New Motor Decision

baddogg

baddogg

Crew Member
I have decided to upgrade the motors on my 1998 Campion 542. I have sold my kicker and main already. I am going with Mercury motors. Electric start and power trim for the kicker. I have yet to decide on the size of the main. The previous motor was a 2 stroke 115 which moved the boat along very well. No issues planing and would cruise around 35 MPH comfortably. I've been told that the 4 stroke 115 will suit this boat perfectly but it is capable of having a 150.

I am wondering if anyone else has a similar boat and what motor they are using. The 115 Merc Command Thrust is capable of spinning a larger prop since it has a larger gear case than standard motors.

The 150 will require hydraulic steering which is an increased cost along with the extra cost of a larger motor.

Leaning towards the 115 but seeking input. Thanks in advance.
 
baddogg said:
I have decided to upgrade the motors on my 1998 Campion 542. I have sold my kicker and main already. I am going with Mercury motors. Electric start and power trim for the kicker. I have yet to decide on the size of the main. The previous motor was a 2 stroke 115 which moved the boat along very well. No issues planing and would cruise around 35 MPH comfortably. I've been told that the 4 stroke 115 will suit this boat perfectly but it is capable of having a 150.

I am wondering if anyone else has a similar boat and what motor they are using. The 115 Merc Command Thrust is capable of spinning a larger prop since it has a larger gear case than standard motors.

The 150 will require hydraulic steering which is an increased cost along with the extra cost of a larger motor.

Leaning towards the 115 but seeking input. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
what’s the weight difference between the two? If the 150 is a lot heavier, I would lean towards the 115. Also if you fish alone or with a light load, the 115 will be great and economical. I would only get a 150 if your planing on having a few buddies onboard often, or long trips with a lot of heavy gear
 
I had a 115 Merc 4 stroke on my ‘03 542. Was never happy with the performance. Guy who bought it from me put a 150 on it within 6 months.
 
I've got a '17 542 with a Yamaha 150 and have been really happy with the performance. I regularly have 4 people in the boat and it pushes it along with ease. I know the hull was redesigned in '05 so I'm not sure how much different they are, but I don't think a 115 would suffice for this hull and how loaded it usually is.
 
115 HP weight, 359 lbs
150 HP weight, 455 lbs

Difference of 96 lbs

Price difference is about $6,000 more for the 150 with the new steering

I can't foresee fishing with more than 3 adults onboard.
 
I have a Suzuki 140 on my 2005 542 and am very happy with the performance of that motor. Easy maintenance and I do not have a hydraulic steering to worry about. Weight of a brand new Zuki 140 is 410 lbs.
 
This is a boat I drool over; I've read about it extensively. NO ONE EVER says a 140 or 150 is too much. 115 does the job, but by not just do it right?
Also, the Merc kickers are Tohatsu made, great motors. Make sure you get the EFI.
 
I Have a Buddy who runs the same boat. He had the exact same debate between a 115&150 this spring. He Went with a 150 Merc. Zero regrets. Get a 150.
 
baddogg said:
I have decided to upgrade the motors on my 1998 Campion 542. I have sold my kicker and main already. I am going with Mercury motors. Electric start and power trim for the kicker. I have yet to decide on the size of the main. The previous motor was a 2 stroke 115 which moved the boat along very well. No issues planing and would cruise around 35 MPH comfortably. I've been told that the 4 stroke 115 will suit this boat perfectly but it is capable of having a 150.

I am wondering if anyone else has a similar boat and what motor they are using. The 115 Merc Command Thrust is capable of spinning a larger prop since it has a larger gear case than standard motors.

The 150 will require hydraulic steering which is an increased cost along with the extra cost of a larger motor.

