Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

[DrCox]

If I had the option and money:

150 HP single outboard motor

or:

Twin 75 HP outboards.

God the twins look sweet...whats it going to be like on the power and performance end though?

-Thanks

-DrCox

 

[Laddies]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

Twins will not give the performance that a single engine of equal horse power will but give the peace of mind that two engines will bring plus the torque and pulling power of twins but a increase in fuel usage

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

And also twice the maintenance.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

Twins will also be considerably heavier than the larger single outboard. Maximum HP ratings take weight into consideration. So...your boat may be heavy in the stern with the twins. In fact, that's likely.

 

[DrCox]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

Well, it was a nie thought


Thanks for the quick follup.

-DrCox

 

[Vert1go]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

This is not all entirely correct. Twin engine performance potential depends on the hull design, weight, and other factors. Some boats WILL be faster with twins simply because they have more weight to overcome - something two propellers can do better than one in many cases. The other factor is drag - two lower units in the water instead of one - so, this is where twins become a limiting factor. It all depends on the application.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

There ya go. It does all depend on the application. But we're back to the same old situation. The only reason for 2 outboards is there isn't room for 3.

 

[ne7800]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

There ya go. It does all depend on the application. But we're back to the same old situation. The only reason for 2 outboards is there isn't room for 3.

only reason for 3 is there isn't room for 4 and so on and so on

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

There is NOTHING--absolutely nothing--that sounds as sweet as multiple 2 strokes humming along out back.

Last boat I worked on was an old 21-22 foot Whaler with twin late 1970ish 70 hp. Rudes. During water trials and engine shake-down, it was not too fast, but it did it in style. I didn't want to leave the water. Almost made the guy an offer he couldn't refuse.

If I had the room on my transom, my 21 foot Manatee would have the 140 replaced with twin 85s tomorrow.

 

[fdmsiv]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

Go for the twins! It is a different look. I would be willing to bet that you could sell a twin O/B boat faster/more $$$ on the coolness alone.

There will be more maint, but most modern 75's that I have seen are 3 cyl while 150's are 6. If you do the maint yourself, then its maybe an extra $100 a year.

There are some issues to tackle like controls and steering, but they are not impossible to overcome.

 

[chevyjet]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

Whenever you are packing a load or dealing with rough water the twins will win hands down, if you go over 40 mph then the drag starts to be a factor. The other thing to think about is that the smaller moters like the 75 and 90hp most often last longer than the v6 2 strokes.

 

[Benny1963]

Re: Purely hypothetical, twin vs. single

i think the twins are cool and also as said the three cyl evins are hard to kill and arent overly heavy plus if ya travel any distance you will have and extra motor to get ya home setup right i would like twins