Hight Thrust vs. Regular (kickers)

[EricCO]

What performance differences are there between the high thrust kickers versus on that is not high thrust?

Which one will troll down the slowest?

Which one works best for forward trolling versus backtrolling?

Also, how many inches down the shaft is the water line on your kicker and how long of a shaft is your kicker?

thanks

[Bad Finger]

Wow Eric, your really struggling with this kicker decision.....

The high thrust design is a combination of gear ratio and prop design. (I assume we are still talking Yamaha)

Have you decided how you are going to run the kicker. Remote or Tiller?? In my opinion, you may not fully appriciate the high thrust version if you are running remote from the console. If you are going to be doing a LOT of that open water, planner board, trolling cranks stuff, go with the console. If you are going to be doing ANY contour trolling, precision rigging or fishing in current, go tiller with the high thrust.

Hopefully you can find a dealer that will let you hang a motor on your boat so you can see the shaft length in relation to your transom. My Guess is the 20 inch shaft will work great on your boat.

[FJH1]

Eric, I use a 20" kicker on my Lund 1800 Pro V, 25" would be WAY to long.

Best Regards,

FJH

[Zeek]

EricCo;
If you like to troll foward at relatively low speeds (~1 mph or so) then go with the high thrust model. You will notice a difference when you go into a side wind. That bigger prop seems to provide a little more muscle to keep the front of the boat going the direction you want it.

[T-Mac]

20" is the correct one.
High thrust works better for back-trolling (By a mile!)
High thrust gives you more control.
Both will troll really slow.

[FROGMAN]

The Yamaha 4-stroke tiller I have on the back of my Skeeter has become one of my most trusted allies when walleye fishing. Slowing down enough when trolling is exactly one of the main reasons why I like it so much. I would wholeheartedly reccommend the Yamaha four stroke/high thrust models to anyone!
Good luck with your decision!

Keith Segar
NPAA #260

[EB]

I know I must sound really stupid but I still don't understand about "high thrust". I want to put on Honda kicker on my ProV to match my big motor, but the "high thrust" has me concerned. With my last boat that had a Merc 9.9 four stroke kicker on it there were days when trolling with the wind that I had to use 5 gallon buckets to slow down, and that was with the motor at an idle. Now, granted it was on a Tyee, which has more area for the wind to effect. But in the fall I normally am trolling under 1 mph with lead, so...wouldn't a "high thrust" kicker push my boat even faster than the standard one. Is it the four blade prop that makes the difference or the gearing in the lower unit. Sorry for so many questions but I don't want to spend a couple grand and then be mad at myself for doing it. Thanks-Eric

[Bad Finger]

The T-8 has a combination of things that make it a great slow trolling kicker.

The prop is 3-blade. But it's a big, flat, very low pitch prop. Combine that with a motor that idles very slow and the right gear ratio and you are barely moving. Give it a little gas and it grabs the water with bite. Kinda hard to explain, but it is different than any kicker I have used.

[Bayside]

the High thrust motors generally have a lower gear ratio, which should troll slower at idle speeds but give you more torque when you have to "goose it". Hope that helps!

[FROGMAN]

As the other post's have already stated the blade does not have much pitch so that it will give more bite when you give it the throttle. If I'm not mistaken high thrust designs were originally created for use as auxilliary engines on sailboats. They had the need for thrust while maneuvering at slow speeds. Hope this helps you understand. I know I won't hesitate to order another one!

Tight Lines

Keith Segar
NPAA #260

[T-Mac]

Hi Thrust means just that.
These motors turn out thrust comparable to much larger motors.
Why ?
Because they are geared lower and use a very large diameter, and large bladed prop with not much pitch to it. (which also has 80% as much thrust in reverse as forward)
Liken it to having your 4X4 truck in low range...no speed, but lots of power.

[Gord]

High thrust goes slower and has more bottom end working power but not much top end speed. Its kind of like bull low on an old farm truck or low gear on a bicycle. If you want the ability to troll very slowly....buy high thrust.

[Pitts]

Since we are on the subject of high thrust.
I have a 97 9.9 yammy 4 stroke that is not high thrust it has a small prop. It will idle down very slow almost a standstill and in order to run 2 mph I need to rev it up a bit. Can I put a high thrust prop on and gain better control at slow operation or will I have to change out the lower unit for a different gear ratio in order to run a high thrust.
Has anyone done this and how did it work?

Thanks

Pitts

[T-Mac]

The hub and splines are different.

[Pitts]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-11-01 AT 06:58AM (CST)[p]Thanks T-Mac I thought you would probably know. Can I replace the lower unit and make it work or is the shaft length to the motor different and bolt holes to bolt it on changed from a non high thrust.

Thanks for the info it saves me having to drive a long distance because all I have close is Rosemount Marine who have changed there name to Rilar Marine and I know you have seen the slams they get and they are all true.
I sure wish you were in MN LOL

Thanks

Pitts