EVINRUDE E-TEC OR SUZUKI 90hp F/S

[markyw]

Hello, can anyone tell me what would give the better fuel economy of the two engines, is there anyone using any of the two. I'd be using the engine on a wilson flyer 20.
thanks
Mark

[Shropfisher]

I had the Suzuki 90 FS fitted to my new Ocquatea 615 this year, can't get over how little fuel it uses, can't put miles per gallon or gallons per hour figure on it as I'm not using enough to measure, very quite, got to check rev counter to make sure she's still ticking over !!
On a Wilson Flyer 20 footer you would get some were around 35 knots from the Susie, maybe more, the 615 is 20ft but weights twice what a Wilson does and I get 28 - 30 knots,
Suzuki are probably the best outboats around at the moment, they are pouring money into the development and walking away from 2 strokes. They also sell to other companies that badge them up, so they must be good. hope this helps.

[markyw]

Thank's very much shropfisher
Mark

[wilson17]

Hi mark , i run a ETECH 90 on my wison flyer(17ft) and to say that its got some get go is an understatement but sorry to say i have no fuel consumption figures for you only that if i keep the revs at 3000rpm it seams not too bad.

Ime not one of the more experienced boat owners on this site but as for reliability the ETECH starts on the key first time every time with no smoke and puuurs away just nicley . I imagine that buying a brand new outboard these days of any manufacturer is going to be a close run contest as they are all in competition with each other . I researched all the the brand names prior to purchase and satifide myself that just may be the ETECH was the best of them . You will find that all the makes will profess to being the best and what swung it for me was the weight of my engine which is 306lb . Hanging such a lump on your transom i think its good practice to keep the weight down .

Any way i hope this was some use and good luck(wished i bought a 20ft):D

[markyw]

Thank's very much for the response
Mark

[DUNCAN McARTHUR]

Hello, can anyone tell me what would give the better fuel economy of the two engines, is there anyone using any of the two. I'd be using the engine on a wilson flyer 20.
thanks
Markim using the e-tec 90. before we bought it we looked into the diff specs between 2&4strke the e-tec was far better in just about every field.

[dale]

My E-Tec is 3 years old at the weekend and i have had no problems since new.
it runs a dribble of 2 stroke oil and never smokes at idle. she is quiet and very efficient compared to other models i have had.
no service for first 3 years. then either an annual or a major service and another 3 year service interval.
as for consumption figures if the can is empty i just fill it which is lot less with this model than most.

[ebgb]

how long before the ol' 2 versus 4 stroke argument pops up again!

I'd go the Suzuki every time, a mate has one on a 19 foot reiver, absolutely flies and sips fuel. When we were trailing it around we'd do 3 maybe 4 full days out before he swapped tanks (27 litre tanks), covering 10 or 15 miles or more each time.

[Dave.S]

Hi Mark

If you go for the E-tec have a read of this thread http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11689

Etec's do like the proper oil which is not cheap, but it does not use very much so may be the costs balance out.
Don't have one myself but a couple of mates do and they all love them but change the oil for the winter version when it gets cold/during winter.

Dave
:bye1:

[TomBettle]

Hi Mark

Not the same boat, but I have used both engines to a medium extent (professional sea trials over a period of several hours) on our 19 foot pilot house.

1) The Suzuki was quick at nearly 30 knots, quiet, smooth and considerably more economical (pure guess.... 20%).

2) The Etec was far better than I expected and when correctly propped produced about 32knots. It was however far from quiet, not as smooth and juicier.

Both were good.
The Etec had the edge on performance, but the Suzuki won hands down on economy.

[David N]

None of the posts answer the original question though? Does nobody take the time to do a reasonably accurate test of consumption?
Tom's figures are fine but they are at full chat if I read it correctly? So are hardly relevant to economy at sensible speeds. If you are looking for economy with the price of petrol as it is, you won't be doing 30 plus knots with an engine drinking fuel at high revs. Unless that is, money is no object you have plenty of it to burn!

