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Author Topic:   Power for a 20 to 21-Foot Boston Whaler

tstrong posted 11-17-2009 02:13 PM ET (US)
I am looking into buying a 20- to 21-foot [Boston Whaler OUTRAGE]. [Between a 1998 Mercury 175-HP engine or a 1997 Yamaha 225 Saltwater engine] which would be the preferred motor for [a 20- to 21-foot Boston Whaler OUTRAGE]? [Assume that] both engines have approximately 250-hours [of use and are well-]maintained.
Are there any [well-known problems or deficiencies] with [either of] these motors?
Both boats are in [very good] condition. I have been leaning toward the Yamaha because of what I hear on the overall quality, however the Mercury is closer to me
Thank you

L H G posted 11-17-2009 07:32 PM ET (US)
Boats being equal, I would go for the big cube 225-HP on a boat like that; 175-HP is a bit low.
jimh posted 11-17-2009 09:01 PM ET (US)
What model of Boston Whaler are you looking at?
tstrong posted 11-18-2009 09:36 PM ET (US)
The 175 Merc is on the 20' outrage, the 225 Yamaha is on a 21' outrage
These motors are 97 and 98.
Can the hours be verified on the motors? I was told on the Merc because of carberator, its a educated guess as to the # of hours??
Thanks for your help.
jimh posted 11-18-2009 09:50 PM ET (US)
You need to give more details about the boats. There are many different 20-foot and 21-foot models of Boston Whaler boats. Give us the model year of the boats to help identify them.
The ability of an engine to record its running time has nothing to do with having carburetors or not. Engines with sophisticated engine management modules can keep track of their running time. But typically engines from c.1997 do not have particularly sophisticated electronics.
GIve us more details about the Mercury engine. They made several different types of engines in c.1998. Mercury typically identified their engines with somewhat non-descriptive model names like "BlackMax" or "OptiMax." If you want to elicit comments about a c.1998 Mercury engine you need to be more specific in the description.
L H G posted 11-19-2009 06:00 PM ET (US)
A 2.5 liter 1997 Mercury 60-degree V-6 175 HP engine would either be carbureted or Fuel Injected. Optimax was not introduced until 1998 as a 150HP engine. If an EFI, it would say it on the cowling, like these 1997's do:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v429/lgoltz/Outrage%2025/?action=view& current=Scan0003.jpg
I don't see where the terms BlackMax or Optimax are any less "somewhat non-descriptive model names" than Evinrude's
Ocean Pro, Ficht or E-tec are. What in the world do those crazy names mean? As a matter of fact, the Mercury marketing names are much more widely recognized around the world than those more recent Evinrude names, and have been around from as far back as 1976.
L H G posted 11-19-2009 06:04 PM ET (US)
Oh yes, if the 21 Outrage is one of the VanLancker designed 21's, from the Reebock/Meridian era of the company, I would go for that model over the smaller Brunswick era 20. it's a great looking boat. But if it's also a Brunswick/Whaler 21, a big heavy not very attractive looking hull, you might consider the more efficient 20.

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Author	Topic: Power for a 20 to 21-Foot Boston Whaler
tstrong	posted 11-17-2009 02:13 PM ET (US) I am looking into buying a 20- to 21-foot [Boston Whaler OUTRAGE]. [Between a 1998 Mercury 175-HP engine or a 1997 Yamaha 225 Saltwater engine] which would be the preferred motor for [a 20- to 21-foot Boston Whaler OUTRAGE]? [Assume that] both engines have approximately 250-hours [of use and are well-]maintained. Are there any [well-known problems or deficiencies] with [either of] these motors? Both boats are in [very good] condition. I have been leaning toward the Yamaha because of what I hear on the overall quality, however the Mercury is closer to me Thank you
L H G	posted 11-17-2009 07:32 PM ET (US) Boats being equal, I would go for the big cube 225-HP on a boat like that; 175-HP is a bit low.
jimh	posted 11-17-2009 09:01 PM ET (US) What model of Boston Whaler are you looking at?
tstrong	posted 11-18-2009 09:36 PM ET (US) The 175 Merc is on the 20' outrage, the 225 Yamaha is on a 21' outrage These motors are 97 and 98. Can the hours be verified on the motors? I was told on the Merc because of carberator, its a educated guess as to the # of hours?? Thanks for your help.
jimh	posted 11-18-2009 09:50 PM ET (US) You need to give more details about the boats. There are many different 20-foot and 21-foot models of Boston Whaler boats. Give us the model year of the boats to help identify them. The ability of an engine to record its running time has nothing to do with having carburetors or not. Engines with sophisticated engine management modules can keep track of their running time. But typically engines from c.1997 do not have particularly sophisticated electronics. GIve us more details about the Mercury engine. They made several different types of engines in c.1998. Mercury typically identified their engines with somewhat non-descriptive model names like "BlackMax" or "OptiMax." If you want to elicit comments about a c.1998 Mercury engine you need to be more specific in the description.
L H G	posted 11-19-2009 06:00 PM ET (US) A 2.5 liter 1997 Mercury 60-degree V-6 175 HP engine would either be carbureted or Fuel Injected. Optimax was not introduced until 1998 as a 150HP engine. If an EFI, it would say it on the cowling, like these 1997's do: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v429/lgoltz/Outrage%2025/?action=view& current=Scan0003.jpg I don't see where the terms BlackMax or Optimax are any less "somewhat non-descriptive model names" than Evinrude's Ocean Pro, Ficht or E-tec are. What in the world do those crazy names mean? As a matter of fact, the Mercury marketing names are much more widely recognized around the world than those more recent Evinrude names, and have been around from as far back as 1976.
L H G	posted 11-19-2009 06:04 PM ET (US) Oh yes, if the 21 Outrage is one of the VanLancker designed 21's, from the Reebock/Meridian era of the company, I would go for that model over the smaller Brunswick era 20. it's a great looking boat. But if it's also a Brunswick/Whaler 21, a big heavy not very attractive looking hull, you might consider the more efficient 20.