Do I need a battery for an Electric start outboard?

[Memelado]

I am going to buy a brand new 15hp mercury 4 stroke with electric start and pull start included. I dont want to use the electric start though, as I dont want to have to lug around a battery. I am only buying this outboard because they have it on sale. My question is can I just pull start with no battery connected?Will not having a battery connected damage the alternator/ are there any other concerns I should be aware of?

[Frankly]

I bought a 20 hp Tohatsu last year (fuel injection). Tohatsu is suposidly mfg of small Mercs. I can hand crank (takes a couple of hard pulls to charge up for the fuel injection). I mounted a motorcycle battery and Blue Sea battery switch in a battery box. Fits neatly under the seat on my 13ft Whaler. Sure is nice to just push that little button and go roaring off.


Don't think not having a battery will harm anything (other than your bod).

Frankly

[Wotname]

Welcome aboard CF, Memelado.

You should be OK but check with the salesperson or get a copy of the operating manual.

I have never seen an alternator that can be harmed by operating with no battery (at start up) but there is always a first for everything. Conventional alternators do not self excite at start up so it should never try to output any current.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Memelado

I am going to buy a brand new 15hp mercury 4 stroke with electric start and pull start included. I dont want to use the electric start though, as I dont want to have to lug around a battery. I am only buying this outboard because they have it on sale. My question is can I just pull start with no battery connected?Will not having a battery connected damage the alternator/ are there any other concerns I should be aware of?

We had an electric-start Suzuki DF-15A... and we could pull-start it. I don't know if the battery had to be there or not.

We liked having the battery, since that meant wifey could start the outboard. The battery we chose was a small AGM, weighed something like 14 lbs or some such...

-Chris

[valhalla360]

Had a 2007 Mercury 25hp with this setup...it didn't care if there was a battery or not. I doubt it's an issue.

But either call Mercury or ask the salesman to see the manual. If I tell you it's fine and it destroys the engine, I'm going to shrug. If Mercury tells you it's fine, you have a warranty claim to fix it.

[s/v Jedi]

Y’all would be wrong and likely end up with a ruined system.

Questions like these do not belong here; the manual is the authoritative source of information, not the opinions of people on a forum

Here’s a $39 small battery that works great and can be stuffed anywhere: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Y’all would be wrong and likely end up with a ruined system.

Questions like these do not belong here; the manual is the authoritative source of information, not the opinions of people on a forum

[/URL]

Padawan...I sense a lot of anger in you.

[ewf]

Check the manual, small outboards with a starter only have a rectifier and with no load the voltage will rise too high and blow out the rectifier.... Use a small battery and you are fine.

[captstu]

I had that model. Hard, bit possible to start by hand. A small, inexpensive sealed motorcycle battery made it easy.

[Frankly]

I decided to get out my owners manual (still in the original plastic bag). My first comment is there are obviously too many lawyers on this planet. The only warning I did not see was " Do not try to floss your teeth by sticking the prop in your mouth" , don't know how they missed that one.

No mention in either starting section or battery section about requiring a battery connection.

One interesting side note the 9.9, 15, and 20 HP all weigh the same which says they probably all are using the same block. Bet they don't all carry an identical price tag.


The 20 is a great little engine and will run circles around the old Johnson 35 2 stroke (go figure)

Frankly

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Frankly

I decided to get out my owners manual (still in the original plastic bag). My first comment is there are obviously too many lawyers on this planet. The only warning I did not see was " Do not try to floss your teeth by sticking the prop in your mouth" , don't know how they missed that one.

No mention in either starting section or battery section about requiring a battery connection.

One interesting side note the 9.9, 15, and 20 HP all weigh the same which says they probably all are using the same block. Bet they don't all carry an identical price tag.


The 20 is a great little engine and will run circles around the old Johnson 35 2 stroke (go figure)

Frankly

The image I posted is straight out of the 20hp efi manual, page 130

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by Frankly

I decided to get out my owners manual (still in the original plastic bag). My first comment is there are obviously too many lawyers on this planet. The only warning I did not see was " Do not try to floss your teeth by sticking the prop in your mouth" , don't know how they missed that one.

No mention in either starting section or battery section about requiring a battery connection.

One interesting side note the 9.9, 15, and 20 HP all weigh the same which says they probably all are using the same block. Bet they don't all carry an identical price tag.


The 20 is a great little engine and will run circles around the old Johnson 35 2 stroke (go figure)

Frankly

Yeah, don't blame you - I'd rather eat a bowl of saw dust for breakfast than read those danged things

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The image I posted is straight out of the 20hp efi manual, page 130

Page 130? Holy Cow! This is just a users manual for a simple product - not War and Peace.

[alansmith]

Memelado, this is just sensible advice, make sure your new outboard is fuel injected and sans carburetor. The difference between most 10 hp and 20 hp units is the chip and the jetting. I wouldn’t own a small outboard in this area unless it had pull start and electric start. My 10 hp Suzuki is not hard to start by pull.

You can get a small motorcycle battery that is lithium. My two bikes ... a 750 Suzuki, full on race bike and my heavy hitter 1340cc Haysbusa Had them and they are big engines compared to a small outboard. I think the batteries were like 4-6 lbs.

Think of it like this.... what if you need to get out of Dodge City in a hurry and you can’t get that mother started! What if you are feeling under the weather and just ain’t got the oommpphh that morning? What if you took a fall and injured something on the right arm(like finger...or wrist ... or elbow... or shoulder) and now you are trying to pull the starter cord with non dominant hand. Try it sometime... it ain’t that easy.

See what the price spread is between Suzuki and merc. I think fuel injected is worth a few extra shillings.

[lvictorlucas]

Use a super capacitor instead. It is very small and light while giving you the option to electric start or elect prime while protecting the alternator from voltage spikes while requiring no field winding switch and will work on any motor or alternator. It also provides a backup to charge your phone or run a 12V LED light.