E-Tec vs the competition
 

I found a 23' cc I like, and would rather put 2 twin 140-150's vs a single 250, even though it is a tad slower by 3 mph...I want the advantages of the twins. My Question is:
I reserched E-Tecs and the competition, is it all hype, marketing or what. Check out the website UNDER CHALLENGES...challanges:bow rise, more torque, pulling back to back and so on.

http://www.evinrude.com/en-US/

looking for people that either sell or actually have had the opportunity to try them out..Thanks Jeff

Check out the new 150hp Verado. Better fuel mileage and you do not have to add oil like a 2 stroke.

Thanks for the response, fuel mileage is important, but by their web-site they state that E-tecs are better for emmisions, mileage and so on.. Mike, check out the challenges and tell me if they are full of crap...so do I have to add oil to the E-tec.. thanks Jeff

The other thing I mentioned per the builder...with twins they like to stay around 400-410 pounds each to keep perfect balance of their boat.

I fish Lake Erie (as often as I can get over there) and get quite a bit of exposure to guys with E-tecs. Consensus is they would never buy another Yamaha or Merc motor again, including Verado. They have lived up to their billing- faster out of the hole, faster top end, lower emissions, and A LOT better on fuel than even the Verado or any other 2 or 4 stroke. The warranty and service intervals have proven to be what Bombardier have cracked them up to be, and I have yet to talk with a person that has had to pull one off for a warranty issue. One guy I fish with from Wisconsin pulled his 250 Verado off his walleye boat (he was HUGELY let down by its performance) for a 250 E-Tec and loves his boat again- less weight, less fuel burn, and faster.
I DO know Bombardier and its engineering group since I have spent a great deal of time with their Canadair Challenger series of aircraft and its support team. The amount of time and money that Bombardier put into correcting the issues associated with HPDI technology was enormous. Although the recreational division has been sold back to the Bombardier family, the engineering for E-Tec was accomplished by the transportation group.
I wouldn't hesitate one bit to install E-Tecs, especially in a twin configuration you described. Screw the 'I have to buy 2 stroke oil' issue- they use so little of it, who cares? It's too bad the old 55's on my walleye boat still run so well- I'm dying to replace them with a pair of those newer technology motors.
Jim

Jass, e-tech is a 2 stroke and you have to add oil...Evinrude oil not just any 2 stroke oil. Check out hull truth and the flordia sportsman fishing forum for in depth details on 2 stroke e-tech vs the other 2 stroke and 4 stroke enignes.

I tore down my 1990 Hydra Sports center console last year to repaint and re-rig it and I went with a 250 E-Tec. This engine is incredible and lives up to the promises in that video. Here are some of the benifits of the 2 stroke over the 4 stroke:

- The E-Tec is much lighter than the 4 strokes. This leads to better speed, better fuel economy and less stress on the transom all due to less weight.

- On an E-Tec you simply add some oil to a tank from time to time while a 4 stroke requires oil changes like your car. This saves a lot of down time for service over the life of the engine. I must add that the E-Tec burns MUCH less oil than previous 2 strokes.

- The E-Tec is less expensive than most of the 4 strokes.

- The E-Tec is just as quiet as any of the 4 strokes.

- Another nice feature of the E-Tec is that it will winterize (fog) itself for long term storage. I don't know if the 4 strokes will do this or not, but it is a nice feature.

I shopped all winter for a new outboard for this boat and those are the major differences that I see. I looked at Honda, Merc, Yamaha and Evinrude, I studied everything carefully and went with the Evinrude E-Tec. I can tell you that it has been a great engine so far and I have absolutely no regrets.

Here are a few pictures of the boat as it sits now with the new paint and engine.

I just bought a 115 for the pontoon boat. I think it is quieter than the 4 stroke I replaced. No break-in not much maintenance. I like it. Not cheap though.

I've been Merc all my life but I must admit I've not heard anything bad about the E-Tecs. I wouldn't put a lot of faith in the hull truth, a bunch of whiners from what I've read. They complain about everything.

