What Motor? Yamaha, Honda, Mercury?

[rdambros]

As I am looking for a USED boat, the question came up as to what motor I should be looking at. The boat I am considering is a Lund Explorer 1825 Sport. I like this boat for the walk-through windshield and the rod storage.

 

NOW, the question is that I have been able to find the boat with either a 115 Yamaha, a 90HP Honda, and all kinds of Mercury engines. I have been leaning towards the 115 Yamaha. Its a 4-stroke and apparently very reliable. I see them on boats at fishing lodges, so assume they are the better motors.

 

WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK, would be the best motor for a Lund 1825 Explorer Sport?

 

Also, I live in Richmond Hill, Ontario and would like to find a dealer that will let me walk around the boats, but my closest dealer has NO STOCK. Any place that has stock so that I can see and touch the boats?

 

I think there are boats at the cottage show this weekend in Toronto. Anyone know if LUND has a booth?

[irishfield]

As for the three motors.. spin the wheel and take what ever comes up. You can't go wrong with any of those three choices. I've run Mercs, inboards and outboards, all my life and have Mercs and Hondas right now. All dependable.

[DRIFTER_016]

As I am looking for a USED boat, the question came up as to what motor I should be looking at. The boat I am considering is a Lund Explorer 1825 Sport. I like this boat for the walk-through windshield and the rod storage.

 

NOW, the question is that I have been able to find the boat with either a 115 Yamaha, a 90HP Honda, and all kinds of Mercury engines. I have been leaning towards the 115 Yamaha. Its a 4-stroke and apparently very reliable. I see them on boats at fishing lodges, so assume they are the better motors.

 

WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK, would be the best motor for a Lund 1825 Explorer Sport?

 

Also, I live in Richmond Hill, Ontario and would like to find a dealer that will let me walk around the boats, but my closest dealer has NO STOCK. Any place that has stock so that I can see and touch the boats?

 

I think there are boats at the cottage show this weekend in Toronto. Anyone know if LUND has a booth?

 

Nothing wrong with any of them, but if you have found one with a nice Yamaha on it......Buy It!!!

[Billy Bob]

As I am looking for a USED boat, the question came up as to what motor I should be looking at. The boat I am considering is a Lund Explorer 1825 Sport. I like this boat for the walk-through windshield and the rod storage.

 

NOW, the question is that I have been able to find the boat with either a 115 Yamaha, a 90HP Honda, and all kinds of Mercury engines. I have been leaning towards the 115 Yamaha. Its a 4-stroke and apparently very reliable. I see them on boats at fishing lodges, so assume they are the better motors.

 

WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK, would be the best motor for a Lund 1825 Explorer Sport?

 

Also, I live in Richmond Hill, Ontario and would like to find a dealer that will let me walk around the boats, but my closest dealer has NO STOCK. Any place that has stock so that I can see and touch the boats?

 

I think there are boats at the cottage show this weekend in Toronto. Anyone know if LUND has a booth?

 

Although I think the Honda is the quietest motor of all of them 90 hp would be on the small side for that boat.......go for the 115 Yammy...have two friends that have that motor.....one on a 18.5' Lund and another on a 18 foot Polarcraft....that is one sweet motor...starts JUST like a car engine and is also VERY quite....can talk over it with normal tones...no yelling like we have to with my 1985 Johnson.

[Aaron Shirley]

All three brands make good engines these days, I don't think you can go wrong with any of those brands. I have owned all three brands and was happy with all of them. I currently have a Merc Verado with the Smartcraft gauges, and I have to say that is worth the Merc brand. I use the trolling feature with the Smartcraft gauge to have precision with trolliing speeds. It is amazing, and I would go with another Merc Verado again just for this alone.

 

Enjoy your boat shopping, and be sure to have any used boat and engine looked over very carefully by an authorized dealer before you buy it. It is worth the money for the inspection.

 

Aaron

[Pigeontroller]

Like everyone has said, all three are good motors. I'd go with with the 115 Yamaha, or better yet a 150!

[Guest gbfisher]

I have had many different motors over the years.Most were two strokes though and they each had their own issues. I run Yamaha right now. A 225 and a 9.9 both 4 stroke.

All the engines in 4 stroke you mentioned are good. You just have to pick one.

I have seen issues with optimax from blown engines to bad computers. Havent heard of any with the Verado's though. Yamaha...I havent heard of any issues at all. Hondas...well....there good as well...just a wee bit more expensive is all...

[Roy]

What everyone else said. A word of caution about things appearing to be good quality because "that's what the lodges use".

In 1957 every police force in North America and thousands of cab owners bought 1957 Plymouths because the '56 was a great car. It turns out that the 1957 plymouth was arguably one of the worst automobiles ever manufactured. Just sayin'....

[bucktail]

What everyone else said. A word of caution about things appearing to be good quality because "that's what the lodges use".

In 1957 every police force in North America and thousands of cab owners bought 1957 Plymouths because the '56 was a great car. It turns out that the 1957 plymouth was arguably one of the worst automobiles ever manufactured. Just sayin'....

[bucktail]

OOps menat to say i love my Yamaha , probably will never buy anything els!

[walleyemen]

Sorry guyz johnson /evinrude all the way, all my mercs we duds?Just saying!

[ch312]

yamaha FTW

[brw]

As I am looking for a USED boat, the question came up as to what motor I should be looking at. The boat I am considering is a Lund Explorer 1825 Sport. I like this boat for the walk-through windshield and the rod storage.

