Which 90/65 Jet motor is the best????

Between all of us, this could be a very helpful topic for future purchasers of this size motor.....

Mercury 90/65-----2 stroke
Mercury 90/65-----4 stroke
Yamaha 90/65---- 2 stoke
Yamaha 90/65---- 4 stroke
Suski 90/65.......does make, that I could find
Honda 90/65------- 4 stoke
Etech 90/65---------2 stoke

If they were all on "like boats".....which would be the "over all best"????

Just wondering???????

+1 Etech 2 stroker

Love my Yamaha 4 strokes.

fp

I have an ETEC 150, non-jet, but after over 300+ hours would definately choose again. It will come out of the hole like a BOOH.

Bingo.....

2 stroke Yamaha 90/65.... Seen quite a few of them down here. They get it on and they're indestructable, assuming you slightly maintain them....

I've yet to run a 4-stroke anything that I like, including the kicker. Except for the noise and "trolling" with the kicker.. Tributary applications - they don't really work for me. I have plenty of buddies with T-8's and they're quiet allright and "troll" rather good but no matter how you look at it they not the best pick for side drifting. Shifter sucks and they have too much push at idle....

Personally, if you're buying a prop then buy 4 strokes, pumps are a 2-stroke thing....

Keith

Definetly 2 stroke at least for the 90 hp variety. Those 4 strokes are too big, heavy and slow. They are great on big boats in the 200 hp or bigger but I would go with a 2 stroke 90. My 90 hp jet suzuki runs like a top. Don't think they make new 2 strokes though, so Etec gets my vote.

2many must be drunk or always ran old crappy 2 strokes. Mine starts right away always. Change spark plugs 1 a year. Oil injection works great. Not sure but I bet I have close to a 1000 hrs on mine, 10 yrs of runnin 2 days a week. Have done nothing but give her gas and oil. I would like to see you strap a 100 hp motor to a 14 ft boat.

One other thing...

Gas economy...................

So many guys make that 4 stroke decision on saving "gas"... Burn less fuel, bla bla bla... 4 strokes are dogs without a prop.

If "budget's" in mind, you should have bought a canoe...

Keep it in mind...

Keith

Ill report back to you on the 90-65 merc in about 10 days...I am a mercury fan - more mercs on the water than any other motor...2nd would be yamaha then evinrude...ran them all...keep in mind that most motors are made in the same factory...

Keith hit the nail on the head....4 strokes=prop=columbia/ocean boat
2 strokes for jets

stay out of grown folks business

Weird that Ron actually runs a Verado which has a super charger on it to compinsate for the lack of power that the 4 strokes have...not to mention 90 % of what they do is on the cowlitz and columbia...

And yes ran them all bud, I'm sure you have a nice sled that gets it done just fine - a 2 stroke would just do it better for smaller or shallower rivers. Also the weight diff between your 4 stroke and the same power 2 stroke is typically much differnt and with free drifting weight displacement is key

NICE! Brett have you ran an E tec yet? if so what are your thoughts on them? and what kind of a boat/motor are you fishing

It's carp bait....... That combo is known to produce some serious SUCK MONSTERS!

Keith

Here's a hint... If you've got to move batteries around you've got issues, probably not the power of the motor that's lacking.... Just the overall length/width/weight.... 225? At least you're stimulating the economy!

Keith

I was just having fun with ya... Relax!

Keith

I'd like to hear more discussion on people's experience with the 90/65 HP 2 vs. 4 stroke models. Keep it going.

DrifterWa -

I'm about to start my eighteenth year with my 90/65 Merc jet. Bought it new and I've never had a problem with this motor, knock on wood.

It would be interesting to add a column to your motor list to include warranty info.

I've noticed that the weight of 4-strokes keeps dropping, and I believe the new 90/65 Hondas only weigh about 40-45 more pounds than my 1994 2-stroke Merc.

I'm hearing some good things about the E-Tecs, but also that fuel economy gains are not as good as I had previously heard.

I have a good buddy with hundreds of hours on his 90/65 Yammie and he's had very few problems. It's older, but a very light motor.

Have you ruled out sizing up your motor for that new boat, say to a 115/80?

Funny how it works. The 18 ft alumawelds seem to do best with a 90 or maybe a 115 tops. I have seen em with 125's and even 150's and they all float ass heavy and won't track right like that. But you jump to a 20 fter and they float ok with a 200. So a 90 on a 18ft does sound underpowered and it is with the 4th guy in, anything bigger would start to work against you. In the market for a 21' with a 200.

Ran a 90/60 2 stroke merc on an 18' alumaweld flat that did the trick quite well. We had that boat loaded HEAVY several times (used it for working a research project in the snoho basin) and it still seemed to get up and go. 3-4 people absolutely no problem. We also ran a alumaweld dory (16' I think) with a 60/40 yami 4stroke pump. Big difference. I think stlhdr42 hit it on the head about the motors matching up to the boats. Some boats do great with specific motors, ie the 20' free drifter with a 115 yami 4stroke. Boat is just balanced correctly.

