Last reviewed: 2026-05-09 > Quick answer: For a 15-16 ft aluminum boat with two adults and a kicker, pick the Mercury 40 ELPT FourStroke. Step up to the 60 ELPT for 17-18 ft aluminum, three or four people aboard, or a small pontoon. Choose 60 Command Thrust for 18-20 ft...
Last reviewed: 2026-05-09
Quick answer: For a 15-16 ft aluminum boat with two adults and a kicker, pick the Mercury 40 ELPT FourStroke. Step up to the 60 ELPT for 17-18 ft aluminum, three or four people aboard, or a small pontoon. Choose 60 Command Thrust for 18-20 ft pontoons, where the bigger gear ratio gets you on plane loaded. Build a current quote at mercuryrepower.ca.
The 40-60 HP class is the workhorse range for Ontario cottage boating. It's where 15-18 ft aluminum runabouts, small fishing rigs, cottage tenders, and entry-level pontoons live. (14 ft hulls are too short for this class. The capacity plate on most 14 ft boats tops out at 25-30 HP.) Pick the wrong end of the range and you either pay too much for a motor your boat can't use or lug an underpowered motor for the rest of its service life.
We sell both at Harris Boat Works. We rig both. We see customers come back happy with both and occasionally regret the call they made on size. This guide is the conversation we have on the dock when someone asks, "should I just go bigger?"
The honest answer is: not always. Here's how to make the call.
The Real Decision Isn't About HP. It's About Use Case.
The 40 and the 60 are both Mercury FourStroke EFI motors. Both are reliable. Both have the same warranty (3 years limited + 3 years corrosion, concurrent). Both will start in the cold and run for a thousand-plus hours if you change the gear lube.
What separates them is what you're actually going to do with the boat.
A 40 HP motor pushes a 15-16 ft aluminum boat with two people aboard at a comfortable cruise (around 22-25 mph) and tops out near 30 mph. That's a plenty-fast walleye boat or duck-hunting tender. Add a third person, a full tank, and a cooler full of beer and ice, and you're now lugging.
A 60 HP motor on the same hull turns the same trip into a 28-32 mph cruise with capacity for a fourth person and a kicker mounted on a bracket. It also has the headroom to push a 17-18 ft aluminum boat or a small (under 20 ft) pontoon without working hard.
The difference shows up most when the boat is loaded and you're trying to get on plane. That's the moment a 40 starts feeling small.
Specs Side-By-Side
| Spec |
Mercury 40 ELPT FourStroke |
Mercury 60 ELPT FourStroke |
| Powerhead |
3-cylinder, 747 cc |
4-cylinder, 995 cc |
| Weight (long shaft) |
~227 lbs |
~250 lbs |
| Shaft options |
20" (long) standard, 25" (extra-long) for some boats |
20" standard, 25" available |
| Trim |
Power Trim & Tilt |
Power Trim & Tilt |
| Steering |
Remote (cable or hydraulic) |
Remote (cable or hydraulic) |
| Tiller version |
Yes (40 ELHPT) |
Yes (60 ELHPT) |
| Command Thrust gearcase |
Yes (40 ELPT CT) |
Yes (60 ELPT CT, common pontoon pick) |
| Fuel system |
EFI |
EFI |
| Alternator |
18 amp |
25 amp |
| Recommended fuel |
87 octane regular |
87 octane regular |
| WOT range |
5,500-6,000 RPM |
5,500-6,000 RPM |
Two things to pull out of that table.
The 60 weighs about 23 lbs more than the 40. That sounds like nothing, but on a light 15 ft aluminum with a transom already sitting low, those 23 lbs change the resting attitude of the boat at rest. Sometimes that matters (small fishing rig that you launch and re-trim every time), sometimes it doesn't (17+ ft hull with a transom designed for the higher rating).
The 60 has a 4-cylinder powerhead. That's why it's smoother at idle and trolling speed, why it has more amperage for charging electronics, and why it's the better choice if you've got fish-finders, livewells, and a stereo running off the same battery as the kicker.
