best honda for reliability?

[anticosti]

We are commercial lobstermen having used many different outboards. Our typical use is about 6-8 hours a day use with typical higher RPMs between trawls.<br />The best motors we had ,and by far, are our actuals 90s honda.The same pairs on one boat have eight seasons done with just about nothing done to them out of normal maintenance...I figure they have about 3500 hours on them.<br /><br /> Now we want more power. The 90s are just limit for our use especially when the wide heavy (24X9) novi fibreglass skiff gets loaded with traps...it just can't come on a plane then...light the boat will cruise easy at 22-24 at conservative 4500-4800 rpms.<br /><br /> My idea was and possibly still go for the twin 130s. But I've read here some apparent constant gasket failure..no good at all for us..we need ultra reliability as we fish far away from service...any stop-down can hurt really bad in our short season!<br /><br /> The new 135 and 150 looks interesting but I'm reluctant to anything too recent to be backed by prooved history!<br /><br /> Now I am left with the 225. My questions about this one is what are the feedbacks about reliability of it? I would run only one to replace the twin 90s...now will this get the loaded boat on a plane where the twins 90 fail to do?<br /><br /> The twins formula was always a good choice for us since there would always at least one to keep us going while the other one being repaired but two 225 is far too much power and weight...twin 115s would be great but I really hate the idea of constant gasket failures...<br /><br /> thanks for your attention and help.<br /><br />Ronald.

 

[DJ]

Re: best honda for reliability?

I can't speak for reliability, but I will say this about single vs. twin installations.<br /><br />Typically, a single will outperform twins in the same HP catagory.<br /><br />In your situation, the 225 will definetely outperform twin 90's or twin 115's.<br /><br />You will have about 1/2 to 2/3 the weight of the twins.<br /><br />A single does not afford you the redundancy that twins offer.

 

[hondon]

Re: best honda for reliability?

The 115/130 engines have proven to be as bullet proof as their smaller brothers after Honda sorted out a few issues that really only affected the earliest units.The problem is , the 130 is discontinued and becoming hard to find.The 115 is still in production and available.It is hard for me to recommend an introductory year engine to anyone,let alone someone with your needs,so you might want to wait and see on the 135/150.I do'nt know anyone unhappy with the 200/225 and have several in commercial use.

 

[anticosti]

Re: best honda for reliability?

Thanks for the answers....Since asking here I've talked to the local honda dealer (almost 100 percent commercial business) and he howed a real surprise listening to my concerns about the supposed to be gaskets failures on the 115 130s...might had one or two on the really first models back in the 1997 or so...<br /><br />I'll go and check two 2004 130s he has on hands and very likely will g for those...if they give me another 8 years of trouble free like I had with the 90s could I ask for better!!<br /><br />thanks again,Ronald.