Optimax outboards?

[beemer]

x2 on Rockfish and Wolfs comments. ALL outboards have problems and quirks, most are related to the operators and maintenance,
not the motors. That said there are some engine years you want to stay away from.That said I own one of the notorious 2001 225 Optimax and have never had a problem. I run cheap oil and do all my own maintenance and I run her HARD.

heres my 2 cents

Mercury Optimax - 2003 to now , reliable , light , good on fuel. The biggest downside is they are LOUD and parts are expensive.

Evinrude- Never heard of the "silence" agreement , but who knows. Don't touch a evinrude or Johnson FICHT ever! That said I have 3 Evirude 2003 DI 150s for my work boat and they are exceptionally good motors. (they are the predessesor to ETEC) powerful , quiet. Cheap parts (except plugs) a few quirks , but overall great engines.

If you go two stroke you may want to think about a kicker. You definately suck more fumes and I am told lots of slow trolling gums up two strokes.

good luck , beemer

 

[Aces]

x2 on Rockfish and Wolfs comments. ALL outboards have problems and quirks, most are related to the operators and maintenance,
not the motors. That said there are some engine years you want to stay away from.That said I own one of the notorious 2001 225 Optimax and have never had a problem. I run cheap oil and do all my own maintenance and I run her HARD.

heres my 2 cents

Mercury Optimax - 2003 to now , reliable , light , good on fuel. The biggest downside is they are LOUD and parts are expensive.

Evinrude- Never heard of the "silence" agreement , but who knows. Don't touch a evinrude or Johnson FICHT ever! That said I have 3 Evirude 2003 DI 150s for my work boat and they are exceptionally good motors. (they are the predessesor to ETEC) powerful , quiet. Cheap parts (except plugs) a few quirks , but overall great engines.

If you go two stroke you may want to think about a kicker. You definately suck more fumes and I am told lots of slow trolling gums up two strokes.

good luck , beemer

We troll with our Optimax's using Merc's "troll control", a digital cruise control that can be adjusted in 10 rpm increments up to 1000 rpms......... sweet speed control. They don't seem to gum up or load like the old 2 strokes - probaly because of the computer running the engine warm. Also,i constantly get asked if they are 4 strokes because they are fairly quiet loafing along @ 3700 rpms.

 

[beemer]

We troll with our Optimax's using Merc's "troll control", a digital cruise control that can be adjusted in 10 rpm increments up to 1000 rpms......... sweet speed control. They don't seem to gum up or load like the old 2 strokes - probaly because of the computer running the engine warm. Also,i constantly get asked if they are 4 strokes because they are fairly quiet loafing along @ 3700 rpms.

Wow , that's good to hear FishTofino. What year are the motors? Does the trollcontroll hook up to the smartguage system?

thanks beemer

 

[Rob H]

Marula: The prop I have on the Optimax 200 is the Mirage Plus stainless steel which is 19 pitch. I'm not sure what the rpm is at WOT but it is at least 5200 rpm. This is with a full fuel load, all weights and gear, and 2 or three large guys.
When the prop was first purchased Brad and I tested the top speed of the boat in Pedder Bay. We hit a top speed of 50 mph by the GPS.

...Rob

 

[Aces]

Wow , that's good to hear FishTofino. What year are the motors? Does the trollcontroll hook up to the smartguage system?

thanks beemer

One boat has 2006 motors and one is getting new power this March. The troll control has been around since 2000 at least. It is part of the smartcraft package and is integrated into the digital tachometers. Every guide i hire to work for me just raves about that system.

 

[Nelly]

One little tid bit of info on the white engines is they have had people sighn a letter of silence, if they wanted ther engines fixed. That the customer could not talk about or say anything about what happened to there engine. For the time i have been working in the marine feild on the west coast never had to get one of my customers to sighn anything like that from the other engine makers.

I don't know how to say this politely so I'll just say it plainly: The above sentence has not a single grain of truth in it. If any manufacturer of anything ever required " a letter of silence", in today's internet age it would be all over the net like a rash!
I work with several outboard brands and retailers and none, repeat none require owners agree to a gag order...