Hi all,

I have a friend (really!) that wants to buy a 40HP four stroke for a new
pontoon. He is set on four stroke, wants it quiet and reliable, top speed
is probably not a critical factor. Environmentally friendly, did I mention
that? I've helped *try* to do some research on Honda vs. Yamaha (vs. Suzuki
vs. Tohatsu etc.), and I usually find what I want on the net, but I've found
precious little that does any comparsion of quality, customer satisfaction,
reliability, and what I've found generally is the high end. So, if anybody
has any thoughts, has been through this and would like to share their
expertise, please pass it on.

thanks!

Glenn Good

Don't know what size the pontoon is but I doubt the 40hp is big enough. Go
w/ max hp on the boat or at least within 10 hp of max until you get to a 90
hp engine.
If you go w/ too small an engine you will run it wide open all the time and
will burn a lot more fuel.
As for the brand - Honda, Yamaha, Merc are all good. Go w/ best price, best
local dealer, best local dealer service, local dealer closest to your
location. Weight all these factors.


--
Tony
my boats and cars at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com
"MrObvious" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have a friend (really!) that wants to buy a 40HP four stroke for a new
pontoon. He is set on four stroke, wants it quiet and reliable, top speed
is probably not a critical factor. Environmentally friendly, did I
mention that? I've helped *try* to do some research on Honda vs. Yamaha
(vs. Suzuki vs. Tohatsu etc.), and I usually find what I want on the net,
but I've found precious little that does any comparsion of quality,
customer satisfaction, reliability, and what I've found generally is the
high end. So, if anybody has any thoughts, has been through this and
would like to share their expertise, please pass it on.

thanks!

Glenn Good

Thanks, Tony. It looked to me like the EFI's pretty much started at 50HP
which to me is at least one good reason to move up.

Glenn

"tony thomas" wrote in message
news:JMUNd.25362$C24.2027@attbi_s52...
Don't know what size the pontoon is but I doubt the 40hp is big enough.
Go w/ max hp on the boat or at least within 10 hp of max until you get to
a 90 hp engine.
If you go w/ too small an engine you will run it wide open all the time
and will burn a lot more fuel.
As for the brand - Honda, Yamaha, Merc are all good. Go w/ best price,
best local dealer, best local dealer service, local dealer closest to your
location. Weight all these factors.


--
Tony
my boats and cars at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com
"MrObvious" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have a friend (really!) that wants to buy a 40HP four stroke for a new
pontoon. He is set on four stroke, wants it quiet and reliable, top
speed is probably not a critical factor. Environmentally friendly, did I
mention that? I've helped *try* to do some research on Honda vs. Yamaha
(vs. Suzuki vs. Tohatsu etc.), and I usually find what I want on the net,
but I've found precious little that does any comparsion of quality,
customer satisfaction, reliability, and what I've found generally is the
high end. So, if anybody has any thoughts, has been through this and
would like to share their expertise, please pass it on.

thanks!

Glenn Good

Already said, but dealer support is a big deal. Suzuki is offering a 6 year
warranty. That's also a big deal if you have a dealer nearby.

http://www.suzukimarine.com/showsanddeals/gimme/

I had one Suzuki - a 4hp kicker and it was problem free.

Dan


MrObvious wrote:
Hi all,

I have a friend (really!) that wants to buy a 40HP four stroke for a new
pontoon. He is set on four stroke, wants it quiet and reliable, top speed
is probably not a critical factor. Environmentally friendly, did I mention
that? I've helped *try* to do some research on Honda vs. Yamaha (vs. Suzuki
vs. Tohatsu etc.), and I usually find what I want on the net, but I've found
precious little that does any comparsion of quality, customer satisfaction,
reliability, and what I've found generally is the high end. So, if anybody
has any thoughts, has been through this and would like to share their
expertise, please pass it on.

thanks!

Glenn Good

I have a 60 merc EFI 2002 with about 900 hopurs on it and I am very happy. My
neighbor has a 40 Evinrude/Suzuki and had nothing but trouble with it. He is
#156 or so in the bankruptsy suit. They had promised him a new motor ... now he
is in line.
This is salt water, the Suzy may do better on a lake

MrObvious wrote:
Hi all,

I have a friend (really!) that wants to buy a 40HP four stroke for a
new pontoon. He is set on four stroke, wants it quiet and reliable,
top speed is probably not a critical factor. Environmentally
friendly, did I mention that? I've helped *try* to do some research
on Honda vs. Yamaha (vs. Suzuki vs. Tohatsu etc.), and I usually find
what I want on the net, but I've found precious little that does any
comparsion of quality, customer satisfaction, reliability, and what
I've found generally is the high end. So, if anybody has any
thoughts, has been through this and would like to share their
expertise, please pass it on.

I have a 25 foot pontoon boat and it has a Honday and I really like it.
HOWEVER I might not buy another Honday after a really bad dealer
experiance...

