150 vs 175

[whitly]

greetings all. i'm a new member and a new seacraft owner. i'm looking to repower a 20' seafari. i think i have narrowed it down to an optimax, yamaha or e-tec. i want an injected two stroke, but my question is about the size. if the 150 and 175 both weigh the same thing, what are your thoughts on power, speed, fuel consumption, etc.

cheers, whitly

[1bayouboy]

I can't wait to hear from Fr Frank on this one..
I'm looking at the same question only with twins for a Tsunami. I would think the 175 could swing a little more prop and would more efficient at cruise and would offset it's bigger size. I bet it'd be more thirsty at WOT but would add a few mph....

[zach]

175. No brainer (as long as financials allow). You get more power for the same weight which equates to higher top end, better cruise range and a more efficient set up. I just bought a 175 Opti Pro XS to put on the back of my 20. I'll be sure to post numbers once it is up and running.

[eggsuckindog]

what he said on the 175, I'm partial to the Etec's though

[whitly]

ok, CSC members and friends and professionals all seem to agree on the 175. so now it really boils down to optimax vs Etec. help!

[htillman]

My marine mechanic highly recommends ETECs. He is putting a 300 on a 23 Sceptre in a couple of weeks for a good friend.

[castalot]

a friend just repowered froma yamaha to etec and is in love

[Fr. Frank]

The difference in quality is negligible over the run of all the motors. A specific motor may be exceptionally good, or may have problems.

In this case I would consider carefully length of warranty offered, available dealer support, relationship with a dealer, and purchase price including all accesories and installation/rigging costs !!! You have to compare the "running and in the water" difference.

Finally, do you have an emotional preference? I know some people who, all else being equal, will happily pay a little more for an Evinrude just to get the name, and ditto for Mercury.

Here is something to think about. I have personally owned 40 to 50 different motors over the past 40 years. I have owned Mercury, Mariner, Evinrude, Johnson, Chrysler, Force, Yamaha, Suzuki, Yanmar (diesel and Wankel), McCulloch and Seagull. In all those motors, I have only had one "bad" motor. Just one. It was a 1984 Johnson 140 with electrical and VRO problems.

People slam the old Chryslers, but I had two bulletproof 105 Chryslers on the back of my 25 Mako back in 1976 while I was a commercial lobsterman for a season. They started immediately every morning for 8 months, and neither one ever hiccuped during 1400+ hours of use in that time. I also had a 15hp Chrysler kicker motor push a 25 Robalo 74 miles back from the Bahamas in 1984, running full throttle for 12 1/2 hours, without a hitch when the main engine quit.

I won't pay more for a Mercury, but with all else truly being equal, I'll pick a Merc every time. Just emotional preference. But I started with a Mercury KE7 back in 1968 racing plywood hydroplane "kneeboats", and over the years, I have owned more Mercs than all other brands put together.

Ultimately, you go with what makes you feel comfortable. Both the Etec and the Optimax are very good motors.

[eggsuckindog]

I do agree as I said both are building good motors I'm just partial to the Etec. My best friend is a Rude dealer and has been for 30 yrs. I was always a Merc guy because I also raced hydro's with the KG-7's and my early years I always was a Merc guy. I bought a 300 V8 Rude from Mike (he got me a deal) to replace 2-150 Mercs and I set-up a 35 Rabco with twin 300 HP open exhaust motors-I never looked back. Mike found me an 87 Rude 90 when Susan was a newby, ran so sweet for 3 yrs never did anything and that motor created a monster, she's hooked on boating- just priceless

The Etec's are realy nice motors,I think the best on the market for - sound-fuel-power-reliability-maybe not the best but the package. We have multiple forum members with them and all think their great - Bushwacker has a Seafari with a 150

[whitly]

what about trim tabs? do i need (want) them?