp Tohatsu (which I have a video of on my channel) on my last tracker grizzly and it pushed me 26mph with a 12p prop. Both are great little motors.

[@mikekempin7917]

Any thoughts on the fuel economy, noise, and easy of pull starting your 2013 Merc 20? I'm considering one for a 1448 Jon and am not sure if the carburator and manual start are worth the trade off of saving a lot of money over a new EFI.

[@jswoozy517]

@@mikekempin7917 I have had both EFI and carburetor versions. Other than pulling out a choke, you would never be able to tell this motor has a carburetor. The EFI's are worth every penny because of the weight that they save. The less the motor weighs, the better the hull will perform. However, as far as fuel economy and noise, they are identical.

[@ia6980]

What camera youre using? Nice graphics

[@surjracer56]

Just picked up my Merc 20 and can’t wait till the spring. For the price I got it for I couldn’t pass on the deal. Early season deals are around sub 3k! I also got the sick 5 year warranty for only $50 bucks on top!

[@Jake-xm6fl]

Bass pro has these 20s on sale for 2600$ and I can't find one in the midwest all sold out!

[@discoveryoutdoorskcfishing236]

I run a 2014 20hp 4 stroke and I love it. Its reliable, smooth and quite.

[@Kurtdog63]

How do you compare the shift throttle on the 25 verses the new handle on the 20? Thanks for sharing.

[@scassidy77]

So how fast did the 25hp run pulling the tube vs to 20hp?

[@JS-sh3nq]

I called several mercury dealers and they do not make a 15 inch shaft with electric start and power trim in the tiller model. What a bummer. I’m wondering if your outboard was specially built with a tiller for you

[@jaydee5156]

I learned to ski behind a 20hp Mercury. It's nearly 50 years old, but I still have that motor.

[@joeybrioso9408]

Why you didn’t get a 9pitch stainless steel prop?

[@303detailing]

Great information. I have an old 1989 Lund WC-16, which say max hp is 25. Was that in consideration of only a 2-stroke 25HP back in 1989? Can I fit it with a 2020 25HP 4-stroke even with the difference in weight between the two? Thanks

[@Jake-xm6fl]

Good question. I have plenty of friends with 25-35 on a 16wide

[@Matt-ly1pz]

I have that exact mercury 20hp(elec start) on my Alweld 1248, very nice that it's only 100 pounds. It is bulky to move around, but gets me 28mph with 2 people and gear going anywhere we want to go fishing rather a lake or inshore bay. Highly recommend the 20hp to others. AND I did 1 month of calling every dealer & shop in Texas - Louisiana to find lowest price, surprisingly it was bass pro.

[@thomasbrownjr6477]

Same here. Called 4 states . bps down the street was cheapest

[@toonerfische6237]

2019 Mercury EFI (same as the one being tested. With the stock prop and an altitude of 5700’ I can barely get 14 mph with just me in it. 14’ Smokercraft w/console. With 2 people, top speed is 8.6 mph. Prop suggestions please. Pretty unhappy right now.

[@tonyt.5316]

Phenomenal video! Thank you!

[@centralcoastcamper9631]

Nice on the water comparison. Both nice motors.

[@quinthiggins5975]

A year ago I got the Yamaha 2018 efi 25hp . 10 pich prop . The main reason 126 lb. the other main point efi with out a battery to be used to crank and run the electronica fuel injection. Works great on both the 14th and 16ft v hulls that I have. This motor is right in between the two mercs . For weight . Really the best of both worlds . And has the shifter on the tiller . To bad you don’t have a dealer . I got my motor for around 3150 new with warranty. The nice thing Michael is that it also doesn’t have a starter but it could be added easily but it still does charge all my batteries in the boat.

[@joej.4170]

The 25 is 3 cylinder vs the 20 is 2. Smoother and obviously more power. Heavier and bulkier. I own a 25 efi purchased this year. I would do with a 25/30 if you plan on upgrading your boat someday.

[@quinthiggins5975]

Well put about the 20 hp Yamaha . I understand you may have some sponsorship. The 25 Yamaha is a great alternative for areas that have dealers that service . All of the small outboard 4 strokes have come along way in the last 5 years . I really appreciate the comparison of the two mercs . Keep building great stuff on these boats . I see that your out building the large manufacturer and make people see what can be done for the money .

[@SK-ps1mo]

I’m looking at one of these mercury 20hp on a 4m boat 14ft underestimated good value for the money.

