Looking at replacing my 2-stroke Merc. 150 efi with one of the 3. I am looking at comparing the 150 e-etec, 4-stroke yammy, and 4 stroke honda. I’d like to hear some comparisons by those who have had expierences with these motors or something similar.
4-stroke yahmmy is really 162 cu. inches this has been a great motor on my G-3 18.5 footer puhes it 45 MPH with 3 guys and gear E-tec too new for me know of a few that blew-up
Shouldn’t make too much of a difference for engine comparisons, but so you know. I’ll be putting it on my Ranger 185dvs (175HP Rating).
This post will become a “My motor is best” post for sure. What I don’t like is someone saying “I heard of a few that blew up” without names or circumstances. What I can tell you is all of the motors you are asking about are outstanding motors in their own right. What do you want?
1. If the issue is less scheduled maintenance, the E-TEC requires no scheduled maintenance for three years.
2. If you put your boat to bed in November, E-TEC self winterizes.
3. If power to weight is an issue, the E-TEC is significantly lighter and more powerful due to the FACT that it is a direct injection two stroke.
4. If gas mileage is an issue, then any of the motors will do. The E-TEC will get pretty much the same MPG as the 4’s. Plus, no smoke.
5. If a smaller footprint, and less weight hanging off the transom is a plus, the nod would have to go to E-TEC again. Roughly 100# lighter than the 4’s.
6. If top end speed is an issue, again, the nod would have to go to E-TEC.
That’s my sales pitch. I own one, and I could have bought any of them out there.
Again, I am not bashing anyone here. Feel free to pick and pull apart the facts I have offered above.
By the way…guys that want to throw the fact in that E-TEC’s require oil…I fish a lot more than the average Joe, and I bought a gallon of Pennzoil 100% Synthetic in March, and I still have a quater gallon left!
If you have any questions, please give me a ring or email. If you want pricing, I suggest contacting Destry at LaCannes in Fairbault. They are IDA sponsors, and have great service after the sale!
Tuck
If they would let me post names I would sponser reasons I’m sure. I wasn’t bashing stating what I know as requested
Yamaha 150 would get my vote and I am not sponsored by Yamaha. I’ve owned 4 Yammies and they’ve all been great motors with no problems as of yet. All 3 motors would get the job done and provide many great hours on the water. Good luck and give us a report on what you purchased and how it’s working. Kurt
I am also potentially looking at buying a new boat, and would be debating over a 150 hp Yamaha 4-stroke or an E-Tech. I would like to get the E-Tech, but I’m a bit concerned about the reliability of these motors.
I fished with a boater down in Winona this past week who had a 2005 225 hp E-Tech, and he had a lot of problems starting his main motor. He mentioned that any fuel with 10% ethanol mix will damage the seals, which made it difficult to start the motor. We had to pump the heck out of the ball a few times to get the motor running. It took more than a minute to get the motor started a couple of times. Has anyone else had this problem, and if it’s a problem on a six-month old motor now, how will it run another year from now? The Yamahas are pretty much bullet-proof, so is the added performance and price of the E-tech worth it? Are there any concerns with running the E-techs in cold weather, such as The River or Mille Lacs in November?
Chad
Anyone on here can bad mouth any of the outboard makes. All of them have a problem here an there. All makes have suffered a blown powerhead. I haven’t seen an E-TEC yet, but I’m sure that one has. I have seen 4-stroke Yamaha’s and Mercury’s with powerhead failures.
Evinrude E-TEC…NOT E-TECH…gets alot of criticism because of the Ficht fiasco. I still have a 1999 Ficht that had all of the problems, but still runs today…and quite well.
The 150hp E-TEC is a new one, so I doubt you’ll see anyone with any experience with it. As EYE-GUIDE posted, if you like the features he explained…an E-TEC is definately the way to go.
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I would like to get the E-Tech, but I’m a bit concerned about the reliability of these motors.
I fished with a boater down in Winona this past week who had a 2005 225 hp E-Tech, and he had a lot of problems starting his main motor. He mentioned that any fuel with 10% ethanol mix will damage the seals, which made it difficult to start the motor. We had to pump the heck out of the ball a few times to get the motor running.
Your boater is flat out WRONG! Don’t take my word for it, but how about every outboard and automobile, motorcycle and snowmobile motor manufacturer that have designed these motors to run on this mixture? From what you describe, he had a bad bulb or an air draw in his line somewhere. My $.02, as I would be making a speculation without actually seeing the offender in person. There are a number of redundant fuel pumps in this motor which do not require the bulb to fill a float bowl like a carburated motor. Pumping merely gets gas close to the injectors. Good old DC pumping does the rest. Same as your EFI on your Yammy or Honda. If you had to “Pump the heck out of it” it was not a motor issue.
