Outboard motor help

[jthielm]

Any input is appreciated:

I am looking at either buying a 2008 Yamaha 25hp 2stroke or a 2009 Evinrude Etech 40 hp. Obviously there is a pretty signifacant price difference in the two. I have a Tracker Grizzly 1654 and am concerned about the 25hp being able to push it along quick enough. What do you all think? Help me decide one way or the other.

 

[bassboy1]

You are making this one easy. If it were a choice between the Etec 25, and a Yammy 40, it would be a tougher choice for me, but in your case, I would have to go Etec 40 hands down. It is clearly a much more modern motor. It has emissions ratings better than most 4 strokes, so it will be the last to be banned in lakes, as well as it will be a much superior trolling motor than the Yammadinger. Most importantly, if the option is to max out the hp of the boat, or get a lesser hp in a more desirable brand, I would still likely recommend getting the max hp, as if you didn't you will wish you did. Go Etec.

 

[lowesam]

better to have more power than you need, than to have less than you would like, i have a 9.9 e-rude four stroke on my 14footer, and i really wish it was a 20 or 25 horse.

 

[Rumbles1960]

I just picked up my Grizzly 1448 AWL today ( I will post pics soon) and it is rated for 25hp max well I cannot believe the size of this boat. I bought it from pictures and from what I read about it and when I saw it it was much larger than I was expecting. I'm happy about it but now I won't consider anything less than a 25hp it's max hp rating now. In fact I may sneek a 30 on their and change the decals to 25hp. I suggest putting on the max hp on your grizzly these are big heavy boats.

 

[Zum]

Unless you plan on taking it off alot and carrying it.
40hp all the way.

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

i'd go for the 4stroke

 

[YamahaC40Guy]

I've never used an ETEC, but have had an Evinrude motor. I don't have anything against Evinrudes, but would pick the Yamaha for sure. (my username is a giveaway!) If you have any doubt, look into what motors are used most in remote locations. I've been in too many boats with Mercs./Mariners to know I wasn't getting those, but I approached 3 different marine mechanics with the question about "what to buy" and the answer always came back "Yamaha."

And yes, get the most motor the boat can handle. You don't have to keep it wide open, but the power is there if you need it.

 

[Quackrstackr]

Obviously there is a pretty signifacant price difference in the two.

That's the understatement of the year so far. :mrgreen:

If you have any doubt, look into what motors are used most in remote locations. I've been in too many boats with Mercs./Mariners to know I wasn't getting those, but I approached 3 different marine mechanics with the question about "what to buy" and the answer always came back "Yamaha."

:roflmao: :roflmao:

and what motor is the brand of choice in the most remote locations? Where would you even find that information? I would suspect that the reliability is a factor but it probably also depends on parts availability in that situation (I would also suspect that the choice might not be any of the brands we run stateside).

There's nothing wrong with most of the major brands. Some of them are better than others in given hp ranges.

Yamahas tend to run small on the cubic inch per hp side where Mercury runs the opposite in some hp ranges.

The etechs are good motors since they worked the bugs out of them, to my understanding.

 

[bassboy1]

If you have any doubt, look into what motors are used most in remote locations.

And yes, get the most motor the boat can handle. You don't have to keep it wide open, but the power is there if you need it.

I am curious to hear what the numbers of each brand are used in "remote locations." Because in my area, it certainly ain't Yamaha.

Evinrude got a bad rap when they stupidly introduced the FICHT fuel injection. Since then, OMC went under, and BRP now owns them, and really kept the name and not much else. The Etec is nothing like any of the past Evinrudes. I have a feeling that Direct Injection will be the industry standard pretty soon, as people craving performance will not buy 4 stroke, and traditional 2 strokes are out. That carbed Yammy motor is getting to be old technology. While I am a big fan of older carbed outboards, I would not buy a new one. Too much threat for banning of them everywhere, and as much as I hate to say this, the new technology is an improvement.

DO max out your hp, either way.
However, it is of my opinion, that if you can swing the funds for the Etec, you will be happy with it. I would be leery of the 25 and 30 horse models for the next 2 years or so, as every manufacture of anything need some time to work out the bugs, but the 40 has been out long enough to be just fine.

