3.5 hp Outboard Performance
- Thread starter Fill Ess
- Start date
Pirate Lady
Well-Known Member
What brand? Lot of variables. Prop, gas tank size, the cam, 2 engines from different manufacturers will perform different.
Ex: my former Coleman 2.6 would plane my zodiac. Current Suzuki 2.5 will not plane. .1 difference. You wouldn’t think such a small difference, so must be other factors besides hp rating.
Ex: my former Coleman 2.6 would plane my zodiac. Current Suzuki 2.5 will not plane. .1 difference. You wouldn’t think such a small difference, so must be other factors besides hp rating.
Ok thanks. Specifically Merc but I would think they are similar. My small boat is rated for max 3hp, but I've only tried Merc 6 (almost 6-) and 9.9 -- and they both plane the boat. Both have a 6.6-gal external tank, so call it 45 lbs total if full.
- Apr 26, 2009
- 5,819
- Boat Info
- '97 330 Sundancer, Raymarine C80 suite with radar, Mercury 310 Hypalon w/8hp Yammie 2stk
- Engines
- 2X 454 carbs w/ vDrives
I had a 4hp 2-stroke a few years ago on a 2.6M flat bottom roll-up and it would not plane with me. With the flat bottom it did run on the top, but not what I would call "planing" where the boat rises up on the water and then starts to run singificantly faster. I think it ran about 5-6mph with just me in it (200lbs).
Stee6043
Well-Known Member
I had a 3.5hp 4-stroke on a Zodiak 310 for a couple years. I slow-cruised my family of five all over the place with that thing. There was no mention of planing, ever 
