Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Fri, 20 Jul 2007 09:18:49 -0400, HK wrote:

Honestly, Tom, I really do not understand your "affinity" for these two
stroke outboards.

Read on MacDuff.

I just looked over the "specs" for the F150 Yamaha (four stroke) and the
competing ETEC 150.

The ETEC is a V-6, the Yamaha an inline four. No particular advantage.

Well, I could agrue the point, but it's minor techicalities so I'll
let that pass.

The ETEC displaces 2589 cc, the Yamaha 2670. No particular advantage.

Spread over six cylinders instead of four.

The ETEC weighs 427 pounds, the Yamaha 466. No particular advantage.
Interestingly, the ETEC site says the Yamaha weighs 504 pounds. B.S.

Well, I've seen Yamaha's weighed at a shop and they pretty much
understate their weight. I don't know if they include things like
oil, filters and such like that so I can't argue the point other than
what I've seen with my lying eyes. :)

The ETEC "might" outaccelerate the Yamaha. Maybe. No head to head
comparisons that I saw.

Flat out, my ETEC will out accelerate most engines, but that's not a
significant factor to me - I could really care less about it.

I'd bet the Yamaha is quieter than the the ETEC at trolling and idle
speeds. Important to me. It's probably quieter at cruise speeds, too.

Interesting you should say that.

I was out on Lake Murray with a Yamaha 200 four stroke and in a
similar boat - the distance from me to the engine was about the same
as it was in the Ranger.

The Yamaha was louder at idle and at cruise than the ETEC. I can
stand at my helm and talk normally to passengers - with the Yamaha you
had to really listen to make conversation. You could converse fairly
normally, but quieter than ETEC - not to me.

That's subjective though. I wish I could do some comparisons some
time with the appropriate equipment just to be sure.

I'd bet a genuine comparison would show little difference in fuel burn.

Side-by-side, same boat, one a four stroke and one an ETEC - my 2000
Ranger vs 2001 Ranger 200C, we both repowered in the same year, I
repowered one month earlier.

I win hands down by 50%. My boat averages between 3.5 and 4.7 GPH
depending on the kind of running conditions I encounter. We both run
in similar waters and operate the boats almost identically. He gets
out a little more than I do because he's in RI, but them's the facts.

No need to mix oil in the Yamaha's fuel. Advantage: Yamaha.

I don't have to change oil every how many hours or have a yearly plug
change or have a yearly gear oil change.

The Yamaha uses regular SAE multiweight motor oil. Advantage: Yamaha

All depends on how you look at it. I burn a synthetic, XD-100, but I
still haven't gone through a gallon of it yet - I'm about ready to
refill it - total cost to me, $31.

Both engines are a plumber's nightmare to work upon. Sadly.

True enough.


It's impossible for me to give an up close and personal opinion on any
of the etecs because I have never seen or heard one on a boat. We seem
to have two kinds of outboards on the fishing boats around here...newer
four strokers from Yamaha, Honda, or Suzuki, or old technology two
strokers from Mercury and Yamaha and occasionally Evinrude and Johnson.

The oil change on the Yamaha 150 is actually easier than on a car. The
gear oil change is a no brainer, as you know. I only change out the
plugs at season's end and at recommissioning so as to not fog my
"working" plugs. I take the working plugs out, wipe them off and put
them in a baggy. Then I put in the "fogging" plugs. In the spring, I
pull the fogging plugs and put in the working plugs. I say I, but the
reality it, the dealer does this for me.