Trolling Motor vs Running on Main Engines?

carpeweekend

Crew Member
I bought my dream boat in July, a 2020 Raider 270 Offshore with twin 200 Suzuki's for power. Absolutely love the boat but am already over 100 hours on the engines. Not worried about gas mileage as the Suzuki's seem to sip gas and I love the ability to troll using the electronic troll switch which regulates the rpms. Also nice to not have to fight the wind with a small trolling motor.
I have spoken to my dealer and I can add a 25 or 30 hp Suzuki as a trolling motor. The big advantage is the reduced hours on the main engines. But the additional engine will add weight and require a separate throttle.
I can see easily hitting 200 - 250 hours per year if I just use the mains for trolling and don't relish the thought of having to to repower in 5 or 6 years.
Looking for advice here. Is it worth spending the money (I estimate around $7 - $8K installed) on the trolling motor?
 
I was on a guide boat this summer with 3500 hrs on each of a pair of twin 200 Suzukis. I would expect more than 1000 hrs.
 
I agree there’s no need to worry about the hours on those motors in terms of longevity or durability. It’s just a matter of protecting your investment... shelling out now on a kicker keeps the value of your 200’s higher in the future. Also you won’t have to do the warranty maintenance on the twins as often.

Finally, I’m not sure if Suzuki makes the small motors in white, and with your boat I can’t allow you to get a black one so you’ll need to budget for a paint job too ;)
 
Personally, I wouldnt troll on my main(s) on a regular basis. Just not worth it in the end.
3500 for a trolling motor vs 30,000 for a trolling motor, your choice.
 
I’d run a kicker and keep the hours down......unless you fished in a high current/deep fishery like Campbell River. Then trolling off the mains is nice.
 
Thanks for everyone's insights. Lots of good advice but no consensus although my concern with "wearing out" the mains doesn't seem to be a huge factor. I really don't foresee selling the boat in the future (although that was what I would have said about my last 4 boats:)). And yes Stizzla, I can get the motor in white. I will keep you posted.
 
Depends on how/where you fish. Kickers give very poor control trolling into the wind/seas; I was constantly starting the main to make course corrections. Depending on the size of your crew, you can only screw around with so many things at once like tending the gear, watching the sounder for fish plus getting pissed-off & ruining the day cuz you are fighting the seas.
An hour running at idle is not equivalent in wear & tear as an hour at cruising speed. I once saw an analysis of how long diesel engines would last based on how much fuel was run through them per hour.
 
Engine longevity is inversely related to the amount of fuel consumed - more relevant than the operating hours. In modern engines there is very little wear incurred in operating at low speeds.

Older engines suffered from idling at sub-optimal temperatures and air/fuel ratios which meant that fuel did not undergo complete combustion. This left fuel residue that condensed on cylinder walls where it contaminated the oil and damaged the engine. Fuel residues were also deposited on spark plugs. More time idling meant the average temperature of the spark plug dropped, increasing harmful carbon deposits and fuel consumption.

Modern engines have precise operating controls so the old issues are no longer relevant but the myths still persist.
 
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I troll on my Suzuki 200s and I prefer them over a kicker but in 2 years I’m only at 210 hours roughly including trolling. If I was a 200-300 hour per year guy like yourself and could afford a 27 Raider I’d probably Spend a bit more and buy one of those 20hp Suzuki kickers . If you service the Suzuki’s yourself you are looking at around 300$ per service for parts and oil x 3 times per year. I’m a fan of trolling off mains but the other benefit to a kicker would be that if you hit a log while running you still have an engine out of the water if both mains get smoked.
 
Personally I believe most outboards life expectancies are based on a combination of quality of service and time in salt water. My 2003-F225 Yam was babied with 800 hours on it when it blew up last year (block corrosion). I always ran a kicker and the first owner only trolled 100 hours. So it had low, low rpm trolling hours. It was fresh water flushed religiously. I’m pretty sure I coulda trolled with that motor the last 10 years and put an additional 3000 hours on it and the motor still woulda lasted till 2019. My point is that low hour motors still blow up with fatigue over time. Save yourself the cost of a kicker and the weight. Troll off your mains. Way better control too.
 
What would you prefer to pay to maintain more and/or replace sooner from useage: main engines $$$$$$ or a kicker $$$$ - ultimately it boils down to this if you keep the boat/engines long enough.
 
OK. I think that I am leaning towards just using the mains. I really love the speed control of the troll mode which feathers rpms in 50 rpm increments. I can always change my mind later if the hour count becomes a big concern. And with all of the money I will save on the motor, I can spend it on outriggers, tuna rods, and tuna gear :D
 
I'm jealous that I won't have to make such a decision. Without knowing your planned usage of the new boat, I'm curious if you've asked yourself how many hours it should take to get limits of most species next year and then in 5 and 10 years if you fish in the right areas?
I'd run the mains and use the kicker money to buy a beater skiff for prawns, crabs, and oysters to save wear and tear on both the boat and engines.
 
Not sure about these new outboards, but the thinking on diesels is that if you can keep them above idle in the operating zone than an engine is good for so many horsepower/hours.
Pull the horsepower out slow or fast.
Motors like to run.
 
I'm jealous that I won't have to make such a decision. Without knowing your planned usage of the new boat, I'm curious if you've asked yourself how many hours it should take to get limits of most species next year and then in 5 and 10 years if you fish in the right areas?
I'd run the mains and use the kicker money to buy a beater skiff for prawns, crabs, and oysters to save wear and tear on both the boat and engines.

Yes! More boats and beater skiffs are very fun!
Side view boat compressed.jpg
 
Kicker will cost 3000-4000 plus rigging and whatever you decide for steering control. More weight on board at all times will cost more in fuel on mains. And don't underestimate the time involved in changing from kicker to mains and back to kicker every time you have to run back to the top of a tack. All the guide boats I've been on in the past five or more years have been twin mains with no kicker. The skipper trolls on whichever motor has lower hours. Only fair to note that these are leased outboards - they are switched out every three years regardless of hours. For a private owner at resale time, you can still print a report showing the breakdown of hours in the various rpm ranges. It will very evident that most hours were at trolling speed. Any potential buyer with an understanding of modern outboards won't have a problem with that.

One other thing to consider - if you try 'power drifting', you'll really appreciate using a main rather than a small kicker. Picture yourself trying to keep station over a rockpile full of lings (hopefully) or a bottom feature that looks good for hali, with current and wind trying to move you off that sweet spot. Chances are a 25 hp isn't gonna be enough to do it with all the surface area a 27 ft hull presents to tide and breeze.
 
I have twin Yamaha 150's on my 28 and an 8hp kicker with a Tr1.
1300 hours on the mains and 4000 hours on the kicker.
If I didn't have a kicker I would be at around 3300 hours now on the mains and long overdue for a repower.
Kicker is the only way to go unless you are repowering every 3 or 4 years IMO.
 
I have twin Yamaha 150's on my 28 and an 8hp kicker with a Tr1.
1300 hours on the mains and 4000 hours on the kicker.
If I didn't have a kicker I would be at around 3300 hours now on the mains and long overdue for a repower.
Kicker is the only way to go unless you are repowering every 3 or 4 years IMO.
1200hrs on the mains + 4000hrs on the kicker..........thats 5200hrs in 3-4 years which means you put between 1300 and 1700+ hrs a year.
Thats full time guiding in a long season and in no way comparable to the average user that spends a couple hundred hrs a year out there.
 
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