Thoughts on new motor brand

W

Wesley Bouchelle

Active member
Looking to purchase a new motor for my 1648 welded jon boat and then possibly move up to a duck boss boat in the future. I am torn between a 25 and 30hp outboard for the boat and now sure what manufactures are recommended. Any help would be great with past experiences!!
 
Wesley, If you are serious about getting a duck boss go with the 30hp the extra hp helps when you overload the boat. I am running an e-tec now and very happy with it. By way where have all the ducks on the river gone out today and never fired a shot
 
New is nice but 2stroke is better for small outboards.

Nothing better than some 2stroke smoke to wake you up on an early morning.

Our 25 etec is nice but it is HEAVY also a bear to pull over. The girls at fisheries had a hard time with it. Remember that if you fall out and need your kid to start it and come get you.
All 4strokes are heavy and never ran great when we used them at the fisheries.


I know people have their brands yamaha are the best motor(they would pop out of reverse also watch the 100:1 one dingleberry at fisheries mixed it wrong and now we only have 1 that works) they are also expensive, omc are easy to fix, cheaper for parts and very reliable( you can buy a whole parts motor for a few hundred bucks, mercs are very user friendly the tiller shift is absolutly amazing (greatest invention in the world of tillers) the rachet trim is awesome too( i think that only goes to 15 hp thought) not having a choke or normal throttle can get annoying as can the prime system.
 
A two stroke 30 would probably be ideal as far as power to weight ratio and cold weather starts. Unfortunately a new one other than an etec is going to be hard to come by. What's the weight on the 30 etec? Four strokes are getting lighter every model year and not having to mix oil is nice but they are larger and heavier so there's a trade off.

I'm a Yamaha guy from my 15 to my F250, but you're going to pay for the name for sure... that being said my 15 starts on the first pull or two every time from 60 degrees to -10. That's what I want in a hunting motor.
 
Wesley, I too have been looking at purchasing a new motor. The Evinrude 25 or 30 E-Tec is the way I'm going after months of research and talking to duck hunters here in VA. The E- Tec is ready to roll full bore as soon as it was put on a boat, no break in period. That, plus weight of the motor and warranty has sold me.
 
e-tec 30 with electric start power trim and tilt 187lbs. I have had two pull start it twice this year, got to turn lights off when you put the boat away, and had no trouble. It started on first pull, fuel injected. Also Wesley the DB 15 is long shaft.
 
John Bourbon has an E-Tec, not sure of the size, 30hp or more I would guess... the issue I have with it is with all the electronic control of it, you can't fire up and go. It needs to warm up a certain amount (seems like several minutes in the cold) and does not allow you to get and go in a hurry if you needed too. As long as it does not get completely cold, the start and go is better, but it is a "feature" that might protect the motor, but hopefully won't be a safety issue sometime.
 
The Suzuki 4 strokes IMO are the way to go they have shaved a bunch of weight from their small 4 strokes when you buy a new one they have a "gimme six" program this time of year where you get a 6 year extended warranty for free

Been running Suzuki's commercially for 6 years neither of the 3 outboards we have has even been in the shop for anything

Wes check out Browns Point Marine in Hazlet he has the full line in stock
 
I looked at the small Suzuki outboards and there the lightest 4 strokes but I think there behind the times as there shift is still on the side of the motor instead of on the tiller handle which is also rather short. I like the long tiller handles. I've read quite a few good reports on the ETEC 25/30 If you go with a four stroke make sure it has fuel injection.


Tom
 
X2 for suzuki. I bought a 2013 15 hp for the lightweight and I actually think they are ahead of the times. It is the first battery-less fuel injection portable outboard. No more carb issues. I've had it for almost a year and have nothing but great things to say. Runs like a top.
 
My first option would be fine a used 30 Johnson, Evinrude or Yamaha 2-stroke. I love the gas mileage of 4 stroke but not the weight.
My first bass boat I bought in 1994 was a Lowe 1648 with a 30 hp Johnson 2 stroke, that was the smoothest running motor I ever ran. I still regret selling that boat & motor.
After that, we run mostly Yamaha's on our work boats, all 4 strokes and have had very few or no problems with the motors themselves. All problems have been ethanol related, as in water in the fuel tanks and fuel breaking down on boats that do not get run much.
 
Get what is serviced by a good dealer in your area.
They are all great when they work, and all suck when they don't. With that said, I switched to Hondas 15 years ago(4 stroke) They are the lightest 4 strokes out there, lighter then the Etecs, they don't break, they have all the power you need, and I can buy a new one with the gas I save. Suzuki comes in second place, very good engines. If you need to save money, check out Tohatsu, I used them for many years as I had a great dealer/mechanic, they were tough engines, a little crude but they didn't stop.I have worked commercially in marine waters since 1969, I've had them all, so have my buddies and other Bayman, our motors have to keep working, period. We DON'T see Etecs anywhere "here", a few mercs and yamahas round it out. The only reason you see mercs on the various police/agencies boats is they get them below wholesale, it's a merchandising thing, and the maintenance is high.
Get what you want, but make sure you have the dealer thing covered.
 
Agree with Geo C, service is the important part. Lost a water pump going out at 230 pm, dropped it at the shop and had it back by noon next day. Still running evinrude as I buy used motors. Would love to find a nice honda, think they are great...
 
My 15 Suzuki is a nightmare motor. In the shop right now.

Leaking gas fittings internal
Missing at part throttle
Oil leaking at bottom crank seal 3 times
Suzuki dealer and maker of the Phowler boats over filling motor with oil
Will not start after a long run
Cavitation issues on 3 different boats. 3 different props to try to fix. Suzuki says it is a boat issue. On 3 boats????? The problem follows the motor.
 
Cant go wrong with a yamaha or mercury easy to fix and extremely reliable plus their are many places around to get it fixed if you cant do it yourself.... the best advice given so far is to try and find a good used 2stroke as it will give you way less trouble. I am a mercury mechanic have been for the last 13 years four strokes are nice but carbs are more finicky and not really adjustable like two strokes
 
I have yamaha 50 and 115 on my boats. Both 4 cycles been great motors with zero problems. If you travel to places where there is a lot of hot traffic (like water taxis in Cabo), you'll notice they also are using Yamahas. Both the 2 strokes and 4 strokes are reliable, parts and service are readily available and ubiquitous. Any time I see almost exclusive use by many commercial operators, I trust they know reliability and ease of maintenance.
 
I looked at the small Suzuki outboards and there the lightest 4 strokes but I think there behind the times as there shift is still on the side of the motor instead of on the tiller handle which is also rather short. I like the long tiller handles. I've read quite a few good reports on the ETEC 25/30 If you go with a four stroke make sure it has fuel injection.


Tom
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Tom my new 60 Suzuki has shift on the tiller and its a long arm tiller. Easily reaches the cockpit of a 17SC.
you can see it here. Havent bought a smaller one so not sure but I know the Tiller on the big motors was just updated a couple years ago and they even have a newer one out with tach built in and troll mode. Pretty dang nifty if you fish alot.


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Yea I was referring to the 30hp and under Suzuki. The supplier I talked to is supposed to be the largest lowest priced in US of 30hp and under. So I thought they would have the latest models. When I asked where the shift was at they said on the side. I will say that I like that they have fuel injection down to 9.9hp . I used to run Suzuki motor cycles back in the day. I think they make a quality product.


Tom
 
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