Adding a Kicker - Opinions Wanted

[The_owl]

I'd like opinions on which (Mercury) kicker to add to an 1875 ProV. The boat is used (2016) and came without any "provisions" for adding the kicker. So what say you?


My old boat had a 9.9 Pro Kicker and i used it a lot. It was a remote steer which i didn't like all that much - the Sea Star HYD steering was slow IMHO and i think i'd prefer to go with a tiller model this time.


I'm 'kinda' mechanically inclined - so how hard are these things install? I think i'd like to look at buying one online and just installing myself (with a buddy's help). Anything i need to think about?


20" vs 25" - i used to backtroll a lot waay back in the day and i'd like to do more that with a tiller. Would the 20" shaft complete clear the boat or do i need to go 25"?


Pro Kicker vs Four Stroke (Mercury/Tohatsu) - what's the difference? The 9.9 & 15 Pro Kicker look to be about the same price as the 15 & 20 hp Four Stroke. One thing i keep thinking about is that i would like the kicker to be able to charge the starter battery & such as the displays are wired to it (dual). Looks like the 15 hp has the ability to do that.

Anything else i need to think about?





Thanks for any input -


The Owl

 

[eyexer]

They’re all four strokes. You have to match the shaft length to the transom height on the boat. So if your main motor is a 25” then you need a 25” shaft kicker. Tillers work great. It’s all I’ve ever had. I don’t steer with the kicker pulling cranks anyway. I lock it going straight forward and steer with bow mount trolling motor. You can install a trollmaster or Itrol if your want to be able to adjust speed from the helm. And super easy to install

 

[SDMF]

I have a Tiller handle with a tie bar as well. I have to start and shift into gear @ the motor then I can either run w/hand throttle and tiller handle or tie to the big motor (about 10sec tie-bar install) and run the throttle with an I-Troll @ the helm. Probably takes 30-45Min to install the tie-bar hardware onto the main and kicker motors then it's easy-on/easy-off when/if you want to tie them together.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007G2JA3I/?tag=nodakangler10-20

 

[Ristorapper]

What do you have for a main motor on that 1875? 150 or 115??

 

[The_owl]

Main motor is 200 L4

 

[Polarpower]

You don't necessarily need to match the shaft length of your big motor. Because of the V bottom of the hull, the distance from the top of the transom to the waterline is longest at the centerline of the boat (where the main motor is mounted), and gets shorter as you go out from center to either side (where the kicker will be mounted). Also, the kicker doesn't necessarily need the clean, smooth water stream that you want for the main engine...the goal is to go slow, after all. On an 1875 ProV, a 20" shaft would be perfect, and honestly I think a 15" would work as well.
I have a 9.9 Suzuki EFI - it's been flawless in three years of use, and the price was a few hundred cheaper than a Merc at the time. It starts, idles, and runs perfectly all the time. I also have experience with the Yamaha T8 kicker, and would highly recommend it. I know several guys who fish a lot that have carb'd Merc 9.9 pro kickers, and are not overly impressed with the hard starting. I have no experience with the new EFI pro kickers from Merc.
There is nothing hard about mounting a kicker...I mounted my Suzuki myself. It took a little time and a couple trips to my local marine dealer to get some misc hardware and fittings, but I enjoyed the process, and definitely enjoyed saving the $800 +/- that most dealers will charge to rig one for you.

 

[honkerslayer]

I have the 15 hp merc pro kicker with fuel injection and really like it. I highly recommend the EFI as opposed to carbs. I think the Suzuki is pretty solid as well and it comes in a 9.9 with EFI I believe.
just my $.02.

 

[The_owl]

From reading online, it appears that Tohatsu makes all of Mercury’s motors 40 hp and less. They also make Suzuki’s lineup from 30 and under.

The Tohatsu/Mercury/Suzuki 15 EFI is all the same engine, different stickers. This is probably the motor I’ll go with.

Just for conversation, what’s the difference between the 20 hp Four Stroke and the 15 Pro Kicker? Is the torque curve different for some reason?

Thanks

- - - Updated - - -

There is nothing hard about mounting a kicker...I mounted my Suzuki myself. It took a little time and a couple trips to my local marine dealer to get some misc hardware and fittings, but I enjoyed the process, and definitely enjoyed saving the $800 +/- that most dealers will charge to rig one for you.

Watching YouTube videos it seems pretty straight forward - the only thing I haven’t been able to find is tying into the fuel line. How is this done?

The power trim and start seems simple - runs some cords to the battery.

What about the alternator? The 15 has the bigger output but will it charge the battery its wired too? Do I need anything more for the install, ie, relay or such?

Thanks everyone

 

[westwolfone]

I didn't look it up, but I believe the Pro kickers have a different gear ratio to the prop which makes them torquier.

 

[Ruddy Duck]

I also highly recommend fuel injection, still kicking myself over my decision.

Regarding you fuel question, I installed one on my last lund which was an impact 1875. On that boat-you had to pull up the piece of flooring that covers the gas tank and lund had left a second fuel setup that was capped off. So it was as easy as getting the right fittings and routing fuel line. If it doesnt have that you can tee off the main fuel line to your motor, but I personally would avoid that if you can.

 

[Polarpower]

My 2008 Lund Explorer has a spare fuel pickup already installed in the tank for a kicker motor - I decided to go the hard route and go direct into the spare pickup. The easy route is simply to cut the existing fuel line to your big motor somewhere convenient (in front of the primer bulb, if Verados even have one, I'm not sure?), install a three way barb tee fitting, and then connect your kicker fuel supply line to the tee. The downfall of doing this is that the kicker will pull gas from the big engine. This probably isn't a huge deal on a Verado with an electric fuel lift pump because it will quickly self-prime, but in the days of carb'd engines this becomes a giant PITA when the one-way check valve in the primer bulb to the big engine fails.

 

[SDMF]

The easy route is simply to cut the existing fuel line to your big motor somewhere convenient (in front of the primer bulb, if Verados even have one, I'm not sure?), install a three way barb tee fitting, and then connect your kicker fuel supply line to the tee. The downfall of doing this is that the kicker will pull gas from the big engine.

It'd probably work most of the time, and I'd NEVER EVER do it. I'd carry a 2.5Gal red plastic can on the deck/transom before I T'd off the line for the main. You're just asking for a stall out at the worst possible time. Run a dedicated line for the kicker from the main tank or add an Aux tank, but, dedicated kicker line.