Pros and cons of an opti

[wottz]

No, sorry about the grammar have a 29 on it but don't ski with it, meant my daughter will be skiing who is under 100 lbs though the boat pulls out good on the 29 as long as the motor is down in the water the boat is 20 ft long. Love the boat but I think I'm going to sell my promax after next year and put a 250 or 225 opti xs on it

[Omni Present]

Ask yourself this one important question why do you own a boat? If it's because you like boating an your not a mechanic then your choice is simple. Blue or White......

[David]

I have a 115 HO Etec and it is awesome. Fast, fuel efficient, and lots of torque. But if I wanted to go real fast with 200+ HP, then Merc has the advantage of the spot master, gear ratio options, and solid mounts. Having said that, I bought a 225 PM this year for far less than the cost of a DIY motor.
The 115 and 225 are on different boats

[Omni Present]

I have a 115 HO Etec and it is awesome. Fast, fuel efficient, and lots of torque. But if I wanted to go real fast with 200+ HP, then Merc has the advantage of the spot master, gear ratio options, and solid mounts. Having said that, I bought a 225 PM this year for far less than the cost of a DIY motor.
The 115 and 225 are on different boats

Price of new is always different then used an if five or ten miles an hour is gonna ruin your day an your a mechanic then Merc maybe what you need as I stated in the subject line if your a mechanic 300x your not going to get more hp then that........However I ran a 250 ETEC HO on my 24' SuperBoat an it was ten mph faster way more torque another level of fuel efficiency an handle better then with my 250 efi with new power head and a brand spankin new torque master. An best of all I ran it for sixty hours this summer without one issue first time in 4 years that has happened. So obviously you have multiple boats so you've got back up so your covered. I'm working on a project boat a 27' Progression part of the reason I'm using ETEC 250 HO's on her is to debunk the myth that the only motors that you can run on a performance boat is a Black motor 2nd I don't have a back up boat so with me working 70hrs a week a broken boat is a total bummer. I started the research with my 24 SB an it went so well that when I was presented the option to purchase a mint 27 Progression I couldn't imagine powering it with anything else. Hopefully when it's finished I won't have wasted a pile of money but gained a great fast reliable boat an given others another option best of luck with the motor but take a moment to consider your options. FYI sea power in Miami an they ship nationally very reasonably has two ETEC 225 HO's used with 3 years warranties for $12,500 plug an play with adapter if you moving on from black motor land! #imjustsaying

[ufish2]

Something to consider. A friend has a 1999 225 Optimax. Outstanding engine but Mercury apparently had a bad batch of injectors. If I remember correctly, the red were no good. Blue injectors with a blue dot were much improved. We were going down the lake, lost an injector, shut the engine down within 20 seconds and too late, scored a piston. Total rebuild with blue injectors installed. Runs like a top. No compressor issues yet. Amazing fuel economy and starts right up. Be sure to check injectors. Good luck.

[phantomuk]

I use the etec 200HO commercially and my engines all go over 2000 hours with out a rebuild. Some nearly 3000. To be fair I don't rebuild them as they have earned their money and just get replaced. Flawless reliability.

Just thought I would chime in too

[David]

My engine choice new is application driven. My 16 Baja doesn't need solid mounts or a low water pick up and the Etec is perfect for it. More speed and a surfaced prop and I'd like solid mounts and a sporty. Good call about the back up boat. I am not sure that I'd want a 20 year old anything as my sole motor.