Need a new 25 or 30HP, any advice?

[BoneDigger]

Please forgive me as I am a novice at boat motors. I am looking to buy a new 25-30 HP outboard for my little FastCraft. I have a question or two about small outboards.

1) Is there any real quality difference between the major brands when it comes to 4-strokes? Suzuki, Honda, and Yamaha all get good reviews, but then Evinrude and Mercury have been around for a long time. Is there any general wisdome about which is best?

2) Will five extra HP make a difference on a 14 ft fiberglass boat? The 30 HP is a little more than the 25, but it might be nice having the extra HP. Right now, with my old 25 I can do right at 28-30 MPH. Will the 30 give me significantly more?

3) Will the weight of the 30HP over the 25HP be significant?

Todd

 

[05GlastronSX]

Re: Need a new 25 or 30HP, any advice?

1) no. they all make good engines these days. Im a merc fan but honda has been making four strokes for a while and they have a very nice engine as does suzuki and yamaha. All of them are good in my eyes. for 2006, Mercury only makes the 25's and 30's in EFI which will give you better economy but you will be paying more for it upfront. Also, their 25's and 30's are 3 cylinders, which will give you more torque and smoother running.

2) On a light boat like that you have a good chance of noticing the extra 5 h.p. It wont be significantly more, but it will probably increase mph by 2-3 at least.

3) In most cases, not too much. 4 strokes are all generally heavy compared to their 2 stroke counterparts. Although, the merc 25 EFI weighs 157 lbs. dry, the 30 weighs 172 lbs dry, which is an increase of 15 lbs.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Need a new 25 or 30HP, any advice?

what does the plate on the boat say is Max HP? i go for that.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Need a new 25 or 30HP, any advice?

If the boat is rated for 40 hp give the Evinrude etec a close look.