@@Voxguitarsrocka 12v 100ah lithium battery is about 25 lbs. A 1 gal tank of gas is 6lbs. A 55lb thrust trolling motor is 20lbs, give or take a few lbs for different sizes. The mercury 2.5hp is about 38lbs. Either way you slice it its the same weight for either option, you will have a lot more range with a gas engine though.
I have a 3.3 Mercury 2-stroke and a Minn-Kota 27lb electric. Here's my take on using them on the lakes and rivers of Southeast Australia. I'm sure that much of this applies to parts of the USA as well. Firstly, petrol (gasoline) powered motors are not allowed on many of our inland dams and lakes. It's paddle, sail or electric. In some cases, even electric is out. There are also moves afoot to ban 2-strokes in more and more places. I originally bought the electric to power a fibreglass canoe, which it did brilliantly. I have also used it on a 4.3m/14ft alloy boat as a trolling motor and to get back to the boat ramp when the throttle link on the old outboard came loose. In this case, it probably achieved around 5kph/3mph. I originally bought the 3.3 to power a Portabote (The worst purchasing mistake I've ever made), but it now gets used for various small boats as needed. While range is not a problem when you are out for a day's fishing or hunting, it does become an issue when you are camped by the water for several days. It is much easier to carry spare fuel for the 2-stroke, rather than solar panels, generator, or heavy spare battery for the electric. I generally carry both, then use the 2-stroke for general running around and switch to electric when it's time to get sneaky.
Great comparison. Operating cost per mile probably favors the Minn Kota at slower speeds. Confidence in starting also favors Minn Kota. Gas best for people dealing with current and wind and longer distances requiring more speed.
Considering your Minn Kota is less than a 1.5 hp motor your performance is about half the 2.5 hp Merc's as one might expect. My Newport 62 lb thrust L series is rated as a 1.5 hp motor.
There is some infrequent maintenance on a trolling motor. Eventually you will need to do brushes and in my experience I had to open and clean up the armature. Actually just had my Minn Kota 45 quit randomly on me last weekend because of this. In the future I think I will do this each spring. My motor sees hundreds of hours each year which may be more or less than others so take that into consideration. I think most of this discussion is dependent on where you go. I used to have a canoe with trolling motor and I was very limited what days I could go out on due to the wind. They just lack the power for any lake with a long draw. My choice in my Jonboat is to have 3 forms of power. Gas, trolling motor and also oars. I've had too many equipment issues to ever go out without at least 2 of these.
I don't know if this will ever be seen, but I've had 2 Minn Kota 30lb thrust that both seized and got destroyed within 4-5 seasons (northeast so don't use them all year round). Vs my honda air cooled 2 hp engine from 2005 or 2006 still runs great with no issues. Granted there's no doubt about it an electric motor is super quiet and perfect for a small boat, I will still be using my honda.
I've had a minn kota 28lbs for 15 years with no problems. I use it with a car battery and it has never let me down. Maybe you had bad luck with yours or Ive gotten lucky with mine who knows.
Something I do with my electric that can prevent seizure is to carefully cool the motor on hot days prior to just plonking it in the water. I do it by lowering it so the prop remains out of the water for a few minutes until the motor body is cold. If the motor is hot from being in the sun, the sudden cooling contracts the air inside the motor casing and can pull water through the shaft seal and once it's inside the damage is done. I also keep a bin filled with fresh water and a dash of white oil mixed in. After every outing the electric gets dunked and run for a few seconds to clean salt and sand from behind the prop, and everywhere else. My anode is still in pristine condition after two years.
A nice comparison video... Id like to add some things people may want to concider before making a choice on gas vs electric trollers. One has to understand the waters in which they wish to boat or fish lets say. If your water has a current, even a mild one your driving against.... the electric will probably be underpowered and drain the battery a lot quicker. Gas would definitely hold more thrust or force to push the boat forward. On a glass, still bodied lake its different. Also if theres a bit of a chop in the water...again the electric may not fair as well. My 2 cents is, main motor gas... supplemental electric. If traveling on gas restricted lakes, obviously then go electric...always have 2 batteries min...1 as a backup, also look into portable soft solar panels you can use with your electric in case ur unexpectedly running on low juice.... ✌ happy and safe boating
Thanks for your observations. I plan to purchase a square stern canoe and use it in Ozark streams. Based on your comments, it would appear that the gas outboard is the better option, in order to handle situations when I might be going upstream against a current.
Well, I always take one of each... it insures against any technical problems, eliminates range anxiety when driving home into a headwind, and they are both light enough to swap out onto the transom while on the water. My IC is a 3.5hp Johnson, it only weighs 14kg, so not much more than my Watersnake electric (less it's 40kg SLA battery of course) Another negative with the electric that I've found after a few years of use is the prop gets weeded up more easily than the IC, the battery is a pain to load in and out as it needs two hands, a strong back and careful placement, in an aluminum boat you really don't want it tipping over, it also requires ongoing maintenance with charge state and storage especially out of season and they all still degrade over time, replacement cost for a battery far exceeds a water pump kit and a few spoonfulls of gear oil every now and then. I still like both equally and would recommend anyone to have at least one of each for the above reasons. cheers.
I own a 6hp evinrude outboard (1969) and it is the best trolling motor I’ve ever owned. It has a 6 gallon tank and you can fish for days. Fuel consumption is good and it’s never failed me. It’s unfortunate that all this “save the planet crap” has made these outboards obsolete. This one is over 50 years old and works like new.
it seems like the weight comparison did not include the weight of the battery? That adds another 40 - 60 pounds to the Minn Kota. Unless you use a Lithium battery then the cost comparison gets tilted towards the Mercury. That said it was a great discussion and comparison to highlight the pros and cons of both solutions. I've had both and I can say either solution benefits from a paddle or oars in the boat because sooner or later a battery will die or an outboard will not start...
Range is not even vaguely similar. You can carry a lot of gas, both in the sense of storing it, and in physically moving it. If you tie up on a dock with a electrical, or always cycle your trailer back to the house, electric can be OK. Only source of electrical for me is carrying a very heavy battery up beach/steep rocky section, not fun at all compared to a gas can. I am in if there is a workable way of using solar/electric, even if it is slow. But the cost of systems I have seen even from economical providers like Devlin, is house money. Some boats will actually work OK with decent sunlight and no battery augmentation. The famous yacht designer Nigel Irens made a breakthrough in motor boat low speed high efficiency, and he said that you are better off with gas, as the weight of comparable batteries during the trailering phase was not overall credibly efficient. Noticed that recently he seems to be focused on electrics, it is what the rich people think they want. I don't get small motors. I see people running their dinghies, and they seem silent. You buy a new 4 stroke, they tell you how quiet they are. Any I have bought are really loud. Maybe some of those yacht motors like seagulls are quiet... electric is a clear winner on this count. Cost of a motor based on miracle american second hand deals is bogus. it needs to be a deal anyone can get pretty much any time. Overall, I don't think they are comparable at this point. There is a reason why we have a trolling category, and an moving category.
Costs.... the same ????? No. The batteries are so expensive. Just the damn battery buys you another Mercury. Range is depending on the speed. So if the Mercury is much faster, your Range is much further. Power: The Mercury is much more powerful than that electric motor. As soon as you fight against waves, current and wind on open waters, you will realise very quickly that the electric version sucks. Noise : A simple second muffler will reduce the noise at least 50%
Even my Minn Kota 30lb c2 can get my Intex Mariner4 to 3mph with 2 adults and 100lb equipment. I'd say it's enough for most small lakes and calm rivers.
When i fished fresh water back in Maryland i used a trolling motor. They had very specific laws and restrictions on small lakes and enforced them with guns if needed. My motor was a fairly large electric motor and i ran 2 batteries.
I ran a 1.5hp all last year. And luckily the only cost I had I to it was a total of 2 full 2.5 gallon gas cans worth of gas and 2 qt of 2 stroke oil. In the season aside from some tinkering to adjust to get it running smoother I ran the same plug all season. It topped out at 3mph. I also had a 38lb thrust trolling motor. And a battery. Over the season the switch for forward and reverse overheated and melted twice leaving me to use a paddle. And after the second time the switch burnt out I wired it always on and forward. According to gps I barely broke 1mph and the trolling motor could not fight the current. Honestly in my area I've seen more trolling motors on marketplace and craigslist with burnt out electronics in a single season its ridiculous. It could be all the tall weeds and shallow waterways here in Wisconsin or could be alot of poor quality control coming to the Midwest. I picked up 2 used trolling motors to try and make 1 good one but seems like the same parts seem to get fried. This year I picked up a used cheap endura that should work and a 1960s evenrude 18hp. While speed and range may not be important to some. When it is several miles from the landing to the fishing spot and the 1.5hp takes about half hour to travel a mile if you do local fishing tournament and derbies you don't want to take forever to get where you are going 😉. I will be using that endura 55lb to access a couple local lakes that are electric only. And they are big lakes. Another thing to remember: "all day" is relitive and can vary from person to person. It may mean 3 to 6 hours. Or it may mean sun up to sun down like it does for me. If I plan to go fishing "all day", my boat is going in the water at dawn and I may not get back to the landing until after midnight.
Some great points here Wayne, thank you! I got my first jon boat this year, and all I could afford for a motor was the minn kota 30lb. I assumed I would get a gas motor at some point, but after a summer with the electric, I don't think I ever will need it. Very much looking forward to the lack of winterized maintenance for the electric too!
