150 outboard motors

[robertmcallan]

bought a new boat but it is need of a new motor it has a 150 Yamaha on it right now but wondering what others would buy and have had good luck with also who gave them the best customer service with thanks

[ACB]

I would go with a Evinrude Etec 150hp. A buddy of mine has a 70hp ETEC thats 6-7 years old and all he does is reg. maintenance and he's never had a problem. The 150 hp. weigh about 40 lb's less than a yamaha 4 stroke 150hp. When my Merc 115 2 stroke wares out I'll be looking at the ETEC 115 hp to put on my old double eagle.

[MOOSE MILK]

I have a 150 Johnson that gives better preformance and fuel econemy than a 150 Yamaha that I have on identical boats. Both are in my opinion far more reliable than the 150 Mercury I had on one of these boats, it was always in for repairs.

[.264winmag]

Personally wouldn't touch an etec, or any 2stroke for that matter. 4 stroke all day IMO, 150 Yamaha, 140/175 Suzuki, 150 verado, 150 honda in that order. Breakers marine in Bamfield were great to me on my Suzuki purchase in 2005, 10 years and over 2000 hrs later still going strong. Suzuki df175 4stroke, worth all 19k.

[TARCHER]

Prince Rupert boyz favor Yamaha and Honda

[guest]

Crazy now a day not to go with the modern 4 strokes ....... not wanting my 150 Merc Blue Water 2 stroker to die buttttttt ....... I wouldn;t put a new 2 stroke on for nothin...... noise, having mixed oil, smoke, starting etcetc its old technology .......

when mine goes my Trophy will be podded with a 4 stroker

Just my 3 cents

[Ohwildwon]

Crazy now a day not to go with the modern 4 strokes ....... not wanting my 150 Merc Blue Water 2 stroker to die buttttttt ....... I wouldn;t put a new 2 stroke on for nothin...... noise, having mixed oil, smoke, starting etcetc its old technology .......

when mine goes my Trophy will be podded with a 4 stroker

Just my 3 cents

Yea, and the gas mileage is brutal...

[.264winmag]

Believe it or not the new 2strokes are just ax good on fuel, quiet and don't smoke. Reliability and longevity are just not comparable to the 4's

[Frango]

Wow I was surprized at the Etec recommendation. Why anyone would choose 2 over 4 stroke behooves me. Motor,engine or make is a personnel choice..Choices made by experience or a friend has one or because my dad used it so it must be good reason. Technology is ever changing some people are not.Thats why we have threads like this.My father was a Ford person. I am not. Experience taught me otherwise..And yes I have a Yamaha 150 on my boat.

[Mike_R]

I have a 150 Etec (2008 and think it's great. No oil changes or filters to deal with, more power (every second stroke is a power stroke instead of every fourth stroke) It's fuel injected so is good on fuel. It does not smoke and there is no mixing oil (oil is stored in a separate tank and injected at a ratio determined by computer) Low maintenance (no valve lash or timing belts) It's self winterizing too.

[Brew]

My breather inlaw has a new met two stroke and it's loud and stinks. I would never buy one. The fishing lodge I worked at alway ran Yamaha and never had a single problem. I hear lots of great things about Suzukis

[.264winmag]

I have a 150 Etec (2008 and think it's great. No oil changes or filters to deal with, more power (every second stroke is a power stroke instead of every fourth stroke) It's fuel injected so is good on fuel. It does not smoke and there is no mixing oil (oil is stored in a separate tank and injected at a ratio determined by computer) Low maintenance (no valve lash or timing belts) It's self winterizing too.

Price of mix oil for em? I've found the bottom end torque of a 4stroke to trump when the boat is loaded to the nuts, or battling rough seas. Haven't seen a single charter boat this season with 2stroke on the back. Buddy gas a 225 mercaha with over 4000 hrs still going strong, impossible with a 2x

[MB_Boy]

What weight engine can your boat handle or is it rated for.....or what is the boat for that matter?

Yamaha's newer 200HP is a lighter engine (~550lbs if memory serves me correct) and is meant for the "repowering" market. Definitely not a cheap investment no matter which way you go....but I do have to agree with the 4 stroke avenue.

[robertmcallan]

What weight engine can your boat handle or is it rated for.....or what is the boat for that matter?

Yamaha's newer 200HP is a lighter engine (~550lbs if memory serves me correct) and is meant for the "repowering" market. Definitely not a cheap investment no matter which way you go....but I do have to agree with the 4 stroke avenue.
It's a 2012 campion 622 21.5ft rated for a 200hp but has a 150 Yamaha on it right now.

[Vladimir Poutine]

Anything but a Honda. Used to be died in the wool Honda fan until a certified Honda mechanic said to stay away from them.

1- The larger Honda's have the crankshafts made in China not Japan.

2- Look around and see how many certified Honda mechanics are out there. Not many.

3- If you find a mechanic that is Honda certified for warranty work, you will likely be out of the water for quite some time. Boating season is short enough.

