150 Yamaha 4 Stroke vs. 150 Evinrude E-Tech

I know this has been asked before, but which of these two motors would you choose and why? I am looking at both right now and am looking for pros and cons of both. Thanks for your opinions in advance.

I run a 150 Yamaha 4 stroke and put 300+ hrs on it last year and it was perfect. The e-tec will trol down better and is a little lighter. My yamaha is very quiet and i like that alot too. Both are great motors.

E-Tec = more power, less maintenance, better fuel economy… We have been an Evinrude dealer since the early 1970’s and I have sold out of motors every year since the E-TECs came out. Our customers are very happy with them.
We had a 115 Yamaha 4 stroke in last year that needed to be rebuilt. A new powerhead was not available in the US!!
I finally located a rebuilt powerhead in Missouri and since I have a certified mechanic, they would give the customer a one year warranty. Our mechanic also noted that the gearcase was built much thinner than the Evinrudes – so wouldn’t stand up as well to lower unit damage. The customer decided to go Evinrude instead. Took his boat out with it and was very happy.

Don’t let the fast talking salesmen fool you, ask the guys who run them. I know a guy who is on his third power head with his 250 e-tec. They all have a bad story to tell. As far as maint I changed my oil 3 times for a total cost of maybe $120 dolars that isent bad for 300 hours.

It’s hard to believe you say the Evinrude is better?

Whats not better? Fewer parts, much lighter weight, lower emisions. Thats whats going on the new Ranger 620T I just picked up. For A look at the boat, go to the show your rig thread, Cade posted a picture for me. Whats not to like? Less maintenance, more power, more torque, more time on the water. Can you guess what color the 150 E-tec is? Walleyebry

I was in the same boat when buying. At the time a e-tec was going to cost me $2300 more to have the boat rigged. I choice the lesser of the two with the Yamaha F150 and I am happy with my choice. I have not one complaint in the 2 years 500+ hour of running my Yamaha. Either way you are not going to make a bad choice both are great motors.

Take it for what it is worth… I here of a lot of E-tech problems, I am told the lower HP E-tech are more prone to the problems they are having. Do your homework before you buy.

E-Tec for sure! Better holeshot, lighter weight. I own one and have had no problems with it. Like anything, treat it like you own it and not like you stole it and it will take care of you. Check with your Evinrude dealer for programming updates for best performance. Yammies have their problems, too.

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I know a guy who is on his third power head with his 250 e-tec.

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Come on now Tony, 3 power heads. I have had my order in for a 250 ETEC HO for 6 months and if finally shipped at the end of January. The 250 E-ETEC HO has not been around long enough for anyone to go through 3 power heads. If they have, they are doing something wrong.

The 250 E-TEC (not HO) has been around for several years and has not had many issues. If anyone goes through 3 power heads on any motor, that has to be a lemon!

Both the Yamaha and Evinrude are good motors. Check out the weight difference and factor that in on the boat you are putting the motor on, it could make a major difference.

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It’s hard to believe you say the Evinrude is better?

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I sure see alot of Yamaha’s, and each time I have asked!

not many Complaints. except maybe hole shot

I here guys with the E-tec’s talk about it being more of a gas HOG

talk 2 the shop guys at your boat dealer or just look around and see what they are repairing the most of.

if I upgrade my 115 mariner I’m going with Yamaha 150 4-stroke

just my 2cents

Where is the post about showing your boats??

It would be nice to hear from a dealership that carries both Yamahas and Evinrudes.

Its under species specific forums.Smallmouth and largemouth bass.Not sure why

I am a Yamaha guy but they are both good motors.What you should be asking is do you want a 2 stroke or a 4 stroke.2 stroke will be lighter and a little quicker out of the hole but you still need to feed it high priced injection oil.They are noisier but troll down better.4 stroke is very quiet but heavier so is a little slower out of the hole.They dont troll down as well but all you have to do is throw out a drift sock to slow you down.You will probable have to do the same with a big 2 stroke.Maintenance isnt much of an issue as there isnt much maintenance on a 4 stroke either other than changing oil.Fuel economy on a boat? They all suck gas esspecially at WOT.I run a 250 Yamaha 4 stroke and love it.A little slower out of the hole but that is only a second or 2.Very quiet and no exhaust or gas smell and dont have to add injection oil.