Don't be fooled on 4 strokes economy either at 30 knots or more. It aint going to happen. 20% saving Tom??? .

The guy with the wilson Flyer, wilson17 had the right idea on running a motor at econimical revs!



David.

[TomBettle]

None of the posts answer the original question though? Does nobody take the time to do a reasonably accurate test of consumption?
Tom's figures are fine but they are at full chat if I read it correctly? So are hardly relevant to economy at sensible speeds. If you are looking for economy with the price of petrol as it is, you won't be doing 30 plus knots with an engine drinking fuel at high revs. Unless that is, money is no object you have plenty of it to burn!

Don't be fooled on 4 strokes economy either at 30 knots or more. It aint going to happen. 20% saving Tom??? .

The guy with the wilson Flyer, wilson17 had the right idea on running a motor at econimical revs!



David.

20% saving is an approximate at all round speeds (overall saving) and you'll find it isn't far off spot on, possibly a bit conservative.

[loftyd]

I'm pretty certain you'll find that the Suzuki has better fuel consumption than the eTech.

I don't have concrete evidence to back that up, other than a comparison between 2 75s (Mercury 4 stroke and eTec) running on different boats. The 4 stroke seems consistently better, by around 10-15%, despite being on a slightly larger boat.

However I deliberately went for the eTech knowing that it would probably be slightly worse than the 4 stroke equivalent because:

- long service intervals are important to me (some 4 strokes seem to require work every 6 months, and the eTech is a 3 year schedule)
- less weight than the 4 stroke (probably not a big deal on a 20 foot boat, but a consideration for me)

For what it's worth I can get 7.5 - 8 mpg in perfect flat calm conditions, and around 6.5 mpg in normal mixed conditions with some slow speed wreck hunting, and choppy water thrown in (measured reasonably carefully over a 42 mile trip).

[TomBettle]

Lofty

Please do not take this as a dig or in anyway questioning your choice, but wit those three year stated service intervals... Do you not intend doing any service work on your engine over a three year period?

I am yet to find an Etec that has made it through the three year without needing some service help, albeit simple and shudder to think what might happen to an owner if a problem occured way offshore whilst he was blissfully unaware of any simple jobs that could have been done to prevent potential issues.

[David N]

:)
20% saving is an approximate at all round speeds (overall saving) and you'll find it isn't far off spot on, possibly a bit conservative.


Two split infintives in one sentence there Tom?

Unless you were running these side by side in similar boats and conditions and monitoring these carefuly, it's only a guess really, just as all the other anecdotal comments on consumption are. 20% saving though?

I know you have a thing about Etecs.........:)

David.

[TomBettle]

:)


Two split infintives in one sentence there Tom?

Unless you were running these side by side in similar boats and conditions and monitoring these carefuly, it's only a guess really, just as all the other anecdotal comments on consumption are. 20% saving though?

I know you have a thing about Etecs.........:)

David.

Pretty similar tests on exactly the same boats actually.

Our sea trials follow a set format and the same amount of fuel is put in the tank each time.

So I'd say it was a little more conclusive and accurate than a finger in the air. I have to say "approximate savings" or "approximate figures" as I really don't have the information on exact weather on the day for each trial and as to wether it was Rob at 20 stone or Craig at 12 stone who did the tests.

No I don't particularly like Etec's. I think they are over rated , noisy, smelly, unreliable, two stroke pap (a personal opinion and not a professional one - that is below), but I have tried to be as polite as possible about them in the first post and if a customer insists on having one, then we will fit one for them and it was in a situation like this, that I gleaned the chance to find the differences and get an "approximate" idea of the differences.

The Etec is a great engine if fitted to the appropriate boat. If the guy is choosing between a 2 stroke and a 4 stroke, at least the reasons for the choice are more than simply budget. If comfort and economy comes in to it then it has to be the four stroke. If raw performance and the "perceived" lack of a need for servicing is required then it has to be the 2 stroke.

