Suzuki 225Hp vs 250Hp

[Bchbum]

I have a seafarer 228 with swim platform and pulpit. I was wondering if there would be a difference in either a 225 vs 250 Suzuki on the back of my boat. I can get my hands on a 225 now but might have to wait 6 mths for the 250Hp. Is it worth the wait?

 

[Ky Grady]

What are you running right now??

I'm currently running a F225 and impatiently waiting on a new F250 for my 228. I'm old school and like to max out HP on my boat, others are satisfied with less HP. My theory is, it's available if needed, but you don't have to run it WOT all the time.

Question to you is, will YOU be satisfied with a 225? Me, I'd wait for the 250 unless you need to repower right now. I'm going on 16 months waiting for the F250, luckily my F225 is still running.

 

[SkunkBoat]

DF225 is only available with mechanical controls. Its an orphan in their lineup.
DF250 mechanical is same displacement same weight as DF225. 606 lbs

DF250AP has digital controls and selectable rotation. All the latest stuff. 639 lbs. More displacement. uses the same block as the DF300AP.

 

[Bchbum]

What are you running right now??

I'm currently running a F225 and impatiently waiting on a new F250 for my 228. I'm old school and like to max out HP on my boat, others are satisfied with less HP. My theory is, it's available if needed, but you don't have to run it WOT all the time.

Question to you is, will YOU be satisfied with a 225? Me, I'd wait for the 250 unless you need to repower right now. I'm going on 16 months waiting for the F250, luckily my F225 is still running.

problem is I don’t have a running motor now so do I wait maybe miss the season or get the 225hp. Will there be a significant difference. I had Yamaha 225 2 stroke

 

[Mustang65fbk]

What year is your boat? It can make a bit of a difference in terms of maximum horsepower and the pre-SV2 hulls from what I've heard don't really need as big of a motor to power them. If you're running a 2 stroke currently it sounds like your boat is at least a 2001 and older? Another big part of it depends on what you'll be using it for, how fast you want to go, how much you want to spend and if you can wait the 6 months or not. 6 months puts you at roughly August 21st, which I don't think I'd personally want to wait over half the summer just to get a re-power. For some numbers with either a 300 or a 250 Yamaha on a brand new discontinued 228 Seafarer, check the website I linked below. It says that with a 300 Yamaha on it that WOT is 51.3mph @ 5,900rpm and burning 26.7gph of fuel at those speeds. Comparatively, a 250 Yamaha at WOT is going to run 48.3mph @ 5,800rpm, of which that's faster than I really ever need to go when on the water. At that speed you're also burning just about 25gph of fuel as well, which definitely has an effect on your range. My boat has a 2004 Yamaha F225 on it, and while I can't find the performance numbers anywhere online for it with an F225 and I probably need to contact GW at this point, the GW dealer I bought it from said it will do between 43-45mph at WOT, which is again plenty fast for me when out on the water. Have you gotten pricing on the two motors? I'd be curious to see what the price difference is between the two of them. I personally wouldn't want to wait until almost September to get a motor and waste most of the summer waiting and I'm not one that has to go 50mph when out on the water, so a 225hp outboard is more than ok with me for my application. I think with regards to resale value that the 250hp outboard would likely be more desirable, but I'd have to imagine it's also going to cost a bit more. It ultimately comes down to you, what you want, how much you want to spend, what kind of fishing/boating you do most often and if you can wait the 6 months.

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[Mustang65fbk]

And I take it back... I just emailed GW to see if they could send me the performance data on a Grady White 228 Seafarer with a Yamaha F225 on it and about 10 minutes later I got exactly that. Very cool and great/fast customer service on their end. Looks like a top speed of just under 45mph @ 6,100rpm and 22.8gph of fuel burned. It looks like the biggest difference is the "optimum cruising" rpm where the F225 has an optimum cruise at 31.2mph @ 4,300rpm whereas the F250/F300 is slightly lower at just under 30mph @ 3,500rpm. It looks like the test boat is I'm assuming a 2010 model based off the serial number as well as the fuel tank capacity size at 125 gallons as opposed to the older versions that were only 92 gallons. They also have 2 persons on board, 100lbs of test equipment, 10 gallons of water and 63 gallons of fuel on board, as well as it looks like it's a boat that has the hardtop and possibly bottom paint on it. So, if your boat doesn't have those things, you ride solo, don't fill up your fuel or water tanks all the way or so on then you'll likely have slightly better numbers. But these should be pretty close to what you can expect to get.

 

[Ky Grady]

And I take it back... I just emailed GW to see if they could send me the performance data on a Grady White 228 Seafarer with a Yamaha F225 on it and about 10 minutes later I got exactly that. Very cool and great/fast customer service on their end. Looks like a top speed of just under 45mph @ 6,100rpm and 22.8gph of fuel burned. It looks like the biggest difference is the "optimum cruising" rpm where the F225 has an optimum cruise at 31.2mph @ 4,300rpm whereas the F250/F300 is slightly lower at just under 30mph @ 3,500rpm.

