To E-TEC or NOT E-TEC that is the question

[SoutheastFL]

I'll do everyone favor and let you all know what my Crystal ball is showing me:

Southeast will troll every boat forum including this one to bash Evinrude or stir the pot until the sane people on the board give up trying to reason with him. Do yourselves right and don't get sucked into reasoning with the unreasonable.

My $ 0.02

Yeah people, for goodness sakes don't EVER provide facts and real world testimonials than directly answer the original posters questions !! Don't you know ? You need the permission and approval of the etec owners first ! :roll:

Maybe you need to be reminded but here is what the OP asked exactly:

- "Has anyone heard good.... bad..... anything.... about the new Evinrude E-Tec motors should I get one?"

You are so incredibly predictable, you can't refute even one thing I've written with any kind of third party facts so out of desperation you make it personal. You etec owners simply can't stand to hear anything bad but factually true about your sacred engines that you don't like or approve of, that's what is the real problem here.

No problem, cause when a prospective engine purchaser is seriously looking to lay out tens of thousands of their hard earned dollars for a new outboard they WILL and DO pay attention to the facts I've listed, and your personal attacks don't matter one bit.

I say let buyers hear the good AND the bad about an engine and then make up their own mind. But don't ever expect me to be silenced by your personal attacks or need your permission to provide an answer that you approve of.

Not EVER gonna happen.

And I think you know what we think of your "crystal ball" and what you can do with it.

 

[SoutheastFL]

I was trying but got sucked back in... OK so it takes an F350 to match the holeshot of a 300 2 stroke? Basically an 800 pound motor vs a 550 pound motor. Do you think for a second that a commercial captian wouldn't get a discount to say how much better ____ motor are?

Any modern motor should last equally long for the average user using it 100 hours a year. Offhand I'm not sure of the years but I'd rather have a 5 year old E-TEC than a 5 year old F225 with the exhaust corroding. Basing resale on the motors is a loosing proposition, you're always going to lose. If you don't trust the motors or feel it's time for new (and you can afford it) then go ahead but if you think you'll get most of your investment back you're kidding yourself. Also if you think that the motor will make more power because you're spinning a larger prop I have a bridge to seel you.

Older GW hulls don't like the weight of 4 strokes, especially above 200HP basically narrowing your choices. When/if I repower and 4 strokes meet the weight requirements I'll probably go that route because I troll quite a bit (possibly saving 20 gallons on some trips) knowing quite well I'm going to lose botom end power.

Did someone pay for an arguement?

The owner of the Intrepid that switched from triple 250 etecs to triple 300 Verados for better fuel economy isn't a "commercial captain" as you allege. Matter of fact, the USCG has put on the most hours on any 4S - over 10,000 hours on a set of 4S Honda 225s. You going to question their integrity and accuse them of lying ? You really think they care about this or have a conflict of interest in this argument ?

And Anglers Edge Marine is simply a broker of used boats - he makes money off of any boat he sells and was gracious enough to share his knowledge of the market and keep buyers from making a big mistake by purchasing an engine they would lose alot of money on and also be very hard to sell.

The corrosion issue Yamaha had was on engines built 8 to11 years ago, and mainly confined to a small percentage of just F225s. The end result was none of the over two dozen salt water fishing boat builders ever dropped them for that reason either, let alone switch to etecs. So while I agree they certainly could of handled it better and done more for owners affected with problem engines, in the end it did not affect builders choice as to which engine they feel is the best for their boats.

I guess you missed the facts I posted about weight being negligible between the etec and Yamahas 4.2L engine cause you are really making yourself look ridiculous over such a small amount. Your weight argument is now a non factor, even for older boats repowering with this particular engine.

And sorry to disappoint you but no I am not a Yamaha dealer. I wouldn't ever work in the marine industry, it's been such a depressed industry for too many years. Buy whatever 4S engine you like - Honda, Mercury, Suzuki, Yamaha - they are all good and it doesn't matter one bit to me.

 

[mboyatt]

Ok, so you aren't in the industry. Your response seems sincere. When did Evinrude begin to make the E-Tec people? Most importantly, is there anyone out there who has been operating their E-Tec for say 10 years?? This would speak volumes. Still wouldn't bother me in the least bit to purchase a used E-tec, or any of the other outboards out there for that matter. I am comfortable with my entrenched ignorance. Been boating since the late 80's and have never had serious issues with my outboards, whether evinrude or yamaha or mercury. I agree the post is to E-Tec or not. Heck man, go for it. Get you a nice one just to piss off Southeast. That would be my learned advice. By the way, I will post when my Ocean Pro dies just so folks know. I will have to decide at that point whether ro rebuild it or repower with a used motor. I am not the original owner. I'm not into "investing" on new marine equipment (including boats) because I do not believe it is an investment. It is my selfish hobby. It makes me happy. So I try to spend wisely on used equipment because of family that depends on me. Different "strokes" for different folks - pun intended. Caveat: I do spend on new electronics. Here comes spring ladies and gents!

