Evinrude 35 vs Etec 40- Worth the upgrade on a 16' V-bottom?

[bcbouy]

how did a yamaha even get involved in this thread? it has no relevance to this discussion whatsoever.the holeshot isn't much different??huh??

 

[thill]

How? Well, a number of different brands have come up in the discussion for comparison's sake. At first I was focusing on the 40 Etec, because that's the deal I ran into, but I might sell it and buy something else.

Yamaha was one of the brands in the performance comparison video. If you watched the video, it had the weakest holeshot, but had better top speed than the 30, and was also one of the lightest. So it's got strong points too. I would definitely consider that motor for my boat.

So I really appreciate everyone's input into this discussion. It has really got me thinking!

 

[thill]

I did some local searching and found an Etec 25 for sale. I'm thinking it will be great on gas, but not sure how much weaker it will be compared to the 30. Seems like a step down, but might be very similar.

Any thoughts?

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

If you are looking for more power in a lighter weight, why don't you look at the Yamaha/Mariner 40 at 160 lbs or the Tohatsu/Nissan M40c at 140. Older models but newer than what you have. Good well taken care of motors are still out there.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[thill]

Water buoy,
Great engine! I have one just like yours, and I have considered it for my boat, but it's so similar to my current engine that I kind of dismissed it. But I think you will be very happy with it! Here is mine:



These are yamaha engines under the hood. Very smooth running and very reliable.

 

[thill]

Weldor,
As you see, I already have a Mariner 40, and yes, it's a smooth running engine. In my case, it's on a project boat, and I could certainly switch, but I don't think it will be worth the effort. That engine feels pretty identical to my current Evinrude in power.

But the Tohatsu/Nissan sounds very interesting. I've had the chance to buy several, but have never really considered the brand. They seem to sit forever when for sale in this area. But I will look a lot harder at the next one that comes up for sale.

Thanks.

 

[LDUBS]

Out of over 400 views only 11 votes and that may be an over count because one person can vote for two options (I did).

I'm surprised that only 2 of us thought the 40 would be faster.

PS: Yamaha, Tohatsu, Nissan, Mariner -- How come no one is suggesting a Honda? 8)

 

[thill]

I found it interesting about the poll, too.

Funny, but hadn't even considered Honda. Around here, Hondas are thought of as very smooth and reliable engines that will run a million hours, but are heavy and a bit sluggish. So you see a lot of them on crabber's boats, where they move from one pot to another slow and steady, but you don't see too many of them on fisherman's boats who run and gun.

That being the case, a good friend of mine put a new Honda 250 on the back of his boat, and that is a very nice engine. Being a "run and gun" fisherman, he blew up 6 Honda 225's in a row, all under warranty, and they finally agreed to go up to the new 250, and that engine has been solid for a couple of years now. So it seems Honda performance on the high end is finally reaching the levels of some of the others.

So I'll keep my eye out for Honda. Any idea of what their 40 HP weighs?

 

[LDUBS]

I mentioned Honda kind of tongue in cheek because I have one. My 50 HP four stroke weighs 214#. The 40 & 50 HP are in the same family so the 40 weighs the same.

Your description is interesting because I guess I would consider myself more of the crab pot style user than a run & gun. 8)

 

[thill]

Well, 214 sure beats Etec's 240. But similarly, the 40 is the same engine as the 65. It's probably light for a 65, but as a 40, it's a bit chubby.

I found a 1996 Honda 50 for sale on the eastern shore CL for $1,100, and I found another Mariner 40 in Richmond for $250. Both seem very reasonably priced, depending on the condition. I would nab either of those if I really needed an engine. I might nab one or both of them anyway for resale purposes.

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

For the old motors, I'm a johnnyrude guy. I believe anything brand new is good if taken care of. I like the Tohatsu motors for small outboards. They have both 4 stroke and a direct injected 2 stroke at just over 200lbs. With power tilt and trim. The lightest 40's ever made I believe are the Tohatsu) Nissan M40c at about 140 and the 2 cylinder Yamaha/Mariner at about 160. Neither has power tilt or trim. If I ever swap my 35 Johnson it would be for one if those two motors. Anything else is too much weight for my application. I believe you are in the same boat haha. With that jury rigged transom I would be reticent to hang a lot of weight on it.no disrespect intended. I would definitely do a weight test in the water before buying or selling or turning any wrenches.

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[thill]

No insult taken. This transom work is certainly different than any I've seen before. I'm confident that it's stronger than it needs to be. You would have to see it in person to really appreciate it, but it's a stack of thick, schedule 40 square stock that runs from gunnel to gunnel and are TIG welded together and into place. I would LOVE to see a boat with the full transom done in that way. You would never have to worry about it for the lifetime of the boat, that's for sure!

I just came across a 2015 Tohatsu 40 for a great price, and I'm going to see if I can get it before it's gone.

Thanks for the info and opinions. It helps.

And yes, we probably are in the same boat.

 

[LDUBS]

I just came across a 2015 Tohatsu 40 for a great price, and I'm going to see if I can get it before it's gone.

Kind of funny. Besides their own brand, Tohatsu makes small outboards for Mercury. Tohatsu's larger outboards (60 HP & up) are made by Honda.