Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › 200 HP motor help! Which motor
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Well Im getting ready to order another Basscat. Man I love these boats and the support I receive! Anyway, Ive always ran a Mercury and had no problems. (well besides a broken prop shaft that they sent me a complete new lower unit for 3-months past warranty) It would be tough to switch but I keep hearing good things about the Yamaha HPDI and the Evinrude Etec. Can someone up-to-date on the motors give me a breakdown on whats what. My concerns are: Price-Cost differences between the three Performance-Which motor has more VRROOOM Warranty-Who has the longest Durablity-Which motor lasts Fuel Consumtion- I realize that different people may have a different opinion when it comes to durablity but the other three should be able to be proven. Remember this is a 200hp…….Thank you in advance for your help! Robert Reed
Heres the deal for 2009……Last year the most expensive motor from BCB was the H.O. E-TEC and the Yammie……Mercury was the least because of the history with BCB…..For 09 that all changed with alot of help from BRP, the H.O. is the least expensive on that boat……When you read the actual warranty card, BRP warrants the motor for 5 yrs, non declining, and their is no pro rating, it does not cover fuel lines or experior plastics (minus manufacurers defects), so it is truly the best written warranty…..Yamaha really makes a great motor, but read the maintenance schedule and with Merc also, read all the work you have to do, winterizing if you have to do that, is a pain in the brand Y and M…..BRP has the HO so EZ its pathetic, no real dealer scheduled maintenance for 3years or 300 hrs, I tell you to check/change lower unit oil if you feel better about it,2min storage winter mode operation…..on your hull Ive found the 200 HO to be the fastest, atleast at the BCB Dealer meeting it was, I got smoked by a E-TEC, I was running a Classic with a 200 Opti and Fury Prop……Who has the best service in your area? Merc,Yammie, and Evinrude make killer motors, however BRP is by far more technologically advanced, and has not had ANY problems since the Rushed 2006 225 HO, that one came out 6 months too soon, oh well…..call me if you want to chat about motors……all 3 are great however service is the most important,just in case the motor has a update or issue…Break away from the “old” way of doin it and go to the BLUE side, you wont be sorry……Brannon 920-295-2069Your Signature …
First dont own one have a 200efi on my 2001 Classic. I do know three people that have the E-tec. one 200hp and the other two are 225. My main concern is durability. A consistent problem that showed up last year with all three during extreme cold weather was that the oil alarm would go off (temps in the teens). This happen to all three boats during the same week of fishing. I fish quite often with the person that has the 200hp. Durabilty is a question with this motor (06). Water pump went out (would not warranty) and the lower unit went out las Nov (Warranty). Since I dont own a Merc Opti I cant comment on maintance compared to the others. Big Al
Robert, The engines are all very good. The Bass & Walleye Six Hundred Horse stampede says it very well and the link is ontop fo the page in the stickys. The Yamaha probably would have out shined the others had it been able to turn more RPMs as they allow now. The Mercury is very fuel efficient and a wonderful engine. We have said here before that engine was probably 1/4″ too high for the testing and could have performed better. The E-Tec is a throaty engine with some impressive performance. On a 200 fuel mileage would be a major factor to us since they all run fairly similar. The decision for us would be based upon your dealer and also what they prefer to work on. They prefer some because of the time of parts and other reasons. It depends on the delear and their mechanic and relationship to the engines. The Mercury technology is tried and true, the Yamaha in this size is a dependable product, and the Evinrude gets high marks from those who own them. The choice is hard if your open minded. We have our preferences, though your decision is what counts here.
I wish they would redo that test and let all motors run out…..I think like BCB said their would be a different outcome….Your looking at 3 Killer motors all producing more than on the side of the case…..Your Signature …
hawghunternm wrote: Ive always ran a Mercury and had no problems. (well besides a broken prop shaft that they sent me a complete new lower unit for 3-months past warranty) It would be tough to switch but I keep hearing good things about the Yamaha HPDI and the Evinrude Etec. Fuel Consumtion-Why in the world would you ever want to change if youve had good luck with a Mercury!? More servicing Mercury dealers, parts are easier to obtain, Mercury stands behind their product as youve already witnessed first hand, fuel consumption better, 2 cycle oil easier to find, performance at least equal or better. Lastly, resale on a Bass Cat powered by Mercury will always be better! Good luck with your choice!
Ill throw my 2 cents out there. If I was ordering a new boat with all the things I wanted on it It would be Mercury power on the back. Why, I believe the 200 Optimax to be the most dependable, fuel efficient 200 on the market. It doesnt give anything up in speed and lets face it. Its just the best looking motor on the market. Once you go Black, you never go back! That being said, All of the manufacturers are making a quality product that really puts out the performance. Any of them would be a huge upgrade over my 2.5 liter efi. If I was buying a slightly used model or a boat already on the dealer floor, I wouldnt let the motor brand sway me either way. They are just that close. It really boils down to which motor will give you the peace of mind knowing that your dealer will be backing you and you have a good mechanic for that brand locally. Choose the one that best fits your area and the one that you will have the most support with. This will ultimatley make you happier with your total BCB experience!! And that is what we all want. For you to be happy with your purchase no matter what the Brand motor on the back of your BCB. Chris Coupel Paulina, La.Chris CoupelPaulina, La.
My 225 ETEC HO runs great, Quiet with LOTS of POWER and FAST!!!! I have not had any problems so far!!!! knock, knock, on wood!!!! As BCB stated go with something that can be repaired easily in your area , If you have all the mechanics in your area , GO EVINRUDE!!!! you will not be disappointed. and if you are getting a new computer stay with XP or go Apple, this is my 4th attempt to post this , vista shut me down 3 times in a rom now!!!
Thanks for all the help! I really didnt want to switch from Mercury, but if Etec was less expensive and a better motor well then Id be foolish not to switch. As far as the local dealers, Im in New Mexico so we basically have none LOL. We actually have a Mercury repair center here thats pretty good so I guess theres my sign. Thanks again Robert Reed
I have had nothing but Mercury engines and I have never had a problem with them. When we got our new PII the E-tec was around $2500 more then the 200 Optimax and it was not worth it for that price. The E-tec is a good motor but they need to price them better in my opinion.
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