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

[SoutheastFL]

I repowered my Grady Voyager with a 300 E-tec and love it. There was several factors in my choice and one was weight.
When repowering older boats the weight of the 4 stroke is an issue that should be considered.

According to the specs from each engine manufacturer themselves, the weight of the 4S Yamaha 4.2L 300 hp engine is 571 lbs ( on a 30" shaft ). The etec 300 hp weighs 534 lbs on a 30" shaft. Add in the weight of a 3 gallon oil tank of 25 lbs or so and the total weight of the etec is 559 lbs.

The difference between the two engines comes out to just 12 lbs.

So much for weight being an issue.

 

[SoutheastFL]

....... in terms of torque and hole shot, the 4 stroke will never be able to compete with the 2 stroke.

Not according to this person who's owned both:

"I ran 2 strokes on many different rigs since I was a kid and now I am 51. That said I went to a 4 stroke in 2008 because it fitted my needs, lowered my operating cost and saved me fuel. With my 2 stroke, single 225 suzuki that avg about a 70:1 mix on oil I was burning about 1500 gallons of fuel and 20 to 22 gallons of oil a year in 200 hours of engine use. Now I burn about 1000 gallons of fuel and 2 oil changes I do my self in the same 200 hours. In 2008 when I went to a 4 stroke I looked at the E Tec but thought it was still too early, didn't like what OMC did to the older dealers/customers with the fitch crap and I was ready for a change.

I have no regrets going with the DF 250 Suzuki. If it has less performance than a 250 E tec I assure you it is fractional on hole shot, cruise and top end. The 16" blades and lower gear ratio really does bridge the gap on hole shot and staying on plane at low speed slugging out a long run home in rough water. "

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-for ... oil-6.html

 

[mboyatt]

I do agree with the statements regarding lower operating costs on the 4 strokes. That is a valid point. I think it just boils down to individual preference. There are great motors out there, 2 and 4 stroke. Try each out and see what you like.

 

[onoahimahi]

I really like the fact that both my boat AND my motors are made in USA. I think many of the financial problems we are facing now can be traced back to the trade deficits that took off during the 80s. I remember Ronald Reagan saying back then "It's okay we are loosing all the manufacturing jobs, we are a Service Economy now" but Margaret Thatcher said "We all can't do the laundry, somebody has got to make the clothes." Evinrude is making the cloths...!

I know we have a "Global Economy" now and parts can come from anywhere but still I try to keep my contribution to the staggering trade deficit to the minimum. I drive Fords, use Craftsman tools (with some Snap-on's in the mix), by HP computers, and if I ever buy a motorcycle, that will be made in the same state that my E-TECs were. My Chippewa boots were made there too. My sneakers are made in my home state of Massachusetts (New Balance 991).

Anyway, a lot of folks are saying its a toss up which of these two motors you choose - if it is a toss up, why not buy the American made motor?

-Scott
"America works when you buy American..."

 

[GW VOYAGER]

I repowered my Grady Voyager with a 300 E-tec and love it. There was several factors in my choice and one was weight.
When repowering older boats the weight of the 4 stroke is an issue that should be considered.

According to the specs from both engine manufacturers themselves, the weight of the 4S Yamaha 4.2L 300 hp engine is 571 lbs ( on a 30" shaft ). The etec 300 hp weighs 534 lbs on a 30" shaft. Add in the weight of a 3 gallon oil tank of 25 lbs or so and the total weight of the etec is 559 lbs.

The difference between the two engines comes out to just 12 lbs. So much for weight being an issue.

I guess the Yamaha 4 stroke doesn"t have any oil in crank case?
Just saying if you are going to add the weight of oil on the E-tec you have to add it in the Yamaha. Also I wanted to have hole shot and to get the same with Yamaha I most likely would have had to go with a 350Hp which would have added even more weight on the back.

 

[SoutheastFL]

I repowered my Grady Voyager with a 300 E-tec and love it. There was several factors in my choice and one was weight.
When repowering older boats the weight of the 4 stroke is an issue that should be considered.