I loved this video! I think that what often is overlooked is the demands for boat size and use. My wife and friends all are avid kayakers. At over 6'2" and 255lb, and after having been in a horrible auto collision, a kayak is not something I care to do that much. They are making cheaper, better kayaks that are made for bigger guys and that can handle a transom mount trolling motor. I'll probably do that. Of course, I will still need a regular boat for most of the fishing I love to do out in the rivers and bays. I've had gators bump my boat, and I've been in 3-5ft. waves out in the bay. Hooking into a 6-8 ft. shark can also be troubling when operating out of a small boat in choppy waters. I see kayakers do it, and I also see where many either die or almost die in the process. The same for guys in a Jon boat. In many areas here, a Jon boat and a kayak are practically just as lethal a choice as the other. Anything less than a 21 ft. boat is putting your life at risk. Even then, hull matters (which I hope you will do an updated video on soon). With such a larger boat, a heavier-powered gas outboard (25 hp or higher) is really the only viable option. Naturally, a trolling motor will also be preferable for staying in location or moving stealthily to new spots. The only issue here with that is we have a lot of brackish water. So, corrosion will be a huge problem to constantly fight.
While you could take an extra battery, that's around 50 to 60 pounds of extra weight. For gas, a gallon of gas weighs around 8 pounds. Small boats do have weight limits so this could impact how much you can carry.
Well yes, but you could also take the discussion one step further. Because instead of a second battery, you could bring a solar panel for the electric outboard. And fairly simple solar panels can in fact charge for more than the trolling motor would use to propel itself while trolling. If you had a solar panel, a trolling motor and a couple of batteries at a remote cabin or lake, that could last you for daily trips every day for years.
@@Black-March It depends on how hard you want to drive the electric motor. At slow speeds, many draw around 10 amps at 12 volts. That would be two 100 watt panels at around 15 pounds each. At medium speeds, the current draw increases to 20 amps at 12 volts or 4 panels for a total of 60 pounds; not counting mounting hardware. At top speeds, it takes 6 panels and would weigh 90 pounds + mounting hardware. However, on an overcast day, the current from the 6 panels won't even turn the motor.
@@BobDiaz123 Power usage increases significantly with speed though, using the ePropulsion Spirit Plus outboard as an example, at 2.2 mph you use 35w, at 2.7 65w and at 3.5mph its 125. A guy who lives near I do has a single 100w panel which is enough to take him out in the boat fishing every day for a month straight during the summer. That's 5 lbs.
The problem is that someone will always point out that coal pollutes and while I do believe the efficiency outweighs having a personal ICE even without the grid being 100% green it's still a lot of research needed to do for a short video.
Yes making batteries has tons of pollution. The "carbon" footprint is huge. Just like the carbon footprint of solar panels. The process to make both are very hazardous and bad environmentally. Gas is king still. Having both still is a good option. 👍
@@pain_weaver I wouldn't say gas is definitely better for the environment but there are a lot of factors that make it difficult to compare, especially since gas and batteries effect the environment most in different ways.
Perfect apples-to-apples comparison, something I'm considering at the moment. My boat is a small inflatable dinghy, weighs less than yours. Should be able to handle that Minn-Kota with some extra oomph. Great idea at a great price.
Great content. I think you might consider cost as a category the electric motor wins. You bought the outboard used, not new. Plus charging and maintenance costs clearly got to trolling motor. Great comparison-well done
Nice video. I think both electric and gas motors have their place. If I'm on a small lake fishing then I prefer a quiet electric motor, but, if I'm on a river with a possible strong current I prefer the power and speed of my 3 hp Sears GameFisher gas motor, but, I would still take along my Newport 62 lb thrust electric motor and a good high capacity marine battery as extra insurance. I don't mind the extra steps to start my Air cooled 2 stroke GameFisher as it's never failed to start in the 25 or so years that I've owned it. Plus, there's no impeller to deal with since it's air cooled.
I bought 2 Newport 62 lb thrust motors to give me a dual motor setup on my Tritoon Dock I am building. Just to motor around my 1/2 mile long lake. I'll use PWM DC Motor Speed Controllers to optimize the flow of current to the Trolling Motors. I will rig up a wheel steering setup attached to both motors. Ill be very pleased if I get 5mph out of this arrangement. 16"w x 24"h x 16'L Pontoons are made of EPS foam coated with Truck Bed Liner. Super light weight. Each motor will have a 100ah 12v glass matt solar battery for power. Fun project.
just to confuse the issue, what about connecting the trolling motor to a small generator. my little camping generator runs for hours on a full tank and has 12v take of. it's a lot lighter than my leisure batteries. just a thought.
Most generators output 8 amps max from their low voltage port, trolling motors typically use 12 to 36 amps depending on the size and speed setting. It could do a good job of extending range, but you'd still need the battery, fuel, and you then get the noise back, boat hulls magnify sound so well.
I have a 14ft Jon boat and I have both a Tohatsu 6hp and a minn kota 45 it’s a good combo gas gets you where and trolling quietly while you fish plus if one fails you have a backup to get you back or at least to shore, also I keep two paddles
I'd say gas for getting where you want to go, trolling motor for maneuvering once you're there. However, as you said, with that size gas engine, you're not going to be going any great distances anyway. The only disadvantage I can see is the extra weight of the marine grade trolling motor battery. They can be quite heavy. Still, having two modes of propulsion in a large body of water would definitely make me feel more secure when they both have a somewhat limited range.
A 55lb might get 2 hrs flat out with 100amp hr battery which weighs at least 25kg and is half the speed of the petrol motor and costs about the same as the motor again. Can't compare the two apples and oranges.
Noise should be a heavier weighted factor as I've been told that when you enter a fishing area with a gas engine, the fish need an hour to calm down. I reckon it would be less than 15 minutes with an electronic motor.
@@kennethseibert5711 I believe that, but possibly the physiological effects (raised heart rate, nervous system, etc) of the stress may last longer than their memory.
i use a trolling motor with a 1ooah lithium at 7lb and i have a agm at 70lbs i get about 10 miles outta each, had 2 agms but now 2 lithium's. just got a 9.8 mercury and yeah i can now reach new spots but your right about the 2 hp
First of all, your production quality on the video is excellent! You present your arguments well and the staging of all the shots was great. However, your range calculation was not very accurate. When comparing the "fuel" density for both options, a 50 or 60 pound deep-cycle, lead-acid battery gives you a fuel source that should last all day for the electric trolling motor but just 10 pounds of gas for the outboard will last much longer. This is particularly true if measured in number of miles covered. Also, if your battery goes dead and you didn't bring another with you, your trip back to the launch ramp is going to take a while. If your small on-board tank goes empty, the weight of a 1-gallon gas can is a tiny fraction of what a spare battery weighs. I do agree that if you're going to have a gas outboard, it should be something large enough to really move the boat.
Very good points! Mostly my thoughts when I made this were along the lines of how people typically might use these particular small & slow motors - short trip, not needing much speed. If I had a decent distance to travel, I would probably want to go more than 6 or 7 mph and a spare gas tank is much more reasonable than multiple batteries.
I troll with a 12 ft fiberglass with a 2.5 Honda 4 stroke.....I Bring 2 250 ml chainsaw fuel bottles......makes fillup way easier and less messy and a bottle fills the tank
I've noticed that a lot of guys use both. They get to their destination with their old two strokes and then troll with the electric. Two stokes last and last, but tolling is tough on them and over time their carbs start showing cracks and they just don't troll right any more.
Your comparison is flawed when you factor noise. A 4-stroke is going to be quieter than the same size 2-stroke. You left out Tohatsu. Did you know that Tohatsu is the world's largest manufacturer of outboard motors? Did you know that in addition to Tohatsu, all Nissan's, small Johnson and Evinrude (when there was an Evinrude) and all small Mercury powerheads are Tohatsu. Wayne, for the environment's sake, you have to go 4-stroke. I have had my 6-hp Tohatsu since 2005 without a problem.
Great comparison video! There are a few maintenence things for a trolling motor if you go through some weeds with it, but there is a lot more maintenence when it comes to a gas motor. For duck hunters that go through rice and pencil reeds, a trolling motor without decent thrust turns into a paperweight fairly quick.
I have a minn kota and a 1968 johnson 3 horse power 2 stroke that has a weed less propeller. I've found the minn kota is great for lakes in my area that are no internal combustion motors. My 3 horse I take out when I'm camping for a 3 day weekend. A 3 gallon gas tank lasts me the 3 days of fishing. My minn kota is dead on day 2, but I'm a fishing fool. Both have their place in my book.
Hi Wayne... nice comparison... I have coupled a "troy built "4 stroke engine (grass cutter) to a "tanaka" (old japanese boat engine )for a total weight of 12lbs with a full tank(.6litre)🤣 and a 4 hours autonomy with a full tank. reaching a speed of 12kmh (7mph)..😉 the price of the new engine ($125) that I put that on my inflatable 10ft.1/2 a lot of fun and nice fishing for cheap in comparison with Minn Kota... I have a greater autonomy with 5litres of gas than electric... (comparison with a friend who rides with Minn Kota 2 batteries same boat) to have the same equivalent when I go to the sturgeon on the St Lawrence river...
