Thoughts on Current 25~30HP Outboard Options

[CalmSeasQuest]

I'm hopeful (and believe based on reviews) that EFI resolves many of the carb-based starting issues. Suzuki would not have been my first choice but after drilling down into specifics, it seems like the choice best choice for my use.

[sandiegoskipper]

You guys might be applying your U.S. based brand awareness to Suzuki and worrying that it's not up to par with Yam or Hon. Suzuki is an engineering company first. Their technical prowess is excellent and durability as good as anyone else. In the U.S. their car designers earned a D-minus, but their motorcycles are some of the best and always have been - even as the last of the Japanese brands to offer large 2-stroke street bikes. Also, Suzuki is everywhere in what I will refer to as "lesser developed" nations. In many of these types of countries, they outsell Honda and Toyota with their lower cost and bullet proof cars. You won't go wrong selecting Suzuki engineering.

[flyingfin]

Buy a 15hp two stroke Evinrude, it will push a RBI at almost the same speed as a 25hp four stroke but one person can lift it. And you wont need the extra weight and problems of a starting battery! The 4strokes will require two people on land to remove/install on the transom. If weight is no object, then grab a diesel Tohatsu so you wont need both gas and diesel on board

[ausaviator]

Originally Posted by flyingfin

Buy a 15hp two stroke Evinrude, it will push a RBI at almost the same speed as a 25hp four stroke but one person can lift it. And you wont need the extra weight and problems of a starting battery! The 4strokes will require two people on land to remove/install on the transom. If weight is no object, then grab a diesel Tohatsu so you wont need both gas and diesel on board

I am 97% confident that Evinrude dont currently make a 15hp 2 stroke....

For a consoled 3.8m dinghy with paying passengers, you don't want a half-arsed solution, nor do you want someone accidentally filling up a 2 stroke fuel tank without oil.

[rourkeh]

I would definitely buy the Evinrude ETEC. If you are chartering and loading the dingy with people all the time the ETEC will offer way more torque than any 4 stroke and they have a pressurized fuel system that will never gum up even if you leave it for a year. Also no maintenance to speak of, no oil changes, etc.
But a stainless steel prop and keep the cheap aluminium one it comes with as a spare.. the difference in thrust will be huge.
The Honda and Yamaha will feel like tying a cinder block to the transom of your dingy after the Evinrude.

[ausaviator]

Also no maintenance to speak of, no oil changes, etc.

Service intervals for 4 strokes (oil changes) are usually 100 hours.

For gearbox oil, it is usually 100 hours also.

For warranty purposes the gearbox oil and impeller etc will always be changed come service time.

Why have a 2-stroke with oil in a bottle under the cowl that has to be checked before use, when you could have a 4 stroke without such requirement...? the 4-stroke engine oil is likely cheaper than the 2 stroke too.


I've got e-tec 90's on my large rib and was told by a reputable mechanic that they are only good for 400 hours. They are approaching 1,000 trouble hours, which makes me happy. Seems he was wrong... or at least was on this occasion.

[CalmSeasQuest]

Thank you to all that have taken the time to comment as usual I've learned a lot.

I mistakenly omitted 2 strokes from consideration as I was was unaware of the direct fuel injection advances that have been made. From what I've been able to research, it appears the Evinrude E-TECH series is very competitive, and in some ways superior to 4 strokes (emissions, fuel economy, +performance, +maintenance, weight...) Based on the reviews I've read, the E-TECH might have been my choice however...

Unfortunately, (like the Yamaha) it appears they don't offer a short-shaft (15") version of the 30HP with electric/remote tiller. It's available in the long shaft, but the weight increases to 187#

I'll keep looking, I've got till September to buy - hopefully I'll learn of something new on the horizon at the Miami show in February.

[Mariano]

Don't forget one very important item: American outboards (evinrude/jhonson) rate their Hp's before the gearbox , Asians do it at the prop

[CalmSeasQuest]

Eureka!

After 4 days at the Miami show, I've come away with a solution. The struggle was all the 25~30HP outboards with remote/electric start/tilt are available only in long shaft (20") version. My chosen dinghy (Highfield CL380 w/FCT) required a 15" shaft. I've now learned that although it's not advertised; Highfield provides an option to order the boat with a 20" transom (they call it a "stretched transom") opening up many outboard options.

After reviewing the Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Evinrude engines, I'm leaning toward the 30Hp Evinrude E-Tech @ 181# for the remote/electric start/tilt version. The Suzuki is a bit lighter @ 159# but no oil changes and a 300 Hr service interval tip the scales to the E-Tech.

[Palarran]

Before you pull the trigger think about how much the injector oil costs and how available it is worldwide. I have an e-tec and it cost me somewhere around $70 for 4 quarts in Greece.

[CalmSeasQuest]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Before you pull the trigger think about how much the injector oil costs and how available it is worldwide. I have an e-tec and it cost me somewhere around $70 for 4 quarts in Greece.

Thanks Palarran - Can you estimate your oil consumption?

It looks like they claim 60:1 when using the XD100 setting and oil which if correct seems economical when considering the 4-stroke requirements/costs/time.

I found an interesting comparison; albeit on a larger E-Tech.

[Palarran]

An estimate is that I refill the reservoir every three or four tanks of gas. Maybe I'll go through one of those big jugs of oil per season - so it's not a problem but finding it can be. I just wanted to point out that it's not free compared to changing the oil in a 4-stroke once per season. Now that I'm thinking about it, the cost was probably closer to $100 for a big jug.

[Palarran]

Tom,
I'd like to add my current situation to your decision making. We are in the Bahamas and my etec started to run rough. I had a "mechanic" come over and in a short period he made the engine not run at all. I called another mechanic and he "tested" this and that then walked away without payment. Situation is that no one here can work on etec's and from what I've been told, the same will hold true when I get to Nassau. So I'm very close to ordering a new two stroke Yamaha which will cost me about 5g's and then ship my etec home where someone actually knows what they are doing. So, I wouldn't recommend this engine. Way to much electronic's in it to figure out what's going on.

[SteveSadler]

While the e techs are a great engine, they rely on an oil pump to deliver the oil to gas. I fried a 115 engine due to the oil pump failing. The shop said it was a common failure and to prevent it, I should mix oil in the gas at 100 to 1 to prevent this from repeating.

[ggray]

Originally Posted by SteveSadler

While the e techs are a great engine, they rely on an oil pump to deliver the oil to gas. I fried a 115 engine due to the oil pump failing. The shop said it was a common failure and to prevent it, I should mix oil in the gas at 100 to 1 to prevent this from repeating.

That's surprising, to say the least. I mean, when was the last time you heard of an oil pump failing in ANY motor? Also, rather negates the advantage of no mixing, and probably fouls the plugs. I'm sure CARB wouldn't like to hear about this! But owning an ETEC myself, it gets my attention. I will inquire on the Evinrude forum.

Actually the oil pump in an ETEC does not deliver the oil to the gas; the oil is never mixed with the gas in the first place. As I understand it, the oil is pumped throughout the engine to all the lube points just as in your car engine, and a small amount is used to lubricate the injector and in doing this, is released into the combustion chamber.

The principle of 2 stroke combustion does not require lubrication via oil mixed in the fuel. Consider a 2 stroke Detroit Diesel engine. Oil in the crankcase just as in a 4 stroke, and a similar oil pump for engine lubrication. I assume the lubrication from the gas/oil mix in "2 strokes" was just to reduce the weight -- number of parts --in an outboard, or chainsaw motor or weed eater or a number of other examples. Not a requirement of being 2 stroke.