kicker motors

Thinking of buying a kicker motor for 17ft Princecraft 178dlx with 115 hp. Scored a cylinder from carbon buildup trolling with main motor. What HP? 9.9 or 15 how do you control it tiller, remote? What brands 2 cycle 4 stroke? Main motor is Evinrude Would like to get one for March on pool 4. Kicker will probably be a used motor due to budget. Any info will be appreciated.

Mwal

mwal

I’d highly suggest trying to find a used T-8 yamaha 4 stroker if you can. They’re high thrust units designed to do one thing and do it well…. that’s to push walleye boats at trolling speeds. Don’t let any yahoo steer you in any other direction because they is no comparison to this motor in competing brands and that’s why you’ve likely seen so many guys willing to run one of these yamaha’s next to a mercury or evinrude/johnson.

I did a product review on this motor some time ago.
http://www.fishtheriver.com/prod_reviews/index.asp?staffid=1&prodid=2

I’m still using that same motor for the 2003 season… over 1200 hours in a year & half and I’m thinking I might change out the plugs this year… “if the motor needs it or not!” It’s been a flawless motor for me. New price on a motor like this from Lacannes Marine runs right around $2300.

Now, if you can’t find a used T-8, which is going to be a BEAR as the demand for them is incredible, I’d suggest a 4 stroke Evinrude/Suzuki (same motor) over the others I’ve used. They run smoothly and pretty quiet. Nowhere near the thrust and control of the yamaha but they’re a good motor and much more easily found as a used motor at a decent price.

With the size of the boat you’re running, a 8 – 10 horse will be plenty. I have never warmed to running the kicker in any application remotely through the steering wheel so I’d recommend going with a tiller steer model…. particularly since you say you’ll be fishing it on the river.

Any other questions just holler.

Ditto to all that James said. I had a 9.9 Yamaha 4 stroke, high thrust on two previous boats (always saved it and put on new model boat)
and it was a pure remote control model. Nice motor, was quiet etc. THEN…..I had the privilege to fish out of a boat with a T8 on it…..with
tiller handle. (This, by the way, was with James Holst..~H20). First off, he is a master at boat control, not to mention a master fisherman, but
the ability of that little T8 to control that big 182 crestlinher was incredible!!! Fast current, slow current, we could hover or move around at will.
Needless to say, I traded the 9.9 with Destry at LaCannes in Fairbault and have never been happier. I LOVE this T8, and everyone that has fished with me
since has fallen in love with it too. From the flawless easy starting (electric), to the power tilt feature, to the big dual thrust prop, this thing has ALL the
features one could ask for. Now to answer one more question for you, Destry at LaCannes got me a kit (about $35) which bolted to the engine that allows
me to run the motor from the driver seat on my console boat. I have the best of both worlds…although, to be honest with you, I have only fished in one world
since I got this kicker…and that is as a tiller. Do I recommend this motor….YES!!!! To everyone that asks, and to those that don’t. You don’t know what you’ve
been missing until you have one of these. More than my 2 cents but go for the Yamaha T8…you too, will fall in love.

LundgEYE,

I was wondering do you use your T8 as a tiller with a tiller control handle? Can you also steer it from your consel by just hooking up, or bolting on the part to your main engine.

I own a 2003 Lund Fisherman 1700 with a 115 Yamaha 4S with a T8 connected to the main motor. I also steer from the consel. I’am very interested how you guys set this up.

Jeff C

This is a good question for LundgEYE as he talked with a few shops about setting this up and they told him it couldn’t be done. I suggested he give LaCannes and Detry Foyte a shot at the problem… they nailed it! A kicker motor with remote controls that also has a tiller handle. Pretty cool.

And yes, that was a shameless plug for LaCannes!…lol

WOW….you talking to the right dude…hahahaha. I have a 2001 Lund Fisherman 1700 with 115 4 Stroke and my little T8 next to it. I ordered the boat pre-rigged with the 2nd Yamaha control on the side right behind the main engine control. It actually came with a key switch in the dash which I do not use. The parts from Destry at LaCannes were trivial to install since the instructions were perfect…step 1…step 9, done. The bolt holes were already in the motor housing and they supplied absolutely everything. I think I needed 2 small box end wrenches and a needle nose pliers. When I bought this setup I thought for sure I would continue hooking the engines together like I had done with my remote 9.9. What I learned was there was absolutely NO WAY I could achieve good enough boat control withthe engines tied together so I have used this thing about exclusively by sitting in back and steering the tiller. By the way, it works GREAT for 3-ways, rigging, trolling etc if you use a “left handed” bait casting reel because you can keep your right hand on the rod, set the hook, maintain boat control with left hand, then reel fish in without switching hands. Shown to me by a famous river guide…great tip. Now, if I was going to longline on a large lake, or where structure was pretty constant, I’m sure it would be easy-chair comfy to hook the engines together and troll. What I found was, in trying to maintain precision control on fairly steep structure, was I had one hand on the steering wheel, one hand on the throttle, and no hands left for the rod. Then…it took 5 seconds to turn the wheel lock to lock, back and forth, if there were wind gusts that blew me off path. The tiller just eliminates all that…one handed operation, and lock to lock in a second. I think I’m starting to ramble…but I love that little T8! Also, James was absolutely correct…I shopped for this engine and found dealers telling me there was no way remote controls could be attached to the T8. Well….Destry at LaCannes took me back to the parts room, he looked up the parts for both engines, a remote version and a tiller version. Then he took me to the showroom, took the hood off a remote version and we saw all the holes there, tapped and ready. A week later the parts were in his hands, all for about $35. I was absolutely elated by the treatment I got from him and LaCannes. I felt like they cared, and went the extra miles to make me happy. Others have told me similar stories. James…guess I followed suit on the LaCannes plug but the truth is hard to shut up about.

