Yamaha 250 SHO vs 300

drjbeyer

Member
Messages
22
Reaction score
17
Good afternoon everyone - first post - getting ready to finalize the build on a 2021 23RCW. I am looking to find experiences/opinions on the Yamaha 250SHO (delaer recommended) vs. the Yamaha 300 (Digital Electronic Control).

I know this subject was covered in a thread 2-3 years back, but I'm not sure if there have been upgrades/improvements to one or both engines so I am looking for the most up-to-date info I can find.

My apologies to the moderators if this thread belongs in the power/props section.

Thanks - looking forward to joining the Bennington Family!
 
They are still the same block and internals, as they were 2-3 years ago.

With the correct prop, the difference will be quite marginal - 2-4 MPH faster top speed with the 300 vs the 250. I'm gleaning this from the Yamaha Performance Bulletins site, looking at both engines on pontoons that fall around the 23' size.

 
I have a 2020 R-23 w/ Yamaha 250SHO
with 2 on board 1/2 tank on a 85 deg day top up, I hit 46 MPH

My neighbor has a 23' Harris with Mercury V-8 and my boat will walk off and leave him behind easy.
His does have a tower and maybe a heavier boat.
 
I have a 2020 R-23 w/ Yamaha 250SHO
with 2 on board 1/2 tank on a 85 deg day top up, I hit 46 MPH

My neighbor has a 23' Harris with Mercury V-8 and my boat will walk off and leave him behind easy.
His does have a tower and maybe a heavier boat.

Impressive!

What prop are you running? 15.5 x 16?
 
Found this on The Hull Truth. You have to convert from kw and NM but the more important takeaway is how the VF250 compares to the F300. These are peak numbers so without the benefit of a dyno sheet hard to tell performance through the range.

The DEC controls are awesome and some have suggested more reliable than mechanical. Cars are all drive by wire these days so I’m convinced the technology is very reliable. The binnacle movement and gear engagement is butter smooth. I also went with the F versus VF because I wanted the larger alternator to be able to charge my trolling batteries on the go.

Not sure of the price difference but better is better - go with the 300 if a you can afford the extra clams!
 

Attachments

  • Yamaha 225-300.pdf
    188.4 KB · Views: 28
Last edited:
Good afternoon everyone - first post - getting ready to finalize the build on a 2021 23RCW. I am looking to find experiences/opinions on the Yamaha 250SHO (delaer recommended) vs. the Yamaha 300 (Digital Electronic Control).


What difference in price are they quoting you?

The DEC is a better way to control a motor. No cables to bind and its impossible to shift half way into a gear, damaging the shift dogs over time.
Music playing, people talking, rookie boat driver etc. the standard controls are not optimal.

The 300 gets you about 3 MPH over the 250 with no additional torque out of the hole (holeshot) etc. over the 250.
 
Found this on The Hull Truth. You have to convert from kw and NM but the more important takeaway is how the VF250 compares to the F300. These are peak numbers so without the benefit of a dyno sheet hard to tell performance through the range.

The DEC controls are awesome and some have suggested more reliable than mechanical. Cars are all drive by wire these days so I’m convinced the technology is very reliable. The binnacle movement and gear engagement is butter smooth. I also went with the F versus VF because I wanted the larger alternator to be able to charge my trolling batteries on the go.

Not sure of the price difference but better is better - go with the 300 if a you can the extra clams!
You’re absolutely right about the DEC controls. I can maneuver my RCW with Yamaha 300 exceptionally well. I will never have another boat without DEC controls. And i love my Yamaha 300. Top is between 47 and 49. I could get more if i wanted, probably if i raised the motor one hole, but not worth it for another MPH or two.
 
You’re absolutely right about the DEC controls. I can maneuver my RCW with Yamaha 300 exceptionally well. I will never have another boat without DEC controls. And i love my Yamaha 300. Top is between 47 and 49. I could get more if i wanted, probably if i raised the motor one hole, but not worth it for another MPH or two.
Good afternoon everyone - first post - getting ready to finalize the build on a 2021 23RCW. I am looking to find experiences/opinions on the Yamaha 250SHO (delaer recommended) vs. the Yamaha 300 (Digital Electronic Control).

I know this subject was covered in a thread 2-3 years back, but I'm not sure if there have been upgrades/improvements to one or both engines so I am looking for the most up-to-date info I can find.

My apologies to the moderators if this thread belongs in the power/props section.

Thanks - looking forward to joining the Bennington Family!
I have a 2019 RCWA with a 300 Yamaha , it’s turning a 15 1/2 x 17 SWll.
Light load it will max out at 5900 RPM’s and 49 or 50 MPH. I also am very pleased with the DEC controls, would not buy another boat without them.
The 300 seems very well suited to this boat. Good luck Andy
 
Really appreciate your replies - I had a 300 Verado Pro on my last boat and love the smooth shift, so I think going back to manual cable would be a definite letdown for me. Plus, if the electronics are warranted for 10 years it seems worth the extra. I’m assuming it will be 2500-3k more - just shot my dealer an email to get price difference.
 
While you are at it you might want to check into the new digital electric steering that is available from Yamaha.

It seems like a huge improvement over my now antiquated Seastar electric hydraulic power steering.
 
Can any of you guys provide some pics of the digital electronic control setup? Can’t find much info on it. I would like to see pics of the controller, gauges, and cable-less motor area. Also I think I read there is some sort of “brain box”. What does it look like and where is it located? Thanks in advance!
 
