TOPIC: Anyone have a new Evinrude E-Tec?

I was dreaming about the day when I buy my offshore cruiser, and you can't dream about that without looking at outboards so I ended up watching the E-Tec promo videos. Nice looking engines if it's all true.

These new motors are all very nice for those with the money to buy them !

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there is nothing like having a new motor with warranty.

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This all comes at a cost.

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Just like an expensive / luxury car.Every mile is enjoyable , but expensive.

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Nothing wrong with older motors that you get for $200.00 or so and that you can maintain yourself.

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Having said that , it is quite impressive to see an E-TEC being taken out of the box.. The computer does it's lubrication checks/ before initial start-up and then the motor is started. And you can put it to full throttle without any fuss or adjustment to be done.Just turn the key to start, nothing to know or learn about, turn the key and pay for all this.Great for people who buy new motors every 5 years or so.

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I think you can even give these things a " command " to winterize themselves.

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These new motors will " save " money on fuel every day. The day will come when maintenance will eat up all the money saved.

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Just look up the price of some of the parts.

They are as good as they say. I have run 3 50 hp on rental pontoons for a total of over 550 hours. There have been really no issues.

The ads are pretty sensational, but the Etec is truely a great engine. Last year, one of our fellow Glassers here in CA bought a etec 90 for his Glasspar Seafair Sedan. Amazingly quiet engine. at idle, the telltale squirting into the water is louder than the engine sound. Amazingly smooth power, very thrifty on fuel, no smoke. It's easy to forget that it's a two cycle, until you hammer the throttle.

Marinas here on Lake Shasta & Whiskeytown have experimented with Etec engines on their rental fleets, and they are very impressed so far (about 5 years)

Professor is right about the cost though. If you can spare the cash without breaking a sweat, and don't want to wrench on your engine, a new motor is a smart way to go. But do the math on the cost to run your old klunker with the cash you'd spend on a new mill... and you soon realize that 7 grand or more will buy an awful lot of fuel.

Bruce