“A tiller-outboard-engine operator is typically a very serious angler. They’re accomplished on the water and realize the benefits of that tiller handle.”
That’s Scott Glorvigen’s perspective on anglers who use tillers. He’s a champion multi-species angler and hunter who has run tiller handle outboards for more than 35 years. That’s also Mercury’s perspective, which is why we set out to create a model that exceeds the expectations of even the most accomplished tiller-handle fanatics. The result is the Mercury Marine 40 – 115hp tiller.
Glorvigen runs a Mercury 75hp FourStroke outboard on an Alaskan 1800 from Lund and says they’re a perfect match.
Tiller-handle Operation vs Remote Control
Before going into the benefits of 40 - 115hp tiller, he laid out some real-world examples of why he chooses tiller-handle operation over a remote control.
“Let’s say I’m fishing a technique that requires me to crawl my bait on the bottom,” he said. “If there are waves and I’m on the front deck of my boat running the trolling motor, the bow of the boat is rising and dropping. The stern of the boat stays much lower, so the tiller approach avoids having to compensate for that constant up and down action. It’s also much easier to collect waterfowl decoys when moving backward in the water slowly toward them.”
The Highlights of the 40 - 115hp Tiller
The features on the all-new 40 – 115hp tiller are numerous, he said, breaking them down into three major highlights: sleek design, adjustability, and a heated handle.
“The sleek design of this new tiller handle is an eye-catcher, but the best part about it for me is that it takes up less space in the back of the boat,” said Glorvigen. “Backing into waves while bottom-fishing for walleye or collecting waterfowl decoys makes you appreciate that extra space.”
Glorvigen is also a big fan of how adjustable the new tiller is.
The Adjustability of the 40 - 115hp Tiller
“The adjustability of this tiller handle, offering angle adjustments from side-to-side, up-and-down, and even allowing the ability to operate with whichever hand you prefer is extremely helpful,” he said. “Let’s say I’m creeping along fishing the bottom. My right hand is holding the rod, and my left hand is running the tiller while looking at my electronics. If I needed to switch the throttle and shifter around to allow for a more comfortable operation with my other hand, I could do that. This feature allows for lots of flexibility setting up the boat.
“To provide comfort and control while I’m running down the lake, this new tiller handle has three levels of up and down adjustment through an auto-tilt-lock system along with a down-stop angle micro-adjustment knob. I can safely and easily click the tiller into the three different vertical angles to accommodate trimming the engine while running on plane or shallow water operations. It’s the best tiller for people of all shapes and sizes. It also provides the most side-to-side or ‘yaw’ adjustment in the market, allowing operators to move the tiller to a more comfortable position of their choosing.”
The tiller arm’s side-to-side angle is adjustable up to 18° port and starboard from the center position in 6° increments. The tiller provides seven total side-to-side adjustment positions.
“One more thing about tiller anglers – they’re usually going to be the first boats on the water at the beginning of the season and the last ones to come off at the end of the season,” said Glorvigen. “That’s where the heated handle comes into play.”
Mercury’s new heated grip option for the 40 – 115hp tiller is an industry-first that provides three temperature levels of adjustment.
“Typically, in cold weather, I’m wearing gloves and you can certainly feel the heat through the gloves,” said Glorvigen. “I think you could heat up food at that highest level! Hard-core anglers and hunters are going to love this feature!”
An additional standard feature on the new 40 – 115hp tiller is Troll Control, which allows the operator to make industry-leading rpm adjustments of +/- 10.
“The ability to finetune the speed of your presentation is unparalleled,” said Glorvigen.
Additional Features and Points of Interest
The Mercury 40 – 115hp tiller also boasts an integrated Engine Warning Display that includes visual and audible warnings for engine oil, temperature, electrical and other lesser faults, or if the operator’s safety lanyard becomes disconnected.
One exciting piece of news for all tiller fans is the ability to retrofit the new tiller. The new 40 – 115hp tiller is compatible with the 40 – 60hp FourStroke engine family built since 2006, and the 75 – 115hp EFI FourStroke family of engines built since 2014.
Perhaps the new Mercury 40 – 115hp tiller can help you become more successful on the water and help you enjoy more days at the helm.