Which motor to buy?

Well guys, after a nice week of vacation (which included a lot of fishing!!), our motor basically died! One of the pistons in the 90 hp Johnson is shot and a rebuild isn’t worth the expense. Long story short, we’re in the market and considering another OMC or else a Yamaha. Also, thinking about a 4 stroke.

Anyway, we would very much appreciate any of your insights…we certainly have some seasoned river rats ’round this board!! Your 2 cents on a good motor investment (ie. reliability, longevity, non-lemon status) would be awesome! My personal favorite at the moment is a 90 hp Yamaha 4 stroke, but the E tec from OMC is supposed to be decent as well. For the record, we have a 17′ Lund. Thanks for any tips and insight!!

The 90 ETec would be on the tops of my list. I’d price shop a little and being able to buy from a dealer with a reputation for good service mght sway my descision process a little but I wouldn’t buy without taking a good look the ETec.

I have a 17 lund pro v right now with a 135 and you could drive a motorhome with less gas, I would go with a four stroke or e tec for sure. Assuming your Lund is a console it would probably be rated for a 150, so if you are going with a 90 I would look at the e tec due to the better performance. Both are great motors so you can’t go wrong, Good Luck with what ever you choose.

I have a Yamaha F150 and would highly recommend Yamaha to anyone. Very very quiet, great on gas. I cannot speak for the E Tec since I have never been in a boat that has one. I’m sure it is a great motor. Do your homework, good luck in your purchase!

Check this article from Bass and Walleye Boats magazine.

They compared the following 90 hp motors:
Evinrude E-Tec
Mercury Optimax
Tohatsu (same a Nissan)
Suzuki (same as Johson four stroke)
Honda

Very interesting article. Unfortunately the Yamaha EFI 90 hp wasn’t available to be tested.

90 hp Motor tests from Bass and Walleye Boats Magazine

Boone

i WOULD SERIOUSLY look at the Suzuki. I’ve had my new DF140 since March and can’t say enough about this motor! GREAT on gas, awesome hole shot and top end is sweet! The only problem is I’m probably gonna have tto replace the starter this year CAUSE YOU CAN’T HEAR THE MOTOR RUNNING!

I bought a new Yamaha 150 4-stroke this spring, and love it. It’s a really big motor (450 lbs) but is great on gas and extremely quiet. A buddy has the e-tec and loves it too, says it’s great on gas as well. No lose decision!

Thanks for the input, fellas…we’ll keep asking around and stewing…though it’s killing me to be off the water. Smitty’s Marine in Lake City (where we originally got our boat from) is offering us a great deal on an Evinrude Etec…they’ll actually take our burned out one in on trade plus throw us a deal on a new Minn Kota for the front. They’ve treated us pretty well, so that might be an option.

A long standing relationship with a marina is a real big plus…

Ok I gotta ask…..Every time I see you post I wonder…….

Are you in the middle of peeing in your picture?????

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Are you in the middle of peeing in your picture?????

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I think he’s standing at the wheel driving…. lol Or I hope he is.

But then again, when your name is “G-LOVE”…………..

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But then again, when your name is “G-LOVE”…………..

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After reading that Gary, my first thought was –

I wonder if he’s alone in that picture……….

U talkin’ ta Me?

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U talkin’ ta Me?

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No, just giving GLove some good natured ripping on his pic.

Ha ha ha!! I never even thought of that about my pic!! LOL It’s from a little weekend trip on a private lake in St. Joes (by St. Cloud…it had great fishing…no pressure. I had 8 bass off the dock before even got in the canoe with makeshift oar!). For the record, I am driving the boat attempting to look like a sea captain for a candid shot my buddy took. My screen name (which is also my nickname) comes from my actual name: Greg Lovell. Perhaps I should be emailing another pic to upload?!?!

For the record, though this thread is dead, we got a 90 hp E tec and Minn Kota Maxxum Pro…I’m thrilled!! Just ran them today for the first time. I can’t believe how quiet the E tec is (we’ve been running a 10 yr old Johnson)