 

[Captain Ahab]

BassBoy - my 2000 Merc 150 Optimax are direct injection. Most motors over 90 hp have been direct injection since the late 1990s


I take it you were referring to smaller motors?

 

[bassboy1]

BassBoy - my 2000 Merc 150 Optimax are direct injection. Most motors over 90 hp have been direct injection since the late 1990s


I take it you were referring to smaller motors?

Yes. It wasn't phrased well the way I had it. Most large motors are either DI or 4 stroke. It is the smaller ones I am talking about, especially once they make them a little lighter (will have a definite advantage over 4 strokes then.

 

[Specknreds]

Might as well through my 2 cents in.

I will never buy a 2-stroke again. I am a 4 stroke fanatic. Say what you want, but I have know switched 4 boats from 2-strokes to 4-strokes, 250hp, 115hp, 75hp, and a 25hp. I more than double my fuel milage, I can tell little difference in performance, no more buying or worrying about mixing oil (which is going sky high), and they are super quiet. Yes they are heavier, more on the lines of your boat, I switched a 25 2-stroke to a 25 4-stroke on my 1448 Alweld.

Comparison with 2- 240lb guys, 8 gallons of gas, TM w/battery, diamond plate floor, and 120 qt ice chest w/20+lbs ice.
-----------------Yamaha 25hp 2-stroke 90lbs ?+/- --------Yamaha 25hp 4-stroke 170lbs +/-
top speed GPS----29MPH----------------------------------29/30MPH
fuel consumption--50+/- miles 6gals ------------------------90+ miles on under 6 gallons

Comparison empty
2-stroke 34MPH and 4-stroke 32MPH

The biggest performance difference I see is loaded and empty MPH on the 4rs. The 4rs seem to me like a diesel truck, They run the same empty or loaded. The 2's have a little higher top end.

E-tecs- I work for a marine defenece contractor who makes a wide range of commercial boats. If they are outboard powered, they have used Yamaha since they started until 07'. In 07' evinrude made a deal with them and they installed e-tecs for about 6 months when the first one started having trouble. Now every boat that went out in that time frame has already had to be repowered (switched to Yamaha).
I live on the Gulf Coast where a large percentage of the people make their living on the water putting hundreds or hours a year on them. In some spots the boats out number the cars. If you ride around here, I challenge you to find one e-tec out of every 150 outboards on a commercial boats. I have owned Evinrudes in the past and I think that they made great motors 20 years ago. Don't forget that this is just my opinion based on first hand experience. You can ask 1000 people their opinion and get a 1000 different answers. Simply said, I don't trust them or Evinrudes warranty.

I also have twin - 225hp 2 - stroke Mercs. They came on a boat that we bought and I've yet to have a problem with them.

I am a die-hard Yamaha fan. I spent over 500 hours on the water last year and I don't trust anything else.

Like I said, this is my opinion.

 

[YamahaC40Guy]

Hey bassboy/Quackrstackr, by "remote" I wasn't referring to rural America, I was thinking more along the lines of remote/isolated countries and lodges. Commercial operations that rely on their outboard motors to make a living. In my line of work (in combination with my own time on the water) I deal with fishing lodge owners, guides, fishing pro-staffers for tackle reps. etc. etc., and Yamaha's are the go-to engines. Like I said in my first post in this thread, I don't have anything against Evinrudes specifically and haven't owned an ETEC so perhaps my frame of reference is limited. However, last season alone, I ended-up towing 3 stranded boats to shore and 2/3 had new-looking Mercury 4 strokes on them. (The third had an inboard..I didn't ask :wink: ) My boat looks like a tin can compared to these big flashy-looking glass boats but still, there was a '99 Yamaha doing what they couldn't on those days.

Bottom line~I'm no expert on outboards so feel free to poke some fun at my opinions on the matter if you like. I do rely on my boat/motor and spend a ton of time on the water. I'm not the one struggling to get my boat started at the launch, nor does my motor complain in nasty/cold weather or the opposite extreme summer heat. I've never needed a tow, but have provided many. Like everyone else, I have my favorite brand I guess.

Cheers
Rob