Comparing the Mercury Racing 60R and Formula Race on a Tuff 16: What is the Best 60 HP Outboard?
In the world of high performance boats we often overlook the little engines and boats but because I’m obsessed and really love small efficient boats, we’re going to look at a great comparison between two neat little engines on one of the coolest little boats ever made, the Tuff 16. Tuff Marine has been making their little 16 for over ten years now and making a little boat like the Tuff 16 has been a great marketing exercise for the custom builder. The mini speedster shows off the companies design skills and is a great option for younger boaters, who then upgrade to a bigger boats down the road. In Tuff’s home province of Ontario Canada, there is a gang of these that cruise around. Thomas Weigl was kind enough to share a preliminary report comparing the new Mercury Racing 60R and the Formula Race 60, on the same boat. Similar outboards with different characteristics. Let’s take a look.
In some ways the the 60R should be a perfect match on the Tuff 16, but a few details hold it back.
This particular Tuff 16 was in the shop for a refurbishment and it’s a special one. Done in the colors of Mark Weigl’s old Skater race boat, and the hull is all carbon, making it really strong and light. The original boat was setup with a Mercury Racing Formula Race 60, a race only outboard primarily built for racing F4 tunnels in Europe. Utilizing the popular little 4 cylinder 60 HP Mercury, with a 15” midsection and solid racing mounts. Weighing in around 245 Lbs, the Formula Race is a cool and rare little engine. On the back of the Tuff 16, this boat hit 64 MPH, which is phenomenal. In a world where you can buy 450 HP outboards and strap them on to just about anything and move pretty fast, the efficiency factor is what I care about and the Tuff 16, like all Tuff boats, is extremely efficient.
This boat was designed after Mark Weigl’s original Skater race boat “Tuff n’ Uff”, seen here with the Racing Formula 60.
So when the boat came back to Tuff for a repower and update, this was a the rare chance for a back to back test. Thomas remarked that the original Formula Race 60s seemed to have more power than other 60 HPs, and the solid mounts make a huge difference in the handling, plus they are indestructible, where the rubber mounts wear out very fast when run hard like these are. This is where the new 60R disappoints. Upon testing, the engine seemed to lack the power of the Formula 60. The 60R has a larger gearcase, it’s the larger command thrust case with 2.33 gears which is optional on a standard 60, and this hurts the top speed performance. Additionally, the Mercury Racing 60R doesn’t have the solid mounts that the Formula does. Upon measuring, the 60R also is not a true 15” mid because it has a spacer, making it a 18”. Thomas figured it might have a spacer to accommodate the CT gearcase, and I think he’s probably right.
Not many boats of any size have the sleek lines and proportions of the 16. Tuff has done an incredible job keeping a theme between all their boat designs that makes them recognizable and distinct.
With a noticeable reduction in power compared to the 2014 and previous Formulas, the 60R didn’t perform up to snuff. The fat gearcase also slowed it down, with the boat reaching 54 MPH. The biggest complaint was the soft rubber mounts. The bigger gearcase should be more durable, as the smaller case on the Formula is prone to failure, but it has more drag and the 2.33 gears aren’t ideal, although the rev limiter is raised to 6,300 RPM to accommodate a bit.
The lack of solid mounts is one missing ingredient of a true performance outboard. Solid mounts are rigidity, steering, and longevity.
Although the Formula 60 is hard to get, Tuff probably has run more of them than anyone in North America, the little competition engine is hard to beat. The 60R is more of a consumer engine with the R decal. Effectively, you’d be better off with the regular 60 and standard 1.83 gears and try to get solid mounts for it. But the shorter mid section is really nice for smaller boats. The 60R is definitely made more for the little flats boats that aren’t really that fast and need the shorter mid and acceleration the 60R provides. We did an article about a Hell’s Bay running one and that’s the perfect boat for it. Link to article here.
The Formula Race is a little more hardcore than the 60R and is the perfect match on a Tuff 16. Thomas really likes the Suzuki 60 among the new engines, and always liked the old 2 stroke Yamahas, along with the Evinrude 60.
I think if you could source the solid mounts, the 60R might be worth it on the right boat, the R decal and shorter mid definitely has a cool factor. In some instances, a standard 60 with 1.83 gears is still a good option.
Other considerations are the Yamaha 60 HP, it’s almost identical spec wise to the Mercury, 247 Lbs, 1.85 gears, 6000 RPM. Both Mercury and Yamaha are plentiful on the used market too. Yamaha also makes a 70 HP model based on the 1.0L 4 cyl with a different valvetrain and intake, with a little more power, they add lower 2.33 gears and a higher RPM of 6300. Keep in mind, the ratio is key; a 6,000 RPM with 1.85 gears is advantageous for top speed over a 6300 RPM with 2.33 gears because you’re able to turn that prop shaft faster. And with these four strokes, try to get your RPM the highest you can, they make power at the top of the RPM range often.
The Suzuki 60 is the lightest in the class. The 90 seen here is also the lightest 90 on the market.
Suzuki also makes a nice little 60 HP that is the lightest of the bunch, 230 Lbs and a 6300 RPM range but with low 2.27 gears. With 3 cylinders and only slightly less displacement, the little Suzuki is a great little economic option. Thomas actually said this was his favorite of the bunch. Nothing wrong with the Honda 60 HP either, also a 3 cyl, 240 Lbs and a decent 2.07 gear ratio.
Now if only more boat companies were like Tuff and we had a better selection of cool little hot rods on the water. Thanks to Thomas Weigl from Tuff Marine for sharing the information and some of the photos for the article. Find more at Tuff Marine.
Even a 40 HP runs extremely well on the little Tuff, getting 40+ MPH. (photo credit: endlessboating.com).