Leaning towards the 115 but seeking input. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
A friend had a 2003 with a 115 4 stroke Merc. It was underpowered with 2 med to large guys, gear, and a cooler full of fish. It took a long time to get on plane and you had to go too fast staying on plane in a choppy sea (a very rough ride).
I would go with 140 to150 if going with a 4 stroke.
... Rob
 
I had a similar debate with a twin setup for an aluminum recently. My debate was between the 140 Zuk and 150 Merc but I did look briefly at the 115 merc out of curiosity.

Really like the Suzuki 140. Been known as a very reliable motor for years but it's a small 140 at under 2050cc. It's really the 115 Suzuki block they've squeezed a little more top end out of.

The 115 Merc is a solid 115 at 2100cc engine. So although it has less horsepower I'd expect it to have very similar performance on the low end and through the mid range that the Suzuki does. If you run trimmed and pinned the Suzuki will be faster but that's not where you should be anyways unless you want to blow it up and burn copious amounts of fuel...

The 150 merc should be significantly more powerful than the 115 merc but if other guys can comfortably run a 140 Suzuki while propped correctly, and cruise in the low 4000s I'd expect the 115 merc to preform just fine.

Some boats like transom weight, some don't. I don't know your boat so I can't comment there.

Sure, the 150hp would be ideal but 6 grand is a lot of days spent working to pay for a motor when you could be fishing:)
 
Where are you buying the motor? I had my 150 installed in 2019 brand new, with steering, grand total with tax 18,400.

Dont go 115. the 150 merc is so light, and power and pull similar to a 2 stroke.
 
I had a 2000 542 Campion for 11 years so similar hull to yours. It came with a 2000 Yamaha F100 4 stroke with carbs, I ended up putting a 4 blade 17 pitch Solas prop to get a better hole shot. The engine was fine with 2 people but took a long time to get on plane with 3 or 4 people. I’m sure any newer fuel injected 115 would be a huge improvement over the F100 that I had on mine. I always thought the Suzuki DF140 would be a great match for that hull. I have a Suzuki DF250 on my Grady and couldn’t be happier with Suzuki after 22 years with Yamaha’s.
 
I'd recommend the 150 hp as well. Have a friend with the new model Merc 115 and takes a bit to get his 18ft glass boat with 2 adults out of the hole. The 115 is a great motor for up to 17' glass and lighter 18' aluminums in my opinion.
Recently repowered a 17 Tyee with a Yamaha 115 (had the older Merc 4st) and glad I didn't go with less power.
Shop around, prices can vary (I saved over $2000.00) and boat show deals are just around the corner.
Recommend SeaStar steering over BayStar which is rated for lower power and at it's limit for a 115. Both systems are easy to install and can save you more$$. The SeaStar kit can be found for around $1500.00 not including hoses which are approx $200.00
 
Last edited:
Reel Time said:
Where are you buying the motor? I had my 150 installed in 2019 brand new, with steering, grand total with tax 18,400.

Dont go 115. the 150 merc is so light, and power and pull similar to a 2 stroke.
Click to expand...
In Port Alberni. New controls, gauges. Also new kicker with electric start and power lift. I'm very happy with the price quotes. I priced Yamaha and Suzuki as well. They were all within a few hundred dollars of each other. Mercury offered some extras. The difference in price points between 115 and 150 is about 2500 bucks. The added cost is the steering and extra labour involved to change same.
 
Not that 2500 is a drop in the bucket but I think it would be money well spent in this circumstance. I know a handfull of guys with those boats that claim the 115 is marginal.
 
I have a 2010 542 fitted with a 150 E-tec. With 3 guys and gear I run at 4000rpm giving me a cruise speed of 34. Also have a 9.8 tohatsu. Would not want less power.
 
At the end of the day price and options between the big 3 will be roughly the same, so in my mind the decision comes down to which dealer offers the best service in the area you fish from. I've been running Suzuki's purchased from Breakers in Port Alberni since 2005. Excellent service and advice. No matter which manufacturer you choose, if you run an engine brand long enough you will eventually encounter an issue, so what separates the good from bad always comes down to the quality of service.
 
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