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Posts: 36
| Thinking about getting either one, what do you guys think? |
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Posts: 32935
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | http://www.mercurymarine.com/engines/outboards/optimax/nocontest.ph...
Lots of other independent testing out there, read up. |
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Posts: 181
| I love my Mercury?
Edited by jnelson 1/2/2008 4:03 AM
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Posts: 32935
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | ALL motor brands have had powerhead, gearcase, or other issues on one model or another. Let's stick to the features and benefits and stay off the brand bashing on this one, please. |
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Posts: 1168
| Guys love their Mercs. Guys love their Evinrudes. Guys have had Mercs blow up. Guys have had their Etecs blow up. But at the end of the day you can't beat a good old set of oars...unless you have rotator cuff problems. |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Well if your looking for top speed, Mercury has that. If your looking for quietness, Evinrudes got that. I believe the E-tec is a bit cheaper than the Merc, but that is hear say on that. But not being biased on this, I think the Mercury Optimax has a better reputation as of lately seeing it's been on the market longer and the bugs are pretty much worked out of this motor. For the most part as of lately, I would say the Opti has been better. But also the Opti rivals any motor on the market for fuel economy. Run your optimum rpm's, your fuel economy will be better than any other motor. There are tests that have been done that would show that to be true also.
But like everyone has said, they both have had there own flaws. They both are good motors. Go with what you want, not what others suggest.
Edited by Merckid 1/1/2008 10:09 PM
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Posts: 135
| Brand loyalty is always a factor, but you should consider buying the motor with the best dealer close to you, and the best warranty available. Two more MPH or the best hole shot mean very little, compared to a dealer who will go out of his way to help, when you need help.
John |
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| I was motor shopping this past summer in the 175 hp market and looked at Optimax's, Etecs, Suzi's, Yammys, being a big Yammy fan I had a hard time switching to anything but the Suzi gave me an awesome warranty and everyone that had one raved about it. As far as your 225 hp pick, you probably can't go wrong...Lee T runs a 250 Etec on his 620 and LOVES it. Other guys who have new opti's love them. I agree with the dealer and warranty suggestion. Go see what you can get for warranties on both, what dealer you are close to that will back you up and see what the prices are.
Warranty to me is peace of mind...2 mph doesn't mean much to me if your motor is in the shop all the time.... |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | I've got the 225 opti and you can have it. New power head, lower unit, injectors, thermostat's, etc, etc,etc.
Positives:
-Starts awsome
-Good on gas and oil.
Negatives:
-I must have gotten a "lemon" because I've replaced almost every part at least once.
-You really have to warm up these things in cold weather. It's the #1 reason why these blow.
-Also the thermostats are notorious for sticking open there-by not allowing your motor to warm-up to a proper operating temp. In cold weather this causes "cold seize" where the warm piston expands into the cold engine block.
-It's also a bear to winterize. That #6 cylinder is a mother to get to.
If you decide to go merc there's a couple things you should think about.
1. Get the XS. It's been worked over by the racing team and they've got a better track record. They also run on premium plus oil which is cheaper.
2. Absolutely get the smartcraft gauge! You MUST warm these motors up to a min of 110 deg in the cold before punching it or you WILL blow it eventually.
In reality, unless you're getting a go-fast boat don't get a DI motor. It's not a matter of if they're going to go but when. Do yourself a favor and get the Suzuki. It may cost another $1000 and be a couple mph slower, but it's going to run and run and run and run. That's what's going on my next rig.
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | is your decision based on 1. wanting a 2-stroke or 2. wanting to buy american? ... it just seems that you've left three motors and two makers out of the decision-making process which begs the question. ... buying american can't be done anymore (all makers have internationally sourced components) ...
good luck with your choice but in order to make the best selection you should broaden your range of selection to what the market provides ... including a 2 and 4 stroke option from yamaha and a 4-stroke option from suzuki.
my choice would be a 2-stroke yamaha but then that's what i own and run ... have had experience with a couple of the others you mention which supported my decision
another thought is to go to the other threads on this site and talk to some of the owners there ... there are 4 boat threads in the lower section ...
pm some people who make comments one way or another on a brand ... they might have something worth knowing to tell you. i've done that here relative to making some big decisions and it's been really helpful.
good luck ... |
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Posts: 32935
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Id disagree with treats on the DI motors. I know of MANY Opti Max and E Tecs that have hundreds to thousands of hours with no real trouble. I also know of many 4 strokes that didn't make it that long, one simply should not generalize that way. I've had numerous Opti Max motors, and never have had a thermostat 'stick open'. Read up, and get the best deal on the motor you want.
Most folks don't winterize their own V-6 outboards, anyway.
One of our clients sells Suzuki Outboards. Nice motor, runs well, but not bulletproof any more than any other brand...and amazingly, not a brand you asked about. Hmmm. |
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| Steve:
I have had to have my stats removed 3x in the last two seasons to unclog them. They were stuck open with various stuff, usually a reed or a small sick. I know several others having same problem with their 225 Optis. All have low water pickups. |
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Posts: 32935
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Like I said, I know of MANY who have no problems with hundreds and even thousands of hours, and I'm around a few folks who run motors harder than you will ever imagine running yours. Because you did, LC, could mean alot of things, many of which have nothing to do with the durability of the motor. Sell the motor and buy an ETec, then, and I'll have to listen to you complain about anything you have to do to maintain and repair THAT motor. They all have maintenance and repair issues, look up which has the best service record now, which has the best backing by the dealer network and which costs the least to own and run, etc. Then buy accordingly. |
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