2016 Margay What motor 150 4s vs 150 pro xs

This topic has 9 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 4 months ago by Wheelman.

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February 8, 2017 at 7:01 pm #391481

Fisherman
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I have a 2016 Margay with a 115 opti and the boat with 2 people and any tackle will not get on pad. With one person it will run on pad no problem everytime. I fish alot of the time with 2-3 guys so what 150 should i get?what would be the best motor prop combo for heavy load for my boat?

February 8, 2017 at 7:19 pm #391484

JCB4Bass
Participant

I have a 2016 Margay with a 150 4 stroke. have a 80lb fortrex up front. 1 guy (200lbs) can hit about 61mph. With 2 guys (500lbs) I hit 55mph. with 3 guys (700lbs) and livewells could only muster about 38mph (struggles to get to pad). This is with a 24p Fury prop. Have since purchased a 23p tempest to try out as soon as ice is gone. We will see what it does, but hoping to see better results all around as I wasnt even reaching 5800 rpm with the fury prop… If youre not as worried about top end speed as carrying a heavy load I would think either motor would work well. Your prop pitch is going to make more difference than anything. you may be able to get a different prop for your 115 that will work for more people, but again youre going to lose some top end speed.Jared

February 8, 2017 at 7:59 pm #391486

Fisherman
Participant

Thanks Jared for the info that really helps know what to expect of the 150 4s. I have tried all kinds of props for the 115. The 115 has limited props compared to the larger gear case 150. I have even tried the lower ratio gear lower unit of the 75hp opti.It has a maxxum 80 trolling motor that i may change out to a 12volt 55 for less weight and lose a battery. I love the layout and the quality of the boat but the hull is not very forgiving of weight. I guess im use to a multiple step boat that carries weight better.John

February 8, 2017 at 8:09 pm #391490

JCB4Bass
Participant

John-I have also spent the winter figuring out how to “lighten up” the load on the boat, especially up front. from my looking up, a motorguide x3 70 weighs about 30lbs less than my fortrex 80 I have. Thats the biggest thing Im going to check out hopefully in a couple weeks is how it performs with less weight from the TM up front. Also am in the process of cutting down my tackle amount for the boat. Making a dedicated system with minimal amounts of tackle needed instead of taking 5x what I really need. Will just have to check the tackle after every use instead of once a month to make sure I have what I need.Jared

February 8, 2017 at 8:31 pm #391493

Fisherman
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Do you have any idea what a Maxxum 80 weights?

February 8, 2017 at 8:41 pm #391496

oldtimer57
Participant

I think the main problem here is that 700 pounds is way over the weight limit for passengers (check the coast guard sticker). Needs a good bit of hull surface area (not to mention horsepower) to lift that kind of weight out of the water. I dont think tackle or a few pounds on a different TM is going to matter when you start talking 700 pounds of people by themselves. Thats sort of like a family of 8 traveling in a VW beetle. 2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

February 8, 2017 at 8:53 pm #391499

JCB4Bass
Participant

Looking at amazon.com, maxxum 80 has actual weight of 45lbs with ship weight of 66. fortrex 80 shows ship weight of 68 but does not show actual weight. Motorguide x3 shows actual weight of 27 lbs and ship weight of 44. so 18-20 lbs difference there right up on the nose. my understanding is every 10lbs on the front of the boat is 1mph, so just the TM weight difference and also an extra battery in back could be costing me between 2-3mph on my setup. Of course I really like the fortrex, so dont know if I will switch or not at this point… part of my testing this spring will be removing my fortrex head to similate the less weight of the motorguide being up front and see what it does.Thanks,

February 8, 2017 at 9:03 pm #391502

Fisherman
Participant

I think it is the hull type or shape that causes the boat to carry weight. I had a stratos 176xt with a 75 opti and it would easly get on pad with 3 guys that was over the weight limit. I would lose about 4 mph on top end. It is the same length but a little narrower then the margay. On my margay you have to lift the stern of the boat to about 38mph then lift the bow to get it on pad. Nothing like the stratos was it just needed lifting the stern and the speed increase with the stern lift. I think the problem is have stern lift and bow lift at the same time with weight.John

February 8, 2017 at 9:37 pm #391506

JCB4Bass
Participant

John-I have to agree. I can get the bow to come up just fine on takeoff and getting up on pad, but once up on pad I feel like the bow is way too low and not lifted enough. Doesnt matter what I do I cant get the nose to lift up more. Instead of being nose up some it feels like its sitting level from front to back while going 55mph instead of having the front end up higher. Like I said Im changing props and had this new one blueprinted letting the prop guy know I need more lift out of it. We will see what she does in a few weeks!Jared

February 9, 2017 at 4:33 am #391508

Wheelman
Participant

Have you tried lowering the engine height to allow prop to bite better and produce more lift? Might have to step down a pitch to keep the RPMs right, I like to pick the pitch that is just kissing the limiter when lightly loader in the winter fwiw.
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