Honda kicker motor

[Gotta Bite]

Guys, looking at a few kicker motors. 9.9 HP in merc or Honda. Any pros and cons on these from owners would be appreciated.

[zackblain]

I love my honda 9.9. I use it as my primary motor on my 16' mod v tiller boat. Put well over 200 hours on it a year and it never skips a beat.

[Big Water]

My 9.9 Honda pushes my 26' boat with ease.  Never had a problem and starts quickly every time.   Do yourself a favor and get a prop guard for it.  The currents can be wicked on the lake and blow your rigger cable into it even if it's feet away.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Big Water

[Don Supon]

'08 Honda kicker here. Have changed motor and lower unit oils yearly. That's it. Highly recommend.

[quality time]

Love my 9.9 Honda. Charge system is twice my old kicker. It it uses half the gas the 2 cycle suzuki 9.9 got. I can troll 8 yrs. on a 3 gallon tank with my 20' Trophy. Wes

[CaptSpike]

Love my Honda 9.9 as well.

 

Spike

[fish06]

Honda it has the best charging system.

[windburn]

 I can troll 8 yrs. on a 3 gallon tank

8 years! Dang, I need a honda!

[CaptSpike]

8 years! Dang, I need a honda!

 

Now I got to call Honda and find out why I don't get 8yrs on 3 gallons!  

 

Spike

[quality time]

Sorry ! Hours. That is still good. It is a fact that fisherman can not type or spell.

[buckboardjr]

I can troll 13hrs on less than 3.5 gal with a Honda 7.5 from the 80s. Great Idea on the prop guard I didn't know about them. I just priced one at $129. That will have to be a fabbed one by me. I chopped up a wire this last year running solo!

[Reelaxin']

I have a 2003 Honda 9.9. It runs like a top. All I ever do is change engine oil, gear oil and two new spark plugs at the end of the season.

[JeffM]

My 9.9 Honda pushes my 26' boat with ease.  Never had a problem and starts quickly every time.   Do yourself a favor and get a prop guard for it.  The currents can be wicked on the lake and blow your rigger cable into it even if it's feet away.

What kind of prop guard are you using?  That sounds like a good idea to me.  I think a steel cable in the prop would be bad news.

[Frisco]

Had both..........either one will do the job! On the Merc there isn't a oil filter but there is one on the honda, for what it's worth. The only difference I've seen in cold weather the Honda's idle has to been minimal but the Merc has to have higher idle to start in cold weather. Both issues are insignificant however if the prices are similar I would go with the Honda.

[ac holmes]

Honda 9.9.  3rd year on my 27 footer...it is a sweet little motor.  In a pinch, it will push my 6000lb boat at 6 mph and troll down to 1 mph.  I can barely hear it run.  A little pricey, but I am very happy with it.  Never had a Merc, so have no opinion on that.