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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | I am looking at a new rig and have a dealer I really like dealing with. They have the boat I want in stock, they want to move it and shot me a decent price. The only problem is that it is already rigged with a Honda 130 on it. I have had nothing but Mercs in the past and have had zero problems and was intending to go with an Opti Max.
I know nothing about Hondas. I have heard that they are extremely reliable but are kind of doggy and real heavy. The boat (1850 fish hawk) is rated for a 150. Will I be disappointed in the performance of the 130 Honda on this rig? I would like to achieve speeds in the mid 40's at least. Will I do that?
Give me your opinion all you Honda owners.
Edited by nwild 8/28/2003 9:13 AM
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | Norm,
I don't own a Honda, but I have used them alot. Gregg Thomas and Scott Salchie down in Kentucky both have Honda motors and have had zero problems.
There is NOBODY that fishes more than Gregg Thomas and he has never had a problem.
You will be able to reach 40 mph with this motor.
If you have more questions call Gregg Thomas he will be able to answer all of your questions.
Hulbert
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Posts: 1265
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Norm-- bulletproof motors, but like most 4 strokes, a little doggy out of the hole. Top speed is comparable to a similar 2 stroke. BASS @ WALLEYE BOATS magazine has run some comparison tests. Might be worth checking into. I have most of the old issues if you can't locate at your local library. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | The only problem that I know of is the cooling water problem. This is only a problem if you troll lots of hours with it. A guy that I fish with has a 90 and he has had it in 3 times. The openings are small and build up occurs and restrictes the water flow. Other than that they are great motors. Ask the dealer about it. |
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Posts: 743
| It blows my mind someone would not consider not getting a boat because it has a Honda on it...especially for a Merc...maybe you are just pulling our leg, Norm...
hhmmm, i've been in 5 boats w/ optimax's...i've been in 5 boats w/ broken down optimax's... |
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Posts: 492
Location: Lindenhurst, Illinois | I have a 90 Honda on my 1750 Fish hawk. I have had good luck so far. The only negative comment I would make is that it is a little crabby in cold water (late October/November). Other than that you won't be dissapointed. |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | Tomcat,
I have never owned anything but a Merc from my first boat on. At the risk of jinxing myself I have never had a motor in the shop. Maybe I am just extremely lucky, but that's a bunch of hours on one brand without ever seeing a wrench.
I do not doubt the Honda's reliability at all, from what I understand they do have other issues such as performance and weight. Just trying to pick some minds before I go into the unknown.
Any other minds out there to pick??????? |
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Posts: 1430
Location: Eastern Ontario | Norm I too was a Merc man untill the dealer I bought my last boat from did not have the Optimax he sold me and offered to replace it with a 115 HP Honda without the extra $1K cost. I am now on my 4th year with my 115HP Honda on my 182 Ultima ( 17'8" ) and I get in the high 30s top speed and that boat is rated for a 150 as well so you should get close to 45MPH with the 130HP. The only drawback I have seen is it's weight but all have told me there is nothing wrong with my holeshot. I fish untill ice up so the cold weather is not a problem with the EFI Hondas. Now for the good stuff, I can troll all day long with under 10 gallons of gas, no need for outboard oil just change the motor oil like a car, so quiet you can talk while trolling or at FOT, no fumes, no vibrations, no breakdowns. It's all good but when you have 2 to 3 guys standing on the back deck as the weight makes the boat fill with water. |
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Posts: 743
| I just wanted to talk some sh$t Norm! just ribbin' ya. Atcually,i have been in like 8 boats w/ Opti's, and not all 8 have died, only 5.
but anyways,i wast just talking smack.i have to take break from work once in awhile.
Things i'd consider in the purchase...is the Honda alot more money? You are guide and you had good very good luck w/ Mercs..do you really start messing w/ your water karma? If you like to fly around around the water and race people, you might want to for the 2 stroke. but you put alot of hours on a motor, so the Honda would be tight.
tomcat |
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Location: Woodstock, IL | I have an 1850 with an Evinrude 150 w/Ficht and can usually hit 44 with a full tank of gas, two people and lots of gear. You'll probably get around 40-42 with the Honda, but you'll take longer to get to that speed.
When I was shopping last fall, I was told that the Honda HAD to have a stainless prop. I'm not sure if the dealer was just handing me a line or not, but stainless is not an option in the stump/rock filled waters that I fish. |
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Posts: 1516
| I have a 90 Honda tiller on a 1800 Pro-V. The hole shot is a bit doggy but I pack a bit of weight in the boat. I have never had a problem in the two years I have had the motor. Mid October on LOW trolled three days and it didn't miss a beat. Temps in 20's and 30's. I bought mine cause a reliable guide told me his dealer told him 70% of the OMC come back the 1st year and 50% of the Merc come back but none of the Honda's come back. I like it so much I'm thinking of buying a Honda lawn mower. |
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Posts: 1516
| Mine runs fine with a aluminum prop |
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Posts: 155
Location: Watertown MN | Tomcat
Does he like to fly around and race people, if you want the answer to that question ask Teck and Murph about the moves he put on the traffic heading out of kentucky this spring with his truck and boat down the freeway. I no I was looking for a 5-point harness and helmet!
