# 20hp 4stroke merc vs 20hp 4stroke suzuki



## scoobeb (Jun 19, 2013)

Well i have been contimplating these 2 motors for almost a yr now and i still don't know exactly which way to go???I'm really wanting to go with the most powerfull 20hp i can get for the money.I have watched thousands of videos on both and they both seem to be just top notch motors.

Yes one is carb and one is efi.The thing is i live in fl so will it really matter which motor i go with as i don't think a carb adjustment would ever have to be done,is that right???What i mean i will constantly be in the same surroundings with the motor forever so it should always run the same unless i do an adjustment which i don't think i would ever need to.

I really like the features of both,but my favorite of both motors is the self adjustment tilt ratchet system on the merc that makes tilting the motor up and down the easiest to me at of all 20hp outboards.Also no oil filter in the suzuki,is that ever going to have an effect on the motor,nothing to filter the oil,hmmmm.Then i really like the efi on the suzuki,plus how light it is.So what do i do?I can't go wrong either way.

Same warranty on both 3yrs,suzuki is say $2700ish and i can price find the merc for prob under that,say $2300-$2500ish.There all over for that price.This is a tough decision for me,a couple of grand is no chump change for me,especially when still in the back of my mind there is a ton of nice 25hp 2stroke yamahas around,there a dime a dozen,but again your in the 2k plus range for a used motor and for a few hundred more i can go brand new.

The dif between a 25hp 2stroke yamaha and a 20hp 4stroke merc/suzuki is prob only a few mph that i can live with,the amount of gas i would save is priceless with the 4stroke,cleaner motor and knowing whats exacly happened to the motor since new is the big thing for me.So now it's decision time,i want to purchase by the beginning of july the latest,any help on this on what you guys would do,just curious,thanks.


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## PATRIOT (Jun 19, 2013)

I'm in the same boat, can't decide but you brought up a couple of points I overlooked.
1) self adjustment tilt ratchet system on the merc, how does that work?
2) no oil filter in the suzuki

What I really like about the Suzuki . . .
1) The light weight
2) The true direct fuel injection
3) A MAP sensor so I can run lakes and rivers at altitude

I'm running an old 2-stroke 15HP Nissan at the time and went out on a friends rental boat with a new 30HP Evinrude that was injected . . . now I'm wondering if all injected motors have that constant tick-tick-tick of the injectors going on all the time? Maybe it was just the nature of the Evinrude since it's not technically a 4-stroke?


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## scoobeb (Jun 20, 2013)

The self adjustment is to me the smartest technology on a small outboard today,because these 20hp outboards are not light at 115lbs.

How it works is yes you do have a pin that is spring loaded,you set the pin in any of 3 settings,also you don't have to even remove the pin from the outboard like all the other brands do so there is 0%chance to lose the pin.Once you have that were you want all you have to do is when your ready to tilt the motor in a dif position like say your going from 10ft of water to 6inches and you have to of course go to shallow mode,all you do is shut the motor down,put it in F pull the motor were you want it as it will click into place every level you move it up just like a ratchet,once set if you get to that deeper water again all you have to do instead of moving a pin up and down all around is just,shut the motor,put in F again and pull the motor all the way up as far as it will go and then that will release the ratchet sysyem to let the motor go all the way back to it's original setting that you set it for.Make sure you hold on to the motor firmly when you go all the way up to release the ratchet system to because once you get all the way up it's just freely hanging with your grip on the motor so you have to let it down all the way slowly,if you just let it go it will just slam down on the transom,not the best thing for the boat or motor.

I know most people would say it doesn't sound like much but let me tell you from experience it takes time when you go from shallow water to deeper then back and forth and moving a pin up and down 5 times is not something i ever enjoyed till i seen how the small 2stroke mercs work and the small 4strokes work with this ratchet system.Yeah you will pay more money for prac the same motor as the tohatsu 20hp or the nissan but they both don't have the ratchet tilt and IMO it's priceless and will save a ton of time and back problems.Plus you got 6 or 7 dif positions on the merc,thats awesome.But like i said the suzuki is the new state of the art motor and just may be worth what it is.Thats why this is a hard decision for me.