Performance on Common Ontario Boats
Numbers below are real-world cruise data from boats we've rigged. Conditions matter (wind, load, hull cleanliness) so think of these as ballpark, not guarantees.
A note on 14 ft hulls
A 14 ft aluminum boat is too short for a 40 HP. Most 14 footers are rated for 25-30 HP max on the capacity plate. If you've got a 14 ft hull, you're shopping the 25-30 HP class, not the 40-60. We're happy to quote that separately, but it's not the post you're reading.
15-16 ft aluminum (Lund SSV-16, Princecraft 162, Crestliner FishHawk 1650)
- 40 HP: 28-32 mph WOT with two adults, drops to 24-26 mph cruise with three plus gear. Sweet spot for the 40. A working motor on the right hull.
- 60 HP: 35-38 mph WOT with two adults, comfortable 28-30 mph cruise loaded. Some 16 ft boats are rated for 60 HP, some aren't. Verify the capacity plate before quoting. On a hull rated to 60, this gives you headroom for towing a tube once a year.
17-18 ft aluminum runabout (Princecraft Sport, Lund Adventure)
- 40 HP: Underpowered. The boat is rated for 75-90 HP. A 40 will run, but you'll never plane with the family aboard.
- 60 HP: 32-35 mph WOT, comfortable 26-28 mph cruise. The minimum we'd put on a 17 ft hull. A 60 CT on a heavier 18 ft boat (deep-V, heavy gauge) is a stronger pick.
16-18 ft small pontoon
- 40 HP: Only on a 16 ft pontoon, lightly loaded, and ideally with the Command Thrust gearcase (40 ELPT CT). Even then, plan to plane slowly.
- 60 HP: Fine on 18 ft, the 60 Command Thrust is the popular call here because pontoons reward the bigger gear ratio.
20 ft pontoon
- 60 HP: With Command Thrust, the 60 CT is the minimum you should run on a 20 ft pontoon with four people. Below that, the boat won't plane reliably loaded. We see the consequences (lugging, slow planing, premature wear) every season. Sizing details: Pontoon HP Sizing Decision Tree.
The pattern: as the boat gets bigger or heavier, the case for the 60 (and especially the 60 CT) gets stronger.
The Command Thrust Question
Here's where the 40 vs 60 decision gets interesting. Both motors are available with Mercury's Command Thrust gearcase, which uses a larger lower unit, a longer gear ratio (2.33:1 instead of 2.07:1 on the standard 60), and a bigger prop. Translation: more thrust at low RPM.
You want Command Thrust if your boat is heavy for its length or has a lot of windage (pontoons are the textbook case). You don't need it if you've got a 16 ft aluminum fishing boat that lives at WOT.
| Configuration |
Best for |
When it's overkill |
| 40 ELPT standard |
15-16 ft aluminum, light fishing rigs |
Overkill: never |
| 40 ELPT Command Thrust |
16-18 ft aluminum loaded, small (16-17 ft) pontoon |
If your hull is light and you live at WOT |
| 60 ELPT standard |
16-18 ft aluminum, runabouts, small skiffs |
Pontoon use (you want CT) |
| 60 ELPT Command Thrust |
18-20 ft pontoon, heavy aluminum, loaded family use |
A light 16 ft tinnie at WOT |
The Command Thrust upgrade is about $300-$400 at MSRP. On a pontoon repower, it pays for itself the first weekend you actually plane on the first try.
For the deeper Command Thrust explainer, see our Command Thrust guide for pontoon boats.
Tiller, Remote, Shaft Length, and the Other Configuration Choices
Mercury sells the 40 and 60 in several configurations. The model code tells you what you're getting.
- 40 ELPT = Electric start, Long shaft (20"), Power Trim, remote steering. The default for most repowers.
- 40 ELHPT = Electric start, Long shaft, Hand tiller (with Power Trim). Tiller version, popular on small fishing boats and duck boats.
- 60 ELPT and 60 ELHPT = same idea, scaled up.
