Need Outboard Opinions

[dabend]

Looking to re power a 20' Champion. Have been out of the outboard scene for 6 years and need some input. Will be purchasing a 200 hp motor, but which one ? Mercury ProXS, Yamaha Pro V SHO, Honda, Suzuki, Tohatsu, Evinrude Etech.....Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[robert graham]

Buying an outboard with a qualified dealer a reasonable distance nearby would need to be a consideration....for parts, repair, service,etc.....

 

[dingbat]

There are pro and cons with each of them but the key is local service.

Personally, 2 strokes are off the list. Adds roughly 40 cents a gallon to your fuel cost. Not worth increasing my fuel costs by 15% to reduce my time to plane by a 1/10 of a second or so.

 

[wahlejim]

The brand with the best reputation around my lake is Yamaha. My uncle swapped out his merc for a Yamaha a couple of years back and hasn't looked back. He gets a chuckle at the boat ramp every time someone pulls out the starting fluid on cold, early morning starts and he just launches fires up and goes.

The way I look at it, everyone is quick to defend their brand, why they made their choice, etc. But I haven't heard many bad things about Yamahas, except the old WWII vet that complained where they were made.

 

[thatone123]

Good like new NOS 2 stroke outboards are a fraction of the cost of a a 4stroke. The only people that save money on gas considering the high trade off cost of a 4 stoke are fishing maniacs and charter boats. Average fisherman uses outboard 15 hours a year.

 

[JimS123]

If you look at my signature line, you'll see I have more experience in outboards than most. Obviously, if you are in the USA, a new 4 stroke is your only option.

I've been an Evinrude / Johnson guy for over 50 years. In recent years I switched to 4-strokes on my every-day boats. I only have 4 at this point, and all are Mercurys.

In my home area we have about 15 outboard dealers. One sells Evinrude, One Yamaha, One Tohatsu and all the rest are Mercury. Obviously, that impacts my opinion somewhat.

I have had a Yami in the past, and it was a good motor. But the maintenance requirements were more than the others.

Bottom line is go with whatever your local dealer handles as long as you are happy with his service. If you have options, my recommendation would be a Merc. The performance, maintenance and ease of serviceability are simply second to none.

 

[Sprig]

Buying an outboard with a qualified dealer a reasonable distance nearby would need to be a consideration....for parts, repair, service,etc.....

This is sage advice and get a 4 stroke.
In reality all the major OB brands are good motors. Some years are better than others. The two at the top of my list would be either a Merc or Honda but the other brands are good motors too. You can probably find more places that service and repair Merc and Honda than any other engine.