Bought new boat - what engine to get with it?

[wallyuwl]

I bought a new Starweld Victory 18 today (links below). This dealer is a very large one and does not put engines on most of the boats. The customer can choose between Honda, Mercury, Suzuki, and Yamaha.

I selected the F115 Yamaha (I think the SHO model is really ugly so don't want that even if slightly better performance). Right now Yamaha has a promotion through just after Labor Day where you get a free 2 year warranty extension, for 5 years total. However, the dealer has to order it (none in stock) and it can't be ordered until Monday, and it is unknown when it will come in. So this gives me the opportunity in the next couple days to switch if I want to.

My second choice is the Mercury Pro XS 115. These are made about 25 miles from where I live and there are dealers/mechanics that work on Mercurys on nearly every block around here. From what I can tell these have been a really good engine since they came out 7 or 8 years ago. My concern is Mercury electronics/ignition typically are subpar.

I never really considered Suzuki because of the dealer network near where I live. You almost never see them (or Honda) around here - by far the most popular is Mercury, followed by Evinrude (even though they are now out of business), then Yamaha. However, I am reconsidering Suzuki now, since there are more dealers than I thought. There are three within about 45 minutes and then there is the place I bought the boat which is 1:10 away. But there are at least two of the dealers (one 45 minutes away and the purchasing one) that are in or pretty close to places where I travel at least every two weeks anyway. The boat dealer said their biggest seller is Suzuki due to price. Right now Suzuki has $300 rebate and 5 year warranty on top of already being the least expensive. https://www.suzukimarine.com/outboard/115-200hp/df115b/

My main priorities are longevity and easy to work on (as much as it is possible to work on boat motors these days) to winterize, change the oil, and if needed change an ignition part or something. Parts availability and how long the company makes replacement parts for typically is also something that is important (I plan to keep this boat/engine for 20+ years). I would prefer one less heavy, and the Suzuki is heaviest by 50 pounds. Less important are maximum speed ratings, the latest tech, fuel economy, and noise. Boat will be used only in fresh water, and I will put on about 20 to 30 hours a year probably. The dealer spoke highly of all the brands.

Any thoughts or experiences?

https://www.americanmarina.com/defau...=xAllInventory
https://www.starcraftstarweld.com/sh...ishing/victory

 

[skyactiv]

I'd get the Mercury myself since it's both made and well supported where you live. That and parts might be easier to obtain and locally to boot as the unit ages down the road.

 

[AmBeRnEcTaR]

Yamahar

 

[Trav]

I do a lot of marine fuel injectors, they have a lot more issues than when installed in a car engine. The Mercury Optimax are very expensive and are crap especially the air injectors, the Evinrude E-Tec and other engines using the Fichte injectors are unbelievably poor trouble prone and super expensive. From what I see Yamaha has the best ones (injectors and engines), their HPDI are very solid and easy to clean. Suzuki I will have to check.
Find out what the exact engines are and post it, I can tell you more if you need.

 

[MNgopher]

Easy choice for me - Yamaha.

Why? I'm running one of the early year 115 hp four strokes... 22 years old, and she runs like top... Same for a friend but in 150 hp flavor...

One injector cleaning, plus all the filters and a new spin on water /fuel separator (as I understand it now is required for factory rigging / warranty but was not when mine was made - 4 strokes were new...)

 

[Escape08]

You can't go wrong on any Japanese brand boat engines.

 

[MParr]

Get the Mercury. Good local support is a plus.

 

[wallyuwl]

I do a lot of marine fuel injectors, they have a lot more issues than when installed in a car engine. The Mercury Optimax are very expensive and are crap especially the air injectors, the Evinrude E-Tec and other engines using the Fichte injectors are unbelievably poor trouble prone and super expensive. From what I see Yamaha has the best ones (injectors and engines), their HPDI are very solid and easy to clean. Suzuki I will have to check.
Find out what the exact engines are and post it, I can tell you more if you need.

Mercury Pro XS 115 vs Yamaha F115.

The more I think about the Suzuki the more I'm leaning against. Dealers are far away, they won't resell well here, and maybe the biggest thing for me is the weight.

 

[wallyuwl]

Easy choice for me - Yamaha.

Why? I'm running one of the early year 115 hp four strokes... 22 years old, and she runs like top... Same for a friend but in 150 hp flavor...

One injector cleaning, plus all the filters and a new spin on water /fuel separator (as I understand it now is required for factory rigging / warranty but was not when mine was made - 4 strokes were new...)

Do these have a timing belt (thought I read that)? If so, have you ever had to change it or is there a recommended interval?

Is the lower unit oil and engine oil easy to change?

Any corrosion or paint issues (or corrosion inside the cowling)? I will only be using in fresh water, but have heard this is an issue with some of these.

Reliability is my main consideration, I don't want to be working on it all the time ten years from now (or spending a lot of money in the shop).

 

[MNgopher]

Yes, they have a timing belt. Recommended change interval is every 10 years or 500 hours (going from memory here).

Lower unit oil change is the same as any other outboard.

Zero issues with factory paint... The part of the skeg that was repaired after an encounter with a rock is another story

Other than scheduled maint, I've not had to touch a thing on this one other than one injector cleaning and the filters in the fuel flow path to them prior to installing the spin on water fuel separator.

 

[Trav]

Do these have a timing belt (thought I read that)? If so, have you ever had to change it or is there a recommended interval?

Is the lower unit oil and engine oil easy to change?

Any corrosion or paint issues (or corrosion inside the cowling)? I will only be using in fresh water, but have heard this is an issue with some of these.