That sounds like a nifty rig you built! Yeah if you're travelling farther, a gas motor is certainly more capable because you don't have to buy, charge and store a few extra (heavy) batteries.
You did not show the Battery. Is it small mid size or a large battery. How heavy is the battery to life into the boat? I was sailing in the Pacificand one of the yachts but one of there electric motors. And it was useless. Any wind in the bay of the slightest currant and it struggled. In our home port of Auckland New Zealand it was ok to go ashore.Our Mercury 3.3 hp on a 14 foot RIB was so much better
A very good comparison, Wayne. For what it is worth, I have a brand new Suzuki 2.5 Hp 4 stroke on my 19 ft sailboat. At 1/2 speed it zooms me long faster than I like (or need) as I am enjoying river scenery! At 1/2 throttle the long shaft model is very quiet...and I actually have come to thoroughly enjoy powering along with such a nice piece of machinery running next to me! That is one category you didn't compare!!
Couldn't disagree more. The longer you run an electric the slower it goes. Constantly lugging around and charging batteries is a pita and often requires gas when camping anyway. I can run my 2.5 on a couple lbs of gas all day long and I never have to drop a Benjamin on it for a new battery. My last electric went in the trash years ago, never going back.
I was thinking of getting the Sun dolphin sportsman 14 ss canoe and have seen videos of putting bigger motors on smaller boats and figured I can prob put a 2.5 hp motor on it instead of the trolling motor, Oh and I did buy my first kayaks and they were great but I'm gonna switch them out for foldable kayaks which I didn't know where a thing.
There is no question, with me - I definitely prefer an electric motor. If you want more range for your electric motor, bring along a portable solar panel and charge controller. While you're moving, the solar panel can reduce your battery consumption - or, you can keep your throttle down low enough to match the output of the solar panel, so the battery does not discharge at all. While you're stopped, the solar panel will be recharging your battery. Meanwhile, an electric motor means you have no maintenance, there is insignificant noise, no pollution, you can't spill or leak any gasoline in your vehicle while transporting the motor, and you can use it in lakes, rivers, and streams where gasoline motors are not permitted. And, it can sit unused for years and still be ready to go when you need it. Finally, this is 2024. Electric motors are here now and they are the future. Gasoline motors represent 100+ year old technology that is on its way out. Thanks for the video!
Hello Wayne, my wife and I are retired and will be buying a 20 or 22 foot outboard boat for pleasure boating with the 2 dogs. I am looking for safety if the outboard dies and want to get back to the dock, do you thing that a battery operated is my solution. I'm not looking for speed, just want to get back home. Gil
So I have a Suzuki 2.5 4 stroke , is that as loud as a two stroke? Also the assembly of an electric with the parts and plugs is not as easy as my 4 stroke just attach to transom and let er rip! I also have no charge down time, just keep gassing and going🎉
I feel you misrepresented the trolling motor on weight, as you should have factored in battery weight as well, which when compared to some smaller boats in the 200 lb weight, 2 group 31's and a minnkota endura max you are pushing 150 lbs. Don't get me wrong this is my current setup and aside from moving the batteries (loading in bed, not a trailer) every time I move the boat its great, but comparing that vs a 50 or 60 lb 4 stroke (referring to new units) is quite a savings on weight, and an extra gallon of gas is what, 6 lbs?
ok here is my 20c worth , ok using a Yamaha 2.5 hp as a yardstick , it weighs 17 kg or 30 something pounds in weight, my 44lb Watersnake trolling motor is similar in the weight factor but i dare say with fuel added the Yamaha will be heavier. Going on the range factor i strongly disagree because i use a 50ampagm battery and depending on the strength of the tide ( if you are using it on river close to the mouth) i had a range of 750 m before the battery reduction was sitting at 60% ( i will add 10% as the battery was close but not completely full for arguments sake) and only used it very briefly on throttle speed 3 out of 5 and that started to zap the battery. To cut a long story short factoring in tidal influence /wind / boat weight etc i ended up returning to shore with just 19% battery capacity , a big no no in maintaining the longevity of your battery. The outboard in a similar throttle mode would have lasted for a few hours and with a external back up tank mostly all day. So i am a little bemused by making a claim that the range of both is very similar, possible with frugal use of your throttle on a still enclosed lake or river system ( non tidal) but otherwise no way!!!
I swear by the electric on this one. The silence is so nice after you get used to it. With my specific boat only way I'd swap over to gasoline would be a 125cc onboard with fat muffler to get the noise down.
Range is a issue if you wana get Back Home . its all about where you are fishing . 2.5 is the perfect motor for a creak . i have both on my creak Boat . T Motor is for fishing and trolling around .
Outboard is loud and vibrates a bunch, plus smell of gas and having to mix oil. Electric, charge battery and good to go, no need to worry about bad carb or bad gas.
Personally I'll take the gas. Just cuz of speed factor and if your out way up nother no power to charge you can bring gas tanksnand use fornweeks on end. Which I have never done. Inside my boat 2times a year. My battery would be toast sitting so long
When bringing my 12 ft into the canadian wilderness via the box of my truck no trailer , i would rather be carrying a small gerry can through the woods than a heavy deep cycle battery or two . Also if i happen to hit a rock by accident , the lower unit and propeller on my 2.5 is gonna take it with alot less damage than a plastic prop and lower unit shaft .
give me a 2 stroke any day. you say weight is similar yet its not 4lbp is a big difference Also you need to include weight of battery. Ive had my 2 stroke for 15 years its still going strong.
2.5 hp vs 55lb thrust which is less than 1hp of power for min kota, which is worse in a stronger current, (i lost control in light current using 55lb thrust min kota) thats the reason why I switched to gas tohatsu. Gasoline beats electric in every way, electric is perfect for small lakes and if you have lithium battery otherwise it is a lot heavier to bring acid 100ah battery with your electric motor vs 2-4hp gas outboard. My 100ah acid battery weighs around 60+lbs, where as my lithium 100ah is 24lb but much more expensive. Also cold weather affects battery juice life, and you can't rely on a battery too much. Also electric is good as a backup for gasoline outboard, in case something breaks down
Are you adding in the cost and weight of the battery? Not a fair comparison if you do not. Plus if you bring a gas can your range on the 2 stroke is a lot more. I think your analysis is faulty.
i have a 55lb thrust that does 4mph in my 10 foot rib, tried the 2.5hp 4 stroke and it wouldnt plane. if i want to plane ill need atleast a 5hp to 10hp gas motor. i have no use for the little 2.5hp gas motors
Yer Nutz ! .... The Gas Motor has Speed therefore Power ! ... and with a small can of Gas ... You could go all day ! .... Trolling Motors are made to troll Slow , an Extra tool for Fishing ... They aren't made for primary use ! ... So you are comparing Apples to Oranges ... :D Cheers !
I really don't feel like this 2.5 gas motor is well suited for primary use either. I wouldn't want to be running that all day. But if running all day, or traveling farther was the objective, obviously the gas motor is a better option.
I know a guy that had a bigger john boat with a bigger motor and he also put a small motor on just for trolling for crappie because the noise caught more fish because crappie are curious fish! He ran with about 8 rods and he would slay crappie. I don't know if it is true, but my dad ran an electric trolling motor and caught less fish (but still caught fish).
I watched this with my arms crossed thinking, "This guy ain't teaching me crap." WRONG ! ! ! Totally flipped me from 2.5 hp to electric...... Any thrust in 12 volt..... 28, 30, 36, 40, 55. They will all push a 14' jon or smaller. I don't care about speed. Before I didn't think about maintenance and easy of use. Now I do. Plus, an electric motor can be used to fish with artificial lures. You can't creep the lilly pads with an outboard. Thanks for covering all factors to be considered, compared and balanced...... price, speed, range, maintenance, ease of use, etc...
Let's catch up. Cheaper than either, you could have a 22 LB 4 stroke Hangkai or it's cousins. A gallon of gas, a little oil, and a few LED night lights could run you from Port Albany to the Statue of Liberty. It's much quieter than either motor. I gave away my electric trolling motor.
Hi Wayne, very nice video, But I'd like to say that costs are not the same. After Mine Kota you have to buy a battery, and if you buy a plumb battery the price is 100 $ for 100 ah. But if you buy a 100ah lithium battery, you pay other 300 $. So, the cost of an electric engine is double of a gas engine. Isn't true?
Yes, you're right - a good battery is expensive - and a battery charger certainly isn't free either! But my gas engine has additional costs as well (certainly not $200 worth though). Funny enough, just this week, this Mercury failed me out on the water (and I don't yet know why) and this trolling motor got me home again!
You gave them a tie for range!?? "Most people" depends where you live. For me, and many people I know, electrics are completely infeasible because they don't go anywhere near far enough. Depends on your usage. Range definitely and massively is in favour of the petrol outboard. Just because range isn't not important to you, doesn't mean that you can call it a tie.
In my opinion, in the case of a 2.5 hp petrol outboard people aren't usually using them to go far. Most often a little 2.5 is used as tender motors, short trips or on small bodies of water - and why they have such a small internal tank.
so generating electricity does not create pollution? quantify please. Range does matter! Average boat is 17 foot long, your 12 ft dingy does not compare unless you are visiting your moored boat neighbors. Add wind and reality to your test. Useless. Just as you closed, "when the wind dies down, oh guess I won't go boating". Your alternative here is to get a sail boat ha ha!
