Ranger reata 1850 options

[elawre]

Hi everyone, new to the board. I'm dealing on a new ranger reata 1850. My dealer sells etec's and mercury's. So, I'm trying to decide between etec 175 or the optimax 175 pro xs. Also, I'm leaning towards a lowrance hds-7, minn kota 24v 70 pd us/I pilot, and a 8" hydraulic set back. So any info on the motors and options I'm choosing would be appreciated. And does anyone have experience with the hydraulic set back on a reata?

Thanx,
Ed

[Hombre Robusto]

Go with the 80 lb Terova.

[PJM]

Elawre

The motor selection would make me lean towards the Mercury for the simple reason that the XS Pro will run you closer to 192hp being an XS motor. The Evinrude is a standard 175hp and not a HO motor. Both motor are offer something like 5 year warranty, but all new motors seem to be built well. The Smart Gauges are nice on the Mercury also. The four cylinder Verado in a nice option also...

[kjfleming]

Ed ~ I have a 2007 1850 Reata with a 175 Optimax (non XS). At MN elevation running a 21p Mercury High-Five (we ski quite a bit), the hole-shot is excellent with a top end still in the upper 40's. The Optimax has been bullet-proof reliable, though it is measurably louder than the my previous Yamaha four-stroke. Hope that helps.

I'll give a plug for the 175 Optimax. My 2007 1860 Angler is the same hull as the 1850 Reata & The Mercury 175 Opti has been a flawless performer for me. This engine has been proven for years as reliable and powerful. Enjoy your new boat!

[Pezman38]

Originally Posted by elawre

Hi everyone, new to the board. I'm dealing on a new ranger reata 1850. My dealer sells etec's and mercury's. So, I'm trying to decide between etec 175 or the optimax 175 pro xs. Also, I'm leaning towards a lowrance hds-7, minn kota 24v 70 pd us/I pilot, and a 8" hydraulic set back. So any info on the motors and options I'm choosing would be appreciated. And does anyone have experience with the hydraulic set back on a reata?

Thanx,
Ed

I just bought a HDS7 and so far I like it, had a HDS5 before. I would have the dealer install the LSS-1 now for you as well. You will want it anyway.

It was my understanding that Ranger only allowed the 6" on the reata, I could be mistaken though. The hydro jack plate will allow you to get into more shallow water, better tune the engine and prop, and increase your top end by prolly 1-3mph. Pair that with the ETEC HO or the PRO XS and you will have a sweet ride.

I agree on the 80lb terrova as well, loving my terrova.

[elawre]

Thanks for the replies, I think for top end performance the optimax pro is the way to go, too bad there isn't a etec 175 HO. Would like to hear from some etec owners, especially from someone who runs a 175 on the 1850.(performance #'s) I like the self winterizing of the etec and the cost is about 1400 cheaper with a brp incentive right now.

[cc-rider]

Okay. I'll go to bat for the E-TEC. I have this exact boat you are considering. Ranger 1850 with the 175 E-TEC. I bought it in the summer of 2007 and I am still lustfully in love with this rig.

The E-TEC has been a flawless, powerful performer with great gas mileage. I am running a 17p Cyclone prop (4 blade) and I get around 5.2 miles per gallon at cruise (25 - 30 mph). Another very cool option about the E-TEC is you can plug your lowrance system into it and get all sorts of data...including real time gas mileage which is why I know I get exactly 5.2 at cruise. With the 17p Cyclone prop, I get anywhere from 46-49 MPH top end depending on the conditions and loading of the boat. The holeshot is unreal with this motor/prop. Literally launches out of the hole and cannot be stopped. I waterski behind mine regularly and it pulls good (this coming from a person who used to have an inboard ski boat!). The oil usage is very, very good. I have been running XD100 oil but the engine is set on the XD50 setting. As you've already noted, the self winterization feature is simply an awesome, convienent feature. If you do go with the ETEC...do not let the dealer put the 19p Cyclone prop on it because it won't turn the rpm's its supposed to. I'm not sure if Ranger and/or dealers have learned their lesson on this yet, but they used to recommend this prop and many people had to swap out to lower pitch prop to get the rpm right. It is not good to overload these motors...you gain nothing by doing it and may even loose fuel mileage.

I also add that I do think the Optimax is a very good motor as well. It probably will have a bit more top end than the ETEC (2-4 mph) and the ETEC will be quieter than the Optimax....those will be the only real performance differences. The ETEC has the self winterization function. The Opti will be a bit cheaper.

I will give you my advice on a couple more things . I would stongly encourage you to make the top speed of the boat the LAST thing you consider when choosing. I can tell you with 100% certainty that the only thing that can tell the difference between 48 and 50 mph is your GPS. The seat of your pants certainly will not. If you don't believe me, try it in your car and let me know if you notice a difference! Furthermore, once you get your first few wide-open kicks in (which is fun)...the chances of you running wide open very often is (or should) be very low. At wide open, I get 3 mpg where I get just over 5 mpg at cruise. Boats eat up a lot of fuel and the gas mileage is critical. I would guess that both the Opti and ETEC get good/same mileage at cruise. This is where the noise comes in. When I'm cruising 30 miles down Rainy Lake for an hour straight, the quiet purr of the ETEC is nice. This is where the ETEC can upstage the Opti. However, the Opti is usually cheaper than the ETEC which is obviously a very important thing to consider. Overall...the marketing teams at Merc and BRP know exactly how to position/price these motors against each other. They are both good motors...you just have to decide what features are more important to you.

Hope that helped! I have posted quite a few posts about performance/testing I did...search my posts and you will find a lot more info to read on the 1850/ETEC setup.

Either way, you are getting a sweet rig. I absolutely love this boat as does every single other person that owns one. GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY!!!!

[elawre]

Thanks for post cc-rider. Alot of good info.

[wallymn99]

CC makes good comments. Whatever you do go with a 175 hp motor. i have the 2007 Reata with a 175 Suzuki 4s. He is correct when he says that you can't tell the diff between 47 and 50. My boat will do about 45-47 and that is plenty good for me. Either way, you are making the right choice in boat. you will be quite impressed with the Reata. This is my first ranger and won't be my last.