[David N]

how long before the ol' 2 versus 4 stroke argument pops up again!

I'd go the Suzuki every time, a mate has one on a 19 foot reiver, absolutely flies and sips fuel. When we were trailing it around we'd do 3 maybe 4 full days out before he swapped tanks (27 litre tanks), covering 10 or 15 miles or more each time.

Lol not long..........

It's a bit confusing what you are saying here on consumption?

Is that 10-15 miles per 27 litre tank of fuel you are quoting when you say each time?

If not It doesn't add up to a usable figure to judge consumption unless, you give an idea of miles covered for each tankfull of fuel?

[TomBettle]

Lol not long..........

It's a bit confusing what you are saying here on consumption?

Is that 10-15 miles per 27 litre tank of fuel you are quoting when you say each time?

If not It doesn't add up to a usable figure to judge consumption unless, you give an idea of miles covered for each tankfull of fuel?

I would hazard a gues that he means:

3 to 4 days at 10 to 15 miles each day.

Take the worst case of 10 miles and 3 days gives 30 miles to 27 litres.
That would be at the high end of general use consumption on a 90Hp and mid sized trailerable, but then I have taken the worst case scenario.
If we used the best case scenario of 15 miles and 4 days then we double the economy and get potentially fantastic figures!

Personally, err on the side of caution and anything better than 30 miles to the tank, see it as a bonus.

Tom

[dale]

3 years and not a cough.

there you go Tom.

[TomBettle]

3 years and not a cough.

there you go Tom.

You are very lucky.
When does your warranty run out?....

[John Raider]

I had a etec for 2 years on my old predator,did not touch it!!P.S if you think the etech is noisey,you aint herd a tohatsu!!!the fish will here you coming from miles away!!!:nerd:

[ebgb]

I would hazard a gues that he means:

3 to 4 days at 10 to 15 miles each day.

Take the worst case of 10 miles and 3 days gives 30 miles to 27 litres.
That would be at the high end of general use consumption on a 90Hp and mid sized trailerable, but then I have taken the worst case scenario.
If we used the best case scenario of 15 miles and 4 days then we double the economy and get potentially fantastic figures!

Personally, err on the side of caution and anything better than 30 miles to the tank, see it as a bonus.

Tom

this probably won't help...but both!

we've had days when we've absolutely leathered it flat out due to flat seas, and having thought some more, its probably nearer 15 miles or more every day - the journey from the slip to the piers is a mile and half, so thats 3 extra miles on top of the open sea miles, which is easy to forget about

other days, its been a bit lumpy, so the throttle has been left a lone a bit.

either way, I was at the time mightily impressed. I had a johnson 50 on my boat at the time and would probably have emptied a tank nearly every day

[Ticketty Boo]

3 years and not a cough.

there you go Tom.


Just ended my second season with an Etec 90 (Warrior 165)and not a splutter, not a cough, not a nothing. In two years, I've used 5l of oil and still have some left. It does not smell, I don't consider it noisy at all - certainly not compared to my old Johnson 2 stroke 140!)

Did an epic day cruise four weeks ago from Troon to Carradale and back. Three adults and one child aboard. Outward journey (rather choppy) = 34 miles in 1hr 55 mins (18mph), return journey (flat calm) = 90 mins (23mph) Total miles = 68. Fuel used = 56litres or 12.3 gallons That works out at 5.5mpg with what I would certainly call a "full load" and an average speed of 20.5mph.

Buy an Etec. You will not regret it!

[Afishionado]

Here's a way to add a bit of logic. Count the number of people saying no to the Etec Vs the number saying no to the Suzuki QED

Afishionado

[David N]

I had a etec for 2 years on my old predator,did not touch it!!P.S if you think the etech is noisey,you aint herd a tohatsu!!!the fish will here you coming from miles away!!!:nerd:

Have you actually heard the latest models of Tohatsu TLDI motors? Noisy they aint. In fact it sounds very similar to an Etec. I would suggest the original poster gets one and saves loads of dosh an overpriced Etec. The TLDI has similar oil injection technology and Tohatsu in general a reliabilty history second to none.

