Question of Explorer Merc Combo

[mizzoumarbleeye]

Hi All,

New member here that is looking to upgrade from my old 95 Laker/40 hp 2 stroke to an 2004 or newer Explorer 1600 or similar. Finding a nice boat of this vintage is the easier part but I'm concerned about earlier model 4 strokes. A couple of questions. Is a 60 hp 4 stroke enough motor for this boat? I'm looking for roughly 30 mph with a couple of people and average gear load. Second, does anyone have good, or not so good feedback on 2005 Merc 60 EFI motors? Others? From what I read, it looks like the 2003-2006 timeframe is when manufacturers switched from carbs to EFI.

Any experiences and feedback greatly appreciated!

[Hot Runr Guy]

Back in 2006, I went shopping for a 1600/1700 Explorer tiller, and ended-up with a 1700. Put a 2005 Mercury 60 4S on it (which has EFI) and was disappointed in the performance. Sold the 60, put a 75 Opti, and ran it for 4 more years.

Fast forward to 2012, sold the 1700, ordered a 1650 Rebel XS tiller which, size-wise, is nearly identical to the 1600 Exp you're looking at. Current rig has a 60 4S on it, and equipped with a 13" pitch 4-blade Spitfire prop, can hit 34mph with just me in the boat, and planes OK with 2 guys.

If you're satisfied with 30mph, I'd probably drop down to a 12" Spitfire, watch the WOT rpms, and enjoy the rig.

HRG

[T Mac]

Welcome aboard... Mizzou.

Part of the answer depends on the engine brand, too.
As I recall, the 2004, Lund 1600 Explorer ran 30+/- with a Yamaha 60 four stroke.(?)
Pretty sure, however, the same boat with a BF60 Honda was slower.

I think most of the new 4 strokes perform better than those made 10-12 years ago. Same for boat models.

For example:
A newer Lund 1650 Rebel with a newer version Merc.60 four stroke runs better speed than that.
Even the new Lund 1750 Rebel XL runs 30+mph with that engine, too.

If you can try one out... take your hand held GPS with and see how she goes.

Again... welcome to Walleye Central.

[mizzoumarbleeye]

While I think I can spot a boat in good condition, I have less confidence in my ability to identify a good motor. All things considered dependability trumps speed for me. Probably true for most of us. I hear good things about the carbureted Hondas (pre-2006?) and even better about the newer models with EFI. I also read that the Mercs of the same vintage with EFI are strong motors and I'm sure that others are good choices as well. I just haven't researched.

Once I find the right Explorer (2004-2007) or Rebel (2009-2013) with a 60 or better I'll pull the trigger. They seem to be similarly priced for used boats and each a solid choice.