As far as reliability, changes (Updates) have been made to the mapping of the E-TEC’s. Plus, using 100% Synthetic oil eleviates the problem. It is not that the engines had problems, Evinrude treaded a fine line in sensor sensitivity. This I know because I was intimately involved in fixes last winter as I ran my boat all year long.
But as I said, look at what I had posted, and see what it is that you want. I would be leary about anyone telling me anything that starts with “I heard that….” without having some specific facts about what actually happened to said motor(s). Back to the first post about E-TECS blowing up, you don’t have to name names, but how about the circumstances? How did it happen? And, what was Evinrude’s response? Please don’t leave a comment hanging out there like that without substantiation. I would like to know if the motor company I have invested a lot of time and money in is treating folks right.
Tuck
Are the etec 150’s or 175’s available yet? Color seems to be only blue and white too?
Just some things to consider – I own an e-tec but i have a whole 10 mins on my motor so have no opinion on them yet, other than they are WAY tiny. 90hp etec = the size of my ole 94′ 60hp johnson.
Thanks for the feeback.
I’m seriously leaning towards the E-Tec, but just want to make sure I’m making the correct decision.
As far as the seals go, all I can say is that my boater stated this came directly from his factory representative. I became an electrical engineer for a reason though; I’m not all that mechanically inclined. For all I know, he put E85 or jet fuel in the motor rather than 10% ethanol. I’m not sure why he would have lied though, since he was mostly positive about the motor. He also reaffirmed most of the plusses you stated above in your post. The only negative he mentioned was the seal issue. He did state that he would continue buying E-Tec motors in the future, so he obviously doesn’t view this as a serious matter.
Chad
Actually they do not recommend using ethanol in outboards because over a period of time it can dry out the seals. This is stated in the mercury manuals. I believe its true for the e-tec. I do know people with the e-tec who have not had any problems. I do know people with the honda who say they are very hard to start. The honda lower units and gear case are made by mercury FYI.
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Color seems to be only blue and white too?
Merc only comes in Black..
As far as I know, Honda..silver only, Yahmaha 4 strokers…light blue only I believe. Two choices are better than one. I know my next motor will be an e-tech. For all the reasons already stated’ PLUS a few more that are politically and economically motivated.
The ethanol issues that factory reps warn about are ethanol levels over 10%. The motors are manufactured to run on 10%, which 99.9% of the pumps here offer. Most engine manufacturers urge people not to run premium gas in their motors. Reason? Premium has MORE ethanol! Weird, huh? All the ethanol does for you is it brings more O2 into your engine for combustion. In doing so, it can create more HP, but you get worse mileage. Plus, the plugs will burn hotter, which most engines cannot (Or were not designed) to handle. As far as the colors go, I see that was covered. Maybe you can get different shades of silver. 
Bombardier Fuel recommendations, right from the Horse:
Oxygenated Fuels
Some conventional gasolines are being
blended with alcohol or an ether compound.
These gasolines are collectively referred to as
oxygenated fuels. To meet clean air
standards, some areas of the United States
and Canada use oxygenated fuels to help
reduce emissions.
If you use an oxygenated fuel, be sure it is
unleaded and meets the minimum octane
rating requirement.
Before using an oxygenated fuel, try to confirm
the fuel’s contents. Some states/provinces
require this information to be posted on the
pump.
The following are the EPA approved
percentages of oxygenates.
ETHANOL: ethyl or grain alcohol; 10% by
volume
You may use gasoline containing up to 10%
ethanol by volume. Gasoline containing
ethanol may be marketed under the name
“Gasohol”.
MTBE: Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether; 15% by
volume.
2003 Marine Manufacturer Fuel Recommendations
Herman & Associates
2
You may use gasoline containing up to 15%
MTBE by volume.
METHANOL: methyl or wood alcohol; 5% by
volume
You may use gasoline containing up to 5%
methanol by volume as long as it also contains
cosolvents and corrosion inhibitors to protect
the fuel system. Gasoline containing more
than 5% methanol by volume may cause
starting and/or performance problems. It may
also damage metal, rubber, and plastic parts of
your fuel system.
Methanol is what you have to worry about, and no one that I know of in the midwest uses this.
Hope this helps. You will see this from all the major motor manufacturers.
Tuck
Thanks guys… You’re right Eye, I don’t want it to turn into “my motor does this, mine does this” type of thread. I was just looking for some positives from the expierences that others on the site have seen. Personally the way that I am going about this is treating all three equally to start. The way I am rating is: 1. Reliability 2. Fuel Effieciency 3. Overall Cost (including Maitanence) 4. Length of Warranty (service) (3 and 4 could go either way). So far I like what I have heard and read about the E-tech. Is there a place that has charts / comparisons for all three? How about pricing, are they similar?
Hey Guy’s, I do know of 3 Honda 130HP’s that had the same problem over 2 years. My brother in-law, a co-worker, a fishing league buddy. They all developed a cracked head. They were all down over a month during fishing season being repaired! The good thing is Honda extended all of their warrantys to like new again. They stand behind their motors.
