I went and got a bigger kicker motor for my Crestliner 1850 Fish Hawk. I bought a Merc. 9.9 . I used to have a 5 horse but it is a 1 cyl. and not really all that smooth.. Does anyone have a new Merc kicker? How do you like it?

I picked up my 9.9 and traded the 5 horse in.. I put it in a barrel to test and it is so smooth. It's way smoother than my 5 horse. The 5 was is a one cylinder engine and I will never buy another 1 cyl. engine outboard again... One thing though, it didnt come with a charging system on it though I was disapointed. Now days everything should have an alternator on with all the electronics these days..

Your’s is electric start? My 20 Suzuki doesn’t have an alternator but it’s pull start manual tilt and trim. Reliable as a claw hammer. I just charge the fish finder battery every couple weeks during fishing season.

Mine is manual start too .. I will just charge the batteries . I took it out today and it is a very smooth engine. I hear the Suzukis are just as good , and maybe better.

I've run e-start motors without an alternator for years, separate battery for the trolling motor. I have a quick connect on my batteries and a dual charging system, just plug the charger in and ready to go in the morning. In remote areas I take two trolling motor batts and I can charge one with the solar system in my van. Starting battery lasts a long time, I have a disconnect on it. I pulled it out of the garage today, flipped the switch and the motor fired right up, it hasn't been running or charged since last summer.

That sounds much like I will do .. I put 2 small graphs on a 6 yr. marine battery and it lasted 4 hours so far.. I dont want to drain the main starting battery cause my main motor is a 90 horse . I ran it for 4 hrs. yesterday and it is really smooth. No more 1 cyl. outboards for me.

I just picked up a Honda short shaft 9.9, it is a beauty. It does not have power trim or tilt nor does it have electric start. It does have the external power outlet however. This one is a tiller model.

I know two guys who run Suzuki motors. Great motors but both guys are located in Minnesota and tell me adequate authorized dealers to do the work on them are scarce.

Osky

Osky, I bought my boat last year in Brainerd , mn. and they sell Suzuki. The company is Brainerd Sports & Marine. Maybe he can help them out , but it may be too far away. I think every outboard now days should have a charging system on them. My 5 horse Merc did so i thought for sure the 9.9 would. Too many electronics on boats now days to not have one on the kicker.

I've got a little Suzuki 4 stroke. I'm into my 7th year with it pushing a small jon, and it's been a good motor so far. I've had no issues other than having to pull the carb apart once when the jet plugged up a couple years ago.

I do have to buy all my parts online and do the work myself though, because nobody around here sells/services them anymore. There were a couple Suzuki dealers about an hour north of me, but they both folded. Fortunately it is pretty simply engineered, so none of the routine maintainence stuff has been a real headache yet.

I've got a pro kicker 9.9 merc. Carb 4 stroke. The new efi 9.9 4 strokes have alternators. I wouldn't worry about it. Your big motor will keep it charged. Run a 3 bank charger and hook into your starting battery. It will keep it up

I ran an old 6 yr.old 110 amp marine battery for 4 hrs yesterday to power 2 smaller graphs and at the end it was still on 78% full so it should last 8 hrs. per charge.SLDuck, you like your merc 9.9? I really like mine but only has 7 hrs on it.

My Dad had one for a trolling motor, we used it for a while, and sold it

Do,t run any ethanol fuel in the small 4 stroke outboards, we had serious issues on a new 20 hp Merc jets were plugged figured it was test start up and residual fuel. Merc dealer said he had seen that on newer small 4 strokes we do not have alcohol fuel in Alaska. The single cylinder small outboards are a vibrating machine.

If you do have to run corn squeezins in small engines, Startron is a lifesaver. It'll keep e-10 good a couple years.

There's no non-blended pumps within a 40 mile radius of my place, so I go through quite a bit of the stuff between the outboard, motorcycle, mower, and snowblower.

Yes like the pro kicker. Like electric trim and tilt. Only run 91 octane no ethanol. I run the motor dry every time I'm done using. Mercy are notorious for their pin hole jets plugging I never have had a problem

I will only run non eth if you guys say its a problem. It uses so little fuel anyway.