Hope i explained that ok,anymore questions let me know,i will help as best as i can.


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## tomme boy (Jun 20, 2013)

I have the 15 Suzuki. Same motor different computer programming. It runs good. Starts right up. Nice to have the pull start also. In case battery ever dies. Awesome on gas. And it does have a oil filter. You have to take the outer lower shell off to access it. Better do a little more reading. 

Right now I'm having a hull issue that I can't get the prop to hook up. But with a homemade 13' wood and fiberglass 450 lb boat and me 300lbs and fully loaded to fish with bow mount t-motor. I am getting 22mph. Bumping the rev limiter. But I am having cavitation issues so the limiter is a false reading. But the speed is GPS. 

Make sure to check online prices. I got my 15 for 1K cheaper than local dealer wanted. These guys are where I got mine. 5 days to my door.[urlhttps://www.newoutboards.com/][/url] They sell Mercury also.


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## scoobeb (Jun 21, 2013)

According to suzuki's website they are the ones who say there is no oil filter.If you go to there website and hit the 15 or 20hp efi and then go to suzuki advantages thats were it states no oil filter as an advantage against a 20hp honda.I'm just going by what the actual manufacture states about their own product,check it out.I do alot of reading trust me thats how i found out there was no oil filter of course according to suzuki themselves.

I don't understand why they would state that right on their website if there was an oil filter on the motor,kind of dumb on their part,no?
I'm not saying your wrong,i'm just stating what they say,that is one of the reasons i would go merc,i think the oil def needs to be filtered.I guess i will just call suzuki myself to see why they would state that if it has one.Makes no sense to me.

The motor will be going on a 1436 lowe jon boat that is 190lbs and rated for a 20hp.So it will be me at 270ish,friend at close to 200lbs,gear and motor,so say 675-700lbs in all.I would think this motor would move us along like a rocket ship,what do you think?I may also have to go to a 11 pitch prop if i over rev.


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## tomme boy (Jun 21, 2013)

The FI is nice, but I fish alone. In your case, go with the one with the most cubic inches. That will always win when it comes to hauling a load. And it sounds like a load you have. for a narrow boat.


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## tomme boy (Jun 21, 2013)

The only thing I see about NO oil filter is the mention of the Suzuki over the Honda. According to them the HONDA does not have a oil filter.


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## scoobeb (Jun 21, 2013)

Honda does have an oil filter,i have seen the 20hp close up.I think what the suzuki has is a oil cartridge,not a filter.At least thats what the guy told me from newoutboards.com,thats were i'm going to order from if i go that route.


I know the suzuki has 327cc's and the merc has 351cc's so i would think the merc would have overall better power,as in torque.Top end i would think is the same,20hp is 20hp.


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## tomme boy (Jun 22, 2013)

HP to HP is not the same. On my bass boat, my 175hp Merc EFI is 6 mph faster than a friends 175 Yamaha. They are both the same model. 

Cubic inches will always win.


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## scoobeb (Jun 22, 2013)

So tomme boy what your saying is that the merc should run faster?See i have been told by so many that 20hp is 20hp and all the 20hp 4stroke should run near the same speed on the top end,i'm def not saying your wrong,i'm just saying thats what i have been told by so many as i use to say the same thing you are now.Maybe some other people can chime in on this,i'm very curious now.


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## lovedr79 (Jun 22, 2013)

I have a merc. 20 hp 4stroke, long shaft with trim. Remote steer. I wouldn't buy another one. Sluggish, rough running, feels way under powered. I added a transom riser and a 4 blade prop, helped a lot. There is a thread on here that is several pages long about the Suzuki 20 hp. Search and read.


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## tomme boy (Jun 22, 2013)

A perfect example is the 25 ETEC. It is on average 5 mph faster than any 4 stroke. I'm not going to tell you to buy the Merc, I have been happy with my Suzuki. you also have to weigh dealer support. I have a local suzuki dealer. I am just going by experiance on how motors usually run.