I'll be out in a boat with one on it tomorrow. I can assure you we will be able to talk without any problem and we will be able to hear each other without shouting at 20 knots.
As for fish scaring? :thumbdown Maybe you need to look at your fishing technique? :fishing:

[David N]

Just ended my second season with an Etec 90 (Warrior 165)and not a splutter, not a cough, not a nothing. In two years, I've used 5l of oil and still have some left. It does not smell, I don't consider it noisy at all - certainly not compared to my old Johnson 2 stroke 140!)

Did an epic day cruise four weeks ago from Troon to Carradale and back. Three adults and one child aboard. Outward journey (rather choppy) = 34 miles in 1hr 55 mins (18mph), return journey (flat calm) = 90 mins (23mph) Total miles = 68. Fuel used = 56litres or 12.3 gallons That works out at 5.5mpg with what I would certainly call a "full load" and an average speed of 20.5mph.

Buy an Etec. You will not regret it!


At last a sensible performance and consumption figure that has at least some accurate reference points.:clap:

[mikesands]

here's something to think about for y'all.
The etec is supposed to not need to be run in (and therefore does not need a service at say 25 hours indeed they say it doesn't need touching until 300 hours but many owners do at least a bit of maintenance when they get the boat out each year.
...... however, quoted below is the complete servicing schedule from the manual of my brand new Mercury 115hp 4 stroke: (note - no mention is made of a post run-in service)
"Every 100 hrs of use or once yearly
change engine oil and replace filter
Inspect thethermostat
Check low pressure filter for contaminants
check corrosion control anodes
Drain and replace gearcase oil
check power trim fluid
Inspect battery
Inspect plugs
check wiring
check tightness of bolts
check etc etc

Every 300 hours:
Replace water pump impellor
replace high pressure fuel filter
replace spark plugs
replace accessory drive belt.
/ends ....

..... dunno what you think but this almost reads like ' needs no servicing for 300 hours excptt for sensible checks each year' ie nearly the same as the etecs.

[John Raider]

Have you actually heard the latest models of Tohatsu TLDI motors? Noisy they aint. In fact it sounds very similar to an Etec. I would suggest the original poster gets one and saves loads of dosh an overpriced Etec. The TLDI has similar oil injection technology and Tohatsu in general a reliabilty history second to none.

I'll be out in a boat with one on it tomorrow. I can assure you we will be able to talk without any problem and we will be able to hear each other without shouting at 20 knots.
As for fish scaring? :thumbdown Maybe you need to look at your fishing technique? :fishing:

I mean a normal 2 stroke tohatsu,not the tldi!!!iv got a normal 70hp on 1 of my raiders and imo its very noisey compared to a etech:hypocrite

[loftyd]

Hi Tom,


Please do not take this as a dig or in anyway questioning your choice, but wit those three year stated service intervals... Do you not intend doing any service work on your engine over a three year period?

I understand where you're coming from, being into my 24th year of enjoying outboard engines. I'm not planning any dealer servicing, but that doesn't mean I won't keep eyes or ears open for problems, or do checks on gearcase oil, etc.

Since I'm not a WOT merchant, and doubt whether I do more than 20-30 hours running a year I'd be astonished if I hit problems with the main unit that would be picked up by a routine service. I reckon my main protection against "leg" problems comes from using the unit 12 months of the year (so less rotting away quietly), plus some basic checks, flushing, etc. It's not wildly different to what I used to do with my old 2 stroke, which I reckon went into a dealer every couple of years, plus interim work by me.

My issue with servicing at 6 monthly intervals for a 4 stroke (I forget the brand, but I was pretty surprised to read about in their documentation) is a mix of the hassle factor [substantial for me] and the potential cost if I wanted to maintain warranty protection. Also a niggling doubt about the underlying reliability of an engine that needs so much TLC!