Ferny.
I wouldn’t put a 4 stroke on a bass boat ever. Too much weight, and they just aren’t made for that type of running. IMO, as the owner of a Ranger boat, you also need to max out that HP. Ranger’s are heavy hulls that need all the power they can get.
The one 150 that would probably be OK would be the new E-Tec 150 HO. It really makes like 164 HP, and I belive has the faster lower unit.
I think the Opti’s and HPDI’s have really got the kinks worked out and are reliable now. The ETEC’s are new and are kind of a gamble I guess, but they also have the least maintenacne, and the HO’s with the US flags look really cool!
Just say no to 4-strokes on a bass boat!
Just curious moss: isn’t the nearly double gas milage of a four stroke worth the extra weight? I have a 150 EFI on it now, and it goes about 64 so the HP / Max rating isn’t an issue for me… that’s fast enough for me 
I think you should just say no to bass boats period!! 
I run the yammie 115 four banger. I love the motor. It’s quiet, fuel efficient and clean running.
I’ve never run the other motors mentioned, so I don’t have an opinion on them. Have fun shopping!!!
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Just curious moss: isn’t the nearly double gas milage of a four stroke worth the extra weight? I have a 150 EFI on it now, and it goes about 64 so the HP / Max rating isn’t an issue for me… that’s fast enough for me
There have been many tests comparing the E-TEC to the 4-stroke and when all is said and done the E-TEC comes out on top. Why add the extra weight of a 4-stroke when the E-TEC is basically the same weight as the carb 2-strokes and in most of the power range has better “gas mileage” than the 4-strokes.
4 strokes are no longer the “king” when it comes to fuel economy. Research the DFI 2-strokes and you will find that the 4 strokes pollute MORE than a 2 stroke and burn as much or MORE fuel than the DFI 2 strokes across much of the powerband.
DFI 2 strokes would include the E-Tec, OptiMax (merc) and HPDI (yamaha).
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Just curious moss: isn’t the nearly double gas milage of a four stroke worth the extra weight? I have a 150 EFI on it now, and it goes about 64 so the HP / Max rating isn’t an issue for me… that’s fast enough for me
Guess I don’t have to answer the fuel economy thing, as the guys above did. I have been trying to find hard numbers on a bigger sized boat like a bass boat, but it has been difficult. However, on other types of boats, mnay of the DFI 2 strokes get better mileage.
4 strokes don’t have the low and midrange punch of a 2 stroke on a bass boat either. Much like the top end speed thing, it’s not all about top end performance. I would top out the horsepower rating for resale alone.
I would be interested with the E-Tech milage as well. I ran roughly 74 miles round trip with a tournement load and I estemate around a 1.3 MPG @ 5800 RPM. Can anyone, with an E-Tech make a comparison? 1998 / 200 HP Johnson 20.5′ 519 Ranger.
http://www.boattest.com/Yes-results-786.aspx
A little over double the mileage per gallon at 5600 rpms… which was the highest RMP tested.
1.5 years on my 40 and it has never missed a beat.
Hows that for short and sweet. 
had it out last week – 16 or so miles on roughly 4 gallons of gas, had some idle time on that 4 gal as well. it IS everything it has been said to be. quiet, snappy and easy on fuel.
FYI –
E-TEC 150 weighs 419# – According to the specs from their website
YAMAHA F150 weighs 466# – According to the specs from their website
To compare apples to apples, you need to add in the weight for the auxiliary oil reservoir and the weight of the oil inside that reservoir. The difference in weight is quite negligible.
4-stroke vs. 2 stroke.
The 150 is like a second generation 4-stoke. Specifically on the YAMAHA, the 4 stroke is lighter, more fuel efficient, additional warranty and more HP (and less $$) than their 150 Vmax HPDI.
The MPG win with 4 strokes is traditionally at less than 3500 RPM’s – ask yourself how you will use your engine to determine if you will see a MPG benefit.
FYI – I have over 110 hours on my 250 4-stroke this year and less than 20% of that time was spent over 5000 RPM’s.
For the record I am sponsored by YAMAHA but am aware of which engines spend the most time at the tech trailers at both the professional-level walleye tours.
I have been running the E-TEC all year. I have been more than happy with the engine. If you are looking for a reliable engine, that takes very little maint, the E-TEC is for you. I am not a mechanic and don’t try to be. When I get in my boat each AM, I like to be able to turn the key and the motor runs perfect all day. That has been my experience all year. The E-TEC’s use oil during break in but that tapers off over time, it is all self controlled. For the entire year I am going to use 7 gallons of oil. That is very good considering the running we did on Green Bay and Devils Lake this year. My last two gallons of oil have lasted over 2 months. They just don’t use a lot of oil after the initial break in. The fuel economy is also very impressive, although I don’t run wide open a lot…oh yeah, they are VERY FAST!!!!
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