I recently posted an introduction to the forum under the title "recommendations". Based upon members' advice, I am ordering a new Pulsare 1600 BR from Fargo next week. Aside from the logistics of acquiring an Evinrude vs. a Mercury, does anyone have experience or knowledge about the benefits/pitfalls/differences between the E-TEC and the Optimax. Also, does anyone have an opinion from the standpoint that Evinrude was acquired by another company (Bombardier), and Mercury has remained, well, Mercury. More recommendations?
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Evinrude E-TEC 115 vs. Mercury Optimax
- Thread starter byrd
- Start date
I think that both products are very good. I don't have any personal longterm experience with a 115 OptiMax or the E-Tec, however I personally own a 200XS Merc OptiMax and my Dad has a 150 OptiMax. Both fantastic motors with great fuel mileage.
I bleed Black so I'm am a little biased, but one of the benefits of Mercury could be a strong dealer network who are experienced with the product.
One of the options that I LOVE with the Mercury are the smartcraft gauges. The information that they will give you is great. They aren't cheap but you could always just utilize the system monitor and leave the rest analog. Instantanious updates on fuel consumption allows you to adjust your trim and throttle for maximum fuel efficiency if you wish. They are extremely accurate as well.
http://www.mercurymarine.com/smartcraft_made_easy
Either way you go I'm sure it will be a wonderful package.
I bleed Black so I'm am a little biased, but one of the benefits of Mercury could be a strong dealer network who are experienced with the product.
One of the options that I LOVE with the Mercury are the smartcraft gauges. The information that they will give you is great. They aren't cheap but you could always just utilize the system monitor and leave the rest analog. Instantanious updates on fuel consumption allows you to adjust your trim and throttle for maximum fuel efficiency if you wish. They are extremely accurate as well.
http://www.mercurymarine.com/smartcraft_made_easy
Either way you go I'm sure it will be a wonderful package.
Just took delivery of my Pulsare 1600 with a 115 E-TEC two days ago. I too faced the Optimax vs E-TEC decision. Frankly, the easy winterization was one of the factors that tipped me toward E-TEC being in Wisconsin. When do you want your motor? They just started production of the 115 this March and orders have been quite backed up. I ordered mine in early March and got mine now only because my dealer gave me someone else's since their boat hadn't been delivered yet. That could be the deal maker right there if you want to be on the water this summer. I keep my fingers crossed about new technology (did get winter boat show extended 7 year warranty which helped me) vs the more proven track record of the Optimax.
I'll be posting pictures next week. Had it up to 53mph GPS with a 22 Raker but am switching that down to a 20" Raker which is on order. Must say the E-TEC is astoundingly quiet not only at idle but at speed. Even when you duck your head below the windshield it is amazingly quiet.
I'll be posting pictures next week. Had it up to 53mph GPS with a 22 Raker but am switching that down to a 20" Raker which is on order. Must say the E-TEC is astoundingly quiet not only at idle but at speed. Even when you duck your head below the windshield it is amazingly quiet.
I can't speak for the ETEC yet, but I have used and/or ridden in a boat rigged with the 90 Merc Optimax several times (same engine as the 115 Opti with a different 'tune'). I am a little disappointed. the 90 horse Opti 1.5 liter 3 cylinder is quite loud and seems to have a vibrating feel and tone to it. My neighbor has it mounted to a 16' fiberglass smokercraft boat.
Before I bought a new Opti 90 or 115, I'd definitely want a ride in a 115 ETEC boat for comparison. The 1.5 liter 3 cylinder Opti has an awful 'sound' to it. Great gas and oil efficiency, but sounds terrible.
Before I bought a new Opti 90 or 115, I'd definitely want a ride in a 115 ETEC boat for comparison. The 1.5 liter 3 cylinder Opti has an awful 'sound' to it. Great gas and oil efficiency, but sounds terrible.
BRP acquiring Evinrude has been great for the company. I'm a bit biased as I rep for Evinrude, but I can tell you from past experiences as a BRP consumer that they are at the top or near the top in every single product they manufacturer.
You'll find the new E-Tec's to be quiet, fuel efficient, zero break-in time, easy to winterize, and don't require any scheduled maintenance for three years under normal conditions. You'll pay a bit more for the E-Tec up front, but will quickly offset the costs by reduction and in some cases elimination, of maintenance required by other engines. You can also get the I-tec guages, which will do far more than most boaters would ever require. In fact I spoke with a 'Mate dealer at the Evinrude show, and he felt that most high-performance boaters are better off, and safer, with a good line of analog gauges.
