Jet drives!

Anybody have any experiences with jet drive outboards? I would like to hear about any good and bad experiences and any recommendations you might have. I am looking at a Merc 20HP for next year, but I’m not sold on it…YET! Jon

Hi Jon,I wish I could tell you something from experiance but all the info I have is from research. I am also thinking about a jet but I’m thinking of a larger version. I’m probably looking at a 90 hp motor which would put out about 65 hp at the jet. Are you talking 20 hp at the pump? What size boat are you planning on putting it on? If it’s just a twenty horse motor and you loose about a third that doesn’t give you but about a 14 horse motor at the jet, Is that enough. Another thought from all the reading I’ve been doing is they arn’t good in the weeeds or when a lot of leaves are floating. That’s one reason I’m thinking of a 90 horse as the main motor then I can put a kicker on for the weedy areas. Steve

Thanks for the input Steve. The Merc is a 25HP powerhead and the output is 20HP, at least that’s what their website say’s. I’m still undecided on how big a motor I need….this will be my guide boat for the “headwaters” area so it will need to carry three adults (minimum). Hey, did I mention that I am a Stout Alum from ’87 (mfg engr.)….I remember the leinies bock, mine express, great area trout streams and all the wild parties…we managed to cave-in the second floor of a house one year from all the people (long story). Jon

I’m gonna have to look up the merc page. Everyone I’ve spoken with says you loose about 1/3. Therefore a 90 hp would be 65.
I hope this is right as then a person could go smaller for better efficiency and save the weight for more gear and you would have a shallower draft. I’m hoping to have one by spring. What kind of boats are you looking at? Did you ever party at someones house south of town that always had 1/2 barrels of bock on tap all the time. That was my place. Steve

& don’t forget,,, they take about a third more gas and ain’t much good in the sand Ither…. {John}

I don’t think they take more gas than a normal engine with the same head horspower. What I mean is a 90 horse with a jet becomes a 65 horse but still uses the gas of a 90 horse. No motor is good to run in the sand. But a well designed boat with a jet that dosen’t hang anything beneath the bottom of the boat will run shallower than a prop job. Steve

Steve,
I’m looking at Alumacraft’s MV1542 John-boat with Merc’s 20HP jet. Monday, I am calling Merc to find out if this motor is a good match for the boat. Oh,yeah…I lived south of town in a townhouse, your place sounds familiar…but then again I killed ALOT of brain cells in those days and my mental capacity is shrinking (just ask my wife)! Jon

JonN

I have had a jet drive but it was an inboard. Unless they have improved performance in jets you will lose about 30% of rated horsepower. And yes your fuel really goes down because the jet takes so much more torque to keep it going. You loose a ton of boat control at slow speeds because you have no skeg in the water to help turn the boat so you have to constantly goose the engine to get it to turn and reverse is a nightmare in tight situations. Weeds are a total nightmare or any amount of floating debris ie. lots of leaves or anything that floats in a large quantity plug that jet up in a heart beat. So then you are stopping to clean the jet all the time. Sand will score the impeller and after a short time you loose so much power that it is time for a rebuild and that isn`t cheap. If I were you and you still want a jet then I would opt for the biggest that would fit on that boat. With three people and equipment I don`t think that 20 horse would come close to doing the job for you.
So it comes down to in my opinion if you fish in strickly rocky areas with clean water then ya can`t beat them but on sandy shallow weedy waters I would opt for a ( I think they are called Weedhoppers ) Weedhopper on a good sized flat.

Good Luck
Tom P

Hi again Jon. Is that boat large enough for that many people. Look up the
Lowe 1655 TN, It is basically a flat bottom but it does have a tunnel hull. It
is much wider than the alumacraft that you are looking at,and it also is all
welded. I believe it has a 55 inch wide bottom and it is made for a jet. I think it may be rated for
up to a 80 hp. It also can be rigged with saddle tanks. I am planning on looking at that
one also. So just do http://www.lowe.com and check them out. My favorite choice
so far is the Wooldridge Alaskin.It comes in 16ft,17.5ft,and 20ft I believe. I have the video
if your interested in that rig it’s pretty amazing but expensive. It is also a tunnel and looks to be
able to run in a few inches. Let me know what Mercury says. Steve

Is it the Go Devil your thinking of??? They sell them at Starks in Prairie Du Chien. Real popular with the duck hunters. {John}

Yea John Go Devil Yea that`s it. Work super in shallow weedy water if the boat will float it`ll run through it. Air cooled so never have to worry about over heating.

Good Luck
Tom P

Here you go Jon, I have been researching a mud motor for some time, I’m sick of dragging the duck boat through the back water. Have to get myself one of these next year.
http://www.godevil.com/

Wow! Great input guys. I didn’t have the time to call Merc yet…hopefully tomorrow. I’m still looking at boat and motor combo’s. Just looking and comparing rigs is FUN! Jon

I live in Great Falls Montana. I use my Yamaha 50/35 Jet almost all year long. It goes in less than a foot of water and thats no exaggeration. I have it on a 15 ft Smokercraft.
I have a plywood floor and front deck I put in myself. I carry two full size deep cycle batteries and a small one for my x-15 lcr. I also carry two 6 gallon gas cans full.
With my wife and 3 tackle boxes and gear plus anchors etc I
get about 26mph down river, coming up river with cooler of fish and water about 19 to 20 depending on the wind. I’m a beliver in the Yamaha. I can go about 20 miles a tank of gas
if you need anyother information let me know. Just finished off a plate of Missouri River eyes and fries.
John Ramstead
Great Falls, Montana

I know a couple of guys that have the go devils and they say that they will not go for anytihng other than that for duck hunting.

I fished (guided) the Clearwater stretch of the Miss. almost exclusively this fall and Dave Genz is running the smaller model of riverPro on the same stretch. It goes like a bat-out-of-hell, BUT it has alot of free board and is a bear to control. I watched him try to manuever that PIG with a gas kicker and the bow was moving all over the place…no fun. Jon