ha ha

Mostly Calaveras or Braunig.

That 2.5 Mercury weighs 37 pounds.

Dan - this is no laughing matter

I never fished much when I lived in SA but I have heard good things about both of them.

That rig you got looks like it could handle it. The wind would be a big problem for me because I have such a low draft to my boat. I checked the ID plate on my boat and it will handle a 5 hp motor but it limits out on weight at 560 lbs total.

I believe the 2.5 Mercury/Mariner 2 stroke from the 1990's and 2000's only weighs 28 pounds.

I got a 10' Bass Hunter, got a 3 HP Merc with built in gas tank. Works great, gas motor gets me across lakes and saves TM battery. I usually fish the smaller lakes up here in OK or certain arms of the bigger lakes. Also if I am fishing alone the weight of the gas motor counters my weight up front and the boat sets better in the water.

i ran a 5hp yamaha on mine back in 1987 held up ok

I run a Tanaka 300 3hp outboard on back of my 8'er & a modified 40lb thrust Minn Kota up front.I use a small 12v batt to power the Minn Kota and Graphs with no problems.

Hello All, I just stumbled across your great fishing site! I recently purchased a 10� bass raider from Academy in Killeen and have been fishing Ft Hood, but after fishing Belton yesterday would like to extend my range on the water with a small outboard. Does anyone have some insight on what to look for in a used engine and a decent place to buy one? I can�t predict my bingo battery power for return� lol
Hooked

Is the 2.5hp a better choice for the 10�? I was looking at a 3.5 but looking at the pontoon design I don�t think that an extra 1hp would help due to the in inefficacy of the design, maybe just with fuel consumption.

I think the 2.5 and 3.5 engines have the same displacement, just a slightly different carb set up. If that is the case, I would get the 3.5 hp engine. If you can, borrow someone's outboard and see how your boat performs with it.

2.5 and 3.5 are the same motor, difference is that the 2.5 has a plate to "slow" down gas consumption,thus lowering horsepower. I have used 2 hp evinrude, 5 hp briggs, 2 hp cruise and carry, as well as 3 hp tanaka/aquabug, and a 2 hp 4 stroke honda. 5hp causes the plastic to bend too much, and same with the Honda, lots of torque.
The cruise and carry is 12 lbs. All of the above with the exception of the evinrude are air cooled. The Briggs does cause vibration, but a nice motor regardless.

Good luck, and one more thing, make sure you get a title if you buy used. Yes any boat with any type or propulsion requires a title. No matter the size.

A couple of things to consider on outboards.

The 2 stroke will weigh less than the 4 stroke. This make a difference not only on overall weight of you rig but consider carrying and mounting everytime you go out.

Also look for a unit that has a built in tank. This will save room on your floor. Even though the tanks are small on the built in units they use very little gas. My 1/3 gallon tank goes a long way before refueling.

Water cooled units are quieter than air cooled. Don't know if that matters much to you. However, you need make sure the impeller is alway working on the water cooled.

I bought my 2.5 Merc on Craig's List. Got it for $150. You can also look on Ebay. Bought a 4hp Johnson on Ebay for $250 with shipping. Give yourself some time if you are looking to get a good deal, they are out there.

10' bass raider, what is the best way to mount nav lights