On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:27:13 -0500, "MrObvious"
wrote:

Hi all,

I have a friend (really!) that wants to buy a 40HP four stroke for a new
pontoon. He is set on four stroke, wants it quiet and reliable, top speed
is probably not a critical factor. Environmentally friendly, did I mention
that? I've helped *try* to do some research on Honda vs. Yamaha (vs. Suzuki
vs. Tohatsu etc.), and I usually find what I want on the net, but I've found
precious little that does any comparsion of quality, customer satisfaction,
reliability, and what I've found generally is the high end. So, if anybody
has any thoughts, has been through this and would like to share their
expertise, please pass it on.

1 - Get the max horsepower for the pontoon - these things are almost
always under powered.

2 - Get a two stroke - in particular E-TEC. Quieter than a four
stroke, more efficient, cheaper to run and better looking. :)

Later,

Tom

The only reason to buy a two stroke these days is for a dinghy, where
the lighter weight really can make a difference as you try to put the
motor on while the boat is wiggling about under you. Also sometimes the
way the whole unit is mounted on the back of your boat may not allow the
four stroke to lie the way is has to and keep the oil from running out.

Otherwise the noise, smell, resell and fuel use demand a four stroke. I
like Honda.

Capt. Jeff

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:27:13 -0500, "MrObvious"
wrote:


Hi all,

I have a friend (really!) that wants to buy a 40HP four stroke for a new
pontoon. He is set on four stroke, wants it quiet and reliable, top speed
is probably not a critical factor. Environmentally friendly, did I mention
that? I've helped *try* to do some research on Honda vs. Yamaha (vs. Suzuki
vs. Tohatsu etc.), and I usually find what I want on the net, but I've found
precious little that does any comparsion of quality, customer satisfaction,
reliability, and what I've found generally is the high end. So, if anybody
has any thoughts, has been through this and would like to share their
expertise, please pass it on.


1 - Get the max horsepower for the pontoon - these things are almost
always under powered.

2 - Get a two stroke - in particular E-TEC. Quieter than a four
stroke, more efficient, cheaper to run and better looking. :)

Later,

Tom

& an experimental technology based on Ficht; the same technology that
summarily put OMC, 7000 workers & US 1.3 BIL of retirees' money feet up
in a table drain:-)


But hey!!! Tom has lots of experience after all his failure rate with
Ficht is 1 in 3!!! Even worse than the 1 in 5 admitted by Ficht:-)


K

& the Krause lie of the day is........

from what we call the "father" series, this is a sad collection of lies
about the mythical father, much the same as immature school kids make
up. The sad part is that a man in his 50s would be so ashamed of his
father's real achievements that he besmirches his memory with such
infantile lies.


My father, who died in the 1970s, was a fairly well known boating sportsman in
the New England-New York area. He was a boat dealer and marina operator. For
grins, he raced hydroplanes and utility outboards in the late 40's and early
50's, and won the Albany to New York race twice and a number of other races.
For many years, he always had the *fastest* boat on Long Island Sound. I don't
know whether that was true, but I don't recall anyone with a faster boat, and
he drove all over looking for them. The boat, which changed from year to year,
was always called "Bob's Hope." Later, he drove a twin 50-hp Evinrude powered
Swedish boat across the North Atlantic in winter as a publicity stunt for a
line of Swedish boats he was distributing in New England. Came over the lee of
a tanker. He owned a *lot* of boats, including a PT boat for a while and a
DUCK.

I don't know that I have more experience with boats than anyone in here. I've
been boating since I was about 7 or so, and that was 50 years ago. I've owned
a *lot* of different kinds of boats.

What *you* believe is your business. Frankly, I don't give a damn.

Also of course, note the "in winter":-)

My father and his chief mechanic once crossed the Atlantic in winter in
a 22'
boat powered by twin outboards. Yes, it is possible, even the fuel. Got a
"fireboat" welcome in NYC.

On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:27:13 -0500, "MrObvious"
wrote:

Hi all,

I have a friend (really!) that wants to buy a 40HP four stroke for a new
pontoon. He is set on four stroke, wants it quiet and reliable, top speed
is probably not a critical factor. Environmentally friendly, did I mention
that? I've helped *try* to do some research on Honda vs. Yamaha (vs. Suzuki
vs. Tohatsu etc.), and I usually find what I want on the net, but I've found
precious little that does any comparsion of quality, customer satisfaction,
reliability, and what I've found generally is the high end. So, if anybody
has any thoughts, has been through this and would like to share their
expertise, please pass it on.

thanks!

Glenn Good


I spent 8 months in Japans Honda Outboard division as a consultant. I
can assure you Hondas are the best unit out there. I currently have
four of the 250 units, hung on the back of my 32' Baja. Each have over
1000 hours on them, with nothing done, and still running strong.