Power 225 up to 300 24 offshore

[Michael Blanton]

Greetings

would welcome some advice. I have a 1990 24 Offshore Grady. It was powered by a Yamaha 225 (2010) with approx 900 hrs. It recently blew a rod and I am now faced with re powering. The offshore is rated for up to 300. I was considering going up to a 250. However with supply and demand there are no 225 or 250 readily Aavailable…my dealer found a new Yamaha F300. Any reason why not to go up to a 300? my one concern was weight but they weigh the same…225, 250, and 300. might Be silly but just concerned about the big jump…I am sure I be glad I’d did…but would love to gets folks thoughts?
will fuel efficiency be terribly different? Might it be better? Easer to get up on plane?

thanks

michael

 

[Saltyone]

I would go with as much HP as it's rated for. Never hear anyone complaining they wish they had less power.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Per the brochure, the maximum horsepower for your boat is 300 hp, so I guess I don't really see any reason why you couldn't go that route. That being said, and I admittedly don't know a ton about outboard motors, but I'm assuming your current outboard is unable to be repaired? How did your boat handle with the F225 on it? Was it able to plane, cruise and so forth easily? What was the top speed? If you were fine or content with how it was, the 300 might be a bit overkill, but it's your boat and your money, so whatever you want to do is fine with me. I personally am a bit biased towards Suzuki outboards because of their lower pricing, better 5 vs 3 year warranty and so forth... have you considered going with them at all?

https://gradywhite.blob.core.windows.net/media/21333/1990.pdf

 

[Michael Blanton]

with the 225 it was very sluggish out of the hole coming up on to plane…but once on plane was great…on calm seas able to go 30 knots … not familiar with Suzuki at all…I was “ taught “ biased ….that Yamaha was more reliable???

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I'd definitely consider the Suzuki, especially the DF250AP/DF300AP as both of those have the digital throttle controls, if that's what you want. I'd check out with your local dealer to see if any are available and for how much.

 

[seasick]

I like the 300 model especially if it is a new model, 2022 or 2023. Earlier models apparently can have issues with head cracks

 

[jap201]

I had an '87 offshore 24 with the yamaha 200 2 stroke for 11 years. Once I change to a stainless prop, I never had a problem coming out of the hole, except when we had a giant in the cockpit. But I think the old 2 strokes made more torque than the new 4 strokes.

And my understanding of the 225 yam is that it's the weak one between the 225, 250 and 300. i.e. i don't think its really putting out all 225 ponies.

Regardless of brand, I'll bet you'd see a world of diff just going to the 250, but like you said that's iff you can find one. The 300 (and 250) is an excellent engine. But you might find due to sea conditions that you're running the 300 at a less than optimal rpm, which isn't good for the engine. Knowing the boat, I'll bet the 300 will do a little worse fuel wise than the 250, but not enough to be a factor in your decision. And the 250 is less expensive. The major diff you'll find between those 2 is the top end, which will be the 300. So if top end is important, you should get the 300.

As for brands, mustang said it. The yamaha's have a 3yr warranty vs suzuki's 5yr. And the suzuki's tend to be a little cheaper, and more available. Never had one, but have been considering zukes for our next boat for the aforementioned reasons.

Don't think there's a wrong decision here, except to make sure you go with the brand/engine you have support for. Good luck in your search.

 

[Rustygaff]

If your dealer can get an F300, I would roll with it. The F300 is one of the most reliable engines made by Yamaha. You will be happy with it's performance.

 

[JJF]

Get the 300. It's a great motor and the extra power won't hurt.

A Zuke would be a good option and although it would require new/different controls, the price difference might equal things out, so it's worth investigating. It may even be the the new Yamaha won't be compatible with the older Yamaha controls.

 

[DennisG01]

First, NEVER in the history of boating have the words "Shoot, I should have bought the smaller engine" EVER been uttered

Now, you have a number of factors affecting your decision, including budget. For example, you can get a rebuilt powerhead. But all of those factors are personal preferences and it's a decision YOU have to make.

Brand preference is also a personal preference. For example, a bigger warranty isn't very helpful if the engine is constantly breaking down and in the shop. It's great the issue is being covered - but you're also missing out on a lot of boating. That's not to say that Suzuki's are bad - just another variable to consider. Truth is... they're ALL good nowadays.

But, to the point of HP. Money aside, get the 300. Under most conditions, you won't be working the engine as hard as a lesser HP and you may even save a little gas during cruising. But the fuel usage (whichever way it goes) is going to minimal, so that's pretty much a moot point.

You won't be unhappy with the 250, especially since you're satisfied with the 225. But I can tell you this... you will IN WAY SHAPE OR FORM be unhappy with the 300! In fact, I'm going to predict the future that if you get the 300... there's going to be a huge smile on your face!

Edit: Full disclosure... I have a 250HP on mine and it is PLENTY. Totally. But if the need arose, I wouldn't say no to putting a 300 on it, either!

 

[Sauza45]

I would get the 300, plus the dealer has one. That is the most important factory these days.

 

[Don Davis]

with the 225 it was very sluggish out of the hole coming up on to plane…but once on plane was great…on calm seas able to go 30 knots … not familiar with Suzuki at all…I was “ taught “ biased ….that Yamaha was more reliable???

I have the 1999 Seafarer which is comparable in weight to your 24 Offshore. My DF250 Suzuki launches my Seafarer out of the water, I can’t say enough good things about that engine. I was a Yamaha guy for over 20 years and just happened to get a low hour Suzuki, both brands are great motors. That Yamaha F300 would be awesome on your boat but have a look at pricing and availability of a Suzuki for comparison.