 

[onoahimahi]

The extra weight of the four-strokes might be a factor for this application... 8)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSufUWimFHM

 

[mboyatt]

No doubt about it. Cool video. That guy is crazy. Can't say I would ever get in a boat and try something like that. Maybe when I was 18, but not now. Although I can say I am not quite old enough to be purchasing a 4 stroke. I like the noise, smoke and torque of my crappy, devalued Evinrude Ocean Pro.

 

[Action_Jackson]

I have a friend on our lake who also has an 1989 Grady 190 tournament who re-powered with a 150hp Evinrude E-Tec....prob 200 hours and no issues so far, the white on white looks nice. I have read several instances of the ETEC'S having powerhead issues shortly out of the 3 year/300 hour warranty/maint schedule but have had others with no issue. It is like a lot of the high end german cars I find they extend their oil change/service intervals to 12K or more mainly because they pay for the servicing while under that period. The oil may hold up, the filter will not. If I owned an ETEC I would not even consider not doing any maint before 300 hours or 3 years, better just to play it safe. That said, I have owned two Yamaha's both with over 1500 hours when I sold them on original powerheads, etc except the normal maint stuff. The one Merc I had was junk (2008 4stroke). I guess weight is something to consider....in a 150hp-175hp you are looking at 418lbs vs 468lbs for the Yami, but you are also removing the oil tank but may require a higher capacity battery which may weight more. The ETEC is tempting, I have just had too many good experiences with Yamaha to switch.

 

[onoahimahi]

There is a commercial guy I know of who just traded in his 225 E-TEC with 1130 hours to buy a 250 E-TEC because he wanted a bit more power. His old one is for sale right now on Craigslist.

http://capecod.craigslist.org/boa/3609958518.html

There is a lot of myth and mystique about these motors but don't forget - they are Evinrudes and Evinrude has been around forever. The E-TEC owners site is excellent - if you have questions or concerns, go over there and ask them. In addition to lots of users with various levels of experience, there are professional mechanics who check in around the clock to provide professional answers and advice. They really love and support their product.

http://www.etecownersgroup.com/

There is also mention there of commercial E-TEC owners that have passed the 3000 hours mark. The first model year for E-TEC was 2004.

 

[SoutheastFL]

I have read several instances of the ETEC'S having powerhead issues shortly out of the 3 year/300 hour warranty/maint schedule but have had others with no issue. It is like a lot of the high end german cars I find they extend their oil change/service intervals to 12K or more mainly because they pay for the servicing while under that period. The oil may hold up, the filter will not.

If I owned an ETEC I would not even consider not doing any maint before 300 hours or 3 years, better just to play it safe.

The ETEC is tempting, I have just had too many good experiences with Yamaha to switch.

Your analysis is exactly correct. When it comes to lower unit lube and filters Evinrude has NOT found any kind of secret formula that makes them last any longer than what other outboard manufacturers offer. They are simply betting it'll all hold together for just the first 300 hours, after that they're off the hook and it's on your dime.

Anyone who puts 300 hours on their engine without servicing it is gambling with tens of thousands of dollars of their money simply to prove a foolish point.

 

[onoahimahi]

I think we already plowed this ground but the footnote in my 2006 E-TEC owners manual says the 3-year/300 hour schedule is for:

"Normal recreational use. Common sense dictates when using your Evinrude E-TEC for commercial or other heavy use that you check these items more frequently (annual checks are recommended)."

For saltwater use, the manual says to do the following annually:

Grease fittings, lubricate
Propeller shaft splines, inspect and lubricate

Many E-TEC dealers are offering free 5 year extended warranties so they apperently are putting their money where their mouth is. Here is one close to me
http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/bod/3681131877.html

I, however, will be changing my lower-unit oil every fall as I have always done. If nothing else, I want to make sure there is no water in there that could freeze during the winter.

 

[REEL NAUTI]

Different strokes for different folks is what I say.....I mean if you want to put an engine on your boat whos manufacture started out making pianos and stereo equipment be my guest.

 

[SoutheastFL]

Different strokes for different folks is what I say.....I mean if you want to put an engine on your boat whos manufacture started out making pianos and stereo equipment be my guest.

As opposed to Evinrude and their FICHTengines that were a total failure and ended up putting the company into bankruptcy and screwed all its loyal customers.