According to the specs from both engine manufacturers themselves, the weight of the 4S Yamaha 4.2L 300 hp engine is 571 lbs ( on a 30" shaft ). The etec 300 hp weighs 534 lbs on a 30" shaft. Add in the weight of a 3 gallon oil tank of 25 lbs or so and the total weight of the etec is 559 lbs.

The difference between the two engines comes out to just 12 lbs. So much for weight being an issue.

I guess the Yamaha 4 stroke doesn"t have any oil in crank case?
Just saying if you are going to add the weight of oil on the E-tec you have to add it in the Yamaha. Also I wanted to have hole shot and to get the same with Yamaha I most likely would have had to go with a 350Hp which would have added even more weight on the back.

You really want to nit pick over the weight difference between these two engines ? If you are that obsessed with weight then you better not bring that gigantic cooler of beer you drag along each time you go out cause that weighs far more than the insignificant difference we are dealing with here.

And if you think for a second that a 300 hp etec has the same hole shot and torque as a Yamaha 350 hp engine you are seriously delusional.

Why don't you just be honest enough to admit the real reason you bought your etec was because of the deal you got on it. You may have saved alittle money now but when you go to sell that oddball combination of a GW with a etec on it you will lose far more money than if you had done what everyone else does, including GW themselves, and put the right engine on it - a Yamaha 4S.

Like Anglers Edge Marine so correctly phrased it - E-tec is normally the kiss of death on resale.

 

[mboyatt]

I also am very supportive of purchasing from an American company. If you can get great deals on an e-tec, hey, even better. When I go to repower my 20 year old Evinrude Ocean Pro, I will certainly want to get the best deal possible. If E-tecs are much less in cost, I will probably lean that way. Based on my experience with the brand, I will get 20 years on the motor, after which I can go buy another kiss of death Evinrude. It begs the question: if the E-tecs are garbage, then how is it that Evinrude is still in business? Last time I owned a yamaha was in 1992. Loved the motor until someone stole it. Since then, I have repowered with Evinrude. Apparently, I have been blessed by good luck with this brand.

 

[SoutheastFL]

Anyway, a lot of folks are saying its a toss up which of these two motors you choose - if it is a toss up, why not buy the American made motor?

It's a toss up ???

Guess you missed the facts that the etec uses significantly more fuel, has absolutely horrible resale costing you to lose alot more money than if the same boat had a 4S on it, and doesn't last nowhere near as long as a 4S does.

These reasons are why there are over two dozen salt water fishing boat manufacturers, including Grady White themselves, who install 4s outboard engines exclusively on the boats they build.

And how many salt water fishing boat manufacturers install just the etec ?

Not even ONE.

 

[SoutheastFL]

I really like the fact that both my boat AND my motors are made in USA. -Scott
"America works when you buy American..."

You should know that according to boating industry publication Trade Only Today, "BRP ( which owns Evinrude outboards ) was bought out in 2003 by a consortium led by U.S. private equity fund Bain Capital."

And Mitt Romney still maintains a partial ownership interest in Bain. So if you buy an etec your hard earned money will most likely not stay in the United States but end up in his Swiss bank account.

Additionally, BRP is a Canadian company.

From TradeOnlyToday 9-17-12

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/5218 ... n-strategy

 

[mboyatt]

I wonder if Mitt powers his mega yacht with massive, French Canadian E-tecs fueled by corona beer. This is good stuff. Again, if you can get it at a reasonable price, you like it and it is a reliable product, why not?

 

[GW VOYAGER]

If you go by the recomended mfg maintenace E-tec puts them way out front! http://www.evinrude.com/en-US/tools/mai ... calculator

 

[mboyatt]

Its worth taking a look at Thehulltruth forum and doing a search for E-tec v yamaha 4 stroke. There are plenty of posts there from folks who have owned both motors and who are very supportive of both. There seems to be a general consensus that ETecs are quiet, smoke very little, and are good on fuel and oil consumption. Not as good as the 4 stroke, but pretty darn good. The yamaha 4 strokes also get great reviews across the board. From what I am reading, these are both good products. Get a well maintained motor and take care of it and you should be fine. Get whichever one floats your boat, so to speak. Wish I could link some of the posts from THT, but I am using an iPad and I am not the best on computers. Apparently Grady has partnered with yamaha. Is this because they are good outboards? Yes. Are there other business factors that contribute to the partnership? Of course. Are there other great outboard manufacturers out there that Grady white has chosen not to partner with? Yup, sure are.

