I'm looking to buy a new or used 8hp long shaft outboard. Looking for a Honda, Yamaha or equivalent. Where is the best place to buy one in Utah.?
I've watched KSL but nothing has come along. Thanks.
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If you're not stuck on the brands you mentioned, I would recommend you check Marine Products on 1700 South (about 940 West) in SLC. I recently purchased a Mercury 8HP four stroke with electric start and I had the motor installed by Marine Products. They also installed the hardware to allow me to steer the kicker with my main Merc 150 HP controls.
I did a lot of looking for a good used motor and just didn't find anything I was interested in putting on my Lund. I have taken the boat down to Huntington North Reservoir to run the 2 hour break in and I found the Merc 8HP works perfectly on my 1850 Tyee boat. At idle the kicker pushes my boat at about 1.4 to 1.6 MPH in calm conditions. I can hardly wait to get up to the Gorge and Strawberry for the Kokes.
The staff at Marine Products were very professional and helpful and I know I received a very competitive price even when compared to buying online and having the outboard shipped. The Mercury 4 strokes smaller than 30 HP are made by Tohatsu and they are quiet, easy to use and my research says they are very dependable.
Marine Products also sells Yamaha outboards which are a little more expensive but they are also very good motors.
Mike
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Thanks TopH2O. I will give them a call tomorrow.
I am not stuck on any one brand but definitely want a quality motor that is going last me a while.
Right now my trolling motor is a 6hp Evinrude tiller steer. It is not hooked to the main motor. I use my Minnkota to steer while trolling. Thats what I'm planning on doing with this motor unless there is a better way that I don't know about.
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Joe at Marine Products is great. I bought my Alumicraft 165 w/90 HP Merc from him. I bought my 8HP Merc from Cabelas using one of their coupone that gave me the best deal around.
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I dealt with Joe at Marine Products to purchase the Mercury 8HP four stroke. Joe took time to explain to me why the 8HP was sufficient to propel my boat for trolling. Joe was able to explain the 8HP was plenty of power for a boat of my size and he convinced me I didn't need to step up to a 9.9 kicker which was several hundred dollars more expensive.
I have previously trolled for Kokes using my Minn Kota bow mounted electric motor but I could only get about 4 hours of trolling before my batteries needed charging. The new outboard will troll for hours using a very small amount of fuel. When it was installed, the tech tied into my main motor fuel line eliminating the need for the small 3 gallon fuel tank.
The tech also installed a steering control system that ties the main motor to the kicker so steering is effortless. Both motors can tilt upward for trailering and it is very quick and easy to disengage the linkage when needed. I had planned to use the electric motor for steering but Joe explained the advantages of using the main motor linked to the kicker for better control without having to constantly use the tiller handle to steer the kicker. When I tested the setup at Huntington North, I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the linking system. I strongly suggest you consider buying the steering control. It wasn't very expensive and I can see many advantages I hadn't considered.
Good luck with your purchase. If you do deal with Marine Products, please give my regards to Joe. I'm glad I stopped at his location and learned many important aspects of choosing the right outboard for the job.
Mike
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So if you were outfitting an 1775 Lund, would you go with just the 8hp kicker and forego the trolling motor on the bow?
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I would still put an electric bow mount on the boat because you really need one for bass fishing and casting for walleye along shorelines. An electric is essential for moving quietly and slowly along shorelines. A 4 stroke kicker is for long periods of trolling and it can be your backup in case of a failure on your main motor.
Hope this helps with your decision. Remember, it's only money and I've been told you can't take it with you when you check out. [
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Mike
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a lot of guys are putting on a kicker and steering with a electric ,expensive but effective
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Last year I had a Suzuki 9.9 shipped to my house for exactly $2600. Onlineoutboards.com or something like that.
EFI, no battery needed to start it.
12 amp alternator.
Electric start plus recoil starter.
Long shaft.
Power trim and tilt.
4 blade high thrust prop, trolls my boat at about 1mph for pulling crawler harnesses and provides excellent steering if needed.
Mounting bolts included.
Tiller handle.
Slightly louder than T8 or T9.9 but EFI makes it totally worth it.
I use it locked straight forward and my Ulterra to steer.
I told Robert ( Liketrolling) about it and he bought something similiar and I believe he loves it. Not sure of what model or his cost but I'm sure if you hit him up he will be glad to share.
Mine is headed to Powell tomorrow but when I get home you are welcome to come check it out.
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Thanks for the responses. This is my first boat ever.
My Lund comes with a Terrova trolling motor with i-Link to my Humminbird sonar.
So I could use the kicker motor locked in center position to power the boat, and then use the Terrova, and its automated steer ability, to follow the depth contours or tracks stored on my sonar? Thus, I wouldn’t have to worry much about running down the trolling motor batteries?
Also, could the kicker motor be used to charge the trolling motor batteries?
Thanks for your advice.
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I wired my kicker to charge my main engine battery, that way you can run all your electronics and downriggers at the same time to keep your battery fully charged to fire your big motor to return safely.
If your electric positioning motor was only 12 volts you could connect to that battery but I would not connect to a 24 volt system.
The gas kicker, at trolling speeds, puts out just enough juice to make up for your electronic goodies.
By locking your kicker straight and using it as forward propulsion and then using your Terrova for steering you could likely get 3 days out of your batteries depending on boat size/desired trolling speeds/ daily winds.
I take a Honda 1000 generator with me and charge each night. I also have a little led light bulb on an extention cord I run while charging batteries and I use it as a camp light instead of a lantern.
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