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## scoobeb (Jun 22, 2013)

Lovedr79,thats the first time i have ever heard someone say that about the merc,sluggish,rough and under powered.What size boat are you running it on if you don't mind me asking?Every person that i have talked to says the opposite.Rem i'm only putting it on a 190lb 14ft lowe jon boat so i think either motor would do good.The thread your talking about is mine.I posted on here about it when it first came out and alot of people chimed in on it.Of course if you have a heavy boat it won't perform up to par.Ok i see you have a 1448 grizzly,it that what it's on?

I like the idea that it weighs just 97lbs and it's efi(suzuki)I like the ratchet tilt system on the merc,plus the controls are all in one handle.The merc is a 351cc motor with a 2.15 gear ratio and the suzuki is a 327cc motor with a 2.08 gear ratio.Maybe since the suzuki is almost 20lbs lighter it will make up for the higher gear ratio and the cc's of the merc.Just a thought.


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## lovedr79 (Jun 24, 2013)

Grizzly side console 1448. I took it to a mercury dealer, they ran it and said Yup its running like it shoud......


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## lovedr79 (Jun 24, 2013)

My buddy had a rude 25 that was smmoth as silk and ran awesome. Then it got stolen.


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## scoobeb (Jun 24, 2013)

I never go without boat ins.I see ads all the time on cl that people have goten their motors stolen.I don't understand for the life of me why someone would pay thousands of dollars on a boat,motor and trailer and no insure them.It costs as little as $200-$300 for the whole yr.When i insured my boat i had everything,covered my whole rig up to $7k and then i had ad ons like all my poles,tackle etc....all other equipment covered up to $2k.Cost me $268 through progressive for a yr.I see like an ad on cl yesterday,reward $1000 for my $4500 25hp etec that was stolen off the back of my boat,Huh you will give a reward of $1k but not buy ins for what almost 1/4 of that,i don't know that just doesn't make any sense to me but to each their own,it's their money if they want to spend it 3 times over. #-o


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## tnriverluver (Jun 24, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=319970#p319970 said:


> lovedr79 » Today, 09:12[/url]"]Grizzly side console 1448. I took it to a mercury dealer, they ran it and said Yup its running like it shoud......


20hp any brand is going to be sluggish on that boat. You are way underpowered for that heavy rig. Those boats should be rated for 40 hp even though they aren't for what ever reason.


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## lovedr79 (Jun 24, 2013)

When I got it it was on it. I got a Heck of a deal on it new........ I want to put a 40hp two stroke on it.


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## scoobeb (Jun 25, 2013)

I agree Tnriverluver,how can a 1448 all welded boat have the same hp rating as a 1448 riveted boat,makes no sense to me.You go to G3 boats and look through all the jon boats that have in order and it makes no sense how like 7 or 8 jon boats including all welded could only have a 25hp rating.Heres what i'm talking about

ALL THESE BOATS HAVE THE SAME HP RATING,HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?THE WELDED BOATS ARE STRONGER.HOW CAN A 1442 RIV BOAT AND A 1648 WELD HAVE THE SAME HP?THE WELDED 1648 COULD EASILY HOLD A 40HP AT .100 GUAGE THICKNESS.

Plus both 1648's welded and riveted have the same specs as far as hp,number of people it holds and the amount of weight it holds so what advantage if any do you get with a welded boat besides more weight.

G3 JON BOATS SPECS
1442 riv 
1448riv
1544riv
1648riv
1448weld
1548weld
1648weld


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## lovedr79 (Jun 25, 2013)

Rivets over time will corrode and leak. Loosen joints are as rigid.


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## tomme boy (Jun 25, 2013)

The welded or riveted HP capacity has nothing to do with how it is put together. It has to do with transom height, side height, length, and a formula to figure it out. The USCG site has the formulas to figure it out. I use it when I make my homemade wood boats to find out how much HP I can run.


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## tnriverluver (Jun 25, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=320154#p320154 said:


> tomme boy » Today, 14:33[/url]"]The welded or riveted HP capacity has nothing to do with how it is put together. It has to do with transom height, side height, length, and a formula to figure it out. The USCG site has the formulas to figure it out. I use it when I make my homemade wood boats to find out how much HP I can run.