[@brandonandsons2353]

Interesting info on the motor. So my question is how thick is your transom on your boat? Mine is. 1.5" on my 14ft polorkraft boat.

[@johnhines541]

Hey buddy, great video, I have a question I was hoping you could answer. I have a 2014 bass tracker pro team 175 txw , 20 hp mercury. I know it is a small motor, but I am from Pgh pa and around here we have a 20 hp motor restriction on a lot of lakes, I cannot get my boat onto plane. What prop do you recommend. I currently have a 3 blade stock prop on it. Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

[@kevinkanak1380]

Impressed with the 20 mike. You may want to make you the harness that hooks on to both rear rings to put the rope in the center.

[@BuckcreekTV]

I've got a 2015 15hp merc now but I would like an efi engine for reliability. Plus the extra power of a 20hp

[@fiveowaf454]

I bought a virtually unused and like new 2008 15hp Mercury, but was disappointed with how my boat was performing, I'm usually at high altitude that robs the power considerably. So I looked in to the differences between the 15 and 20 hp units. The only difference was the carburetor on my year, so I bought a 20hp carburetor, the 15hp has a huge restricted section in the casting of the bore between the throttle and choke flaps to restrict air flow and routes the fuel through the pilot and main jets differently which gives 5hp less output. It was one of the best $200 I've spent (and that's before I sell my 15 hp carb), really brought the motor and boat to life. I don't know the differences on 2015 models, but on mine the carb was the only difference and the secret is to buy the carb as a Tohatsu 20hp carb, as they can be obtained for almost 1/2 the price of the Mercury branded version of the same TK carb and afterall Tohatsu builds these Mercury motors.

[@timyt13]

@@fiveowaf454 we have a 2007 15hp mercury. The carb is leaking after some ethanol fuel ruined it. So we where thinking if it was possible to use a 20hp carb on our 15. As the moddel is a year of i think it doesnt matter right?

[@fiveowaf454]

@@timyt13 I'm not sure when they changed the models and if the 2007 is the same as the 2008. I spent some time looking on line at the parts diagrams for mercury engines and was able to work out only the carb was different. Then by cross referencing to Tohatsu models I could find the carburetor in the $200 range, instead of the $400 range. It's definitely a worthwhile conversion if you can do it, I found no downside, the engine still runs perfectly at idle and for trolling and the fuel consumption is still really good. Not having the obstruction in the carb just wakes the unit up.

[@timyt13]

@@fiveowaf454 thanks for.the response!!! I'll start looking for that too.

[@coachrandall8190]

Do you think a 25 hp like that will plane my 16 ft, 1999 sea nymph fm160.. a dealer told me it wouldn't .

[@Adam12Designs]

I am tossing and turning between a 25hp and a 30hp for my 13 whaler.

[@Adam12Designs]

@@TinyBoatNation Merc is the only company I can find that makes a 15” shaft over 25hp.

[@TinyBoatNation]

Get a 30hp

[@troutwrangler90]

Can’t wait to for the maintenance vid. I want to learn how to do my own and I’ve got the same motor. I’m a visual learner so it will help a lot thanks 👍🏻

[@reellife7295]

Cool motors I got the new Yamaha 25 efi and love it I like that Lund your building I built a 14 foot Lund walleye mod with that 25 perfect set up for me and one other person here on smaller lakes in Minnesota your gonna appreciate that Lund built tougher than nails but not too heavy

[@mikezajac6381]

I have a 2011 carberated 20hp Merc 4 now. what kind of a difference if any would I see if I changed over to the 2020 20hp. Love the handle.

[@mikezajac6381]

@@TinyBoatNation My current 20hp takes a while to get on plane, especially with two people. Top speed 16mph. 19mph with just myself. Thinking of changing over to a Suzuki 30hp but I love the adjustable handle on the new Merc 20hp.

[@compton3611]

how do you think that 20 would do on a grizzly 1860? I don't really need to go over 20mph on the lakes I go to.

[@Festyxr4]

Far out.. I’ve just gotten a 2016 Mercury 15hp 2 stroke for my boat and at full throttle it sucks down about 7 litres of fuel after about 30 -40 minutes. Might have to look into those four strokes then 🤯

[@1BigCountry143]

I have a Polar Kraft 1651 flat bottom modified-V Jon Boat which motor would you recommend Mercury 25hp EFI or 20hp EFI with a 9 pitch prop on both.

[@TinyBoatNation]

I’d recommend a 30 horse for about that big, minimum but if a 25 is the only option then I would that would get the 25. The 20 is going to be too small.

