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Outboard Motors
Posted By Frank Sargeant at Jan 02, 2006 at 07:54 AM
Updated Jan 03, 2006 at 07:55 AM

Q: Dear Frank, I’ve enjoyed reading your columns for many years, and feel disappointed when it is missing on Fridays or Sunday. My question is about outboard motor tests. I’m looking for a new bay boat and motor and I cannot find any information to compare the same boat with different motors, either hp size or manufacturer. I’ve searched many web sites, but haven’t found the right info. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you, Bill

A: Bill - Several of the motor companies have tests on their websites of the same boat with different motors. Yamaha, in particular, has a good site, yamahamarine.com, or you can get there by going yamaha.com and then choosing outboard motors and looking for the test results. I personally like Yamaha a lot, both HPDI and four-stroke, but hear nothing but good things about Honda as well. Merc’s super-charged Verado is also a great motor, though heavier than most. Little advertised but less expensive and very dependable is Suzuki. The jury is still out on Evinrude/Bombardier; they have been thru numerous owners and design changes, and word is they are now making dependable motors at moderate cost, but I have limited personal experience with them. Re bay boats, I shopped around a lot for mine a few years back and finally settled on the SeaPro 2100; solidly built, all the stuff in the right place, and the price is $5000 less than a Pathfinder of the same length. Hope this helps. FS

Send Us Your Comments

Posted by Tom, ruskin on 02/01 at 03:45 PM

At the beginning of 2005, I had a chance to drive and put quite a few miles on a 225 Evinrude E-tech on a guide friends boat out of key west. Drove it out to Marquesas keys all around fishing and back. 25 ft SEA VEE 4 large guys full load of fuel,70 gallon well full of bait and lots ofrods and gear. Amazing performance at both idle and all the way to full throttle. thing went like a rocket and idled for hour after hour at 500rpm. no smoke and as quiet as any Yamaha 4 stoke I’ve ever been on. Friend says it gets double the mileage of any motor he has ever used....for what it’s worth

Posted by Bob, Oldsmar on 01/31 at 04:20 PM

I have twin 2001 Evinrude FICHT’s on a 29ft Wellcraft Coastal with about 225hrs on them. Both computers and I an oil pressure sensor were replaced under warranty. No other problems knock on wood.....I love them, use only the best oil and service them yearly. The Evinrude Etecs are supposed to be the best. No service required for the first 300hrs.

Posted by Jason, Land O Lakes on 01/03 at 07:20 AM

Bill -

I have a four stroke Yamaha 115 on an 18 foot center console McKee Craft and I absolutely love it. Besides being very quiet and dependable, it gets phenominal gas mileage. I’ve had the opportunity to go fishing on a new Sea Pro equipped with a Mercury Verado 150 and I was impressed with its power. After being towed in on more than one occasion on boats equipped with lesser-quality engines, I feel the extra investment is well worth it.