Size It

[danfall]

Hey All,

I'm the same guy as the twin outboard post. OK I'm not going to twin anything!

Hoping for more opinion on '88 Lund 1650 predator motor size.

I'm pretty sure the boat is rated for 60 (tiller).

I'm not a speed freak, and am usually more concerned about rocks than flying.

I have a 30hp brand new that I can convert to long shaft for 300 bucks. I've got 3270 into the motor (don't laugh), overpaid for it last season in Ontario after I was robbed in Saint Paul nite before my trip.

The boat comes with 40hp on it, ready to go for $1,000 option. I'm supposed to option today.

I'm thinking 50hp would be dandy and something like a four stroke, but I'm only going to use a few times this year so the big purchase would sit a lot, and it'd be a waste of 5,000 dollars bigtime.

I plan to go up to Mille Lacs once and to Ontario for a week and maybe a couple panfish trips around here.

Right now I'm leaning hard away from the 5k new 50 hp and looking closer at the other options.

The most I'll ever have in the boat will be 3 adults or equivalent of 600 pounds in passengers.

Thanks.

and remember one little rock can ruin a great day of fishing

[Bobcat45]

Danfall I think you have a couple of options. Call around to some of the marine shops and ask about a good used motor. If you sell your new 30hp you may not dish much out of your own pocket. Prince Bait, Maplewood marine, Twin City outboard,I think is the name. I'm sure there is more. Also if you sell your new 30hp and put that money towards a new 50hp it won't be like your spending an additional 5k for the motor. But from the sounds of how much your going to use it and if you can find a good used motor that might be the way to go. I have this boat also and with 3 people and gear 50hp is as small as I would go IMO. 60hp would be beter. If you do decide to go with the 4stk watch the weight of the motor. I got the 60hp Suzki which is the same engine as the 70. The extra weight of the motor made the boat porpus when on plane. I had to put trim tabs on the back. Yamaha is alot lighter and is now EFI I beleive. Good luck on what ever you decide. Bobcat

[ChuckN]

In the earlier post I told you my experiences because I have used this boat for many years, and still do. We have a 60hp on it (which is perfect, max hp rating) and I would NOT put any less than a 50hp. It is a heavy boat.

The 40hp motor is a great motor, but underpowered on the Predator, in my opinion. I've owned one on the 16' Lund Stinger, one model down from the Predator.

Think about how long you are going to keep the boat. Are you backtrolling a lot? Idling a lot? Can't stand outboard smoke? Buy the 4 stroke then.

If you do not care to spend all that money, and will not keep the boat too long I would not recommend it. You will not get a good return on that investment (new motor on an older boat).

[Tripleplay]

Had the same boat and bought it with the Merc Classic 50 (4 stroke if I'm remembering correctly) which over time became on paper a 42hp. This boat could get up and go once on plane but out of the hole with even two guys and gear let alone three everybody but myself had to move forward to push the nose down.

I was planning to buy a 60hp to max out what the boat could handle when a family situation changed my mind on whether I really needed a bigger motor.

I think you'll be happier with at least the 50hp especially if you are hitting big water like Mille Lacs. I know I couldn't have moved down to a 30hp and been real happy with either the performance out of the hole or on plane.

[fishlakeman]

As stated in the earlier post, I own a 1650 Predator, and have the same motor as the above post, the Mercury classic 50. It is actually a 45 hp, because they used to judge the horsepower by what the powerhead put out, instead of the horsepower to the prop. I had no problem getting the boat to plane with 3 200lb adults. That 45 is about as small as a motor that should be on that boat. My advice is to sell the 30 hp, i cant stress enough that that is not enough of a motor to push that boat. A 40 hp is boarderline. I would look for a good used 50 or 60 hp, Maybe early to mid 90's that way you can save $ and have a engine that is probably still reliable. If your going to have 3 guys in it at any time, a 30 wont get it on plane, a 40 might struggle, where there would no problem with a 50 or 60. In my opinion the biggest mistake a person can make is to underpower a boat.