If you're comparing sounds of the E-Tec vs the Opti, you'll be surprised that the E-Tec just doesn't make a lot of noise of any kind. As was stated, the wind is the loudest thing you'll hear on the water.
In regards to production, the 115's should be available now at most dealers. In additon, the BRP dealer network is growing all the time, and is expected to double within two years.
You'll find the new E-Tec's to be quiet, fuel efficient, zero break-in time, easy to winterize, and don't require any scheduled maintenance for three years under normal conditions. You'll pay a bit more for the E-Tec up front, but will quickly offset the costs by reduction and in some cases elimination, of maintenance required by other engines. You can also get the I-tec guages, which will do far more than most boaters would ever require. In fact I spoke with a 'Mate dealer at the Evinrude show, and he felt that most high-performance boaters are better off, and safer, with a good line of analog gauges.
If you're comparing sounds of the E-Tec vs the Opti, you'll be surprised that the E-Tec just doesn't make a lot of noise of any kind. As was stated, the wind is the loudest thing you'll hear on the water.
In regards to production, the 115's should be available now at most dealers. In additon, the BRP dealer network is growing all the time, and is expected to double within two years.
Sure. The dealer felt that when running at speed, a good set of analog gauges are easier and safer to read than some of the higher-tech digital gauges on the market. Granted, the digital gauges provide a fantastic amount of information, and are very useful for the big water guys. We spent about 20 minutes going over the new BRP gauges and they are very impressive, but at 65 mph most boaters want to take a quick glance at the tach, trim, and speedo and then focus at the task at hand.
When I referenced...
The system monitor and I was not refering to the benefits of an LCD screen. I was refering to the benefits of having a gauge that uses digital technology (binary, ones and zeros) rather than analog technology (sine waves etc.) The System Monitor is the cheapest way of making all of the engine information, including details of any faults via the engine gaurdian available to the operator. You can still do every thing you described with Mercury's Smartcraft products. Buy a SmartTach and all of the other "link" gauges you want and boom your good to go. Way more accurate and precise than analog and pressure type (water pressure) mechanical units. The photo is my dad's 1850 dash with smartcraft set up.
Personally, I'm not a big LCD fan. I like to see the sweep of the needle at times, especially the tach. I have a full set of Smartcraft gauges in my boat. The only "negetive" about them is the trim guage (Link unit) is a little slow to respond so I've got the smarttach set up so the trim reading displays on the LCD screen of the Smarttach instantly everytime I hit the trim button. Way better than the old potentiometer type trim senders that we used to have.
The system monitor and I was not refering to the benefits of an LCD screen. I was refering to the benefits of having a gauge that uses digital technology (binary, ones and zeros) rather than analog technology (sine waves etc.) The System Monitor is the cheapest way of making all of the engine information, including details of any faults via the engine gaurdian available to the operator. You can still do every thing you described with Mercury's Smartcraft products. Buy a SmartTach and all of the other "link" gauges you want and boom your good to go. Way more accurate and precise than analog and pressure type (water pressure) mechanical units. The photo is my dad's 1850 dash with smartcraft set up.
Personally, I'm not a big LCD fan. I like to see the sweep of the needle at times, especially the tach. I have a full set of Smartcraft gauges in my boat. The only "negetive" about them is the trim guage (Link unit) is a little slow to respond so I've got the smarttach set up so the trim reading displays on the LCD screen of the Smarttach instantly everytime I hit the trim button. Way better than the old potentiometer type trim senders that we used to have.
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Thanks for the compliment on the dash. When my dad ordered the boat we did not want the key where they normally place it by the control box so we asked for it to be in the dash. As well, he bought all the smartcraft gauges to replace the factory offerings before the engine even went on. This picture is what it looked like before we replaced the gauges. Spent a bunch of time trying to figure out what configuration we wanted the two extra small gauges to be in so we moved the key over by the switch panel, and put the two link gauges on the lower left. We have since added an additional gauge, so there are three down there. The bezels were purchased from Eddie Marine and I think they nicely offset the white and yellow. Not too bad of a boat for a 64 year old man.
This photo is how it came from the factory.
This photo is how it came from the factory.
cooperider
Well-known member
I want an E-tec. But I got some saving up to do.
Hey Riley7, what does it take to be a E-tec OEM?
Hey Riley7, what does it take to be a E-tec OEM?
Costa
Costa,
Did you read the Bass & walleye boat magazine 225hp shoot out?
Didn't think so.
http://www.bassandwalleyeboats.com/output.cfm?ID=1059733
Costa,
Did you read the Bass & walleye boat magazine 225hp shoot out?