Doug

[pauldo]

Tom,

Year 2 of E-Tec ownership has passed. Approx 180 hours on the engine now and I broke one of the engine hood catches ( fixed under warranty ).

If I had to purchase a 90HP engine I would choose the E-Tec over the Suzuki. ( Not on the grounds of quietness I must admit ! )

Should I expect it to fall apart soon :)

[dale]

You are very lucky.
When does your warranty run out?....

Tom, Tom, Tom....

now that's nasty :sad:

it runs out at the weekend, just had it up for the major service which means it now reqs nothing for another 3 years. :clap:

i suppose i should have a quick squint myself sometime in between but i'm not known for keeping them much past 3-4 years.

[TomBettle]

Tom, Tom, Tom....

now that's nasty :sad:

it runs out at the weekend, just had it up for the major service which means it now reqs nothing for another 3 years. :clap:

i suppose i should have a quick squint myself sometime in between but i'm not known for keeping them much past 3-4 years.


Hi Dale

I don't mean to be nasty, it sometimes comes across that way, but I am just trying to put a different view on the one that comes from (not you, but all of us) posters:

"I own a ABC model WHizzy Whizzy 90Hp and it's the very best ever. I know it is, and it's not smelly and my mate said it's quieter than the one he used to have ten years ago and he is an ex lifeboatman."

Two or three forum members have real experience.
I don't mean experience gained by owning outboards over the last 300 years. Of course the one you have now is better than the one you had in the 70's and so on. I mean experienced gained by some of our forum mechanics who service several different brands, experience gained by some of our members who drive almost all the different brands at some point during the course of a year and also those at the sharp end of the business seeing which ones are recalled, which ones have regular faults and which ones seem to never (that's unfair, I should say rarely) get warranty issues.

Of course we all like to believe we own the very best. We'd feel rather foolish if we had bought it and it was cr@p. The truth is, it's not cr@p, but there may well be many other things as good or better.
Hence I keep stressing about the boat it will be fitted to or the purpose it will be used for as no matter what people believe I think, I do honestly feel there is a place for two strokes in certain circumstances.

The question about your own warranty was sort of pertinent.
Isn't is handy how it runs out just at the time a major service is required? A service whereby the engine is unlikely to have had more than a cursory check in the last three years?

Let's be honest, nearly all of us do relatively normal actual engine running hours per year. Usually less than 100 hours with the engine actually on. Only a smallish percentage spend much of that time running our engines at painful tick over speeds.
Based on that and based on a reasonable level of care by the owners (flushing through, oil change / top up etc) almost all modern engines could if they had to run three years or three hundred hours between services. It doesn't mean it's a good thing, particularly if the warranty expires just before you get the dealer to take that first "good look". Try and time it so that the first good look is done, just before the warranty expires, even if the service is early by a few weeks...

The word I used was, I think, "Lucky". I didn't pick that word by accident, maybe it shuld have been more like "Well Done".
I do hear horror stories and scare mongering and a lot of it gets blown out of proportion by irate dealers not getting supported with warranty by the manufacturer and such like, but I promise one or two brand names do crop up more than others.

Tom

PS: Those who see the above as preaching, well it's up to you. Those who can read into it as general advice then happy boating and long may your engine (Tohatsu, Etec, Suzuki, Mercury whatever) give hour after hour of trouble free service.

[dale]

my major service was done a fortnight before the warranty expired.:thumbs:

your probably right if it running Ok then everything is Ok.

think the saying is `one man's drink is another's poison`

laughably most people come on these forum's concerned about what boat and engine they are getting but few pay heed to the trailor they are sticking it on. my last 2 from Indespension have been utter rubbish and their parts are just plain ROBBERY.

could be we need a thread to source parts cheaper. :clap:

its a rollercoaster3...... CR@P :nono: