HO vs SHO & Pro XS any opinions?

ward wrote:Uh no. Ive got tons of opinions at this point Scott. Let just lay out these are just opinions. All comes down to confidence in your mechanic. HO= NO. Im on 4th block in 370 hrs. Runs geat when it runs though. Wasted potential. Youve had one and I figure you ask cause youre looking. SHO good motor but at least on version 4 in 2 years. Still some work in progress to me. Yamaha will get it- they always do. Huge upside because of longevity if youre gonna keep it. Not sure all freshwater guys up to it yet. Maybe your mechanic is. 250 proxs is fastest motor when compared stock to stock, parts easy to get. Coils an issue. Effective, simple, proven. Got a long standing outboard racing division for a reason. If I could get a Volvo duoprop lower unit attached to a Suzuki or Honda that would run with a 250 proxs Id be ready to buy!while ive never had a coil issue on any Pro XS, i believe those issues are pretty much few and far between since 10. If you were to get a Suzuki you would probably still be in the same boat that your in now. No pun intended. Sorry.Mercury – best resale particularly on a BCBMercury – best fuel economyMercury – fastest, though not by a large marginMercury – most dependable………..has been in production since the late 90s.Mercury – still on 2 stroke oilSlice it and dice it anyway you like. Though I do know you Canadians like those BRPs.

Youll find haters, baters and kool aide makers on this one. Enjoy the journey because it will get entertaining going forward. We are all creatures that share this planet and we are impacted too by the full moon. We might need quick access to the key to the lock on this one. Anyone thinking there is only one motor without problems is opinion based with bravado. Some will report negative and positive experiences leaving their thoughts as the bench mark. Dont bite that apple. These are multi, multi million dollar companies. If BassCat had issues with any of these motors they wouldnt put it on their boats. You should draw your conclusions from that. I have had an Etec and I really liked it and have had three SHOs that was nothing short of phenomenal that has shattered the four stroke myth for bass boats. Also, it is way past having to prove anything to anyone. Just ask BassCat what they think of fourstrokes. That is not a negative to two strokes. Heck I have one and like it very much. What I am saying is theres room for fourstrokes on bass boats now. Heck, Merc gets it with their new four cylinder fourstroke that is one impressive powerplant with lots of umph out of the hole and at top end. Merc is a great motor and I would own one in a heart beat if my dealer carried them. However, for me dealer trumps Cowling logos. Pick one based on local support and someone you can trust. After that enjoy your motors five year warranty for your peace of mind and fill those livewells. You know, I wonder if we all ran these motors 300-500 rpms below WOT religously how much longer would these motors last? Also, we all need to have a better understanding to properly warming these motors up before take off. I know for Yamaha motors when idling (not in gear) only four of the six cyldiners are pumping leaving two cold. So proper warm up (in gear / moving) before pedal to the metal acceleration is critical. I wonder how much of the human factor has its place with motor longevity? If there was one perfect motor you wouldnt need a warranty now would you. Hmmm…. In the end you can find skeletons in all three closets if you are motivated to look for them. I would think calling BassCat to direct you about this topic and keeping those thoughts to yourself would be a great direction. BassCat is Merc Centric and there is nothing wrong with that. However, they are openminded to build their boats with other motor options for dealers and their customers to have something different. You cant ask for much more then that.Pick a motor , buy a BassCat and post those pics when you get it. Now that will be BassCat strong.Last edited by Flyswatter on August 27th, 2012, 1:48 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Scott,You will figure it out. Good luck!

ward wrote:Better off at 5800 where there is plenty of oil and fuel in the cylinder or 4,000 where youre around 50 mph but fuel consumption greater at 4000-4300 than 5200 so ideally you dont make any long runs there.Ward,Ive been on my HDPI (no motor agenda) with observations centric to NMEA2000 Fuel Flow as a benchmark for MPG performance. Here are my rpm numbers along with optimum motor trimming for MPG performance reference with no current. 1. 2500-3000 rpms 2.5 to 3mpg2. 3200 seems to be the sweet spot getting around 5 mpg3. 4000-4500 3.8 to 4.3 mpg5. 4800 to 5100 rpms 5.1-5.4 mpg6. WOT 3.8 mpg#5 stands out because its there where I can get air for less drag and watch my Fuel Flow gauge on my Lowrance HDS8 needle climb for optimum MPG performance. What I surmise from that is trimming out my boat optimally to achieve my best all around performance. From my 150HO Etec experience using NMEA2000 Fuel flow I had similar experience getting 4.8 to 5.1 mpg. Same could be said when I had my Eyra/250SHO. MPG positively impacted on getting boat out of the water. Gotta like those NMEA computer tools. Im a believer. Just a thought and not sure if you have tweaked your Etec experience similarly. Also, any focus plus or minus NMEA2000 computer accuracy is not the main point but rather seeing the mpg improve with motor height and trimming.