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I am a Yamaha guy but they are both good motors.What you should be asking is do you want a 2 stroke or a 4 stroke.2 stroke will be lighter and a little quicker out of the hole but you still need to feed it high priced injection oil. Fuel economy on a boat? They all suck gas esspecially at WOT.I run a 250 Yamaha 4 stroke and love it.A little slower out of the hole but that is only a second or 2.Very quiet and no exhaust or gas smell and dont have to add injection oil.

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I forgot 2 add about the injection oil 4 E-tec’s. And hopefully some one here can tell us.

I have heard a gallon of the stuff they want you 2 use cost a $100. That was last summer. So it might B more now.

Also I’m guessing a gallon don’t last long on a 250hp motor!

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I have heard a gallon of the stuff they want you 2 use cost a $100.

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You can darn near get 3 gallons for $100.

The guy that told you that must have had his fingers crossed behind his back and been winking when he told you that. If I was a boat salesman trying to win you over to a different brand… buy from someone else.

http://www.duskyonline.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=XD100&Category_Code=ob-oil

As for opinions on these motors… here’s mine.

They’re both solid motors. I’ve heard of issues with both yamahas and Etec ranging from blown powerheads, bad lower units, etc. For both motors. Neither of these motors is a “problem” motor. They’re are some real duds out there in the product lines offered by all manufacturers. Again, I stress ALL manufacturers.

My advice is to buy from a dealer you trust. Ask that dealer which motor brand their mechanics have the most experience and training working with. Ask about factory training and certification. Dealers will almost always be more experienced working with one brand that they sell and will be able to provide better service on that product.

As for which motor is better… he’s my experience from driving and owning both.

The yamaha is very reliable and adequate in regards to performance. It will never leaving you feeling like you bought a slug of a motor but on the other hand they’re not quick out of the hole, hard accelerators when you drop the hammer or top speed champs. Some have called them boring. To me that’s a bit of an overstatement but there are motors out there that offer better performance if that’s what you’re looking for.

The etec is going to get better fuel economy (face it 4 stroke fans, the 4 stroke is not the king of fuel economy any more). The etec pollutes less. The Yamaha earns a 2 star CARB rating while Etec is 3 Star rated. The etecs are monsters out of the hole and accelerate like nothing else I’ve ever drove on the water. Top end is going to be a little better than the Yamaha but if we’re talking about dragging racing walleye boats… who cares? A “fast” walleye boat will hit upper-50’s. A “slow” walleye boat hangs in the low to mid 50’s.

The 150 E-tec is over 80 lbs. lighter than the yamaha 150. As far as power, there is no comparison. If you would like, PM me your info, and I can send you DVD showing the 150 E-tec sinking a 150 yammie in a tug of war. Also have great pre season pricing and extended warranty options right now. Walleyebry

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The 150 E-tec is over 80 lbs. lighter than the yamaha 150. As far as power, there is no comparison. If you would like, PM me your info, and I can send you DVD showing the 150 E-tec sinking a 150 yammie in a tug of war. Also have great pre season pricing and extended warranty options right now. Walleyebry

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I’ve seen that video.

I’m sure that the E-tec can sink the other boat with the Yammie, considering the Yammie motor isn’t running!

If you happen to notice, the Yammie prop isn’t turning when the boat rolls.

The only negative thing I’ve ever heard about Etec’s is that they can be hard starting in the cold weather and that some motors “eat sparkplugs”.
Both of those bits of information is “street talk”. I don’t know if it is true or not, but the people that told me this information are very reliable and trustworthy.

Yea Shrek, I beleive the driver was smart enough to shut it down before he jumped in the water. This is my third E-tech since 05 and I have not changed a plug yet! Walleyebry

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Yea Shrek, I beleive the driver was smart enough to shut it down before he jumped in the water. This is my third E-tech since 05 and I have not changed a plug yet! Walleyebry

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So, since you stated you don’t have to change your plugs, does that mean your motor won’t start when it’s cold? I see you side-stepped that 1 of 3 comments!

PS: It is blatantly obvious that the E-tec will “win” in that INFOMERCIAL, since BRP PAID FOR THE INFOMERCIAL! Hello? Mcfly?