 

[GW VOYAGER]

mboyatt I agree with you that they all make great outboards and I have no problem with any. The E-tec was a better fit for my Grady because of weight and price point. I think I got more bang for my buck. As far as resale I don't care what other used boats are selling for I bought mine to use and could afford to sell for less because I have less invested. Also trolling speed the E-tec is better on fuel than Yamaha. That said I'm sure owners of Yamaha could care less and I could care less.
Every time someone starts a thread about E-tec you can bet southeast will jump in with both feet and start bashing them. Do a search and you will see. He opinion has no credibility with me.

 

[mboyatt]

Well said GW Voyager. I agree with you 100 percent. That's funny you mention prior posts. I did check that earlier today and was amused. There is a thread on this forum where Southeast is bemoaning about Grady White boats and their poor craftsmanship. Cheap windows, bow pulpits, etc.. That really set things on fire around here. But now he likes the fact that Grady has teamed up with Yamaha. Go figure. Perhaps we will be graced with another breakdown of Grady White's design flaws, circa 2013. I have a 1994 Grady White 192 Tournament. Maybe I can be enlightened on what Grady did wrong when designing and manufacturing this boat. :dance In terms of resale, I am toast. My evinrude ocean pro ranked last on Southeast's hit parade of what outboard one should own. Like you, I will definitely pull the trigger on a gently used E-Tec when my old looper decides to give out. Until then, I'm gonna smoke up the dang marina.

 

[GW VOYAGER]

I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

[SoutheastFL]

I don't think you will be disappointed.

You will be when your precious etec blows up while 4Ss will still be running strong for years. You better plan on marrying your boat too ole timer cause when you go to sell it you'll finally feel the pain of what a huge mistake you made.

Of course you know better than those two dozen boat manufacturers who've collectively built tens of thousands of boats each one of them with a 4S ever since the first 4Ss came out in 2002. According to you they're all wrong, and you with your little etec know so much better than they all do.

But go ahead and give your money to Mitt Romney, his Swiss bank account needs alittle more to make it to a billion dollars and as long as there's people like you who are blind to the facts he'll laugh at you all the way to the bank.

 

[SoutheastFL]

If you go by the recomended mfg maintenace E-tec puts them way out front! http://www.evinrude.com/en-US/tools/mai ... calculator

You mean the etec's "no maintenance for 3 yrs or 300 hours" half truth ? Read the fine print in the etec owners manual itself where says if you use the engine in salt water you have to do the following ANNUALLY.

"Grease Fittings, lubricate and Propeller Shaft Splines, inspect and lubricate - ANNUALLY in Salt Water Applications"

It also lists 16 maintenance items and once again reccomends if you use the engine in salt water (directly from the etec owners manual) - "Use in salt water REQUIRES more frequent inspection and maintenance ( ANNUAL CHECKS ARE RECCOMENDED )"

The etecs require annual maintenance after all, they just don't tell you about it till you buy them and read the fine print in the owners manual.

So much for not having to service the engine for 3 years or 300 hours.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-for ... kes-5.html

 

[Grog]

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?

 

[family affair]

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

 

[mboyatt]

I personally would like to know why my 20 year old 200 hp Evinrude Ocean Pro is still running. Perhaps it is a Yamaha in Evinrude clothing?? I would also like a breakdown of all the shortcomings of the 1994 Grady White 192 Tournament. Southeast? In addition, please attach your business card. In the event I come across someone wanting a Yamaha 4 stroke, I will definitely send them your way. Heck, if I decide to go that route some day, I will give you a call so you can have the sale. To be sure, you are passionate about the products you are selling.