- CT suffix = Command Thrust gearcase. So 60 ELPT CT is electric start, long shaft, power trim, remote steering, with Command Thrust.
Shaft length matters and isn't optional. A 20" (long) shaft fits a 20" transom. A 25" (extra-long) shaft fits a 25" transom. Mismatched and the prop either ventilates in air or drags too deep. We measure every transom that comes through the shop. If you're not sure, our outboard shaft length guide walks through the measurement.
Tiller vs remote is mostly a boat-style decision. Small fishing boats and skiffs that benefit from being driven from the rear go tiller. Family runabouts and pontoons go remote with a side console or full helm.
What About the 50?
The 50 ELPT FourStroke exists. It uses the same 4-cylinder powerhead as the 60. In practice it's the 60 with a different ECU map.
So when does it make sense?
- The boat is rated for 50 HP max but not 60 HP (rare, but a few boats are spec'd this way).
- You want the 4-cylinder smoothness and amperage of the 60, but you've got a hull that's marginal for the 60.
For most repowers, the 50 is sandwiched between the better-priced 40 and the more useful 60, and customers usually pick one of those two instead. We stock and quote it, but it's a niche pick.
Cost: All-In Repower Comparison
These are 2026 dealer selling prices in CAD, before HST, before install, and before any trade-in credit. Numbers come from our live Ontario Mercury price guide.
| Motor |
Dealer price |
MSRP |
| 40 ELPT FourStroke |
$9,532 |
$10,830 |
| 40 ELPT Command Thrust |
$9,900 |
$11,250 |
| 50 ELPT FourStroke |
$10,703 |
$12,165 |
| 60 ELPT FourStroke |
$12,161 |
$13,820 |
| 60 ELPT Command Thrust |
$12,469 |
$14,170 |
The price delta from a 40 ELPT to a 60 ELPT is about $2,600. From a 40 ELPT to a 60 ELPT Command Thrust (the popular pontoon spec) is about $2,940.
Add install and rigging. For motors in this class, an HBW repower typically lands at $1,500-$3,000 over the motor list price depending on what the boat needs (controls, gauges, prop, sea trial, fuel line, battery cabling). The full breakdown is in our Mercury controls and rigging guide for Ontario.
So a typical all-in landed price:
- 40 ELPT installed: roughly $11,000-$12,500 CAD before tax
- 60 ELPT installed: roughly $13,500-$15,000 CAD before tax
- 60 ELPT CT installed: roughly $14,000-$15,500 CAD before tax
Trade-in credit on a working older Mercury or Yamaha typically knocks $1,000-$3,000 off depending on age, hours, and condition. For wider repower-cost context, our Mercury repower cost guide for Ontario covers the full HP range.
Why Rice Lake and the Kawarthas Reward the Right HP Pick
Rice Lake is the working laboratory for this decision. We see the 40-60 HP class come through our shop more than any other category, and the lake's quirks expose mistakes.
The lake is shallow and weedy. A 40 HP on a loaded 16 ft aluminum boat that should have a 60 will overheat the impeller pulling weeds in the south basin. We replace those impellers in July and August every season.
Wind picks up fast. A 40 HP on the wrong-sized boat fights chop. By the time you're punching home into a 15-knot west wind off Hiawatha, an underpowered motor is the difference between a 30-minute trip and a 60-minute one.
The Trent-Severn locks south of us reward smaller, more nimble boats. A 16 ft aluminum with a 60 HP is the perfect locking-through size: light enough to handle in the chamber, fast enough to make Peterborough and back in a day. For trip-planning, our Trent-Severn Waterway 2026 guide walks the corridor.
Cottage water is mixed-use. Dad goes fishing in the morning, mom and the kids tube in the afternoon, the whole family runs to Hastings for ice cream after dinner. A 60 with Command Thrust on a small pontoon does all three. A 40 does the morning fish well and the rest poorly.
That mixed-use reality is what tips most customers from the 40 to the 60 once we walk through the actual season ahead.