 

[Uncle Joe]

I have had a few Offshores.....a 1985 with a Yammi 250....the boat had plenty of power for my tastes....would do a little over 40mph with 2 guys and a decent load of fuel and gear. That Yammi would still be running if not for hurricane Sandy. I now own a 1982 Offshore with a 225 E Tec.....37 mph at top end with a light load. I wouldn't mind having a few more horses though for those days when I have 4 fat fishermen...a ton of fuel and ice and a full livewell tank in the stern.
Just make sure the transom is solid before you hang 25K+ of new outboard off the back of a 33 year old boat. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Mustang65fbk]

A few thoughts here... first, I think that a lot of people likely have the incorrect size/pitch of propeller on their outboard and assume that the issue is of a lack of having enough power, as opposed to simply having the wrong prop on their boat. I always recommend that anyone check the size/pitch of their prop and call Ken at Prop Gods to see what he recommends comparatively. You'll hear a bunch of guys say that they struggle to get on a plane or that they are only able to go 5k rpm at WOT with a light load on the boat. These are indicators that the boat is incorrectly propped, not that it doesn't have enough horsepower. Second, I think that the biggest things to consider here would be budget, availability and what kind of boating needs you have. If your budget is say $25k and you don't need to go 45-50+ mph then I'd rule out the 300 hp outboards. Based on his previous comments about the F225 and his biggest issue being hole shot, I think he'd be more than content with a 250 hp outboard.

Also on the topic of budget, a quick Google search appears that the Yamaha F250 is going to be anywhere between roughly $26k-$28k+, depending on whether you go with mechanical or digital controls. Of which, I also did a quick Google search and found a Suzuki DF250AP with digital controls for $25.5k including installation. They offer the Yamaha F250 for $27k and the F300 for $28k, but it says that the motor comes in both mechanical and digital versions, which I'm assuming that's the price for the mechanical version. Their price on the F300 4.2L is $32k and even though I do believe that is the digital control version of that motor, I personally don't think it's worth spending the extra almost $7k on it. Long story short, it looks as though you can get the Suzuki DF250AP with digital controls installed for less than the price of the Yamaha F250 with mechanical controls installed. I have no idea where the OP lives and couldn't tell you 100% what the pricing and availability of products are going to be in his area because of that. Though, the above numbers and below links should give some pretty decent ballpark figures as to what to generally expect. If it were me, as long as the Suzuki was readily available or even available within the next couple months, that would be the route I'd be going.

2025 Suzuki Marine DF250AP X | Sandpiper Marine

2025 Suzuki Marine DF250AP X “The Ultimate 4-Stroke Outboard”. The DF250AP is based on the DF300AP and shares the same award winning innovations and designs of Suzuki's flagship outboard. Advanced features like Suzuki Selective Rotation, Suzuki Precision Control and Suzuki Lean Burn Control...

www.sandpipermarine.net

2024 Yamaha Marine F250 | Sandpiper Marine

2024 Yamaha Marine F250 Meet Yamaha’s award-winning V6 4.2-liter outboards. Fusing power, efficiency, speed and light weight, their intelligent design absolutely sets the standard for offshore performance. And now, you can add versatility to that list. With all V6 4.2L models – F300, F250 and...

www.sandpipermarine.net

2024 Yamaha Marine V6 4.2L 300 hp | Sandpiper Marine

2024 Yamaha Marine F300DEC Meet Yamaha’s award-winning V6 4.2-liter outboards. Fusing power, efficiency, speed and light weight, their intelligent design absolutely sets the standard for offshore performance. And now, you can add versatility to that list. With all V6 4.2L models – F300, F250 and...

www.sandpipermarine.net

 

[magicalbill]

As mentioned, the Yam 300's are really reliable.

Get the 300 and put on as much HP as the boat will take. I have NEVER been sorry I have had max HP. Never.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I'm not sure the extra 25% you'll spend on the additional horsepower will be worth the bragging rights of having the maximum horsepower possible, especially if it's something that you'll rarely, if ever need.

 

[family affair]

Do you care about octane? F300 eats 89+. F225, F250, Df250 and df300 eat 87.

 

[magicalbill]

Do you care about octane? F300 eats 89+. F225, F250, Df250 and df300 eat 87.

Family;

Between Michigan and Florida's East & West Coast, I have yet to encounter a marina with anything less than 90 Octane Non-Ethanol.

A guess, yes, but I doubt he'll ever idle into a marina with only 87 octane.

We all offer opinions here. That's one of the reasons for this Grady Platform. I believe the 300 is his best and most logical option. Top speed matters little, but that engine will work less to do the same things and get him comparable, if not a little better fuel burn. Mid-range torque thru heavy seas, the reliability and proven record of the 300, and higher cruising speeds when conditions warrant make it the best choice.

I have heard good press and reports about Suzukis. Therefore I have nothing bad to say, except I'd still get the Yamaha, since I know them to be reliable firsthand.

Hope you had a good winter!

 

[family affair]

Not everyone keeps their boat in the water or buys gas at the marina. Just trying to provide a piece of info.
My fuel bill is at least 40% less because I don't have to buy marina gas or premium. Over time, it adds up.

 

[magicalbill]

Not everyone keeps their boat in the water or buys gas at the marina. Just trying to provide a piece of info.
My fuel bill is at least 40% less because I don't have to buy marina gas or premium. Over time, it adds up.

Can you get Non-Ethanol at the stations where you purchase? Just wondering- It's readily available in Florida, but you have to search for it here in Indiana.