[@1BigCountry143]

@@TinyBoatNation Okay sounds good. If I go with the mercury 25hp efi do you recommend changing the prop to a 9 pitch prop? What do you think about a 4 blade prop?

[@rhinohd]

I will never buy a 2-stroke again! My 2012 Merc 40hp 4 stroke gets me 4 trips on 6 gallons gas (cat fishing). This is on a Lund 1600 fury SS. Loaded with 2 big guys it plans no problem and I get 26MPH which is as fast as I need to go. Great Video again Happy Fishing!

[@rhinohd]

@@TinyBoatNation If I win even a small lotto it's yours! ;) Love the channel!

[@fiveowaf454]

While I get the debate about 2 strokes versus 4, the reality is that you can get a nice quiet 4 stroke outboard that will push you boat along at adequate speed without the obvious downsides of running a 2 stroke. Since going over to 4 strokes I don't miss having to mix oil in the gas and then at summer's end have several gallons of gas/oil mix left over with no way to dispose of it. I always use the ethanol free fuel in anything but my daily driver, so any cans of fuel can go in anything I have, Lawn Mowers, Generators, Motorcycles, Outboards, Snow Blower, my bigger boat wit the Mercruiser 350 etc. and even just in the car should fuel getting stale be a concern. The reality is that life is just much easier in the 4 stroke world and while I'm not some tree hugging environmentalist I feel better about not polluting the beautiful lakes and reservoirs I normally frequent. As I do all the maintenance myself, oil changes and valve clearance checks etc. take no time at all in the scheme of things and are preferable to the mess of inevitable 2 stroke oil coming from the exhaust while the motor is in storage. Fuel savings are not massive in terms of cost on the 6hp and 20 hp motors I currently own, but it's nice being able to have a safe amount of fuel on board, when you only have 3-6 gallons with you, because a gallon stretches so far. It's also much nicer when the seemingly inevitable spill, minor leak,or drip of fuel occurs, with just plain gas as opposed to 2 stroke mix.

[@WhalerGA]

@@fiveowaf454 You realize that the days of "mixing" oil into your fuel for 2-stroke outboards are long, long gone. And they burn no more fuel, and in some cases less, especially at idle.

[@fiveowaf454]

@@WhalerGA Show me where I can buy a 2 stroke outboard in the 6-20 hp range with oil injection other than Evinrude's massively overpriced and overweight version and I'll agree with you. Pretty much anyone running a small HP 2 Stroke is going to be running fuel/oil mix. The point I was making was that once you stop being "paranoid" about whether you can go a few mph more with a 2 stroke outboard and the extra weight of a 4 stroke etc. and just sit back and enjoy the ride the modern 4 stroke is simply a much nicer unit than the last of the old style 2 strokes we endlessly mourn for, because they were lighter and faster.

[@josephtufts7649]

I’m repainting my 1989 Evinrude 30 horsepower apparently 1989 was the year they were experimenting with the charcoal grey and it easily came off the cavitation plate. As I have seen on a 30 year old motor. What is the best application process for re-painting an old motor?

[@centralcoastcamper9631]

Scuff up the surface and remove loose paint, then use an etching primer meant for aluminum, followed by a quality paint.

[@nick785961]

Hi love the videos quick question what fuel stabilizer would be good for the 20hp I will be using mine like once every two months?

[@nick785961]

Tiny Boat Nation what brand would u recommend

[@charleshennessey7366]

I have the 2018 20hp on a 1648 grizzly MVT and with my wife and I, a full tank of gas, all our fishing gear for the day, a single large battery and a powerdrive 40# trolling motor we get on plane and hit 20.7 mph according to my GPS fish finder

[@fortress66]

Same speed with 13 foot inflatable boat but with only me . 20hp yamaha

[@edwardabrahamiii3742]

How much do these small motors go for?? I want a 1448 jon boat with a 15 transom and a jackplate so ill be able to put a 20inch shaft on it and haul some ass

[@piranhaman700]

I have a statecraft seafarer v hull 14 footer I not sure if I should buy 25 HP or 20 HP have any advice. My boat weighs 234 pounds. without motor.

[@piranhaman700]

900 pounds with boat

[@piranhaman700]

800 pounds without 20 HP motor

[@storyman34]

I don't know...... I have a 1996 30hp Mercury Sea Pro 2 stroke and it has been perfect for 24 years. I wouldn't swap it for a brand new 4 stroke engine. I don't care about saving gas in my boat, it's the truck pulling the rig to the lake that sucks all the gas.

