Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
To be honest, I feel all of the 4 strokes out there are definitely worthy of taking a long look at. Longevity has now been proven, durability has now been proven and the technology at this point in 4 strokes has flatlined for the most part, so there is not much going on in terms of things that are making one more efficient than any other...or for that matter, any brands that are pushing the envelope creating engine issues...such as situations like when OMC came out with VRO, or Mercury with the older optimax motors frying up... (tongue firmly in cheek here). In other words...the bugs have been worked out...
There is no doubt you can't go wrong with any of the big names: Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Mercury... So...with that in mind, I might make my repower decision based upon local dealers and their customer service history. Who's close and does great work? Do they have a quick turn-around time, etc.
Yamaha is very prominent all over so if you travel a bit and need quick service, who will have the parts, knowledge, certification, etc. to work on the motor? Mercury is much the same way....both have available dealers and service techs all over the country, and for those who travel further north of the US border, plenty of service techs up there as well unless you are getting into remote areas (again...tongue firmly in cheek here)
If there is availability of all brands close to you, then I would be considering engine displacement... The largest displacement in most cases will give you the best low-end torque and overall thrust. I'll take that any day over top speed, but I'm not one who is looking for top end speed these days... I want something that is going to get me up on plane, keep me there, and if I have a heavy load, still get the rig up and running on top of the water. This becomes even more important in heavy wave conditions... Power to get through the conditions..especially on a following sea..
In a nutshell: All brands are solid, and your choice of motor might be based more on service and proximity to you than anything else.
Good luck with the repower!!
Steve
|