Just had a brainy storm…..since the boat is in my garage, and since it has the hardware on it, if you are interested I will take a digital photo of it and get it posted to the site. Let me know, not a problem to do. It will show you what the brackets look like and how the cables attach/detach in about a minute.

LundgEYE & James,

This is really good information for me, It would be nice to see a picture of the set up. Also would you have the number for LaCannes. Having the option of tiller handle, or console operation is the best of both worlds.

Thanks Again

Jeff Cameron

LaCannes Marine

Ph. 507-334-6415

Website: http://www.lacannesmarine.com

Ask for Destry Foyte. He’s the saleman that knows how to put together what LundgEYE had done. Tell him James sent you… and he’ll hang up! No, just kidding…lol

Thanks for the advice. I might try calling Destry in a few weeks. You are not the only one that has recommended Lacanne’s highly to me. I might look for the Evinrude if the Yamaha proves to difficult to find. Is your T8 the model with power tilt?

Mwal

Power tilt is a standard feature of the T8. As for pictures, I will take some tonight and send them up, should be available tomorrow on the web site. As always I ask for help to post them because for whatever reason I cannot attach a photo with a message.

Lundgeye

I think you save your photo’s as a jpeg file on your harddrive. Then browse to them when you relpy to the ftr thread. Maybe some more experinced user could give tips on attaching a photo.

MWAL

Thanks, Dave K just set me up, I’ll try this out in a few hours.

Another vote for the T-8. I have run one for the last season and a half. I’m pretty hard on my stuff and this motor has held up well. Starts every time, even in sub freezing temps. The lift is the fastest out there.

I hear the 2003 model year is already sold out. Finding one new or used will be tough…if you find one, better jump on it.

Good Luck.

J.

I took some pictures of my T8 with the optional bracket that turns it into a remote control engine. It took me under 2 minutes to attach the cables including popping the hood for the throttle cable. The gear shift cable attaches outside the hood.
If anyone wants more pictures just e-mail me, I have several and I will send them directly to you.. This is a pretty slick setup if you want the T8 to operate as tiller or remote.

Additional Picture of T8 with cables attached

T8 connected to the F115 with remote cables attached

Thanks for the Photos Lundgeye. I always makes it eaiser if you see what someone has described. I’v talked to a few people and it sound the t8 has become way to popular and demand is higher than the supply. I will try to find one but I may have found a deal on a evinrude 4 stroke that James had mentioned. Hopefully we get another warm up and people will start advertising their used and or new motors.
One more question when you run a connecting rod for steering do you have the same turning radius as your main ob or is it less?

Mwal

Good question on the turning radius but it seems to be pretty close lock to lock. I’ll have to check that next time I’m in the boat to make sure. I’ll let you know if different from what I’ve said.

mwal – this year was my first with the T-8 (tiller model) and I was more than impressed. I came from a 9.9 (another brand) without a lift and this motor was a dream. I tested this motor through some serious seas – 5′-7′ on day 1 at the RCL on saginaw bay and it performed flawlessly. This engine is the envy of the tournament circuit – it is so nice not having to strap down or un-strap your engine when you want to use it. It is unequaled out there in toughness and in weight – less than 100#. I used it on a 619DVS Fisherman this year and had more than enough power for forward trolling and you should see the looks I get back trolling next to all the tiller boats.

You will not be disappointed with this engine!

ted

I’m looking at buying a T8 for my boat this spring and would like to have it rigged for both tiller and remote. Do you have control of the throttle and gear lever with this setup, or only the ability to steer from the console? It appears you can, however, my dealership is telling me this is not possible….

I would think you would have no problem hooking up a panther steering unit to it with no problem…If you want , check with this guy, http://www.riverwalleyes.com , he is the guru of setting up boats and has done countless panther steering units in boats.

good luck

Go back to the beginning of this thread and read about how LundgEye went through LaCannes Marine and got it done for $35. No need to drop the big bucks on a panther. You can get this done with factory parts. Call LaCannes Marine and ask for Destry Foyte. He helped with the initial set-up you’re asking about and will be familiar with the set-up you’re looking for. When it’s done, you’ll be able to run the motor as a straight tiller steer or from the console where you will have control over speed, gear shift and steering.

Best of ALL worlds.

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I’m looking at buying a T8 for my boat this spring and would like to have it rigged for both tiller and remote. Do you have control of the throttle and gear lever with this setup, or only the ability to steer from the console? It appears you can, however, my dealership is telling me this is not possible….

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