Can any of you guys provide some pics of the digital electronic control setup? Can’t find much info on it. I would like to see pics of the controller, gauges, and cable-less motor area. Also I think I read there is some sort of “brain box”. What does it look like and where is it located? Thanks in advance!
I don’t have picture of my setup at the ready but the picture below is pretty inclusive except for the motor control module. Binnacle will be in the same location, gauges same location (depending on which ones you option for, Command Link vs CL plus) several wiring harnesses in the helm connected through a hub, motor will still have cables (digital harness instead of throttle cables). It’s basically the same setup as mechanical but better shifting, troll mode, motor synch if you are running a dual setup.

The question is, is “better“ worth the extra cost? A couple of grand could allow you to option the boat elsewhere, and modern mechanical controls are generally very good so the DEC does not make sense for everyone.

394165E7-064F-47A6-B46F-BD24BFCAA6A0.jpeg
 
I don’t have picture of my setup at the ready but the picture below is pretty inclusive except for the motor control module. Binnacle will be in the same location, gauges same location (depending on which ones you option for, Command Link vs CL plus) several wiring harnesses in the helm connected through a hub, motor will still have cables (digital harness instead of throttle cables). It’s basically the same setup as mechanical but better shifting, troll mode, motor synch if you are running a dual setup.

The question is, is “better“ worth the extra cost? A couple of grand could allow you to option the boat elsewhere, and modern mechanical controls are generally very good so the DEC does not make sense for everyone.

View attachment 27924
It is way worth it. It is way more responsive than mechanical and make docking a breeze.
 
I don’t have picture of my setup at the ready but the picture below is pretty inclusive except for the motor control module. Binnacle will be in the same location, gauges same location (depending on which ones you option for, Command Link vs CL plus) several wiring harnesses in the helm connected through a hub, motor will still have cables (digital harness instead of throttle cables). It’s basically the same setup as mechanical but better shifting, troll mode, motor synch if you are running a dual setup.

The question is, is “better“ worth the extra cost? A couple of grand could allow you to option the boat elsewhere, and modern mechanical controls are generally very good so the DEC does not make sense for everyone.

View attachment 27924
Thanks for the reply. I have an R23 on order and actually decided to get this last minute because I like the sound of it. I don’t like the stiffness of the cable throttle. Every boat I’ve owned it’s always difficult to make minor changes and I usually bump the lever with my fist to do it. People that have the DEC seem to love it. So does the controller operate the same as the cable type? And the cables you are referring to at the motor are wiring cables, correct? My cables on my last pontoon were always a trip hazard because of the loops in them. Electrical cables shouldn’t be a problem.
Thanks again!
 
DEC Control.jpg

This is some of the ugly that will be under or inside your console and that might be the brain box you are referring to.

Not hard to see why they don't show this spaghetti in the Yamaha Rigging literature pic above but it works like a dream!
 
Last edited:
View attachment 27928

This is some of the ugly that will be under or inside your console and that might be what you are referring to as a brain box you are referring to.

Not hard to see why they don't show it in the Yamaha literature pic above but it works like a dream!
Thanks for the info! At least it’s not something that takes up valuable storage space. My main curiosity right now is what kind of gauges it will come with. I really don’t care for the screen display and was hoping for individual gauges. I see that the “R” series comes with touchscreen digital gauges which is ok, but wondering since I opted for the DEC will I have a single screen for everything. Any help?
 
Thanks for the info! At least it’s not something that takes up valuable storage space. My main curiosity right now is what kind of gauges it will come with. I really don’t care for the screen display and was hoping for individual gauges. I see that the “R” series comes with touchscreen digital gauges which is ok, but wondering since I opted for the DEC will I have a single screen for everything. Any help?

From what I could tell just going by Bennington's website, the R series comes standard with Vee Three (mechanical) gauges and the Striker 4 graph:

Screenshot_20200914-183819.png


The Vee Three gauges for DEC interface are optional:

Screenshot_20200914-183902.png
 
From what I could tell just going by Bennington's website, the R series comes standard with Vee Three (mechanical) gauges and the Striker 4 graph:

View attachment 27929


The Vee Three gauges for DEC interface are optional:

View attachment 27930
Yeah that’s what I see on my build sheet. Just didn’t know if selecting DEC changed it. Hopefully not. Thanks for the help!
 
Yeah that’s what I see on my build sheet. Just didn’t know if selecting DEC changed it. Hopefully not. Thanks for the help!
Everything is customizable. My DEC package originally showed the SIMRAD setup and I said no - I was going to use my aftermarket MFD (Garmin) to pull engine data which made any expensive interface no longer necessary. So I opted for the round 6y8 Yamaha gauges as the base set to save $$ and have an Echomap Ultra 106v for the bells and whistles. The Yam CL7 is much nicer than the 6y8 but also more expensive - again the Garmin can be set up to mirror the engine data in a CL7 format.

Bottom line - you have lots of options and the great thing about Bennington is that they will do whatever is possible to make you happy!
 
Yeah that’s what I see on my build sheet. Just didn’t know if selecting DEC changed it. Hopefully not. Thanks for the help!

No, it won't change the standard Vee Three gauges with Striker 4.

Choosing a DEC engine opens up any and every type of optional helm instrumentation that Bennington offers for the R series.
- Vee Three gauges for DEC (digital interface versions) with Striker 4
- Yamaha CL 7" display for DEC
- Garmin 7" or 9" display for DEC
- Simrad 7", 9", or 12" display for DEC

Screenshot_20200914-220742.png
 
Back
Top