 

NOW, the question is that I have been able to find the boat with either a 115 Yamaha, a 90HP Honda, and all kinds of Mercury engines. I have been leaning towards the 115 Yamaha. Its a 4-stroke and apparently very reliable. I see them on boats at fishing lodges, so assume they are the better motors.

 

WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK, would be the best motor for a Lund 1825 Explorer Sport?

 

Also, I live in Richmond Hill, Ontario and would like to find a dealer that will let me walk around the boats, but my closest dealer has NO STOCK. Any place that has stock so that I can see and touch the boats?

 

I think there are boats at the cottage show this weekend in Toronto. Anyone know if LUND has a booth?

[brw]

Romeo:

I have a lund explorer (18 ft) w/ a 115 Yamaha and I am still in love w/ both. The 115 has never failed me--ever. I fish in cold weather all the way up to ice out and it fires up 1st time, every time. 10 out of 10 recommendation on both....good luck....

[rdambros]

Thanks everone for the replies. Its good to hear that all the manufacturers are building good engines now.

 

Now can anyone tell me where I might be able to walk around some Lund boats. As I said my dealer does not have any stock and I wanted to see the full lineup of Lund boats. Again I live in Richmond Hill and work in north Toronto.

 

Thanks

[Pigeontroller]

Wait for the Boat Show in Jan, and the Spring Fishing and Boat Show in Feb, both in Toronto.

[Another Canadian]

When looking at a USED boat, somone else has usually made the choice of motor for you.

 

I would look for a boat with a motor closet to the maximum, and then try to decide which one I would like best based on available dealer service, budget, 4 vs 2 stroke etc....

 

On a new boat, where I could have some choice, it would depend on the engine class as to whether I chose a Yahama, Honda or Merc or ?...

 

The comparable Hp motor from one company (or even within a company) can be quite different when you start to compare them.

[rdambros]

Okay NEXT QUESTION.

 

What is considered too many hours on a used motor. Is it 100 hours, 200 hours or more.

 

In my search for a used boat, I have looked at boats and their motors have 350 hours. Is that a lot of hours? Will I have to replace the top end at 400 hours? How many hours on the motor should I be looking at? With a boat with a lot of hours, is there anything that I should be asking for?

 

As always, thanks for any advice.

[Pigeontroller]

I have a 2005 90 hp Yamaha 4 stroke. It has just over 800 hours on it. Runs like a dream.

[irishfield]

With any engine.. you can't look at total time.. you have to look at time vs age. I'd buy a 2000 hour aircraft engine that was only 3 years old vs a 2000 hour engine that was 20 year old any day of the week. Sitting and lack of use kills anything....

 

Compression test and visual inspection are about your only friends with an outboard. Aircraft engines I can pull a cylinder in about an hour and look around inside the case/cam/lifters etc and put back together for $25 worth of o-rings and gaskets. Not as easy or cheap on an outboard.

[Billy Bob]

Would you buy a used truck/car without test driving it....I know I wouldn't so don't purchase a used boat/motor without testing it out on the WATER.

 

Good Luck,

Bob

Edited December 1, 2010 by Billy Bob

[rdambros]

I agree 100%. BUT, what do you do when you find a good deal, but the boat is just too far away to test drive.

 

I think I have to obtain a compression test from a reputable marina, in the area and then have it shipped.

 

Otherwise, I am limited in the boats that I can purchase, to the boats that I can drive to inspect.

 

Thanks everyone.

[mike rousseau]

we have had five hondas in 15 years between me my brother and my dad and they are fenominal!

 

only problem on any of them were the starters and these motors are used very heavily and it was a coupl hundred to fix em...2 starters i think... great on gas also... my 40 i can run 10 hours fo 30 bucks! hard to beat that!

[Canadave]

You should consider where you go fishing and any other needs that you have such as water-skiing. A big motor may be justified if you go long distances or on big water where you might have to get to shore fast if bad weather comes up. I have a neighbour who's the local fishing expert who just bought a new 90 HP Yamaha for his 18 footer which makes sense since we both live on a chain of four lakes with no big wave problems and his 90 would get him home in half an hour tops so why get a bigger motor that costs thousands more and burns a lot more gas. I have a 16 foot Harbercraft which is a heavy boat since it has double thick hull and sides with a 50HP Yamaha which makes sense for me for the same reasons. I originally had a 40 HP Yamaha which was carburated and always had trouble getting it started which might have been rare in my case since Yamahas are terrific motors but I traded it in for a 50 HP Yamaha which has EFI and have never had a problem getting it started. It in fact starts up immediately when I first launch it in the spring. I heard that Hondas are automobile engines that were used for outboard motors which made them unnecessarily big whereas the Yamahas were designed to be outboards and therefore are smaller. That's what I've heard so it may or may not be true. Most of my friends here all live on the same lake and we chuckle over the Americans who come to fish here as they almost always have bass boats with monster motors and seem to find it necessary to go fast enough to make their eyes bleed. We'd rather take a little longer to get wherever we're going and enjoy the ride and scenery for the extra 10 or 15 minutes it takes us to get there. Bottom line really is that I don't think you can go wrong with either a Merc, Honda or Yamaha. From what I see out there it seems that Yamaha is by far the most popular which may mean something.

[rdambros]

Great replies, and thank you.

 

So, at what time does service have to happen? I ride dirt bikes and there is a time when you just have to do mandatory replacements on the motor. I was wondering if the same applies to boat motors.

 

My question is, other than regular maintenance (plugs, oil and gear case), is there an amount of hours on a motor that will require expensive replacements? Or, is it on a "as needed" basis?

 

Thanks.