How to Choose an Outboard Motor?

An Analysis from the Perspectives of Price and Performance

Choosing an outboard engine is like choosing a car. The price is like the heartbeat of a wallet, and the performance is like the pleasure of water. Both have to be balanced, otherwise either you will lose money or you will feel frustrated, which is not very good. Let's talk in plain language today, discussing how to choose an outboard engine from both price and performance aspects, and even using some American slang. I'm sure you'll find it enjoyable and useful.

Price article: Money should be spent on the cutting edge, don't be a scapegoat

Choosing the price of an outboard motor is like shopping in an American supermarket, with discounted items for 99 cents and boutique items for tens of dollars. The key is to consider what you have in your pocket and your actual needs. Don't spend money recklessly, otherwise you will suffer huge losses.

Budget allocation: Understanding the 'carrying capacity' of wallets

Beginner Beggar Edition (several thousand to just over ten thousand US dollars): This outboard motor is similar to the "one yuan menu" in American fast food, featuring a cheap enough option. Generally, it is a small horsepower two-stroke gasoline engine or a basic electric outboard motor, suitable for casual kayakers and small fishing boats. For example, those 3-5 horsepower two-stroke engines are more than enough to handle a small rubber boat swaying in the lake, and can easily catch sea bass or bask in the sun without pursuing fancy functions. But let's be clear, this thing is like a used old pickup truck. Don't expect it to take you through the wind and waves. Its failure rate is slightly higher than high-end models, and maintenance needs to be done more frequently. If it's built every day, it may be abandoned at some point.

Mid end cost-effective model ($10000 to $30000): This is the "golden age", just like the Ford F-150 pickup truck that American families love to buy, practical and durable. Most of them are four stroke gasoline outboard engines with 40-100 horsepower, such as the Yamaha F90 and Mercury's medium horsepower models, which are in this range. The domestically produced Weichai WP4.1G can also be classified in this range. At this price point, the outboard motor has enough power for family fishing and taking them out to sea. The fuel consumption and reliability are also well balanced, and the maintenance cost is not much higher than the entry-level model, but the experience is directly improved. For most boat owners, this is a choice of "closing their eyes and not stepping on the thunder", after all, ordinary people like us play boats and are not engaged in professional racing, so there is no need to rush to the top.

High end flagship model (over $30000): This is the "Tesla Model S" in the outboard engine, which focuses on a brand face and full performance. High displacement four stroke engines with over 200 horsepower, even dual or triple engine combinations, such as Mercury's 350 horsepower Verado series and Yamaha's 300 horsepower model, are the favorites of wealthy gamers. This thing has a power as powerful as an American muscle car, accelerating with a whooshing speed. It is fully equipped with black technologies such as quietness, fuel efficiency, and anti-corrosion, and can be built in seawater for five or six years without rust. But we have to say that this price is enough to buy a decent family car. The cost of one maintenance is enough to replace an entry-level accessory. If you only play it about ten times a year, it's purely a waste of money. The money spent is not practical at all.

Hidden costs: Don't ignore the "follow-up bill". When choosing an outboard motor, don't just look at the price, it's like buying a house and calculating the property fee. Maintenance, fuel consumption, and accessories in the later stage are all hidden expenses. If you don't figure them out, you'll have to beat your thigh in the later stage. Imported machines such as Yamaha F90 cost at least 2500 RMB for a single maintenance, while domestically produced Weichai WP4.1G only costs 800 RMB for oil change and filter element. The difference is not insignificant. In terms of fuel consumption, four stroke engines save 25% more fuel than two-stroke engines, and high-power imported engines save 4 liters of fuel per hour compared to domestic engines. If you drive 200 hours a year, you can save a lot of American hamburger money just on fuel. There are also accessories. Imported machine parts have to wait for overseas shipment, which is not only expensive but also time-consuming. Domestic machine parts are everywhere, and if they break, they can be replaced immediately. So, when choosing, you have to calculate the overall cost, not just the price, the later expenses are the grinding little fairy.

Performance article: Power must keep up with demand, don't be mediocre or useless

Choosing the performance of an outboard motor is like choosing basketball shoes. Defenders need to be lightweight and fast to accelerate, while centers need to be durable and well supported. You have to follow your own "gameplay", otherwise even the best performance is useless.

Horsepower matching: Don't engage in "small horse pulling big car" or "big horse pulling small car"

Horsepower is the core of an outboard motor. If you choose too small, the ship won't be able to move like a snail. If you choose too large, it will consume fuel and damage the ship. That's really not authentic.

If you are playing with a small fishing boat of 3-5 meters, 30-60 horsepower is enough, which is just like driving a compact car for city commuting; If the hull is 6-8 meters long and you want to take your family out to sea or engage in some water sports, 90-150 horsepower is enough, just like switching to a mid size SUV, it's not difficult to drive on the highway; If you're playing on a luxury yacht, then a large engine with over 200 horsepower is enough to handle the situation, and you need to have a dual engine setup, otherwise the power won't be enough.

Here's a tip: Based on the full load weight of the ship, it's accurate to allocate 30-50 horsepower for every 1000 kilograms of weight. If you always like to pack a bunch of fishing gear and pull four or five people, then choose the higher option. Don't let the machine work overload all day long, like a human, and it will go on strike after being tired for a long time.

Stroke and fuel: two stroke and four stroke, choose the right one to avoid worries

The difference between two-stroke and four stroke coffee is that American coffee and latte have their own flavors, so you have to choose according to your own usage habits.

A two-stroke engine is like an American tough guy, simple and rough, powerful, lightweight, and easy to maintain. It can run with mixed fuel, but it has high fuel consumption and loud noise, similar to a tractor, and is not environmentally friendly. It is almost sold out in Europe and America. If you only play it once in a while and don't care about fuel consumption and noise, then the two punch machine can be used to make ends meet; But if you play frequently, it's better to choose four stroke.

A four stroke engine is like an exquisite American gentleman, with quiet operation, low fuel consumption, and environmental friendliness. Nowadays, mainstream outboard engines are all four stroke engines. For example, Yamaha's quadcopter has no noise when idling, just like chatting, and the fish won't be scared away when fishing, which is a blessing for anglers. The only drawback is that it is a bit heavier and slightly more expensive than a two punch machine, but just for this experience, spending a little more money is worth it.

Special Scenario: Sea Water or Freshwater, Different Gameplay and Selection Methods

If you often wave in seawater, you need to pay close attention to the anti-corrosion performance, otherwise the machine will rust like scrap iron after two years, which will be a huge loss. Imported machines such as Yamaha and Mercury have no rust spots even after being made in seawater for 5 years, and the anode block replacement cycle is 50% longer. Domestic machines may have rust spots after 2 years, and the cooling pipeline needs to be replaced after 4 years. If you're just playing in Danshui Lake, a domestic machine is enough, and the saved money is enough to buy a lot of fishing equipment.

For friends who play in shallow waters, they have to choose a water jet outboard motor. This thing is not afraid of running aground, just like an off-road Jeep. It can also have fun in shallow waters and is much more practical than ordinary propeller engines.

In general, choosing an outboard engine is like a beauty pageant burger. The single-layer one is delicious, the double-layer one is satisfying, and the three-layer one is overwhelming. The key is to consider one's appetite (budget) and taste (needs). If you only go fishing in the lake on weekends, entry-level or mid-range models are enough; If you go out to sea every day for sea fishing, or love to take friends boating, then high-end models are worthy of your gameplay. Don't be fooled by the merchant's sweet words, what suits you is the most fragrant. After all, playing with boat charts is just for fun, not to compare with others for wealth. Do you think that's the reason?