Propane Powered Outboard
- This topic has 6 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated Sep 3, 2013 at 8:39 pm by
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http://golehr.com/lehr-marine/
Has anyone had any experience with these propane powered motors? I am thinking of buying the 5hp for my gheenoe. I need something to get my boat through sloughs, ditches, and some really tight places. It is a very light motor compared to my 90 pound 15/9.9 I have now.
When the going gets tough, the tough go fishing.
This is the first time I had heard of this kind of motor.
My Gheenoe has an 8hp 4-stroke Mercury on it. It will run ~3 hours on its three gallon tank at full blast, going about 15 mph.
Figure the gas is $3.50 a gallon so that’s $10.50 roughly for a full tank.
Assuming that website is reasonably accurate, they’re claiming 5 hours of 4600 rpm use (full speed, I gather, and slightly less than the “5000-6000 rpm” claimed by Mercury) on a 9.9hp propane engine using a regular grill tank. I filled my propane tank up the other day for $17.50 or so. Those are very close equivalents between gas and propane. Cost new is $3k for a Lehr 9.9 versus about $2300-2500 for the gas motor.
Very interesting though. My 8hp weighs about 85 pounds. I have had to take heroic measures to offset that weight since the Gheenoe was really designed for a 2-stroke, which is about 55 pounds for comparison. (I use a tiller extension, a jack plate, and trim tabs, all of which have helped).
However it looks like the Lehr 9.9hp at 87.7 pounds is about the same as the Mercury 9.9 hp at 84 lbs. Is the idea that you save weight on the fuel load? Gasoline weighs six pounds a gallon, which is 18 lbs in my 3 gallon tank. That’s very close to the 20 lbs. of the grill tank option–but the grill tank does get you about 40% more range.
Zach
Well I was leaning towards the 5hp for those small hard to get into places I fish a lot. I do not think it will save a single penny. If anything it will be more expensive. I am trying to find a motor alternative that is light and the ethanol in the gasoline does not foul up. I have to have my 15hp johnson carburetor cleaned yearly. I am using stabilizer and keep new gas but my motor progressively runs like crap as time goes on. Propane seems like a cleaner alternative and a small 5hp will get me where I want to go faster than a trolling motor.
When the going gets tough, the tough go fishing.
Billy –
I know exactly what you mean. FWIW I cleaned my motor up a lot and improved both starting and idle performance simply by dumping an entire bottle of carburetor cleaner into my gas and running it through. I plan to do this once a year going forward to keep the gunk buildup to a minimum.
Zach
FYI……
Here’s a comprehensive state-by-state listing of gas stations that sell ethanol free gasoline:
Steve –
One thing about that list: Metro Atlanta has a fuel standard that requires stations within a certain radius to sell ethanol gas. I am not sure whether the fuel standard actually helps promote clean air or whether it is a sop to the corn lobby, but either way, we Atlantans are kind of hosed.
I am pretty sure the outfit selling gas in Marietta is skirting the standard somehow – I know it’s not a proper gas station but some kind of refinery type deal.
Zach
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