New boat, Motor Choice

[mdsn]

Yes, its a topic beaten to death...and I will beat it some more! But its always good to get fresh opinions from smart, experienced people so;

Buying a new Warrior 208 or Ranger 620. I am coming from a warrior 2090 tiller with a 200 Etech. The motor has been great.
I am now considering Etech, Yamaha or Merc. It would be a 300 hp.
I understand they are all good motors but looking for your thoughts/comparisons.
I have heard Yamaha has best (lowest) fuel consumption.
Been told 4 strokes are WAY quieter than the Etech.
They say Etech has more torque and guts.

In my areas service is all about equal, maybe an edge to Yamaha and Merc.

Whats the truth? Which would you choose and why?
Thanks for any opinions!

[nervous knotter]

Had my Etec issues wont go there.
I own a 300 Yamaha offshore and I've ridden in a few boats with 300 Verados.
I like them both a lot.
Just my observation:
Verado is quieter at idle and a little quieter at WOT.
I think the Yamaha has a little better holeshot ( propping variables maybe)
Yamahas gas mileage may be 10-20% better
Verado will be 2-3 MPH faster
Yamaha reliability isn't a question and Verados are solid

[pale ryder]

The truth, according to performance bulletins, is that the e-tec g2 will get a little better mpg, hole shot and top speed. That edge will get you to a hot spot 10 miles away almost 10 seconds sooner. And the savings in gas is eaten up in 2-stroke oil costs.

With so many of these threads coming up recently, I have looked at hundreds of performance reports and I find very little difference from one brand to the next, generally less than 5%, which in the real world you will not notice.

Reliability of the G2 e-tec is hard to say because they are only 2 years old.
Resale leans toward Yamaha right now, but the 10 year G2 warranty may change that.

If I we buying right now I would get a Yamaha because they own Skeeter, which is the boat I would be buying.

[strand]

I am purchasing a 620 as well and looking at Yamaha and or Mercury. Definitely not an etech because access to any maintenance I need to have done is limited. I am looking towards the Yamaha offshore or the Vmax. They are lighter and have a few less moving parts compared to the Verado. Have you researched the Vmax? Let me know what you think?

[mdsn]

Originally Posted by strand

I am purchasing a 620 as well and looking at Yamaha and or Mercury. Definitely not an etech because access to any maintenance I need to have done is limited. I am looking towards the Yamaha offshore or the Vmax. They are lighter and have a few less moving parts compared to the Verado. Have you researched the Vmax? Let me know what you think?

I did not look at the Vmax because I think they top out at 250 hp. I am looking at the 300 hp based on dealer suggestions.

[pale ryder]

Originally Posted by strand

I am purchasing a 620 as well and looking at Yamaha and or Mercury. Definitely not an etech because access to any maintenance I need to have done is limited. I am looking towards the Yamaha offshore or the Vmax. They are lighter and have a few less moving parts compared to the Verado. Have you researched the Vmax? Let me know what you think?

According to the performance reports the Vmax is a little faster out of the hole, about .5 second quicker 0-30, and a little higher top speed, about 1.5-2 mph. But the Vmax also uses more gas, 4.5 mpg vs 4.8 mpg at best cruising speed.
So, there is really very little difference.

Originally Posted by mdsn

Yes, its a topic beaten to death...and I will beat it some more! But its always good to get fresh opinions from smart, experienced people so;

Buying a new Warrior 208 or Ranger 620. I am coming from a warrior 2090 tiller with a 200 Etech. The motor has been great.
I am now considering Etech, Yamaha or Merc. It would be a 300 hp.
I understand they are all good motors but looking for your thoughts/comparisons.
I have heard Yamaha has best (lowest) fuel consumption.

Can take that with a grain of salt. As that ONLY applies at a certain rpm range, overall operating range not much difference between the three.

Originally Posted by mdsn

Been told 4 strokes are WAY quieter than the Etech.

Those that told you that are still going by the old 2-strokes vs the new 4-strokes. The E-tec's and G2's are within decibels of the 4-strokes.

Originally Posted by mdsn

They say Etech has more torque and guts.

No arguing this. The E-tec cannot be beat in torque.

Originally Posted by mdsn

In my areas service is all about equal, maybe an edge to Yamaha and Merc.

If you have "about" equal service in your area, go with an E-tec and the 10 year warranty they are offering now.

[nervous knotter]

A couple other points I didn't mention
The Yamaha weighs 70 lbs less than the Verado
The Verado power steering is sweet but if you troll a lot you may need an extra battery

[PropNut]

I think the ETEC is a strong choice especially with their 10 year warranty and 5 years 500 hours no maintenance.

I have not seen a direct 300 comparison but on the other hp they seems to be consistently the most efficient.

The ETEC is available with built in power steering too, no extra battery needed.

From my experience the ETEC is quieter at idle and a little louder in the mid range and WOT.

[pale ryder]

You can add power steering to any boat/motor with Seastar hydraulic steering for about $1400. They say you don't need an extra battery.
http://www.seastarsolutions.com/prod...ering-new/spa/