I think you're over-thinking this. They have to generate electricity anyway. Enjoying less routine maintenance, quiet operation, instant starting all while not actually physically putting extra pollution in my river seem to be logical benefits to the electric option in my situation. I don't think my local power plant is creating any EXTRA pollution to recharge my 12 volt battery. If they had to add 3 shovel loads of coal for me to charge my battery, then maybe it would be an issue - but they're already making the electricity when I am plugging in to recharge. 2 stroke gas engines are banned from use in many lakes and other areas because they pollute in several ways (oil/gas residue in the water from exhaust, smoke, fuel spills and vapors) all things an electric motor does not. I am NOT implying or advocating using either of these motors for something larger than my boat or in challenging conditions. Nor am I implying that a trolling motor stands up to a 10 hp gas outboard. I am merely stating that if a person is looking at very low cost/low powered/small motors for short range operation in a small boat, an electric motor has some distinct practical advantages over a gas engine.
My experiences with all powered items from a drill, to a car, to a boat has usually been that if it runs properly when you first start it up it usually works for the whole day. Anything can have a catastrophic failure and I always have at least one emergency plan (a paddle, a cell phone, a line to be towed).
Nice points but let’s go from cost brand new including marine. battery. Interesting pros and cons but it’s skewed. What are the total costs for each new?
They don't sell new 2 strokes anymore. But to buy this trolling motor new is $520 and even with a fancy 100 Ah LiFePo battery is about $800 total which is almost $100 cheaper than a new 4 stroke 2.5 hp.
I take my flat back about 6 miles in current in winter to duck spot and back. No way am I doing that with a trolling motor. Wind will ruin your day with a trolling motor
The elephant in the room that you avoided talking about is that the trolling motor control handle is way higher than the mercury. You either sit with you hand above your head, or you stand.
I just ran out of battery using my minn kota 55lbs thrust today 😅 had to put them oars to work on my inflatable… I need a gas motor now , not doing that again😂
A jittle idea for you.... it's a good idea to carry a little kit with you, with a bottle of rubbing alcahol,a wrench for the spark plug, (most motors come with a wrench), an old tooth brush, and a small cheap set of feeler guages, a small thin file to touch up plugs along with a little tool for adjusting the gap-and a spare plug or two for the chance you should foul a plug-the small bottles of alky often are the perfect size neck for the end of the plug,put the plug in, give it a few shakes, brush off any fouling,use lung power to blow off any remaing alky-and you should be good to go.That Merc. looks a lot like a little 2 hp Arctic Spirit (A Suzuki under the paint-from the 1970's) perhaps the design was sold when Suzi switched over to 4 strokes,almost never fouled a plug but the kit was good for peace of mind when miles from anyone-the motor has a little rubber brackit with slots for a shear pin, and as I recall a plug-though a hand full of pins, and a couple plugs doesn't hurt anything-dropping a plug into the drink at the worst possible moment is not entirely out of the question ....kit is also handy when camping way out in the wilds just to maintain the plug from time to time when sitting around.-that little motor is stone reliable,will plane a boat the size of yours(if hou make a tiller extension to move a bit forward your and a stick to work the throttle-my Auzi will run slow for along time with nary a hiccup.
Ease of use... that Mercury is probably one of the simplest motors to start, I've seen 8 year old's on UA-cam starting them... and as far as distance and speed... if you're fishing a large river and want to get up to the best fishing spots, or change from spot to spot quickly the Mercury is your only option... Minn Kota say the average speed output of their motors is 3 - 3.5 mph on flat water with no wind and no current... put two people in a boat and you're going slower... average battery life at full "throttle" is less than 2 hours and at speed 1 where you are probably trolling "in place" with any kind of current or wind... I had a canoe, with an average 1 person load for fishing... I got down river with my Minn Kota 45 and decided to head back up river... that's when I found out the river current was probably running at around 2.5+ mph and my Minn Kota was pushing about about 3 mph... LMAO... I ended up pulling up into shallow water and walking the canoe back up river a quarter of a mile over slippery algae covered boulders... never again...
I think there is a huge difference between these two types of motors and this is not an apples to apples comparison at all. While I agree about the ease of use and convenience of electric motors, there is a gigantic difference in performance and range. I own only electric myself. I have a few Sea Eagle Paddleski inflatable boats. They are a hybrid of a kayak/motorboat and sailboat and resemble a very narrow Zodiac. I had a Minn Kota 30 trolling motor I used for a couple years. While that is fine if you just want to go a short distance at slow speeds on a calm day, it's not fine if the wind kicks up pretty good on the bay/large lake or in currents. I tested that motor to the max on 100-150 adventures with it. More than a handful of times, I almost got stuck and unable to make it back. Especially when the boat was weighted down with 2 passengers. Sometimes I'd go from the cove into the bay and without notice the wind would get so strong, I'd struggle to get back. One time pulling the boat on the shore back into the cove lucky there was a shoreline. I've been against currents I didn't expect and they were just too much, and also that it would take full speed to get through them and quickly kill the battery if I was more than a mile or too. I spoke to Minn Kota about getting a 55 lbs thrust motor instead which is the largest you can generally get with a single 12v battery. They said.....don't bother. It would be a minimal speed increase & power and not make a worthwhile difference. Watching countless videos seems to agree. So I ended up splurging for a Torqeedo 1003 lithium motor which I love, but they are very expensive. Even over my Torqeedo, which the 915 batteries I believe would give much greater range than a standard 12v deep cycle trolling battery (although larger lithium ones are now more available for several hundred dollars than 10 years ago) a 2.5 gas motor will provide much greater range especially if you bring a spare tank of gas, which unlike a lithium boat battery ($1000 for the Torqeedo) we can all afford that. Even without a spare tank of gas, a small gas motor will provide much greater range than most any electric motor battery. I'd like to get a 2.5 or 3 HP motor too when I want greater range for some locations I'm unable to visit due to range. Mostly going at slower speeds, I have about a 10 mile range with the Torqeedo 915 battery. if it's reasonably calm Who's to say a small boat wouldn't ever want to go further? I don't fish, all sight seeing. That said a friend of mine bought a new 2.5 HP Yamaha motor last year, and it's been nothing but unreliable. Unsure if it's operator error or a lemon. An electric motor is unquestionably easier to operate. I was hoping his motor would be reliable so we could visit some locations we can't using my boat and his motor.
WE have 3 different gas outbaords and 3 electrics. They all suit a particular purpose. We fish a lot of small ponds that no one else bothers with. The electrics are excellant for that. We like our Minkota 30 and our Motorguide 55. But last year I purchased a 32lb thrust Greenworks. It takes a 40v battery that fits right into the head of the motor. A spare battery fits in my tackle bag, but I haven't needed it yet. Mind you we are mostly trolling with just a few faster dashes to spots. This is about the best, most portable set up I"ve come across for small waters?portaging in to spots. Bonus is they also make a huge assortment of tools and yard care equipment that use the same batteries. I think these motors were also sold under the Shakespear name?
Smell could also be a factor. Although the smell of a 2 stroke always brings back good memories for me.
I hear that from a lot of people!
Nice job but you need to factor in the weight of the battery when doing comparison to outboard
And the weight of the gas
@@Daniel-qj3tp the battery weighs more than the gas engine full
@@johncuervo3019 depending on the battery. Lithium is pretty light. ( assuming you carry extra gas in a can)
@@Voxguitarsrock also very expensive
@@Voxguitarsrocka 12v 100ah lithium battery is about 25 lbs. A 1 gal tank of gas is 6lbs. A 55lb thrust trolling motor is 20lbs, give or take a few lbs for different sizes. The mercury 2.5hp is about 38lbs. Either way you slice it its the same weight for either option, you will have a lot more range with a gas engine though.
I have a 3.3 Mercury 2-stroke and a Minn-Kota 27lb electric. Here's my take on using them on the lakes and rivers of Southeast Australia. I'm sure that much of this applies to parts of the USA as well.
Firstly, petrol (gasoline) powered motors are not allowed on many of our inland dams and lakes. It's paddle, sail or electric. In some cases, even electric is out.
There are also moves afoot to ban 2-strokes in more and more places.
I originally bought the electric to power a fibreglass canoe, which it did brilliantly. I have also used it on a 4.3m/14ft alloy boat as a trolling motor and to get back to the boat ramp when the throttle link on the old outboard came loose. In this case, it probably achieved around 5kph/3mph.
I originally bought the 3.3 to power a Portabote (The worst purchasing mistake I've ever made), but it now gets used for various small boats as needed.
While range is not a problem when you are out for a day's fishing or hunting, it does become an issue when you are camped by the water for several days. It is much easier to carry spare fuel for the 2-stroke, rather than solar panels, generator, or heavy spare battery for the electric. I generally carry both, then use the 2-stroke for general running around and switch to electric when it's time to get sneaky.
Great comparison. Operating cost per mile probably favors the Minn Kota at slower speeds. Confidence in starting also favors Minn Kota.
Gas best for people dealing with current and wind and longer distances requiring more speed.
Considering your Minn Kota is less than a 1.5 hp motor your performance is about half the 2.5 hp Merc's as one might expect.
My Newport 62 lb thrust L series is rated as a 1.5 hp motor.
Would rather pollute with a two stroke than deal with a dirty battery made out of stuff that never comes out of the environment once it is in.