Didn't think so.
http://www.bassandwalleyeboats.com/output.cfm?ID=1059733
Cooper, BRP (unlike Brunswick) doesn't own any boat OEM's. What we do is package with existing OEM's to either "pre-rig" so the dealers can install the engines, or have the engines rigged right at the factory.
Costa is right, there is more to that article than meets the eye. If you want some real world comparisons, come on down to the Carolina's and talk to the boat dealers that install both outboards and listen to what they have to say...
Once again, all brands have thier postives and negatives, us included. Just don't dismiss something out of hand until you have a chance to check them out for yourselves.
Costa is right, there is more to that article than meets the eye. If you want some real world comparisons, come on down to the Carolina's and talk to the boat dealers that install both outboards and listen to what they have to say...
Once again, all brands have thier postives and negatives, us included. Just don't dismiss something out of hand until you have a chance to check them out for yourselves.
Thanks for all the discussion about the Opti v Etec. Can anyone elaborate on JW's experience with the 90 Optimax? That sounds like a concern.
It really is a tough decision between the two. Merc's reliability and dealer support and E-Tec's quiet fuel efficient ride. Anyone have an E-Tec that can remark further, or a Merc 115 Opti?
It really is a tough decision between the two. Merc's reliability and dealer support and E-Tec's quiet fuel efficient ride. Anyone have an E-Tec that can remark further, or a Merc 115 Opti?
Costa..
My eyes might be painted on but the only thing different on the 225HO that would make one call it "preproduction" is the gearcase. Maybe I'm missing something. Sorry for continually referncing B&W magazine, it is the only one I read because the rest are geared to offshore boats or sterndrives.
http://www.bassandwalleyeboats.com/output.cfm?id=1059625
The 200 you are referencing was sure "fuel efficient" by comparison in this independant test, with factory input. Allow me to post the fuel efficuiency comments:
FUEL ECONOMY: WEIGHING HEAVIER IN TODAY’S TESTS
Never before has fuel economy played such a big part in engine evaluations. Paying $3 or more at the pump for regular tends to steer one’s thinking away from miles per hour and toward fuel mileage. In this portion of the test, Merc won clearly with a best average fuel mileage of 4.5 mpg, and Yamaha finished second at an average 4.1 mpg. E-Tec’s results with the Raker were poor in comparison at an average 3.7 mpg. However, when tested with the Trophy propeller, the Rude tied the Yamaha with an average of 4.1 mpg.
Merc, however, won the “best cruise” mileage with a reading of 5.8 mpg at 4000 rpm and 47.5 mph. Using 90 percent of the Bass Cat’s 40-gallon fuel supply, which translates to a 208-mile range. Yamaha came in a close second, with a best of 5.5 mpg at 4500 rpm and 55.4 mph, for an average range of just over 197 miles.
Both results were stellar, and it was great to see that the Pantera hull took advantage of the higher cruise speed range instead of the typical sub-35 mph speeds where we usually record our best mileage. Perhaps our greatest disappointment was the E-Tec’s mileage numbers; after all the emissions and mileage hype from Evinrude, we expected the E-Tec H.O. to really put a hurtin’ on the other two when it came to the fuel fillup. We were sadly mistaken.
I do like the E-Tec's as well. Competition always help to raise the bar. I'm glad we have an alternative to the four stroke. But, I would never make a quote that "The e-tecs are the best performing, quietest and most fuel efficent motor out there right now." While I will give E-tec it's due and I believe that it does some things the better than Merc or Yamaha I don't think they are the best at all the catagories you have quoted, nor in every size, nor do I think they are the best overall.
Please show me some facts to substanciate what you've said. What first hand experience do you have with the E-Tec? But maybe you can start a new thread and leave Byrd's alone so he get the answers he's looking for without getting caught up in this debate. (Not a pi$$ing match
All I can can say is that any DFI motor will use substancially less fuel than a conventional 2stroke EFI. If you run wide open you are probably looking at a 15-18% reduction in consumption and in the midrange 40-50%.
Sorry to hi jack your thread Byrd.