Reliability is my main consideration, I don't want to be working on it all the time ten years from now (or spending a lot of money in the shop).

Mercury Pro XS 115 vs Yamaha F115.

The more I think about the Suzuki the more I'm leaning against. Dealers are far away, they won't resell well here, and maybe the biggest thing for me is the weight.

I looked at these 2 and both use a regular EFI injector, larger models use the others so that isn't a concern. Maintenance especially the fuel system is going to be the key to a long trouble free life with either the Merc or Yamaha or any marine engine.
I do see the parts quality used in the fuel systems are slightly better and more durable in the Yamaha, at least on the parts I see.

 

[Donald]

I live in DE and I see a lot of Yamaha. The marina where I keep my boat only sells Yamaha. Mostly salt water.

But no experience with Yamaha. I have a VP I/O and last outboard was a Johnson 115.

 

[Old fart]

Mercury or Yamaha. Either one is pretty darn reliable and easy to find service and parts. I am a Yamaha fan, but when I bought my 2015 boat it had a 150 4 stroke Mercury already on it. The dealer said they would be glad to swap a Yamaha on it, but between the dealer and several other people they all said that the Mercury had been a really good motor and was a little cheaper. I haven’t had a single issue with it, and I would buy another in a heartbeat.
Suzuki and Honda are good, but service centers are a lot more scarce. If it matters, top speed on either of them will not be as good as Mercury or Yamaha.

 

[Jim K]

I found a nice small engine for your new boat.

 

[RTexasF]

Suzuki and Honda are generally heavier than their competition which is a disadvantage. The Pro XS will deliver better performance than the standard Yamaha. Although I'm a Yamaha fanboy the Merc would be my choice, especially with the glut of dealerships you mentioned that are close by.

 

[Old fart]

And to add a little more, if you do a little research if you go with the Merc, you may want to go with the standard 150 over the Pro XS. Basically it gives you the different graphics, different motor mounts, and a different lower unit along with a raised rev limiter. The lower gear ratio has been a pain to get them to run as fast as the standard 150. Mine is the standard on a BassCat Sabre with 8” hydraulic Jack plate , dual power poles, and numerous other items, and will gps 65. Another guy that posts some over on the BassCat forum is getting 66 out of his without poles on the back. We haven’t seen a Pro XS post as fast of numbers yet on the same hull. It will also save you a pretty good amount of cash. And I can tell you that the fricking $260 motor mounts consists of 2 additional large washers on the same upper mounts. The hull you are getting will not benefit from the higher mounting that you can get with the Pro XS. Also for a really good all around prop look at the Bravo FS. On that boat with the standard 150, probably a 23” . With a Pro XS, my guess would be a 24”.

 

[wings&wheels]

Love our twin Yamaha 350's, and Yamaha has very good product support. I vote Yammy.

 

[OVERKILL]

I'd go Yamaha, they tend to be pretty bulletproof and their fuel injection setup is excellent as @Trav notes.

 

[4WD]

I bought a new Starweld Victory 18 today (links below). This dealer is a very large one and does not put engines on most of the boats. The customer can choose between Honda, Mercury, Suzuki, and Yamaha.

I selected the F115 Yamaha (I think the SHO model is really ugly so don't want that even if slightly better performance). Right now Yamaha has a promotion through just after Labor Day where you get a free 2 year warranty extension, for 5 years total. However, the dealer has to order it (none in stock) and it can't be ordered until Monday, and it is unknown when it will come in. So this gives me the opportunity in the next couple days to switch if I want to.

My second choice is the Mercury Pro XS 115. These are made about 25 miles from where I live and there are dealers/mechanics that work on Mercurys on nearly every block around here. From what I can tell these have been a really good engine since they came out 7 or 8 years ago. My concern is Mercury electronics/ignition typically are subpar.

I never really considered Suzuki because of the dealer network near where I live. You almost never see them (or Honda) around here - by far the most popular is Mercury, followed by Evinrude (even though they are now out of business), then Yamaha. However, I am reconsidering Suzuki now, since there are more dealers than I thought. There are three within about 45 minutes and then there is the place I bought the boat which is 1:10 away. But there are at least two of the dealers (one 45 minutes away and the purchasing one) that are in or pretty close to places where I travel at least every two weeks anyway. The boat dealer said their biggest seller is Suzuki due to price. Right now Suzuki has $300 rebate and 5 year warranty on top of already being the least expensive. https://www.suzukimarine.com/outboard/115-200hp/df115b/

My main priorities are longevity and easy to work on (as much as it is possible to work on boat motors these days) to winterize, change the oil, and if needed change an ignition part or something. Parts availability and how long the company makes replacement parts for typically is also something that is important (I plan to keep this boat/engine for 20+ years). I would prefer one less heavy, and the Suzuki is heaviest by 50 pounds. Less important are maximum speed ratings, the latest tech, fuel economy, and noise. Boat will be used only in fresh water, and I will put on about 20 to 30 hours a year probably. The dealer spoke highly of all the brands.

Any thoughts or experiences?

https://www.americanmarina.com/defau...=xAllInventory
https://www.starcraftstarweld.com/sh...ishing/victory

Had rudes, mercs, yams … followed owner’s manual and no issues with any of them …

 

[UncleDave]

Pull into any town with a lake in the upper Midwest and the parts sign you'll see lit up at night more than any is Mercury.

Yamaha makes a fine mill cant go wrong. Yamaha has a solid parts and support network.

All the Japanese mills are fine choices.