Don't forget though, that the stock width at the bottom of the transom on most 18's is 66" and on 20's it's 72" - big difference.

If I had DrifterWa's 17' x 72" boat, I would run a 115/80....but I don't, and he'll make the best choice for his needs.

get a mercury optimax. If you do any research you will learn that this is the best outboard out there right now.

Mercury= welfare engine's, they only work when they want too. Go with a 115 HO E-tec.

if it were me i`d change to an 18 footer and a 115 and scrap the pro transom, the less weight the better.

e tec is a fad they don't ever compare there motors to the optimax.

Yep.....just for fun today, I called a couple of different dealers, ETec...

Here's what I found out.....90/65 vs. 115/80 Weight difference is 25 or 55 pounds, can't read my own writting....

Cost setup the same way.......$11,154 vs. $13,519.....both of those were "out of state" prices......

Remember Etec don't come with a pump....base price was $8160 vs. $9220

Tiller handle, pump, special cable, Tach made the difference....oh the 115 has to have a $200.00 oil tank, cause its not built in.

I've had Yamaha...50/36 and the present Mercury 60/40...ran the crap out of the Yamaha but it nickle/ dimed me to death.....this Mercury has been wonderful......NO PROBLEMS at all.

I'll stay with the quoted 90/65 Etec....because the package price was so good.

I'll say this about my E-Tec.

Fires with the first turn of the key EVERY time... typically within a fraction of a second.

Something I NEVER experienced with my old Merc.

Satisfied E-Tec owner?

Yeah.... so far.

Drifter,

Looking forward to pics and performance numbers. Sounds like you'll have it dialed-in in no time. My question is why did you have to add the $200 oil tank? Should come with the motor purchase, that and resell the lower unit to offset cost on the pump as well. Just thinking out loud.

eyeFISH,

Same here, very satisfied with the ETEC, fires right up, quiet as heck, cost of 2 stroke oil is negligible as it burns so little anyway. Never had any issues either.

The 115/80 doesn't have the oil reservoir built in, like the 90/65 does....ya, there was some talk about lower unit trade in for "work done" and toward the pump ..... and I'd look closer at that, if I didn't already have the package price....

Curious how much the Etec 115 with pump and tiller would set you back?

Your third statement is laughable. But maybe that was your objective. Anyways, If I were you Drifter I would find a "new" older two stroke laying around a dealer's inventory. Last year I found a new 2006 merc 90/60 for an awesome price east of the mountains at a dealer. I don't think the e-tecs have been around long enough for anyone to really have a representative example of their durability. I had an etec and it was powerful but I absolutely hated the tiller handle. My buddy had an etec and it blew up in two years. Whether it be a yami or a merc I don't know. I have a merc and its been good so far. But I feel more comfortable with a Yamaha.

All this talk about bigger motors might be a little silly. Mainly because where drifter fishes, at least in the past there was talk about a motor size ban in at least one of the rivers he frequents.

Good luck Drifter.

Do you even have a optimax? Or are you just saying that because its what you read online? The reason they don't compare them is because there is no comparison, e-tec are way better.

90/65 2 stroke Merc or 115/80 4 stroke yami is what I'd be putting on your new ride.Good luck,
SZ

Nope but the father has one. Did some research for him and it's true. Evinrude doesn't dare compare its motors to the Optimax. All those cool videos they have of those E-tecs pulling boats with other outboards backwards is great... but the one thing they don't show you is e-tec vs the optimax. The optimax deffinately has more balls. If you don't want to believe me ask the owner of wooldridge boats.

My 115 optimax has the exact same performance as anybody's 125 carb engine. I know this because I worked for a brunswick (they own merc) boat building company and we tested the optis all the time against other engines. thats probably why they dont go head to head in the magazines for equal size on the hood. When that company went out of business I picked up a 115 opti for myself and it is an amazing little motor. perfect size on a small boat to troll all day on the main (salt/prop/2500lb boat loaded) and jumps right up to get me home. It never smokes or stalls or needs more than a millisecond to get running after sitting all winter. I can barely tell its running it so quiet, it sips fuel and you can rinse it out without it running etc...

I would also buy an ETEC without too much hesitation (other than the fact I have smartcraft gauges in my dash) because they are designed really well and my friends who run them say the same thing as I do about the Opti. Bombardier desinged the Etec and they are tight as far as parts interchangeability and service etc. They did it right to kill the stigma of the ficht problems that sunk OMC.

I would buy either an Opti or and Etec (any high pressure direct fuel injected 2 stroke) if the need arose again. Probably lean to the Etec side because of fewer parts. Either way good engineering that came at a time when everybody wanted four strokes except bass fisherman.

2 cents

Happy Optimax owner here. 80 plus hours and no issues. Had a Mariner (same as Mercury) 80 jet that I got ten years out of, and sold for $2500.

I had one of the early 150 optis, it had a gremlin and never ran exactly right. Finally I paid for a new control module and that fixed it. Never felt right about mercs after that though.