Looking to buy a 14-16 foot aluminum jon or v hull boat to fish and play on the Tennessee River and a few local lakes. Which size 15-25 horsepower, what stroke 2 or 4, and which brand of outboard Nissan or Mercury is best(or other)? We have always had inboard/outboard runabouts but sold them, I just want an inexpensive, low maintenance boat to fish and hunt off of.

Thanks in advance as I know little about smaller boats.

My 2 cents: go with what your local dealer services. No point in getting a brand where the parts and service dealer is hundreds of miles off.

Both Nissan and Merc are good, my personal preference would be Nissan, Honda in 4 cycle.
Art in Wyoming

I'd go with the 4 stroke.The fuel savings will pay for the price difference quickly,at today's gas prices.I've got a 25 Evinrude on a 16' jon,and it's a gas pig!I've heard the same from other guys with the same rig.I had a 50 Merc on a heavier boat that went farther on gas.
MY friend has a 25 Merc,4 stroke,on a slightly heavier boat than mine.We went out last week crabbing;launched together,ran together,and than ran our trotlines close together.When we got back to the ramp,I had maybe 1/2 gallon left (out of 6).He had better than 3 gallons left.
Get a 4 stroke-what ever dealer close to you has the best reputation/price.

Down here on the coast Merc has the distinction/reputation of being the least reliable outboard one can buy. We see very few small ones of any brand, though, as small boats are dangerous on the bay when the wind kicks up.

Lots of Nissan/Tohatsu motors though...they are especially favored by some commercial guys due to the price.

IIRC, Merc's 4 cylinders are/were Yamaha powerheads on a Merc chassis, and Evinrude/Johnson's 4cyl is a Suzuki. FWIW.

My 2003 Johnson 150 has been a great motor thus far, once the dealer got it tuned right (post breakin).

Yamaha has the rep as the most reliable around here with the guides, and saltwater use is about the hardest you will find.

Do some quick math...the extra $$$ for a 4 stroke (in larger motors I looked at recently) would take well over 1000 hours of operation to break even, even at todays gas prices. Given the small amount of gas small motors use, that ration could be different. It's worth the 5 minutes it takes to do.

Good luck!

Thanks all for the input. Yamaha has gotten more positive feedback than anyother by far from everyone I have asked. I believe that is the direction I will go. Also, sounds like 4 stroke is the winner.

Best Regards,

H4L

All Yamaha or Merc 4 strokes are great ! No fouled spark plugs, You don't have to inhale gas fumes. The new EFI motors are by far the best and most reliable. The first four strokes from Yamaha and Merc. had lots of problems.( crank seals, fuel pumps, lower units) Don't buy any of the old ones, ever if they come with warranty. If you buy a EFI motor remember you MUST have a water separator and clean corrosion free battery connections. Most outboard problems a owner caused. Buy a Yamaha or Merc. from a dealer who will service it.

Thats a hard question,I have owned most all and have had good success with all,the Yamaha was the least fuel effecient but had a lower water pickup so I could run in shallow water,was #1 that year for customer satisfaction when I bought it in 85.I'm sold on 4 strokes and owned a Honda that you could not tell if it was running or not,super quite and smooth.My next motor will most likely be a Merc 25 hp 4 stroke.Drop-Shot

Johnson or Evinrude, you will never regret buying either.

I have the Mercury.

If you want a reliable motor that is easy to start get anything other than a Mercury.

Based on my experience with two different Mercury motors the Nissan, Yamaha or Johnson/Evinrude would all be better than the Mercury.

I just bought a very similar rig to what you are looking at: A 14-foot Crestliner (same as a Lowe) modified V welded aluminum jon-boat, with a 2005 15-horse Johnson two-stroke. I have only had it out once to start the break-in, as it has either been raining like hell or cold as a witch's you-know-what. But I think I am going to be real happy with the rig. I had heard that the 15 might not have enough poop, but with two adults and a full tank of gas, it pops right up on plane and goes fast enough that you had better hang on in a tight turn.
The boat is olive drab, and I expect to get lots fish scales and duck blood on it.