What HBW Brings Specifically
We've been on Rice Lake since 1947 and a Mercury dealer since 1965. The 40-60 HP class is one of our highest-volume repower categories, which means:
- We've rigged 40s and 60s on every common Ontario boat type, so the fitment questions are answered before you ask them.
- We stock both standard and Command Thrust versions in 40, 50, and 60 HP. Everything in this class is on the lot or available within Mercury Canada's standard order window.
- We publish current pricing live at mercuryrepower.ca/pricing-reference with shaft codes and stock status. Most Ontario dealers don't.
- We rig in our shop, not in your driveway. Every install includes a sea trial before the boat leaves.
- Pickup only at Gores Landing. We don't ship outboards and we don't deliver. The trade-off is that your motor was rigged by a tech who's done a thousand of these.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a 60 HP on a boat that's rated for 40 HP max?
No. The capacity plate on the boat is the federal/manufacturer maximum and exceeding it creates compliance, insurance, liability, and warranty problems. If the plate says 40 HP, the answer is the 40. If you want 60 HP performance, the answer is a different boat, not a bigger motor.
Is the 60 HP enough for a pontoon?
A 60 HP with Command Thrust is the minimum we'd put on a 20 ft pontoon. Below 20 ft and on a lightly-used pontoon, the 60 CT is fine. For 22 ft pontoons or anyone who tows tubes, step up to the 90 CT. Our pontoon HP sizing tree covers this in detail.
What's the fuel economy difference?
At cruise (around 4,000-4,500 RPM), a 40 ELPT pulls roughly 3.5-4 gallons per hour and a 60 ELPT pulls roughly 5-5.5 GPH. Real numbers depend on hull, load, and prop. The 60 burns more fuel in absolute terms, but if it's letting a heavier boat plane efficiently while the 40 would lug, the 60 can actually use less fuel per mile. Right-sized always wins.
Tiller or remote steering: which should I get?
Tiller (ELHPT) for small fishing boats and duck boats where you want to be at the back of the boat with one hand on the throttle. Remote (ELPT) for runabouts, pontoons, and family boats with a console or helm. Most repowers go remote.
Should I buy the Command Thrust upgrade?
Yes if your boat is heavy for its length, has a lot of windage, or you're carrying loads that change a lot (pontoons, family aluminum, anything with a tower). No if you've got a light 15-16 ft aluminum boat that runs near WOT most of the time. For 60 HP on a pontoon, the CT is the default pick.
Will my old controls and gauges work with a new 40 or 60 HP?
Maybe. Mercury changed its connector standards in 2014 and again with the SmartCraft generation. Cable controls from a pre-2014 motor often need a new control box. Tach and gauges need verifying. Our Mercury controls and rigging guide walks the full compatibility matrix.
Do I need to update my Pleasure Craft Licence if I change motor HP?
Yes. A change in motor HP is a change in the boat's record and triggers a PCL update within 30 days. Transport Canada updated the rules effective Dec 31, 2025: 5-year renewals, $24 fee, $250 fine for non-compliance. Details: Pleasure Craft Licence update after a repower.
How long does a Mercury 40 or 60 last?
Both motors will run 1,500-2,500+ hours with normal Ontario seasonal use (50-150 hours per year) and proper maintenance, which is 15-25+ seasons for most cottage owners. The variables that shorten life are skipped impeller replacements, gear lube neglect, and stale ethanol fuel. Our maintenance interval guide covers the schedule.
Ready to Spec Your 40 or 60 Repower?
Build a current quote in about three minutes at our online configurator. You pick the model, shaft, and Command Thrust option. We confirm fitment and the all-in price before you commit.
Or call the shop. The 40-60 HP class is a 10-minute conversation if you can tell us the boat make, length, transom height, and what you do with it.
Phone: 905-342-2153
Configurator: mercuryrepower.ca/quote/motor-selection
Live pricing: mercuryrepower.ca/pricing-reference
Service booking: hbw.wiki/service
Address: 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON, K0K 2E0
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