55 minn kota is equivalent to 1hp gas motor. Its all fun and games untill batteries die
There is some infrequent maintenance on a trolling motor. Eventually you will need to do brushes and in my experience I had to open and clean up the armature. Actually just had my Minn Kota 45 quit randomly on me last weekend because of this. In the future I think I will do this each spring. My motor sees hundreds of hours each year which may be more or less than others so take that into consideration.
I think most of this discussion is dependent on where you go. I used to have a canoe with trolling motor and I was very limited what days I could go out on due to the wind. They just lack the power for any lake with a long draw. My choice in my Jonboat is to have 3 forms of power. Gas, trolling motor and also oars. I've had too many equipment issues to ever go out without at least 2 of these.
I don't know if this will ever be seen, but I've had 2 Minn Kota 30lb thrust that both seized and got destroyed within 4-5 seasons (northeast so don't use them all year round). Vs my honda air cooled 2 hp engine from 2005 or 2006 still runs great with no issues. Granted there's no doubt about it an electric motor is super quiet and perfect for a small boat, I will still be using my honda.
That's interesting - thanks for sharing!
I've had a minn kota 28lbs for 15 years with no problems. I use it with a car battery and it has never let me down. Maybe you had bad luck with yours or Ive gotten lucky with mine who knows.
Something I do with my electric that can prevent seizure is to carefully cool the motor on hot days prior to just plonking it in the water. I do it by lowering it so the prop remains out of the water for a few minutes until the motor body is cold. If the motor is hot from being in the sun, the sudden cooling contracts the air inside the motor casing and can pull water through the shaft seal and once it's inside the damage is done.
I also keep a bin filled with fresh water and a dash of white oil mixed in. After every outing the electric gets dunked and run for a few seconds to clean salt and sand from behind the prop, and everywhere else. My anode is still in pristine condition after two years.
A nice comparison video... Id like to add some things people may want to concider before making a choice on gas vs electric trollers. One has to understand the waters in which they wish to boat or fish lets say. If your water has a current, even a mild one your driving against.... the electric will probably be underpowered and drain the battery a lot quicker. Gas would definitely hold more thrust or force to push the boat forward. On a glass, still bodied lake its different. Also if theres a bit of a chop in the water...again the electric may not fair as well. My 2 cents is, main motor gas... supplemental electric. If traveling on gas restricted lakes, obviously then go electric...always have 2 batteries min...1 as a backup, also look into portable soft solar panels you can use with your electric in case ur unexpectedly running on low juice.... ✌ happy and safe boating
Thanks for your observations. I plan to purchase a square stern canoe and use it in Ozark streams. Based on your comments, it would appear that the gas outboard is the better option, in order to handle situations when I might be going upstream against a current.
Well, I always take one of each... it insures against any technical problems, eliminates range anxiety when driving home into a headwind, and they are both light enough to swap out onto the transom while on the water. My IC is a 3.5hp Johnson, it only weighs 14kg, so not much more than my Watersnake electric (less it's 40kg SLA battery of course)
Another negative with the electric that I've found after a few years of use is the prop gets weeded up more easily than the IC, the battery is a pain to load in and out as it needs two hands, a strong back and careful placement, in an aluminum boat you really don't want it tipping over, it also requires ongoing maintenance with charge state and storage especially out of season and they all still degrade over time, replacement cost for a battery far exceeds a water pump kit and a few spoonfulls of gear oil every now and then.
I still like both equally and would recommend anyone to have at least one of each for the above reasons.
cheers.
I own a 6hp evinrude outboard (1969) and it is the best trolling motor I’ve ever owned. It has a 6 gallon tank and you can fish for days. Fuel consumption is good and it’s never failed me. It’s unfortunate that all this “save the planet crap” has made these outboards obsolete. This one is over 50 years old and works like new.
it seems like the weight comparison did not include the weight of the battery? That adds another 40 - 60 pounds to the Minn Kota. Unless you use a Lithium battery then the cost comparison gets tilted towards the Mercury. That said it was a great discussion and comparison to highlight the pros and cons of both solutions. I've had both and I can say either solution benefits from a paddle or oars in the boat because sooner or later a battery will die or an outboard will not start...
Range is not even vaguely similar. You can carry a lot of gas, both in the sense of storing it, and in physically moving it. If you tie up on a dock with a electrical, or always cycle your trailer back to the house, electric can be OK. Only source of electrical for me is carrying a very heavy battery up beach/steep rocky section, not fun at all compared to a gas can. I am in if there is a workable way of using solar/electric, even if it is slow. But the cost of systems I have seen even from economical providers like Devlin, is house money. Some boats will actually work OK with decent sunlight and no battery augmentation.
The famous yacht designer Nigel Irens made a breakthrough in motor boat low speed high efficiency, and he said that you are better off with gas, as the weight of comparable batteries during the trailering phase was not overall credibly efficient. Noticed that recently he seems to be focused on electrics, it is what the rich people think they want.
I don't get small motors. I see people running their dinghies, and they seem silent. You buy a new 4 stroke, they tell you how quiet they are. Any I have bought are really loud. Maybe some of those yacht motors like seagulls are quiet... electric is a clear winner on this count.
Cost of a motor based on miracle american second hand deals is bogus. it needs to be a deal anyone can get pretty much any time.
Overall, I don't think they are comparable at this point. There is a reason why we have a trolling category, and an moving category.
Nicely produced! You have come such a long way since the begginings
I appreciate that! Thank you ❤️
Costs.... the same ?????
No. The batteries are so expensive.
Just the damn battery buys you another Mercury.
Range is depending on the speed.
So if the Mercury is much faster, your Range is much further.
Power:
The Mercury is much more powerful than that electric motor. As soon as you fight against waves, current and wind on open waters, you will realise very quickly that the electric version sucks.
Noise :
A simple second muffler will reduce the noise at least 50%
Even my Minn Kota 30lb c2 can get my Intex Mariner4 to 3mph with 2 adults and 100lb equipment. I'd say it's enough for most small lakes and calm rivers.
When i fished fresh water back in Maryland i used a trolling motor. They had very specific laws and restrictions on small lakes and enforced them with guns if needed. My motor was a fairly large electric motor and i ran 2 batteries.
I ran a 1.5hp all last year. And luckily the only cost I had I to it was a total of 2 full 2.5 gallon gas cans worth of gas and 2 qt of 2 stroke oil. In the season aside from some tinkering to adjust to get it running smoother I ran the same plug all season. It topped out at 3mph.
I also had a 38lb thrust trolling motor. And a battery. Over the season the switch for forward and reverse overheated and melted twice leaving me to use a paddle. And after the second time the switch burnt out I wired it always on and forward. According to gps I barely broke 1mph and the trolling motor could not fight the current.
Honestly in my area I've seen more trolling motors on marketplace and craigslist with burnt out electronics in a single season its ridiculous. It could be all the tall weeds and shallow waterways here in Wisconsin or could be alot of poor quality control coming to the Midwest. I picked up 2 used trolling motors to try and make 1 good one but seems like the same parts seem to get fried.
This year I picked up a used cheap endura that should work and a 1960s evenrude 18hp. While speed and range may not be important to some. When it is several miles from the landing to the fishing spot and the 1.5hp takes about half hour to travel a mile if you do local fishing tournament and derbies you don't want to take forever to get where you are going 😉.
I will be using that endura 55lb to access a couple local lakes that are electric only. And they are big lakes.
Another thing to remember: "all day" is relitive and can vary from person to person. It may mean 3 to 6 hours. Or it may mean sun up to sun down like it does for me. If I plan to go fishing "all day", my boat is going in the water at dawn and I may not get back to the landing until after midnight.
It's always nice to hear other people's experiences! Hopefully that 55 trolling motor holds up better for you than those other ones did!
Some great points here Wayne, thank you! I got my first jon boat this year, and all I could afford for a motor was the minn kota 30lb. I assumed I would get a gas motor at some point, but after a summer with the electric, I don't think I ever will need it. Very much looking forward to the lack of winterized maintenance for the electric too!
That's very cool!
I loved this video! I think that what often is overlooked is the demands for boat size and use. My wife and friends all are avid kayakers. At over 6'2" and 255lb, and after having been in a horrible auto collision, a kayak is not something I care to do that much. They are making cheaper, better kayaks that are made for bigger guys and that can handle a transom mount trolling motor. I'll probably do that. Of course, I will still need a regular boat for most of the fishing I love to do out in the rivers and bays. I've had gators bump my boat, and I've been in 3-5ft. waves out in the bay. Hooking into a 6-8 ft. shark can also be troubling when operating out of a small boat in choppy waters. I see kayakers do it, and I also see where many either die or almost die in the process. The same for guys in a Jon boat. In many areas here, a Jon boat and a kayak are practically just as lethal a choice as the other. Anything less than a 21 ft. boat is putting your life at risk. Even then, hull matters (which I hope you will do an updated video on soon). With such a larger boat, a heavier-powered gas outboard (25 hp or higher) is really the only viable option. Naturally, a trolling motor will also be preferable for staying in location or moving stealthily to new spots. The only issue here with that is we have a lot of brackish water. So, corrosion will be a huge problem to constantly fight.
While you could take an extra battery, that's around 50 to 60 pounds of extra weight. For gas, a gallon of gas weighs around 8 pounds. Small boats do have weight limits so this could impact how much you can carry.