[@prevost8686]

I can only give my experience. I sold my Yamaha 2-stroke and purchased the same HP Yamaha EFI 4-stroke to replace it. It was the worst decision for my use that I could’ve made. The 4-stroke never performed as well as the 2-stroke did. Plus it was heavier. The marine dealer put every prop on the planet on it to try to get the lead out of that pig. I sold it to a friend and he went through the same ordeal. My older 2-stroke Yamaha would come out of the hole and on plane with ease in a fully loaded bass boat. The 4-strokeEFI always felt like I forgot to pull the anchor in. It’s true that the 4-stroke was much quieter at idle or low speeds but that wasn’t worth the performance loss to me. Again, this is just my experience with one four stroke engine. For my needs, a 2-stroke is king.

[@thomasbrownjr6477]

Switch to a stainless steel prop. Same pitch as stock 20hp. Gained 2-3 mph

[@Avv45]

Did you switch to a mercury stainless prop? 3 blade?

[@thomasbrownjr6477]

@@Avv45 no mercury does not make a ss prop for a 20. Ordered one through solas.

[@Avv45]

Thanks for that! I have a 25efi and have considered going stainless steel but not sure of exactly what sort, and currently have the blackmax 3 blade stock and have thought about 4 blade as apparently they are better with hole shot and planing on 4 strokes

[@thomasbrownjr6477]

@@Avv45 no prob. Glad I pointed u in a good direction.

[@jackjohn3035]

@@TinyBoatNation not if they have the rubber hub..get u one you'll see an increase in top end

[@liftedoff3263]

Thanks brotha

[@TheNockingPoint]

Michael, You are such a bad influence on me. First its a Tiny Boat (13" Sylvan Alaskan) Now I need a new 4 stroke to pull my kids around the lake. ;-) I was leaning toward the Suzuki But now you have me seriously considering the Mercury 20 HP. The only slight issue. It costs more then both my car and Van are worth. We must have our priorities.

[@TheNockingPoint]

a quick clip of me dragging our son behind the boat. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGqWdYGanc6WZ9U

[@dmbmmm35]

Why a mercury motor over a yamaha motor (20hp) four stroke?

[@omieyouknowme]

Both made in Japan Merc 25hp is 3 cyl more torque than yammi

[@charlescastle4332]

Tohatsu builds the 20 its lighter than a 20 yammy and the yammy 20 was or may still have a carb.

[@charlescastle4332]

Did you run the same diameter as well as pitch as the 25?... if so try a 9.25 by 9 on the 20 the 25 normally has a larger diameter....

[@tigerflyoutdoors7315]

Pro Tip: Fuel stabilizers don't really work. Ethanol free fuel still oxidizes and ethanol gas still absorbs moisture from air. Just get ethanol free.

[@jaydee5156]

Actually, they do. I've E-free gas was not available in my area. Sta-bil saved so many headaches.

[@tigerflyoutdoors7315]

@@jaydee5156 Watch Project Farm's Video on fuel stabilizers.

[@jaydee5156]

@@tigerflyoutdoors7315 So what you're saying is if I watch someone's video, my two vintage cars, my vintage outboard motor, my tractor, chainsaws and assorted other equipment will mysteriously stop working? Voodoo must be strong with that one.

[@tigerflyoutdoors7315]

@@jaydee5156 Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Just trying to help you out bud. Gas doesn't last a year when exposed to air, and ethanol fuel still absorbs moisture from the air no matter what you put in it.

[@jaydee5156]

@@tigerflyoutdoors7315 Yes you are entitled to your opinion, but I've been using stabilizers for over 30 years. In my experience, that opinion wasn't worth the time it took for you type it. Thanks but no thanks.

[@justingrove418]

Compare to an etech

[@WildBillFlysRC]

A 20 can pull a tube? 😗. Looks like it did just as good as my Old 40 horse Johnson 👍

[@qapsukalek]

Yamaha f25

[@onehandedbassin9358]

Fire

[@hgherb]

Don’t buy mercury motor they suck..👎👎...

[@shurppa64]

Stacked adds alway gets you a thumbs down.

[@shurppa64]

@@TinyBoatNationill switch it to like

[@commiecrusher]

Talk about a first world problem. Do you really think Michael has control over that stuff?

[@davesmith2733]

You only get adds on the best sites! The ones people watch........