My eyes might be painted on but the only thing different on the 225HO that would make one call it "preproduction" is the gearcase. Maybe I'm missing something. Sorry for continually referncing B&W magazine, it is the only one I read because the rest are geared to offshore boats or sterndrives.
http://www.bassandwalleyeboats.com/output.cfm?id=1059625
The 200 you are referencing was sure "fuel efficient" by comparison in this independant test, with factory input. Allow me to post the fuel efficuiency comments:
FUEL ECONOMY: WEIGHING HEAVIER IN TODAY’S TESTS
Never before has fuel economy played such a big part in engine evaluations. Paying $3 or more at the pump for regular tends to steer one’s thinking away from miles per hour and toward fuel mileage. In this portion of the test, Merc won clearly with a best average fuel mileage of 4.5 mpg, and Yamaha finished second at an average 4.1 mpg. E-Tec’s results with the Raker were poor in comparison at an average 3.7 mpg. However, when tested with the Trophy propeller, the Rude tied the Yamaha with an average of 4.1 mpg.
Merc, however, won the “best cruise” mileage with a reading of 5.8 mpg at 4000 rpm and 47.5 mph. Using 90 percent of the Bass Cat’s 40-gallon fuel supply, which translates to a 208-mile range. Yamaha came in a close second, with a best of 5.5 mpg at 4500 rpm and 55.4 mph, for an average range of just over 197 miles.
Both results were stellar, and it was great to see that the Pantera hull took advantage of the higher cruise speed range instead of the typical sub-35 mph speeds where we usually record our best mileage. Perhaps our greatest disappointment was the E-Tec’s mileage numbers; after all the emissions and mileage hype from Evinrude, we expected the E-Tec H.O. to really put a hurtin’ on the other two when it came to the fuel fillup. We were sadly mistaken.
I do like the E-Tec's as well. Competition always help to raise the bar. I'm glad we have an alternative to the four stroke. But, I would never make a quote that "The e-tecs are the best performing, quietest and most fuel efficent motor out there right now." While I will give E-tec it's due and I believe that it does some things the better than Merc or Yamaha I don't think they are the best at all the catagories you have quoted, nor in every size, nor do I think they are the best overall.
Please show me some facts to substanciate what you've said. What first hand experience do you have with the E-Tec? But maybe you can start a new thread and leave Byrd's alone so he get the answers he's looking for without getting caught up in this debate. (Not a pi$$ing match
All I can can say is that any DFI motor will use substancially less fuel than a conventional 2stroke EFI. If you run wide open you are probably looking at a 15-18% reduction in consumption and in the midrange 40-50%.
Sorry to hi jack your thread Byrd.
If I was going to buy a DFI, personally this would be my buying list in order of preference....
1) Opti
2) Yamaha
3) ETEC
I remember hearing this same hype before from the OMC guys about the FICHT technology. And FICHT turned out to be pretty problematic on any boat that wasn't a pontoon.
Long term, ETEC might turn out to be the real deal, but BRP is going to have to prove it to me. And some of their claims about the ETEC versus Opti have already been shown to be questionable.
Granted, Merc had their share of problems with the with Opti technology too, but they've stayed with it and worked on it and I would say it has now come of age. The ETEC on the other hand is almost brand new technology......so time will tell.
1) Opti
2) Yamaha
3) ETEC
I remember hearing this same hype before from the OMC guys about the FICHT technology. And FICHT turned out to be pretty problematic on any boat that wasn't a pontoon.
Long term, ETEC might turn out to be the real deal, but BRP is going to have to prove it to me. And some of their claims about the ETEC versus Opti have already been shown to be questionable.
Granted, Merc had their share of problems with the with Opti technology too, but they've stayed with it and worked on it and I would say it has now come of age. The ETEC on the other hand is almost brand new technology......so time will tell.
Just a couple of quick points:
1. Don't mistake BRP for OMC. Two totally different companies with vastly different ways of doing business. By the same token, don't mistake FICHT for E-Tec.
2. Don't believe everything you read in a consumer magazine, good or bad. I've been involved with the powersports publishing industry for years, and can tell you for a fact that the sad truth is that most editorial content is directly driven by advertising dollars. It's very, very hard to find a totally "unbiased" publication.
3. Any manufacturer can pull out studies and tests that will show their product in a good light, BRP included. The best thing to do is contact some marina's that actually sell competing brands of outboards and see what they have to say. They are your best bet to find out unbiased, "real world" information.
1. Don't mistake BRP for OMC. Two totally different companies with vastly different ways of doing business. By the same token, don't mistake FICHT for E-Tec.
2. Don't believe everything you read in a consumer magazine, good or bad. I've been involved with the powersports publishing industry for years, and can tell you for a fact that the sad truth is that most editorial content is directly driven by advertising dollars. It's very, very hard to find a totally "unbiased" publication.
3. Any manufacturer can pull out studies and tests that will show their product in a good light, BRP included. The best thing to do is contact some marina's that actually sell competing brands of outboards and see what they have to say. They are your best bet to find out unbiased, "real world" information.