Well yes, but you could also take the discussion one step further. Because instead of a second battery, you could bring a solar panel for the electric outboard. And fairly simple solar panels can in fact charge for more than the trolling motor would use to propel itself while trolling.
If you had a solar panel, a trolling motor and a couple of batteries at a remote cabin or lake, that could last you for daily trips every day for years.
@@Black-March It depends on how hard you want to drive the electric motor. At slow speeds, many draw around 10 amps at 12 volts. That would be two 100 watt panels at around 15 pounds each. At medium speeds, the current draw increases to 20 amps at 12 volts or 4 panels for a total of 60 pounds; not counting mounting hardware. At top speeds, it takes 6 panels and would weigh 90 pounds + mounting hardware. However, on an overcast day, the current from the 6 panels won't even turn the motor.
@@BobDiaz123 Power usage increases significantly with speed though, using the ePropulsion Spirit Plus outboard as an example, at 2.2 mph you use 35w, at 2.7 65w and at 3.5mph its 125. A guy who lives near I do has a single 100w panel which is enough to take him out in the boat fishing every day for a month straight during the summer. That's 5 lbs.
Boaters use both; the gas is to get to the destination quickly, while the trolling motor is used to sneak up on fish and catch them.
Your comparison should have included
pollution. I realize you pointed it out in
the video, but maybe it should be another
line item in your chart.
Good point!
And sometimes trolling motors are the only option because select lakes are electric only.
The problem is that someone will always point out that coal pollutes and while I do believe the efficiency outweighs having a personal ICE even without the grid being 100% green it's still a lot of research needed to do for a short video.
Yes making batteries has tons of pollution. The "carbon" footprint is huge. Just like the carbon footprint of solar panels. The process to make both are very hazardous and bad environmentally. Gas is king still. Having both still is a good option. 👍
@@pain_weaver I wouldn't say gas is definitely better for the environment but there are a lot of factors that make it difficult to compare, especially since gas and batteries effect the environment most in different ways.
Perfect apples-to-apples comparison, something I'm considering at the moment. My boat is a small inflatable dinghy, weighs less than yours. Should be able to handle that Minn-Kota with some extra oomph. Great idea at a great price.
Gas will be better on a windy day.
Great content. I think you might consider cost as a category the electric motor wins.
You bought the outboard used, not new. Plus charging and maintenance costs clearly got to trolling motor.
Great comparison-well done
Nice video.
I think both electric and gas motors have their place. If I'm on a small lake fishing then I prefer a quiet electric motor, but, if I'm on a river with a possible strong current I prefer the power and speed of my 3 hp Sears GameFisher gas motor, but, I would still take along my Newport 62 lb thrust electric motor and a good high capacity marine battery as extra insurance. I don't mind the extra steps to start my Air cooled 2 stroke GameFisher as it's never failed to start in the 25 or so years that I've owned it. Plus, there's no impeller to deal with since it's air cooled.
I bought 2 Newport 62 lb thrust motors to give me a dual motor setup on my Tritoon Dock I am building.
Just to motor around my 1/2 mile long lake.
I'll use PWM DC Motor Speed Controllers to optimize the flow of current to the Trolling Motors. I will rig up a wheel steering setup attached to both motors. Ill be very pleased if I get 5mph out of this arrangement.
16"w x 24"h x 16'L Pontoons are made of EPS foam coated with Truck Bed Liner. Super light weight.
Each motor will have a 100ah 12v glass matt solar battery for power. Fun project.
just to confuse the issue, what about connecting the trolling motor to a small generator. my little camping generator runs for hours on a full tank and has 12v take of. it's a lot lighter than my leisure batteries. just a thought.
Most generators output 8 amps max from their low voltage port, trolling motors typically use 12 to 36 amps depending on the size and speed setting. It could do a good job of extending range, but you'd still need the battery, fuel, and you then get the noise back, boat hulls magnify sound so well.
I have a 14ft Jon boat and I have both a Tohatsu 6hp and a minn kota 45 it’s a good combo gas gets you where and trolling quietly while you fish plus if one fails you have a backup to get you back or at least to shore, also I keep two paddles
me too, the way to go
I'd say gas for getting where you want to go, trolling motor for maneuvering once you're there. However, as you said, with that size gas engine, you're not going to be going any great distances anyway. The only disadvantage I can see is the extra weight of the marine grade trolling motor battery. They can be quite heavy. Still, having two modes of propulsion in a large body of water would definitely make me feel more secure when they both have a somewhat limited range.
A 55lb might get 2 hrs flat out with 100amp hr battery which weighs at least 25kg and is half the speed of the petrol motor and costs about the same as the motor again. Can't compare the two apples and oranges.
Noise should be a heavier weighted factor as I've been told that when you enter a fishing area with a gas engine, the fish need an hour to calm down.
I reckon it would be less than 15 minutes with an electronic motor.
Fish only have a fifteen second memory. So I've heard
@@kennethseibert5711 I believe that, but possibly the physiological effects (raised heart rate, nervous system, etc) of the stress may last longer than their memory.
i use a trolling motor with a 1ooah lithium at 7lb and i have a agm at 70lbs i get about 10 miles outta each, had 2 agms but now 2 lithium's. just got a 9.8 mercury and yeah i can now reach new spots but your right about the 2 hp
First of all, your production quality on the video is excellent! You present your arguments well and the staging of all the shots was great.
However, your range calculation was not very accurate. When comparing the "fuel" density for both options, a 50 or 60 pound deep-cycle, lead-acid battery gives you a fuel source that should last all day for the electric trolling motor but just 10 pounds of gas for the outboard will last much longer. This is particularly true if measured in number of miles covered. Also, if your battery goes dead and you didn't bring another with you, your trip back to the launch ramp is going to take a while. If your small on-board tank goes empty, the weight of a 1-gallon gas can is a tiny fraction of what a spare battery weighs. I do agree that if you're going to have a gas outboard, it should be something large enough to really move the boat.
Very good points! Mostly my thoughts when I made this were along the lines of how people typically might use these particular small & slow motors - short trip, not needing much speed. If I had a decent distance to travel, I would probably want to go more than 6 or 7 mph and a spare gas tank is much more reasonable than multiple batteries.
I troll with a 12 ft fiberglass with a 2.5 Honda 4 stroke.....I Bring 2 250 ml chainsaw fuel bottles......makes fillup way easier and less messy and a bottle fills the tank
I've noticed that a lot of guys use both. They get to their destination with their old two strokes and then troll with the electric. Two stokes last and last, but tolling is tough on them and over time their carbs start showing cracks and they just don't troll right any more.
Yeah it is useful having options!
that,s the way to go!
I bought a Aiqidi 3.5 for $207.00 beat that Mercury . And yes it is water cooled .
Your comparison is flawed when you factor noise. A 4-stroke is going to be quieter than the same size 2-stroke. You left out Tohatsu. Did you know that Tohatsu is the world's largest manufacturer of outboard motors? Did you know that in addition to Tohatsu, all Nissan's, small Johnson and Evinrude (when there was an Evinrude) and all small Mercury powerheads are Tohatsu. Wayne, for the environment's sake, you have to go 4-stroke. I have had my 6-hp Tohatsu since 2005 without a problem.
I like my Minnkota 30lbs thrust, over my 7hp outboard. Much easier for my kids to operate.
Great comparison video! There are a few maintenence things for a trolling motor if you go through some weeds with it, but there is a lot more maintenence when it comes to a gas motor. For duck hunters that go through rice and pencil reeds, a trolling motor without decent thrust turns into a paperweight fairly quick.
I have a minn kota and a 1968 johnson 3 horse power 2 stroke that has a weed less propeller. I've found the minn kota is great for lakes in my area that are no internal combustion motors. My 3 horse I take out when I'm camping for a 3 day weekend. A 3 gallon gas tank lasts me the 3 days of fishing. My minn kota is dead on day 2, but I'm a fishing fool. Both have their place in my book.
Awesome!
Hi Wayne...
nice comparison...
I have coupled a "troy built "4 stroke engine (grass cutter)
to a "tanaka" (old japanese boat engine )for a total weight of 12lbs with a full tank(.6litre)🤣 and a 4 hours autonomy with a full tank. reaching a speed of 12kmh
(7mph)..😉
the price of the new engine ($125) that I put that on my inflatable 10ft.1/2 a lot of fun and nice fishing for cheap
in comparison with Minn Kota... I have a greater autonomy with 5litres of gas than electric... (comparison with a friend who rides with Minn Kota 2 batteries same boat) to have the same equivalent when I go to the sturgeon on the St Lawrence river...
That sounds like a nifty rig you built! Yeah if you're travelling farther, a gas motor is certainly more capable because you don't have to buy, charge and store a few extra (heavy) batteries.
You did not show the Battery. Is it small mid size or a large battery. How heavy is the battery to life into the boat? I was sailing in the Pacificand one of the yachts but one of there electric motors. And it was useless. Any wind in the bay of the slightest currant and it struggled. In our home port of Auckland New Zealand it was ok to go ashore.Our Mercury 3.3 hp on a 14 foot RIB was so much better
A very good comparison, Wayne. For what it is worth, I have a brand new Suzuki 2.5 Hp 4 stroke on my 19 ft sailboat. At 1/2 speed it zooms me long faster than I like (or need) as I am enjoying river scenery! At 1/2 throttle the long shaft model is very quiet...and I actually have come to thoroughly enjoy powering along with such a nice piece of machinery running next to me! That is one category you didn't compare!!