 

[mboyatt]

Ficht did not place Evinrude into bankruptcy. OMC had been experiencing financial trouble since the early 90s. The corporation had restructured, sold assets and changed management at least twice by 1994. Ficht outboards were not manufactured until 1996 or 1997. To say Ficht solely caused the demise of OMC is nonsensical. Did Ficht have issues? You bet. However, The tone of Southeast's posts is that of Evinrude sucks, or that they screw all of their customers. Nothing can be further from the truth. I am a happy customer that hasn't been screwed. This past Sunday I fired up my 19 year old Evinrude 200 hp. Second crank and she fired. I then proceeded to smoke out my neighbors, accompanied by that 2 stroke tone rumbling away. Can't do that with a yamaha 4 stroke. Bonzai! :twisted:

 

[GW VOYAGER]

:huh I owned a Johnson and didn't get screwed. Matter of fact I liked it so much I bought an E-tec.
I have a friend who is still running 2 Fich on the back of his Parker and he didn't get screwed.
But I know a friend of a friend of a bothers wifes husband that knows someone that is having corrosion problems with their Yamaha and Yamaha will not help them with the problem. :uhm

 

[onoahimahi]

I'm going to miss not being able to smoke out my neighbors... 8)

Didn't Evinrude invent the outboard motor...?

 

[mboyatt]

Sorry to hijack the post, but perhaps Southeast can opine on the yamaha post in the general section posted by Slacktime. There, the poster is having corrosion issues on his yamaha 225s. Another happy poster or two indicated this was a problem and that it costs quite a bit of money to fix per outboard. Guess Evinrude hasn't cornered the market on producing defective products. :goodjob

 

[mboyatt]

Yes, I believe Evinrude did invent the outboard in the late 1800s. I am another happily screwed customer. Great outboards. I am so in love with my Evinrude Ocean Pro, I believe I will pay the 200 bucks to have the cowling repainted. Heck, the piece of garbage will probably run another 10 years!

 

[REEL NAUTI]

Different strokes for different folks is what I say.....I mean if you want to put an engine on your boat whos manufacture started out making pianos and stereo equipment be my guest.

As opposed to Evinrude and their FICHTengines that were a total failure and ended up putting the company into bankruptcy and screwed all its loyal customers.[/

I have Twin 200 H.P. FICHTS on my Gulfstream without a single problem. (437 hrs) I can also see how good Yamaha is only offering a 1 year warranty for commercial use where as Evinrude offers a 3 Year non-declining Warranty. Just Face it Evinrude is THE FIRST and always will be the BEST in outboards!!!!!

 

[SoutheastFL]

Sorry to hijack the post, but perhaps Southeast can opine on the yamaha post in the general section posted by Slacktime. There, the poster is having corrosion issues on his yamaha 225s. Another happy poster or two indicated this was a problem and that it costs quite a bit of money to fix per outboard. Guess Evinrude hasn't cornered the market on producing defective products. :goodjob

You etec zealots are so desperate you have to reach back 10 years to criticize Yamaha for a very small percentage of problem engines they made. And those comparitively few engines didn't drive Yamaha into bankruptcy the way the FICHT did for Evinrude. Matter of fact Yamaha has thrived since then and dominates the outboard engine market.

Evinrude's parent BRP is still struggling per their own admission in that Trade Only Today article I referenced earlier when their CEO said, "The difficult days clearly are not behind BRP, whose plans to return to the stock market after a five-year restructuring have been delayed."

The vast majority of 4S engines outlast the etec by many hundreds of hours, so stop living in the past and accept reality. Reel Nauti's posting of an Evinrude ad that's several decades old proves how far in the past he's living, thank you for confirming that.

If your thinking is so correct then how come there isn't even ONE salt water fishing boat manufacturer who bought into your ideology and stopped installing 4Ss on their new boats ? Because both those builders and the public know that 4Ss are vastly superior to the etec when it comes to fuel economy, resale, and longevity and demand them on the boats they build and want to buy. That's why, as of this writing, nearly two dozen salt water boat builders offer only 4Ss on the boats they make.

At the Miami International Boat Show, the largest in the country, there wasn't a single salt water fishing boat manufacturer that installed the etec exclusively. Custom high end boat builders like Yellowfin, SeaVee, Intrepid, and Nortech all had 4Ss on the vast majority of boats there. I even asked the owner of Yellowfin boats why he doesn't build any with the etec and his response was "nobody asks for them anymore."

Maybe you should try to convince those 24 salt water boat builders, and even the builder of the very boats you all own, Grady White, how they all got it wrong and you know better which engine is best and what the public really prefers.

But judging by the tens of thousands of engines they've collectively installed on their boats for the last decade +, all with 4Ss, you'll once again be wasting your time.

 

[SoutheastFL]

Yes, I believe Evinrude did invent the outboard in the late 1800s. I am another happily screwed customer. Great outboards. I am so in love with my Evinrude Ocean Pro, I believe I will pay the 200 bucks to have the cowling repainted. Heck, the piece of garbage will probably run another 10 years!

Wrong once again, from Wikipedia "In 1907, he ( Ole Evinrude ) invented the first practical and reliable outboard motor, which was built of steel and brass, and had a crank on the flywheel to start the two-cycle engine. In 1907 he had built his first gasoline-powered outboard motor, and two years later, 1909, Evinrude Motor Company was founded in Milwaukee."

Glad to hear you enjoy being, in your own words, a "happily screwed customer" too.

 

[REEL NAUTI]

proof is in the pudding


http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoor ... ng/1276841