Kinda like most message boards huh?:D

Well my brother bought a brand new 200 in june 07 less than 20 hrs no compression #6 cyl computer problem had to replace power head under warranty but loss of use in a short season. It does run nice though. And he is probably one of those whinners over on the hull truth.:D

Except this one Mike.

I am a MERC fan. They have always been well engineered. Its nice to hear someone enjoys those other motors after all those years of trying. It is not apples to apples in that shot out though. A 2 stroke will usually win in those type of tests. Why don't they compete against a optimax? After all they basically copied that technology. They act like its something new and great. I am happy to see after mercs 10 years of refinement of the optis they were able to come up with a suitable copy. Evinrude has been consist though, a major design change every few years.
It is a bunch of hype. A few happy people doesn't make it a great motor.
Jim

Thanks guys for all the responses, I wanted to hear the good and bad.

HOT DUCK, that 1990 CC of yours looks brand new, great lookin rig.:cool-smiley-011: Jeff

Thank you. After shopping for a replacement I figured that it would be smarter to rehab the old one since the hull was fine and had never been damaged. We took it apart and painted it, rewired everything, replaced the fuel lines/fill neck hose, replaced the gauges and switches, replaced all the pumps (trim tab, bilge, live wells, washdown, etc) and repowered it. We inspected the fuel tank, but it looked brand new so we left it alone.

I like the lines of this boat and it handles and rides incredibly well. What we ended up with is basically a brand new boat at less than 1/3 of the cost of a new one.

Mobile,
I too am a merc fan! But, look at the small engines, a merc 9.9 or an bomberdier................ There is no comparision. Merc is a bunch of china junk! All Plastic. Ok, E-tec vs. Opti.......... Still no comparision. I am impressed with the verado but, Look at the power to weight difference............... I like to say I bleed black but, there is no way i roll a merc outboard except for the 2.5 or 300
Bombardier have their stuff together..............
Anyways, sorry for the rant.
Thanks for posting good advice.
Jr.

We have been using the E-Tecs here in Bermuda and have nothing but good things to say about them. Took off a 250XS and put on a 250 Evinrude and picked up 4+ mph on a Velocity CC.......

bass and waley boats enough said .

"ALOT BETTER" fuel economy than 4S's ? The facts are the E-Tec's fuel economy is actually WORSE than 4S's at cruise.

Check out the INDEPENDENT testing done by Powerboat Reports, March 2005 issue. They do not accept any advertising from anyone and do not have the conflict of interest other boating magazines have.

They tested three IDENTICALLY rigged Wellcraft 232 CC's, one with a 250 hp Verado, a Yamaha F250, and one with a 250 hp E-Tec.

They found at the most common cruising speed of 35 mph the E-Tec used over 2 gph MORE than either the Verado or Yamaha F 250. ( Specifically: Verado 11.6 gph, F250 11.8 gph, and E-Tec 13.9 gph. )

With an E-Tec you are locked into buying ONLY their specially formulated oil at nearly $ 40 / gallon. Using anything else will void your warranty. Many owners of E-Tecs have reported NOT getting the purported 100:1 oil ratio at cruise but in reality only about 80:1.

Additionally in my area E-Tecs are significanly more expensive to purchase than most 4S's.

As for resale, a boat equipped with ANY 2S, even E-Tecs, will sell for LESS than the same boat with a 4S. If you need proof go ask some boat brokers if they had two similarly equipped boats one with a 4S and the other with an E-Tec which would sell faster and for more money.

You'll hear nearly every one say the boat with the 4S will sell for more money and sell faster. The majority of the boat buying public prefers 4S's. Its hard enough selling a used boat now, why make it harder on yourself by going with an engine the public at large doesn't want.

Even the top boat manufacturers are installing far more 4S's than 2S's. Take Intrepid, they build one of the highest quality and most expensive boats out there and they'll install any engine you want including E-Tecs.

The vast majority of boats they make have 4S's on them. The people who buy their boats can afford anything they want and in virtually every case they've gone with 4S's. Call Intrepid and ask them if you require proof.

Buy the 4S and save some money now and also later when you go to sell your boat, its YOUR money.