Troyz |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | The question about weight affects all 4 stroke engines when compared to two stroke engines. When I last went looking at motors the 4-strokes weighed considerably more then 2 strokes,which can have some affect on the boats hp rating. i.e., a 16' boat rated for a 50 hp 2 stroke might not be able to handle a 50 4 stroke.This would be more a concern with a smaller boat I would think. Some of the boat manufactures are starting to rate the boats for 4 strokes.Everyone I talk to with 4's brag about the gas mileage regardless of what size motor they have. |
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Posts: 177
Location: Germantown & Land O Lakes WI | Never EVER minimize the power plant! MAX THE RIG OUT! 20 Hp is alot.
Depending on the deal, I'd look into a new Honda 150. I was caught in this dilema as well when I bought my AlumaCraft TP 175. I wanted the biggest 4 Stroke I could get....NOPE, 130 was about it. So I went to the Optimax 175.
I love my Opti, but really wanted a 4 stroke. Honda Makes a Bulletproof motor...they run and run and run....quiet too. |
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Posts: 910
Location: Hastings, mn, 55033 | i've got a 75hp honda tiller on my pro-v 1775. never a single problem!! motor is great on gas, SOOO quiet you wouldnt believe it! trolls down to about 2 mph. i found that mine gets out of the hole just fine. lot of low end torque. i've got a honda 4 wheeler, lawn mower, weed whip, snowblower, generator etc. would never buy anything but a honda!!!! best damn motors ever made!! |
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Location: Middleton, WI | Merc vs. Honda. Honda 4 stroke is in a different league. Its a quantum leap forward - far superior based on my experience. After you have a Merc for 12 months - my experience is that you are on your own. "Customer service" no longer applies, it doesn't apply after midnight 12 months later. Honda in the past year has replaced their EFI injectors and some parts because they were seeing a trend of problems in their 115 & 130's for their engines operated in saltwater environments for 2-3 years. What did they do? (Merc would have most likely pretended that they knew nothing of the problem and denied it all.) As I understand it, Honda chose to inform all its owners of its self-imposed, voluntary recall - they fixed the parts for all their motors(at Honda expense), then placed a five year warranty on the entire motor from that point. That is C-U-S-T-O-M-E-R S-E-R-V-I-C-E!!!!! Customers do get respect at Honda. Merc places high priority on earnings per share and profitability to the detrement of their customers - so it appears. I had a problem with my 2 stroke 60 hp Merc and contacted the CEO/senior management at Merc to get some satisfaction and they wrote me back offered nothing and basically said - please understand that you're on your own after the warranty runs out, we have no legal responsibility, etc...
I advised them that I live in Wisconsin,would like to keep my money in this state supporting Merc jobs here in the USA & WI and gave them a chance to show me the "great" customer service they advertise so broadly. They failed miserably - they were non-responsive.
I bought a new Honda 50 this spring. There is no comparison. Like Castmaster above - I agree with him totally, quiet,extremely improved fuel efficiency,uses no oil (obviously),clean,smooth,strong running is actually lighter than the Merc 60! I like the manual choke. The Honda lawnmower I bought in 1984 still runs like new (never had it in the shop) it made me wonder what their outboards were like. I figured if they anywhere near as good as that ole' lawnmower I would be in for an excellent,excellent piece of machinery. By the way, I have never worked for Honda, Mercury nor have I ever been in the business - I'm just a basic muskie fisherman who likes to keep the boat afloat,motor running and chasing muskies. I was talking to a Honda shop when I was getting my oil and fluids changed and he told me that Honda is doing modle changes on their 130-150's and removing significant weight out of their upcoming models. You might check into that. He said that they are going to redesign some of their motors and will offer a new tiller on their 50's that is longer and has the gear lever built in. They are also going to offer a 50 & 60hp (now its only 50-75) with the redesigned tiller. I've heard Opti-max's disintegrating, blowing up - apparently the oil pumps are a weak link and have been known to malfunction - resulting in an immediate catastrophic failure of the powerhead. Darn good thing Boeing aircraft have things figured out better than that. Whatever you do get a sealed oil cavity i.e., 4 stroke, the engineering is absolutely superior and far more reliable, it's a night and day difference! Good luck on your decision |
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Posts: 184
Location: Rockford Il 61108 | Hey, go with the maximum rated hp for this boat. Honda's are very doggish and the more hp the better. The price range from a 130 to a 150 isnt very much but the performance will be. If acceleration isnt a factor dont worry to much. Simply go with the rated hp.
Keep plugging Evar D
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