[Jagermeister]

It's a 2012 campion 622 21.5ft rated for a 200hp but has a 150 Yamaha on it right now.
If that engine is the same year as the boat, and a 4 stroke, it will be good for a long time. Just make sure you flush it out when hauled. You should be able to have the same engine when you sell the boat down the road.

[Chopper]

Yamaha first , Honda second ... mercury Verado 3rd .... there are no other options to even consider.

Depending on your boat , you may want to take a hard look at the new 4 cylinder Yamaha F200 I4 that just came out , it weighs the same as the F150. The engine was designed to replace the old 150 2 strokes, Bringing the engine in at the same weight as the 2strokes , while matching there torque , while eliminating the need to burn oil and an absurd amount of fuel.

As far as the ETEC's go , They are the most powerful engines on the market next to the new engines built by 7 Marine , But they are a nightmare in salt water , ive heard they are very good for fresh water use. You can forget about evenrudes fuel consumption claims , I have run a pair of 150 etecs on and off for 7 year and they are horrendous on fuel, They also have to burn the special Evenrude oil , that is outrageously over priced... if your running around a lot , You can easily burn $80 a day in oil on a pair of 150 Etecs. They wont tell you that at the dealer when they are trying to sell you one

I have run several , models of twin Hondas , yamahas , evenrudes and mercs for years , 130 Honda twins and 150's , as well as 150 yamahas , verados and evenrudes , ive personally seen all the problems , Yamaha and Honda are bar none the most reliable , and by far the best on fuel. Yammys have more torque than the Honda's

Which ever engine you buy , I strongly recommend reading all the reviews on all of the engines you are considering. In the past there have been corrosion issues with merc , Yamaha and Honda ... Evenrude and merc both have had serious electrical problems. Guys have blown up all kinds of Evenrude power heads in saltwater use. Yamaha has since solved there corrosion issues back in 07 ... Honda back in the early 2000's. Don't spend that kind of money with out putting in due diligence.

I have personally spend hours reading about outboards, there is a lot to know that you would not think about. For eg , Merc verados are the heaviest in there class , but because they have a super charger and an intercooler , they have no power loss on hot days with high humidity , Hondas are good on fuel , but doggy out of the hole. If I didn t care about blowing engines up or burning fuel , Top end and holeshot the evenrudes are untouchable ... a tonne of fun to run, a true performance outboard. There is a reason fisheries run etecs

There is a lot to read about , and a lot to consider. Take your time

I will add , you might want to consider your location ... does your local dealer sell yamahas or Hondas ? It might be inconvenient to get parts or proper service if you buy a brand that no one local is supporting.

[.264winmag]

I'd definitely be considering the 200 Yamaha 4stroke as #1. My older explorer 215 with the 175 Suzuki 4 is just enough power for rough seas and loaded down.

[Sitkaspruce]

My buddy has the exact same boat and he runs a 200 Suzuki. Their boat and motor is a 2009 and the engine runs flawlessly and is the right amount of power. We had 4 guys, full tank and a ton of gear for anchoring, fishing and staying out all day if needed and it gets up on step and cruises with no hesitation or problems.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Sitkaspruce/IMG_1259_zpshkg3unfr.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Sitkaspruce/media/IMG_1259_zpshkg3unfr.jpg.html)

Go bigger than you think you need for the just in case, but stay in your boat manufactures recommendations.

I am a Yammy fan and have been for a long time, but the Suzukis are nice engines as well.

Cheers

SS

[Mike_R]

With no break-in period, oil or filter changes, and 3 years or 300 hours with no dealer-scheduled maintenance, Evinrude E-TEC is the lowest maintenance outboard available.
Shop rates are how much an hour?
It was also the most inexpensive 150 I found at the time I was looking.
I have never noticed any exhaust smell from my outboard.
BRP's Evinrude E-TEC direct injection 2-stroke outboard engine use 75% less oil than traditional two-strokes and 50% less than traditional direct injection systems. They release only one-fifth of the carbon monoxide emissions of a four-stroke engine at idle and are compliant with stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), European Union (EU), and California Air Resources Board (CARB) 3-Star ultra-low emissions standards.
I too have worked at a fishing lodge that had Yamaha 150's and several engines had to have the blocks replaced, this was about 15 years ago though.

[Mtn Wonderer]

I have an etec 225 with a 1000 hours hours on it I has been a great engine, But not everyone has a lot of experience working on them. I make extra effort to get it serviced ot Lordship Marine they Live evinrude ONLY!!! top notch service.

If your going 4 stroke Yamaha or Suzuki, Personally I went Suzuki 2007 DF 140 I now have 1850 hours on it and it still beats strong,

Only thing that I don't like about the 4 strokes is the Oil Change frequency and the down time it creates. Both of my boats are work boats.
Many days they get 8-12 hours run time, so with the 4-stroke your suppose to change the oil every 100 hours, in my line of work that can mean every 10- 12 days Gets spendy and its a pain.

Hydrographic Surveyor

My 2 cents

[.264winmag]

I have an etec 225 with a 1000 hours hours on it I has been a great engine, But not everyone has a lot of experience working on them. I make extra effort to get it serviced ot Lordship Marine they Live evinrude ONLY!!! top notch service.