Yeah those two motors were the ones had at the time. I hope to play with a small 4 stroke in the future!
Couldn't disagree more. The longer you run an electric the slower it goes. Constantly lugging around and charging batteries is a pita and often requires gas when camping anyway. I can run my 2.5 on a couple lbs of gas all day long and I never have to drop a Benjamin on it for a new battery. My last electric went in the trash years ago, never going back.
The Mercury 4 cycles are trash I have two one was given to me by a friend because he hated it so much .
I was thinking of getting the Sun dolphin sportsman 14 ss canoe and have seen videos of putting bigger motors on smaller boats and figured I can prob put a 2.5 hp motor on it instead of the trolling motor,
Oh and I did buy my first kayaks and they were great but I'm gonna switch them out for foldable kayaks which I didn't know where a thing.
There is no question, with me - I definitely prefer an electric motor.
If you want more range for your electric motor, bring along a portable solar panel and charge controller. While you're moving, the solar panel can reduce your battery consumption - or, you can keep your throttle down low enough to match the output of the solar panel, so the battery does not discharge at all. While you're stopped, the solar panel will be recharging your battery.
Meanwhile, an electric motor means you have no maintenance, there is insignificant noise, no pollution, you can't spill or leak any gasoline in your vehicle while transporting the motor, and you can use it in lakes, rivers, and streams where gasoline motors are not permitted. And, it can sit unused for years and still be ready to go when you need it.
Finally, this is 2024. Electric motors are here now and they are the future. Gasoline motors represent 100+ year old technology that is on its way out.
Thanks for the video!
Really well made video. Learnt a thing or two as well. Thanks
Thank you and thanks for watching!!!
Hello Wayne, my wife and I are retired and will be buying a 20 or 22 foot outboard boat for pleasure boating with the 2 dogs. I am looking for safety if the outboard dies and want to get back to the dock, do you thing that a battery operated is my solution. I'm not looking for speed, just want to get back home. Gil
So I have a Suzuki 2.5 4 stroke , is that as loud as a two stroke? Also the assembly of an electric with the parts and plugs is not as easy as my 4 stroke just attach to transom and let er rip! I also have no charge down time, just keep gassing and going🎉
I feel you misrepresented the trolling motor on weight, as you should have factored in battery weight as well, which when compared to some smaller boats in the 200 lb weight, 2 group 31's and a minnkota endura max you are pushing 150 lbs. Don't get me wrong this is my current setup and aside from moving the batteries (loading in bed, not a trailer) every time I move the boat its great, but comparing that vs a 50 or 60 lb 4 stroke (referring to new units) is quite a savings on weight, and an extra gallon of gas is what, 6 lbs?
ok here is my 20c worth , ok using a Yamaha 2.5 hp as a yardstick , it weighs 17 kg or 30 something pounds in weight, my 44lb Watersnake trolling motor is similar in the weight factor but i dare say with fuel added the Yamaha will be heavier. Going on the range factor i strongly disagree because i use a 50ampagm battery and depending on the strength of the tide ( if you are using it on river close to the mouth) i had a range of 750 m before the battery reduction was sitting at 60% ( i will add 10% as the battery was close but not completely full for arguments sake) and only used it very briefly on throttle speed 3 out of 5 and that started to zap the battery. To cut a long story short factoring in tidal influence /wind / boat weight etc i ended up returning to shore with just 19% battery capacity , a big no no in maintaining the longevity of your battery. The outboard in a similar throttle mode would have lasted for a few hours and with a external back up tank mostly all day. So i am a little bemused by making a claim that the range of both is very similar, possible with frugal use of your throttle on a still enclosed lake or river system ( non tidal) but otherwise no way!!!
just slap a 35hp on the back and do 30mph wheelies across the lake
I swear by the electric on this one. The silence is so nice after you get used to it.
With my specific boat only way I'd swap over to gasoline would be a 125cc onboard with fat muffler to get the noise down.
Range is a issue if you wana get Back Home . its all about where you are fishing . 2.5 is the perfect motor for a creak . i have both on my creak Boat . T Motor is for fishing and trolling around .
Outboard is loud and vibrates a bunch, plus smell of gas and having to mix oil. Electric, charge battery and good to go, no need to worry about bad carb or bad gas.
Personally I'll take the gas. Just cuz of speed factor and if your out way up nother no power to charge you can bring gas tanksnand use fornweeks on end. Which I have never done. Inside my boat 2times a year. My battery would be toast sitting so long
When bringing my 12 ft into the canadian wilderness via the box of my truck no trailer , i would rather be carrying a small gerry can through the woods than a heavy deep cycle battery or two . Also if i happen to hit a rock by accident , the lower unit and propeller on my 2.5 is gonna take it with alot less damage than a plastic prop and lower unit shaft .
When comparing the weight, is that counting the battery weight?
No it is not.
The battery should weigh as much as an extra gallon of fuel, probably more. I think that gives the 2 stroke the edge.
give me a 2 stroke any day. you say weight is similar yet its not 4lbp is a big difference Also you need to include weight of battery. Ive had my 2 stroke for 15 years its still going strong.
If you want to have more torque with electric go for 24V or 36V with lithium batteries.
2.5 hp vs 55lb thrust which is less than 1hp of power for min kota, which is worse in a stronger current, (i lost control in light current using 55lb thrust min kota) thats the reason why I switched to gas tohatsu. Gasoline beats electric in every way, electric is perfect for small lakes and if you have lithium battery otherwise it is a lot heavier to bring acid 100ah battery with your electric motor vs 2-4hp gas outboard. My 100ah acid battery weighs around 60+lbs, where as my lithium 100ah is 24lb but much more expensive. Also cold weather affects battery juice life, and you can't rely on a battery too much. Also electric is good as a backup for gasoline outboard, in case something breaks down
Electric troller is more expensive due to the rechargeable battery u didn't include sir
Forgot longevity, the mercury outboard is made in Japan and Min Kota made in China won't last as long.
Are you adding in the cost and weight of the battery? Not a fair comparison if you do not. Plus if you bring a gas can your range on the 2 stroke is a lot more. I think your analysis is faulty.
If you only have 1 motor then you go with the Mercury, at 4 mph the minnkota may not have the power to get you out of a bad situation.
Can electric motor go in salt water?
Some can - this one is made for salt water
@@WayneTheBoatGuy thanks
as long as you have fuel you can go all day, I had a 2.5 hp 4 stroke merc (tohatsu) and carried a 1 gal tank .
i have a 55lb thrust that does 4mph in my 10 foot rib, tried the 2.5hp 4 stroke and it wouldnt plane. if i want to plane ill need atleast a 5hp to 10hp gas motor. i have no use for the little 2.5hp gas motors
I think its because while your gas motor proabablly has more speed electric motors are well knows for their large ammounts of torque at any speed
what about the battery for the minn kota? Is it heavy? how much time would it last? Is there a feature on it that indicates battery life?
You should have Environment as a category, the trolling motor wins hands down
Twin minn kotas,with model airplane props are surprisingly fast
Yer Nutz ! .... The Gas Motor has Speed therefore Power ! ... and with a small can of Gas ... You could go all day ! .... Trolling Motors are made to troll Slow , an Extra tool for Fishing ... They aren't made for primary use ! ... So you are comparing Apples to Oranges ... :D Cheers !
I really don't feel like this 2.5 gas motor is well suited for primary use either. I wouldn't want to be running that all day. But if running all day, or traveling farther was the objective, obviously the gas motor is a better option.
I want both except a 4stroke on the gasser..we troll for crappie and with a 4stroker we can use either for the very slow trolling we do...
Both is good!
I know a guy that had a bigger john boat with a bigger motor and he also put a small motor on just for trolling for crappie because the noise caught more fish because crappie are curious fish! He ran with about 8 rods and he would slay crappie. I don't know if it is true, but my dad ran an electric trolling motor and caught less fish (but still caught fish).
This year I'm using both. No Paddling is the goal.
Me too!
If you like standing up to steer the minkota I guess that's good
I watched this with my arms crossed thinking, "This guy ain't teaching me crap." WRONG ! ! ! Totally flipped me from 2.5 hp to electric...... Any thrust in 12 volt..... 28, 30, 36, 40, 55. They will all push a 14' jon or smaller. I don't care about speed. Before I didn't think about maintenance and easy of use. Now I do. Plus, an electric motor can be used to fish with artificial lures. You can't creep the lilly pads with an outboard.
Thanks for covering all factors to be considered, compared and balanced...... price, speed, range, maintenance, ease of use, etc...
Thank you!
Let's catch up. Cheaper than either, you could have a 22 LB 4 stroke Hangkai or it's cousins. A gallon of gas, a little oil, and a few LED night lights could run you from Port Albany to the Statue of Liberty. It's much quieter than either motor. I gave away my electric trolling motor.
I'm not sure a 4 stroke Hangkai is quieter than an electric trolling motor - but certainly more powerful and faster!
Hi Wayne, very nice video, But I'd like to say that costs are not the same. After Mine Kota you have to buy a battery, and if you buy a plumb battery the price is 100 $ for 100 ah. But if you buy a 100ah lithium battery, you pay other 300 $. So, the cost of an electric engine is double of a gas engine. Isn't true?
Yes, you're right - a good battery is expensive - and a battery charger certainly isn't free either!
