Mercury 4 stroke or Optimax??

[ShaneC]

Thats ordinary....

[LittleSkipper]

Another change of events today just to make things more complicated. George from Yalta contacted me and said he will give me the upgraded builders plate "IF" I drive from Ipswich to Gympie, let him see the boat to see if it has got the updated transom, and I must buy the new motor from him and have him fit it.
WTF?
Surely he knows what the transom design is if he is the manufacturer and I've supplied photos of the builders plate, and if it is fine to fit that motor to the boat I don't see why I can't use the local Merc dealer who I trust and is looking after me on price and trade in.
Sounds like a grab for cash to get a sale if you ask me by holding the mod plate as ransom.

Solution, get a mod plate from a boat surveyor on the Gold Coast for $400 and have my local dealer fit the engine. Saves towing the boat 3-4hrs each way to Gympie just to get ripped off.



Bait is better.

I'd be pissed if my boat manufacturer did that to me? I'd sell the vessel just to prove a point. Welcome to the wonderful world of Australian manufacturer boat building? Or boat blackmailing?


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[BigE]

if you went the opti route and down the track you wanted more ( after all more is more) a 150 opti can be made into a 175 as there the same engine with tuning mods to make the HP I have a few 4 storkes and loved them but I rate my opti as just as good with the exception of noise and a bit cheaper to buy and own. mind you the new merc 150 four stroke is a good looking bit of kit. the maintenance free valve train will be the next big thing in four strokes if they manage to pull it off.

BigE

[Noelm]

What's maintanence free about the valve train that some other makes don't have? If you are referring to a timing chain instead of a belt, plenty have had that for years.

[bonneville]

as stated by mercury, no valve train maintenance at all ! 15% fewer parts than Suzuki, 18 % fewer parts than Yamaha
No other four stroke has a complete maintenance free valve train system. all have to have valves/ belts etc adjusted at service intervals.
Is it any good ? dunno, I don't own one, couple of mates have the 150's and rave about them.
as ive previously said in another thread, I'm looking at the 115 hp, with its new 2.1 litre capacity with it being based on the same engine as the 150 hp . Whether it will be enough grunt on mine, Im not sure, there's an option of the bigger capacity gearbox ! But the jury is out at the minute whether it can breach the gap for that 5.5-6 meter " ish " boat that previously couldn't take the four strokes that were on offer.
I myself am waiting for test results from someone that has just fitted one up.
But im picking it will not be long before all other manufacturers come up with similar weight saving ideas for there four stroke range to compete in this class. I was reading somewhere a while back that the biggest market range in size of boats out there was the 5.2 to 5.7 range, ( including second hand market) that's the range that are most effected by the weight of the fourstroke. bring it on !
mercury have shown there intentions by stating they are dropping the 125 opti and it was reiterated to me by a mercury dealer that the 115 opti doesn't have a long term future either, but I'd have no problem with buying either of them.
I look at it this way, that Honda and Yamaha, don't currently have an option for me in a fourstroke ! but I sure wouldn't mind having the option on both of them, so I think that's the way most of the manufacturers will go,with lighter four stroke models, mercury have just lead the way at the minute, that's all. just wish they'd hurry up ! I'm getting older ! LOL


bonneville