View attachment 24666

800 RPM less on the 250 for similar speed should be a better fuel burn along with a better midrange for the 250. These boats are heavy,,, I'd rather have the 250.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

If I was ordering a brand new boat from the factory and they asked me which motor I wanted to get between the F225 and the F250 then I'd definitely strongly consider, and very much likely say the F250. Especially if the difference in the price between the two of them is minimal, if they actually had both motors in stock ready to go and so forth as I think the added up front extra costs would be very much justifiable in the long run. If I was in the OP's shoes, or even my own, and was repowering a boat right now and both Suzuki DF225's and DF250's were ready to go and available, I'd definitely consider and probably even splurge the extra money to get the better performing motor, especially if the price difference between the two was only a couple thousand dollars more. That being said, I personally wouldn't want to wait the 6 months just to get the better performing, more expensive motor just to get a few mph more out of it and save a few extra bucks on fuel at the dock.

I also wouldn't, and didn't, pass up on a used 228 Seafarer just because it had an F225 on it as opposed to an F250, and I personally don't think it would be worth spending the extra $25k+ to re-power my used boat with a new F250 just for the extra power when my motor runs great right now. At least that's my opinion and for my particular fishing/boating application it just doesn't make any sense for me to do when I only bought my boat for just over $25k to being with. In the OP's situation where he's also going to be spending more and waiting for 6 months on top of that? That would be a deal breaker for me personally, and it kind of sounds like it is for the OP as well in that he doesn't want to have to wait the 6 months. And I don't blame him, I wouldn't want to go all of June, July and most of August waiting on a motor that costs more money and goes a few mph faster to where it also would severely impact the amount of days I can fish by half, at the very least. If the DF250 was ready to go today or even over the next 2-3 months then I'd definitely consider it a bit more and maybe even go that route. 6 months is a fair amount of time to wait, and I can't imagine that that's etched in stone, because 6 months could come and pass and they're still backordered or delayed, behind schedule or so forth. Just my opinion, of course though, it's the OP's boat, decision and money... the choice is ultimately up to him and what he wants to do.

 

[SkunkBoat]

DF225 is only available with mechanical controls. Its an orphan in their lineup.
DF250 mechanical is same displacement same weight as DF225. 606 lbs

DF250AP has digital controls and selectable rotation. All the latest stuff. 639 lbs. More displacement. uses the same block as the DF300AP.

so my point here is that there are two Suzuki 250s. Your decision is effectected by that.
The DF225 and DF250 are the same motor. Mechanical shift & throttle.
If your choice is between them and the 250 loses you a season...get the 225

The DF250AP is a much better motor. Fly by wire. Maybe worth waiting since its the last motor you are ever going to buy.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Where are you located Bchbum?

 

[Bchbum]

Located in marshfield MA
My boat is a 2000 seafarer

 

[Mustang65fbk]

This place in Florida, which is also a link here on the website, has a brand new 2019 Suzuki DF250AP for sale and in stock... might be worth a phone call at least to see if they would ship it to you or maybe you could make a weekend road trip down there to pick it up? Or have them install it on your boat for you?

Inventory Unit Detail Outboard Specialties Pompano Beach, FL (954) 942-9898

Inventory Unit Detail Outboard Specialties Pompano Beach, FL (954) 942-9898

www.fixboat.com

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Either that or these look to be the nearest Suzuki dealers to you, if you haven't reached out to them already...

Motors

Millway Marina is an authorized dealer for Yamaha, Mercury and Suzuki outboard engines. If you are looking for a small single engine, triple engines, or somethi

millwaymarina.com

Steamboat Wharf Marina

www.steamboatwharfmarina.com

Atlantic Boats - Better Boating, Better Life

Atlantic Boats is conveniently located less than 1 mile north of Buzzards Bay off Route 28 in Wareham, MA.

atlanticboats.com

RnR Marine Home

www.rnrmarinesupply.com

 

[Fishtales]

My opinion isn't worth much, but I tend to agree with the posts above. If you can get the 250, get it. If you can't get the 225. It may be a long while before this supply chain crap is resolved.

 

[Don Davis]

I have a 1999 Seafarer with a 2012 DF250 and have had nothing but great performance with the DF250, I can’t really comment on the performance of the DF225. Lots of people, fuel and gear doesn’t seem to affect the performance of the outboard, lots of low and mid range power, just great engines, no complaints after 2 seasons.

 

[Bchbum]

Either that or these look to be the nearest Suzuki dealers to you, if you haven't reached out to them already...

Motors

Millway Marina is an authorized dealer for Yamaha, Mercury and Suzuki outboard engines. If you are looking for a small single engine, triple engines, or somethi

millwaymarina.com

Steamboat Wharf Marina

www.steamboatwharfmarina.com

Atlantic Boats - Better Boating, Better Life

Atlantic Boats is conveniently located less than 1 mile north of Buzzards Bay off Route 28 in Wareham, MA.

atlanticboats.com

RnR Marine Home

www.rnrmarinesupply.com

This is great. I have one on order at RNR and the others Ive checked except for Steamboat Wharf. Im calling everyone. People are getting motors in but its clearly a year wait around here.