If BRP wanted real competetion, it would have put the Etec against the Optimax and the Yamaha V-Max. But it didn’t. BRP is comparing 2 completely different animals in the industry of engines.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the E-tec. Overall, I think it is a good motor. I’m just primarily skeptical about INFOMERCIALS.

I did find this site very interesting.
Lots of good information here regarding E-tecs.
Ocean Skiff Journal

I dont usually start fishing until April, and put the boat away in Oct. Givin that fact, the weather is sometimes cool, never had an issue. I have a new 600 E-tec Ski-Doo at the dealership, and it always start with one pull, even at 20 below. Could be a bad fuel issue with hard starting in cold. Lots of that going around. Walleyebry

Solve your problem…. Buy a Suzuki. J/K.. Either choice is a solid motor. Good luck with your new rig.

We have not had any E-TECs eating spark plugs. I have sold from 40 HP to 200 HP motors. Very few problems. I have quite a few customers that fish year round and their motors start right up. We put XD100 oil in all the motors we sell.
I agree with the previous person that posted: go to a dealer that you can trust and that services what they sell. I do not consider myself a “salesman”. I consider myself as a person that wants to match the correct boat/motor combination to make my customer happy. That means talking to them, making sure our computers are up to date, mechanics go to school and keep up to date, etc. etc. We have many repeat customers – including people that have bought 2 E-tec motors from us. Please take everything you hear with a grain of salt – especially over the internet.

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Please take everything you hear with a grain of salt – especially over the internet.

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Very good advice.
I also agree that to compare the E-Tech to a Yamaha 4 Stroke is not a fair comparison they are two different motors both are good motors but if you are going to compare apples to apples you should compare the E-Tech to a Yamaha 2 stroke. I have a 1998 Evinrude 40HP 2 stroke and a 2007 Yamaha T8, my Evinrude has been a great motor for me no complaints here. One of these days I am going to upgrade my 40HP to a 90HP and I want to go with a Yamaha 2 stroke. In the end it all comes down to personal preference.

I think Steve has a good point. It is really what you want in a motor. If you are looking for a motor for performance then I would go with a 2 stroke. If you want longivity go with a 4 stroke. The brand’s are so close it stink’s. James already said it. Go pick a color and find a good dealer that will let you buy what you want and not nock down the other brands and you should be fine. After all the motor’s reputation should sell itself.
I have run Mercury and Yamaha and have had good luck. I prefer the Yamaha HPDI, but that is just my preferrence. I had ordered a 225 Etec HO for my 2004 boat ,but the motor was no where close to being made when tournament time came so I canceled the order. The lack of response from the area rep about the status of the motor made my mind up on the canceled order. I just looked at this way. I did not trust spending $15,000 on a motor that came with no customer service. I looked at another 225 HO this year and I had to pass it up again because of what happened a few year’s ago. This is just my issue with them I thought I would share.

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I had ordered a 225 Etec HO for my 2004 boat ,but the motor was no where close to being made when tournament time came so I canceled the order. The lack of response from the area rep about the status of the motor made my mind up on the canceled order.

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You were ordering a new motor the first year they came out. Most people had their orders in the year before for that motor. That creates a back order and it was never a problem before that. If you fish tournaments, then you should know how your support network is and your local rep is just a small part of that network. As stated earlier, it starts with your dealer.

The 250 E-ETEC HO was new this year and their were some back orders but all the motors were delivered. It happens, I would suggest getting your order in earlier next time when you are looking at a new motor.

I’m a BRP fan, however, they have had their share of communication breakdowns. The rep in our area is a fantastic guy that will bend over backwards for the customers – sometimes to a fault. The E-Tec’s an awesome motor, but BRP needs to be providing better communication from Sturevant to the field staff and to the dealers.

Hey riggiing guy why would anyone in their right mind buy a 4 stroke. With a 2 stroke you have constant oiling less friction less wear. You dont have to worry about motor buring oil.Persoal preference an E-TEC. My Grandfather stating running Evinrudes and Johsons in 1962 and my whole family still runs Evinrudes and Johnsons. Too big of a risk to buy a motor that in ten years that will be burning oil and wiil be wore out and ready for abone yard.