If your going 4 stroke Yamaha or Suzuki, Personally I went Suzuki 2007 DF 140 I now have 1850 hours on it and it still beats strong,

Only thing that I don't like about the 4 strokes is the Oil Change frequency and the down time it creates. Both of my boats are work boats.
Many days they get 8-12 hours run time, so with the 4-stroke your suppose to change the oil every 100 hours, in my line of work that can mean every 10- 12 days Gets spendy and its a pain.

Hydrographic Surveyor

My 2 cents

This is true when trolling on the main motor, always tried to utilize the kicker when possible. Every 100 hrs for oil on my zuki but every 200 for oil filter. Used a suction pump to change oil until 200 hr mark then pull boat for filter swap. Once warranty was up I started using my own discretion on oil change frequency, trolling hrs not near as hard on oil breakdown so I'd stretch the hrs longer or vice versa.

[Foxtail]

Which of these engines can you or can't you put a jet pump on?

[.264winmag]

With no break-in period, oil or filter changes, and 3 years or 300 hours with no dealer-scheduled maintenance, Evinrude E-TEC is the lowest maintenance outboard available.
Shop rates are how much an hour?
It was also the most inexpensive 150 I found at the time I was looking.
I have never noticed any exhaust smell from my outboard.
BRP's Evinrude E-TEC direct injection 2-stroke outboard engine use 75% less oil than traditional two-strokes and 50% less than traditional direct injection systems. They release only one-fifth of the carbon monoxide emissions of a four-stroke engine at idle and are compliant with stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), European Union (EU), and California Air Resources Board (CARB) 3-Star ultra-low emissions standards.
I too have worked at a fishing lodge that had Yamaha 150's and several engines had to have the blocks replaced, this was about 15 years ago though.

This I believe is their downfall, 75% less oil consumption does not leave much room for error. A couple revolutions with not quite enough oil injected into cylinders etc. and pop you have scored metal. Oil injection pump failure can also lead to catastrophic engine failure, I know they have limp mode to help combat but I know of many that have cooked because of the oil system failure.

[Mike_R]

This I believe is their downfall, 75% less oil consumption does not leave much room for error. A couple revolutions with not quite enough oil injected into cylinders etc. and pop you have scored metal. Oil injection pump failure can also lead to catastrophic engine failure, I know they have limp mode to help combat but I know of many that have cooked because of the oil system failure.
Oil pump failure is catastrophic with a 4 stroke engine is it not?

[Hillbros_96]

Oil pump failure is catastrophic with a 4 stroke engine is it not?

is there a gauge for the oil pressure on a 2 stroke, at least with a 4 stroke if you were watching the gauges you would catch it before it became catastrophic failure. Like 264 said it only takes a partially plugged line/pump calibration issue to cause catastrophic failure with the 2 stroke.

[bang flop]

I think you would be crazy to put a 150 back on. Go with more HP.
Yamaha 200 as that is your max rating.

I have a Suzuki 140, but is more like a 125. A 175 or 200 zuke would also be very suitable.

I personally would stay away fom e-tec's. Have a pile of them at work, many have blown power heads before they hit 400 hrs. The 90 etec has been excellent, ecept chews through spark plugs. That motor is on 4th set of plugs and hasn't hit 300 hrs.

No opinion on newer honda's... but the older ones run for ever.

Merc's... not a fan of verado's, but new 4 strokes have good reviews.

Pick you poison... they all cost to run.

I am a suzuki guy

[.264winmag]

Oil pump failure is catastrophic with a 4 stroke engine is it not?

Absolutely, never heard of it yet with outboards and limp mode would still have to fail. A drop in oil pressure would not be immediately detrimental either, the computer would have plenty of time to react. A gear driven sump pump is pretty darn reliable in all 4cycle engines. The 2cycle needs oil in the cylinder constantly, 4cycle is more of a bath if you will, a film will keep it alive. Ever seen the deminstrations with oil stabilizers where they drain the oil completely and she still runs with no damage? That kind of idea.

[bang flop]

Which of these engines can you or can't you put a jet pump on?

Why would a jet pump conversion have play in repower concerns with this type of boat? Would be the 1st campion I have seen with a pump drive...

[.264winmag]

Would love to see them come out with a jet leg for the 175 zuki, fish in the summer and hunt in the fall with same engine. The ole explorer might not handle the river rocks that well lol. Just have an aluminum and swap motor back/forth! Been in a 15ft jet boat with 175 optimax, thing was deadly but I bet the 4stroke would outperform the optipop. That optipop didn't have much jam it seemed.

[Foxtail]

Why would a jet pump conversion have play in repower concerns with this type of boat? Would be the 1st campion I have seen with a pump drive...

I never said anything about putting a jet drive on a campion. I was just asking out of curiousity. When we repowered we were told the turbo would burn up with a jet drive. That was back in 05 though and we have had the same 200 merc saltwater since running prop about half the time and jet the other half with no problems.

[BigfishCanada]

I had the 150 Yamaha and would only change the single yammy to two yammys, Yamaha are my goto engine, reliable awesome excellent