While this is true, most console driven boats are rated considerably higher than tiller control. Lowe and War Eagle boats are a good example as they usually list the HP rating for each. For instance a 2013 Lowe 1756 is rated at 50 hp. A 2013 Lowe 1756SC is rated at 75 hp!!!!!


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## scoobeb (Jun 26, 2013)

I have had riveted and i have had welded and i would never buy another welded boat again,no give in the metal and they crack way to easy,as far as riveted i have never had one ever leak or crack on me,i have had like 10 riveted jons with no issues.I think IMO that riveted is way better because it has some give/flex in the metal so it's more forgiving.I have had bad luck with 3 welded boats,maybe just my bad luck,who knows.

I will continue to buy all riveted boats for the rest of my life over all welded jons and any fiberglass boats to.


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## scoobeb (Jun 27, 2013)

This is some performance data i just wanted to post on the suzuki if anyone had interest on a 15hp or 20hp suzuki.The data is based on the 15 so just add a few mph to each of the performance tests for a 20hp.From all the youtube videos i have seen on the suzuki,most being the 15hp efi,it has a ton of power for a little motor,plus i'm going with the 20hp instead of the 15hp so i will have more hp and power to play with.On an inflatable boat the 15hp planned 4 full adults and went a suprising 33kmph which in mph is 20.5mph,thats pretty impressive with 4 people in the boat if you ask me.I'm only going to have 2 people and gear so my boat will probally fly.He also tested the boat with 1,2,3,and 4 people in the boat with the standard 10 pitch prop
1 person was 38kph=24mph / 1 person was 40kph=25mph 
2 people was 36kph=22mph / 2 people was 38kph = 24mph
3 people was 34kph=21mph / 3 people was 35kph= 22ish mph
4 people was 33kph=20.5mph / 4 people was close to 35kph=22ishmph

THIS WAS ALL WITH A 10PITCH PROP / THIS WAS ALL WITH A 11PITCH PROP
ALSO ALL WAS DONE WITH A 15HP 4STROKE SUZUKI EFI,SO I WOULD THINK A 20HP WOULD GET A BIT BETTER RESULTS


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## PATRIOT (Jul 21, 2013)

Just for comparison, my 26 y.o. Nissan 15HP 2-stroke does 22mph with just me on a 14' Lowe Semi-V aluminum. It's really not about speed anyway, it's about getting on plane, IMHO.
I am still shopping for the fuel injected Suzuki 20HP and a new 16' hull though.


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## JRB1960 (Aug 3, 2013)

i just returned a 20 hp Suzuki -4 stroke short shaft electric start. Ran for all of 3 seconds. Then would not start at all. Had three mechanics look at it (very far from home) Decided to bring it back home to the dealer. First Suzuki said it was in the serial numbers that needed a new high pressure fuel pump and fuel sensor. So that was replaced. It worked as a pull start but the electric start wouldn't work. So then they decided that it needed a new cam shaft! At that point we said -- Enough! Off to buy a Honda!


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## JRB1960 (Aug 4, 2013)

deciding between the 4 stroke honda or yamaha 20
any suggestions? Preferences?


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## scoobeb (Aug 4, 2013)

If you want to go another route instead of the suzuki,i would go with the 20hp 4stroke merc.It's a proven engine and has a ton of power.I just can't believe you had so many issues with the suzuki.I guess there is a lemon here and there though in every batch.

You are the first one to post any problems with the suzuki,did they want to replace your motor with a brand new one or just fix it up?I go on a few dif forums and no one has posted any issues yet with this motor.This is also why i have been trying to decide between the 20hp merc or suzuki.The merc is a proven engine already while the 20hp suzuki is fairly new yet and may still have to work the kinks out.

Also the merc has the best tilt system out of any of the portable engines.


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## yama33 (Aug 4, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=324724#p324724 said:


> JRB1960 » 04 Aug 2013, 01:58[/url]"]deciding between the 4 stroke honda or yamaha 20
> any suggestions? Preferences?



recently got a 20 yamaha it runs and starts great. vibrates a bit more than I would expect but seems to be getting better the more its broken in. not crazy about the tilt system it has not sure if honda is any better. sounds like mercs rachet system is worth a look.


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