But my gas engine has additional costs as well (certainly not $200 worth though).
Funny enough, just this week, this Mercury failed me out on the water (and I don't yet know why) and this trolling motor got me home again!
You gave them a tie for range!??
"Most people" depends where you live. For me, and many people I know, electrics are completely infeasible because they don't go anywhere near far enough. Depends on your usage.
Range definitely and massively is in favour of the petrol outboard. Just because range isn't not important to you, doesn't mean that you can call it a tie.
In my opinion, in the case of a 2.5 hp petrol outboard people aren't usually using them to go far. Most often a little 2.5 is used as tender motors, short trips or on small bodies of water - and why they have such a small internal tank.
Let’s talk about the oil you are putting into the water
so generating electricity does not create pollution? quantify please. Range does matter! Average boat is 17 foot long, your 12 ft dingy does not compare unless you are visiting your moored boat neighbors. Add wind and reality to your test. Useless. Just as you closed, "when the wind dies down, oh guess I won't go boating". Your alternative here is to get a sail boat ha ha!
I think you're over-thinking this. They have to generate electricity anyway. Enjoying less routine maintenance, quiet operation, instant starting all while not actually physically putting extra pollution in my river seem to be logical benefits to the electric option in my situation.
I don't think my local power plant is creating any EXTRA pollution to recharge my 12 volt battery. If they had to add 3 shovel loads of coal for me to charge my battery, then maybe it would be an issue - but they're already making the electricity when I am plugging in to recharge. 2 stroke gas engines are banned from use in many lakes and other areas because they pollute in several ways (oil/gas residue in the water from exhaust, smoke, fuel spills and vapors) all things an electric motor does not.
I am NOT implying or advocating using either of these motors for something larger than my boat or in challenging conditions. Nor am I implying that a trolling motor stands up to a 10 hp gas outboard. I am merely stating that if a person is looking at very low cost/low powered/small motors for short range operation in a small boat, an electric motor has some distinct practical advantages over a gas engine.
What about reliability? I mean being able to trust it to get you out on the river and back safely.
My experiences with all powered items from a drill, to a car, to a boat has usually been that if it runs properly when you first start it up it usually works for the whole day. Anything can have a catastrophic failure and I always have at least one emergency plan (a paddle, a cell phone, a line to be towed).
@@WayneTheBoatGuy makes sense! thanks
Gasssss cant charge the battery on the water
@@WayneTheBoatGuy you forgot the most important stuff for emergency beer smokes and snacks. 🤣
Nice points but let’s go from cost brand new including marine. battery. Interesting pros and cons but it’s skewed. What are the total costs for each new?
They don't sell new 2 strokes anymore. But to buy this trolling motor new is $520 and even with a fancy 100 Ah LiFePo battery is about $800 total which is almost $100 cheaper than a new 4 stroke 2.5 hp.
Is 15mph on a 8ft dinghy with a 8hp mercury an ok top speed?
Yeah. Sometime people get a tiny bit more out of them, but it comes down to weight and hull design.
You didn't cover thrust versus current especially in a river moving upstream through rapids? Can that even be accomplished with either of these?
I seriously doubt either of these have enough power to accomplish that.
I take my flat back about 6 miles in current in winter to duck spot and back. No way am I doing that with a trolling motor. Wind will ruin your day with a trolling motor
When you're going that far in current - I would imagine you're running at least a 5 hp outboard.
The elephant in the room that you avoided talking about is that the trolling motor control handle is way higher than the mercury. You either sit with you hand above your head, or you stand.
The one that I bought was an extra long shaft - it could easily be cut down.
I just ran out of battery using my minn kota 55lbs thrust today 😅 had to put them oars to work on my inflatable… I need a gas motor now , not doing that again😂
Oh dang - yeah that's no fun.
Just take both. The noisy one when your trying to get somewhere then the trolling motor when your just manuevering and fishing.
Using a trolling motor as a main engine wont the battery die after a few hours ? Forgive me if its a dumb question im new just trying to learn
Yes a single battery doesn’t last long
Decent fair comparison but you should have got the 3.3 HP. Game over.
That would be a game changer!
the trolling motor is, just what it says, it's not a OUTBOARD MOTOR!!!
A jittle idea for you.... it's a good idea to carry a little kit with you, with a bottle of rubbing alcahol,a wrench for the spark plug, (most motors come with a wrench), an old tooth brush, and a small cheap set of feeler guages, a small thin file to touch up plugs along with a little tool for adjusting the gap-and a spare plug or two for the chance you should foul a plug-the small bottles of alky often are the perfect size neck for the end of the plug,put the plug in, give it a few shakes, brush off any fouling,use lung power to blow off any remaing alky-and you should be good to go.That Merc. looks a lot like a little 2 hp Arctic Spirit (A Suzuki under the paint-from the 1970's) perhaps the design was sold when Suzi switched over to 4 strokes,almost never fouled a plug but the kit was good for peace of mind when miles from anyone-the motor has a little rubber brackit with slots for a shear pin, and as I recall a plug-though a hand full of pins, and a couple plugs doesn't hurt anything-dropping a plug into the drink at the worst possible moment is not entirely out of the question ....kit is also handy when camping way out in the wilds just to maintain the plug from time to time when sitting around.-that little motor is stone reliable,will plane a boat the size of yours(if hou make a tiller extension to move a bit forward your and a stick to work the throttle-my Auzi will run slow for along time with nary a hiccup.
You should shorten the tube of that electric motor, it will make it much easier to steer!
Yeah I have kept it for now because I keep changing boats!
@@WayneTheBoatGuy fair enough :)
Ease of use... that Mercury is probably one of the simplest motors to start, I've seen 8 year old's on UA-cam starting them... and as far as distance and speed... if you're fishing a large river and want to get up to the best fishing spots, or change from spot to spot quickly the Mercury is your only option... Minn Kota say the average speed output of their motors is 3 - 3.5 mph on flat water with no wind and no current... put two people in a boat and you're going slower... average battery life at full "throttle" is less than 2 hours and at speed 1 where you are probably trolling "in place" with any kind of current or wind... I had a canoe, with an average 1 person load for fishing... I got down river with my Minn Kota 45 and decided to head back up river... that's when I found out the river current was probably running at around 2.5+ mph and my Minn Kota was pushing about about 3 mph... LMAO... I ended up pulling up into shallow water and walking the canoe back up river a quarter of a mile over slippery algae covered boulders... never again...
I think there is a huge difference between these two types of motors and this is not an apples to apples comparison at all.
While I agree about the ease of use and convenience of electric motors, there is a gigantic difference in performance and range. I own only electric myself.
I have a few Sea Eagle Paddleski inflatable boats. They are a hybrid of a kayak/motorboat and sailboat and resemble a very narrow Zodiac. I had a Minn Kota 30 trolling motor I used for a couple years. While that is fine if you just want to go a short distance at slow speeds on a calm day, it's not fine if the wind kicks up pretty good on the bay/large lake or in currents. I tested that motor to the max on 100-150 adventures with it. More than a handful of times, I almost got stuck and unable to make it back. Especially when the boat was weighted down with 2 passengers. Sometimes I'd go from the cove into the bay and without notice the wind would get so strong, I'd struggle to get back. One time pulling the boat on the shore back into the cove lucky there was a shoreline. I've been against currents I didn't expect and they were just too much, and also that it would take full speed to get through them and quickly kill the battery if I was more than a mile or too.
I spoke to Minn Kota about getting a 55 lbs thrust motor instead which is the largest you can generally get with a single 12v battery. They said.....don't bother. It would be a minimal speed increase & power and not make a worthwhile difference. Watching countless videos seems to agree. So I ended up splurging for a Torqeedo 1003 lithium motor which I love, but they are very expensive.
Even over my Torqeedo, which the 915 batteries I believe would give much greater range than a standard 12v deep cycle trolling battery (although larger lithium ones are now more available for several hundred dollars than 10 years ago) a 2.5 gas motor will provide much greater range especially if you bring a spare tank of gas, which unlike a lithium boat battery ($1000 for the Torqeedo) we can all afford that. Even without a spare tank of gas, a small gas motor will provide much greater range than most any electric motor battery. I'd like to get a 2.5 or 3 HP motor too when I want greater range for some locations I'm unable to visit due to range. Mostly going at slower speeds, I have about a 10 mile range with the Torqeedo 915 battery. if it's reasonably calm Who's to say a small boat wouldn't ever want to go further? I don't fish, all sight seeing. That said a friend of mine bought a new 2.5 HP Yamaha motor last year, and it's been nothing but unreliable. Unsure if it's operator error or a lemon. An electric motor is unquestionably easier to operate. I was hoping his motor would be reliable so we could visit some locations we can't using my boat and his motor.
WE have 3 different gas outbaords and 3 electrics. They all suit a particular purpose. We fish a lot of small ponds that no one else bothers with. The electrics are excellant for that. We like our Minkota 30 and our Motorguide 55. But last year I purchased a 32lb thrust Greenworks. It takes a 40v battery that fits right into the head of the motor. A spare battery fits in my tackle bag, but I haven't needed it yet. Mind you we are mostly trolling with just a few faster dashes to spots. This is about the best, most portable set up I"ve come across for small waters?portaging in to spots. Bonus is they also make a huge assortment of tools and yard care equipment that use the same batteries. I think these motors were also sold under the Shakespear name?