Figured I would ask this in a new topic as it was a question on the end of the last post I had. Originally in order had Yamaha 115hp as our motor, now I have got a few suggestions that the 90 hp ETEC would be very comparable. We will be doing light tubing with 10 yr old, and 90 % of time no more than 5 people on the boat. What are people's opinions on yamaha 115, likes dislike, and also opinions pros and cons of each. Thanks again.
I'm a yamaha guy. I had a 115 on our last boat and it was pretty strong. They've since made some changes and have incorporated some features found on their bigger hp motors, SDS hub (it is nice and quiet) and I think they are counter balanced as well now. My inlaws have an R with a yamaha 115 and it has spent much time pulling tubes, ski's and trolling.
edit: and going from a 90 to a 115 would be like an A cup vs a B. There is a visual diference as well as a performance one!
In all reality Dan had a 115 wasn't enought and bought a 150, I had a 115 which was the max for the boat and I wasn;t happy and had to buy another boat to get the 200. Link.....He just dances on his boat but we all know he wants a 150.
We get the budget is what it is but if you can swing it...the 150 would be a night and day difference.
Cape and tights. I don't need no stinkin cape or tights. I have a big Mercury emblem tattooed on my chest and a huge "150" on my back and I boat naked and drive around the lake looking for pontoons with 115 HP motors.
Thanks all for your opinions. I getting from my close friend to stay away from yamaha and go with ETEC , says 90 ETEC is same if not better than 115 yamaha. I will get some numbers for 150hp, but don't think will be able to swing it. I do like the simplicity of the ETEC, I just don't know, newbie not wanting to make wrong engine choice........
The reputation of E-Tec is very good. It's a good motor.
The reputation of Yamaha is very good. It's a very good motor.
If I had a friend who was telling me that the performance characteristics of a 2stroke ETec would be similar to a 4 stroke Yamaha though...I'd be very suspicious of the rest of his/her advice. That's just false.
2 stroke motors have their fans and their benefits. They also have their offsetting negatives. One of the big negatives of a 2 stroke is the ability to idle and putter along for extended periods of time. One of the best things to do in a pontoon boat is to idle and putter for long periods of time.
Case and point - ever see one of those really deluxe fishing rigs with the big E-Tec 250hp motor on a 19' 2000 pound boat? What's on the transom just to the left?...a 9.9hp 4 stroke trolling motor. Why? Hours on the big engine, fuel economy, blah blah blah...no...2 strokes hate idling and puttering for long periods of time.
E-Tec is a good motor. 2 strokes are great performers. Put the two motors on the exact same pontoon boat and operate them the way pontoon boats get operated - the Yamaha will win hands down. Just my opinion though.
Cape and tights. I don't need no stinkin cape or tights. I have a big Mercury emblem tattooed on my chest and a huge "150" on my back and I boat naked and drive around the lake looking for pontoons with 115 HP motors.
Thanks everyone for advise. Yes I do know difference between ETEC (2 stroke) and Yamaha (4 stroke). And I get that everyone is going to have their own opinion. Commodore, you make a good point of "putting" around. I am not oposed to the Yamaha, hell read alot of good things about the engine. My buddy stated performance power wise, 90 ETEC very similar to 4 stroke Yamaha 115. So yes I take his "opinion" for what it is, not as gospel.
115hp is the most our budget will alow. Going up to 150hp is not feasible , another $2600 in motor and also would need to upgradce to under shield, according to salesman. We are happy with our boat, I wish we could swing 150, 200 or 250hp, but just isnt going to happen.
I appreciate all the opinions its great to get different perspectives. The price diff between Yamaha and the ETEC 115hp, is $1049 more for the ETEC.
Some day, way down the road, when you decide that teenager (and friends!) really need a 150, I suspect the Yamaha 115 will give you much better resale.
Also consider what your preferred dealer is best equipped to service. We don't have any Evinrude service near us, but there are multiple well qualified Yamaha and Mercury dealers, so Evinrude wasn't even a consideration for that reason alone.
I'm out of bounds on someone else's boat...and I know that. So I'll apologize in advance if I get looked at sideways.
With that said...
Maybe consider stepping back to an S and spending the money you save from the G, on motor and a third tube upgrades.
You say you have a 10 year old. If you've figured out to have a 10 year old forever...first...patent the idea. Parents everywhere will pay huge money for that and then you can buy a Q with with twin 300's.
If your daughter is going to grow up...then big kids and friends are in the equation. If you want enough horsepower and hull to tube-whip a future boyfriend into his grave for his behavior while your daughter is sunning on one of the loungers...then the money might be better spent on an S instead of a G.
People see other people using pontoon boats for water sports pretty frequently nowadays. But those boats are mostly elliptical toon or tri-toon boats.
I never had a pontoon with a 115, but a good friend has that setup. And from reading this and other forums, it seems that the 115 leads to more buyers-remorse than any motor out there. The 90 and under crowd has expectations that are in line with what they bought. The 150's on tritoons (and bigger) also have performance in line with expectations. The 115 sits in the middle. The buyers wanted to be able to do more with their boat than the boat will actually do. And in my experience...the sellers aren't helping. They are talking people into the performance that isn't there, when they are on a tighter budget.
You also asked about strakes on the other forum topic.
Add that to your thinking? The strakes allow the boat to get on plane taking a lot of the pontoon surface area out of the water. An express tube setup also adds a lot to higher speed performance. By higher speed, I'm just talking 20mph. Not 50. Twenty.
There's a Bennington for everyone who values the best brand and the best build. The dealer can help a lot. But even (s)he can't guess your priorities. Consider thinking about what you'll be most disappointed with, if the boat doesn't have it. Is performance something you'll be most disappointed in? Or will fancier loungers be most disappointing if the boat doesn't have it?
Just one guy's opinion. Apologies again if I'm stepping where I don't belong.
Good advice. The 115 is SOOOOOOOOO in the middle, I wish it wasn't even made. It causes lots of frustration. Especially if you have kids. I traded my 115 in for a 150 and now I type with only one arm. Lot cheaper to do it now with the new boat.
Seriously consider stepping down to the S from the G and get the 150 and SPS or Express. At least price it out with your dealer before you say no. Nothing worse than kids that don't want to go boating because it's boring.
