E-tech Vs. Merc. Vs. Yammy??

[bigstick56]

Ok i have a 2006 tracker tundra walk through, mo motor on the boat, price is not an issue im looking for a 150 hp. what ya guys thinking for a brand...?

[JohnMickish]

Etec HO if you want to go fast, Yamaha if you want something solid as a rock and as quiet as one too. Nothing wrong with the Mercs either. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them. Pick a dealer you like and see what he says.

[waterspaniel]

Are you not considering Honda as well?

[FlatBottom]

I'd look for the best dealer with what you feel has the best shop. They all are good motors, but when they have issues you want it fixed and back on the water ASAP.

[solbes]

Yammie F150 is pretty much their bread and butter engine. Great output (one of the few I've heard that is higher than advertised) and reliable as well. I just love having a four stroke EFI.

[bassNspear]

Optimax, there isnt anything out there like it. i have ran them for years, and wont ever go away from them!

[Larson15]

+1 for the optimax.......the 150 optimax pro xs is the baddest 150 on the market. Mercury will have the biggest dealer network as well.

[bisonthunder]

I love my optimax. Very reliable, great on fuel, fairly quite, and great horsepower. I also love my dads Yammy 4 stroke. Very reliable again, good with fuel, absolutely silent, and has some power behind it as well. Can't go wrong with either.

[PerchJerker]

With the motors you're looking at, I think you need to decide if you want a 4-stroke or a DFI motor, BEFORE you decide which brand you want.

Personally I am a fan of DFI motors over 4-stroke motors when you're talking about 150 hp motors. I have a 175 Opti and I love it. But, if I were going to do it again I'd get a 4-stroke (either a Verado or a Suzuki) ---- that's because I spend a lot of time in the boat with my family, and I wish I had a quieter motor for those times. When I'm fishing or with the guys I love the Opti.

In the 150 hp motors you're looking at, there's a lot of good choices. The Opti and the Yamaha F150 have both been around for a LONG time and both have excellent track records. I like the Verados too. The e-Tec is my least favorite of the bunch, but I don't think there's any reason to stay away from them. They're all good motors.

[bigstick56]

Thnaks for all the info, im leaning towards the 2 stroke over the 4 stroke, but after some research this yammy looks to be a solid choice...

[Fish Head]

If you decide on a 4 stroke, +1 for Suzuki. I don't know anyone that doesn't love theirs.

[pulleye16]

I have a merc and though it's always been trustworthy, it's VERY cold blooded, idols rough, and can be quit noisy. Haven't had any problems with it but would consider a different motor for my next purchase.

[yaggie]

If you want quite go yammy. If you want the speed go two stroke. I have a 150 opti put now would prefer the etec. Opti too noisy. All are good motors.

[solbes]

I agree with others, you really can't go wrong with any of these 3. Here's some additional info I picked up from another boating forum. If you go to the EPA certification site and can convert power from kilowatts to horsepower, you will see actual dyno results. Remember they can be +/- 10% from advertised horsepower, so different makes put out different output.

Yamaha F150 = 160.1 hp (2006 submission)

Etec 150 = 150.0 hp (hit it on the nose! 2006 submission)

I couldn't find any direct data on the 150 Merc Opti. They often seem to test only one of the models that share the same block. I see the 135 tested at 133 hp in 2006 (same block as the 150).

[kdawg]

I had a '04 Alumacraft with a 140 Johnson(Suzuki) on the back and I currently have a '10 Skeeter with a 150 Yammi on the back now. I'd pick the Johnson/Suzuki over the Yammi. The Johnson was noticeably quieter. I am very happy with the Yammi, it's just a bit louder than the Johnson was. As others have posted, I think the Yammi puts out the most HP in it's class, so this may be a deciding factor as well. If you want quiet - Johnson/Suzuki. If you want most HP - Yammi. Good luck.

[herefish101]

I think that the Optimax is the loudest outboard i'v ever had to sit and listen to. I would definatly go four stroke. The Yammy, and the Suzuki are the two best out there, nice and quiet they both idle very low for good trolling speeds and even cracked wide open you dont have to comunicate via hand signals, you can actually hear the other person, it's amazing. But all in all so long as your not rowing your boat any motor is a good motor.

[fishgutz77]

for flat out reliability go yammy.

[bassNspear]

+1 for the optimax.......the 150 optimax pro xs is the baddest 150 on the market. Mercury will have the biggest dealer network as well.

got that right, #1 on the water!

[pegleg]

for flat out reliability go yammy.

+1 also if you want to get a 4 stroke kicker with your big motor, Yamaha goes down to 8 HP with power tilt where Merc lowest is a 9.9 HP before it has a power tilt. I think that makes a big difference in trolling down for walleyes.

[Northlander]

In the 150 I would go Yamaha for sure. Quiet and reliable. In my experiences the Optis are way too loud for my liking. The E-techs I have seen around here have had problems. They say they are cured now I guess.

They are all ok motors but for over all reliability, fuel consumption and quietness I would go Yamaha 4 stroke.

[WaveWacker]

Optimax is definately a great motor. As mentioned above however, it's noisy. Not for me.

E-tec I personally wouldn't get. Maybe for nother more than not wanting to worry about adding oil.

Yamaha has a good motor as well.

I personally however would go with a Mercury Verado 4 stroke.

[gregg52]

150 etec here and its great

lots of power and quite probably the the quitest for 2 strokes

excellant outa the hole never loose site over the bow

and my boat is bigger than yours (heavier)

i can troll foward at 2.5 on flat water

backtroll if i want with very little chop

it starts before you have the key turned all the way

even first time in the spring

remember maintence free for 3 yrs

not sure what he meant by worring bout puttin oil in it mine goes threw very alittle..it is 40$ a gal though

its a great all around motor

if your around winnie this week look me i'll give you a ride

proof is da puddin

they say !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Larson01]

In my opinion Yamaha would be your best choice for all around performance and dependability.

[BoxMN]

my two cents... They are all great motors. Just maintain them properly and they will work great. Need to decide if quiet is what you want, or if you want more zip. If you are going to ski or have kids that ski, then no matter what people say, the 2 strokes shine and it is quite noticable.

Have fun searching, and if you can ride in and DRIVE boats that have the motors you will learn much more than reading anything I or anyone else will post here.

[walleyemaniac]

I love my yammi and like everyone says their a tuff motor, but yammi dealers are about the only ones that work on them. Sometimes they're few and far between.