I am in the process of looking for a new 25-30 hp Longshaft 4 stroke for my 14ft Lowe Deep V. I will use it for trolling and getting from point A to point B faster. I currently have a 15hp Evinrude on the back. What engine do you think would work the best for my needs? I have not started to do any research but have heard lot's of good things about Honda, Yakmaha, Suzuki, etc. What about the 4 stroke Nissan? Thanks in advance.

Sambo

about a year and a half to two years ago my dad bought a yamaha 25 LS 4-stroke for his 15 foot alaskan smokercraft, and it has been flawless since day one! i fished in the boat many times, purrs like a kitten, great for trolling, so quite while trolling the only thing you hear is the water comming out of the water pump hitting the water. i would highly recomend it too anyone, lot nicer than the clackity clack of those eveinrudes, (wich is what he had before, and what he uses as a kicker on one of the other boats) i'm sure honda's and suzuki's are probably good too, not sure about the nissan. only personal experience is with the yamaha. good luck and hope this helps.

I have a 98' yamaha 25 long shaft on a 15' alaskan smokercraft, I've probably got about 1000 hrs on it and the only maintenance I've done is plugs and gearcase oil. It gets out of the water fast and runs about 32-33 mph at top end. When I want to troll down it will idle all day without a hiccup. I can't imagine a better motor being built than a yamaha, I highly reccomend one!

I replaced a cranky 1998 Johnson 4 stroke with a yamaha. how sweet. runs so quiet and starts so easy.

I've had a 9.9 Yamaha since 1990, still runs like new. Highly recommend it. The Duck

Before buying a Suzuki check iboats.com.chats and forums on outboards. Mercury and Yamaha presently share the same powerhead,this will change as Merc. develops it,s own 4stroke technology. Evinrude and Johnson are now owned by Bombadier of Canada,a reputable company that will try to salvage a mess created by OMC. I own a 50 4stroke Merc.,an 8 4stroke Honda, run both hard with few problems. Would recomend these or Yamaha. Any questions feel free to email.

I have a 2000 15hp 4 stroke Yamaha on my 14' Northwood. Runs and trolls like a champ. Starts on the second pull every time. A little cold blooded on really cold days but once it warms up its all good. Maintenance is super simple too. If you went to the boat show you would have noticed the huge presence of Yamaha. They are every where now and for good reason. I get a lot of questions at the boat launch about the motor, it really draws attention.

my buddy replaced anold 2 stroke with a yamaha 25 4-stroke a year ago. what a sweet motor. he loves it. i have a yamaha 9.9 high thrust kicker. 3 years & lots of hours with no problems at all. Federal Watts? what a crack up.

Gentlemen,

Thanks for the input. It looks to me like the research will begin with Yamaha and then I will look into a few of the others. Appreciate all the feedback.

Sambo

I have a 1996 honda 25hp on my 15', runs great you can't hardly hear it, starts easy, low maintance. Honda all the way

Gentlemen,

I just started looking at prices of the above mentioned 4 stroke outboards and it seems like Yamaha has just priced me out of their market. I guess I should have asked what 4 stroke outboard is the best for the money. I don't have 5,000-6,000 to spend on a Yamaha. I am waiting to get prices on the Suzuki. The Honda and Nissan are both in my price range of $3,000-4,000 Please give me more feedback. What do you all think of Suzuki, Honda, Nissan?

Sambo

Out of those three go Honda.

My buddy just went up to Vancouver, BC and bought a 2002 4-stroke 9.9hp Mercury for $1600 out the door. No taxes or border questions with Mercury since it is a made in USA product(with Yamaha powerhead). You may want to check out Mercury out of Canada if you are up for the trip. Of course if you want local service and support.... I myself love Yamaha and believe they are worth the extra $.

Holy Crap, I don't know where you priced Yamahas at, but in 98' when I bought my longshaft 25 I only paid $2400 for it at Sandy's boathouse in Everett. One of the reasons I looked at Yamahas was because of the price of Hondas and Suzukis, I wanted a Yamaha anyway so the price helped make the choice. I can't believe the price of Yamahas has more than doubled!

Whatever you do DO NOT get a 4 stroke Suzuki - I bought a 9.9 in 2000 and have had nothing but trouble with it - carbons up while trolling and is underpowered and runs rough as the rings never seated. Had it back to the shop numerous times, can't seem to be fixed. The good news is that it has a five year warranty, but it's not going to be with me that long - dumping it for a Merc or Yamaha before springer season

You may want to check around for more prices...I got my 15hp 4 stroke Yamaha for $2,200. I thought Honda was the most expensive motor out there. Ive seen those Nissans at GI JOES, They look like junk. I could be wrong, it would be the first time.

Just a heads up....Yamaha at the boat shows and sportsman shows was offering an additional 2 year warranty on top of their 3 year warranty. The Tacoma Boat Show should be coming up, so you should be able to score a 5 year warranty if you go with Yamaha. You can't go wrong. Jack

Gentlemen,

Sorry for the brain fart in my post regarding Yamaha Outboards. The price range I gave you was in canadian dollars. My BAD! I am still searching for U.S. prices.

Sambo

Gentlemen,

Not to confuse you but Bene and Sambo are the same person. Sambo is call name at work and Bene is call name at Home. Just got a new home computer last week.

Bene/Sambo

Gentlemen,

I just found a 2002 25 hp Yamaha, 4 stroke, Long shaft, electric start for $3,060 at High Desert Marine in Hermiston, Oregon. Does anyone know anything about this company? Reputable, good service, etc? Thanks for all your help and input.

Sambo