Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

Gents n Gentle Ladies,
I am looking to upgrade to a Cc Contender, w Twins , 150 hp and found an interesting prospect.

Has any one had experience with Opti Max engines or know engines well enough to have an opinion.

I am not looking to debate 4 Strokes vs 2. Or Why I should buy Yamaha vs Merc etc.....just what do you know.

I realize every engine unique ball of fun......maintenance, type of usage etc.....just really want some insight as to what we know about these engines.

My 2000 Johnson has been flawless.....and I know no other engine besides a IO many years ago.......
Thanks in advance.
Perry

Re: Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

Mercury had some Opimax issues early on with pre mature power head failures. Here is a related post http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41225 . In fairness, all the manafactutures did with their early new high pressure injected 2 stokes. Yamaha with their HDPI and Johnson/Evenrude with Ficht. Most are now leading with their 4 stokes with the exception of Johnson/Evenrude who replaced Ficht with Etech

None of these above high pressure 2 stoke engines would be my first choice and most of the boats you see with these engines are usually selling for way less then their peers with 4 stokes because of the perceived issues.

Re: Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

Thanks Gerry- yes the target boat is less than what it would loaded w a 4....its all about some compromise- age vs hp vs size etc....this is a 2010 and most of in put was about 2000-2007 etc....since this is a used boat I am hoping I can tell if the engines are dogs or well put together.

Re: Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

I have a set of 04 135 hp on my 25 center. I have had very good luck with my engines. I am looking to buy a set of 10 225 optis from Almars. Great fuel economy. I have had minor issues but I will buy merc again

Re: Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

My 225 optimax has over 4,000 hours and is still running strong!
Yes I did have some issues, but hell it's a machine. And it needed periodic maintenance.

Re: Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

Really? Thats unbelievable. Or is the only original part left the engine cowel? LOL

I've never heard of that even in four strokes. Two strokes are about 1500 hours maybe.

And how did you run up over 4000 hours on it? I ran charters and that about 20-30 years of running.

Re: Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

Frank
Do I really need to call you out on this!

I too have run charters, and man did I run looking to get clients tight lines.

Really! I am talking about taking fly clients out and looking for fish that were hitting in shoal waters where they could get a crack at them.

Your are most welcome to check the hour meter on the Smart Gage. The boat is berthed in Shark River. Call or pm me anytime.

This engine is on its 10th season BTW. and It is getting tired.
Still very economical to run !

Re: Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

Cool. I used to run charters out of Shark River Hills ( now Muni marina) and AP's in Belmar. Ran primarily, but did do fluke and blues offshore for tuna a shark. Ran from May to November for charters and some personal trips too. Boat was a 25' Grady with twin OMC' 200hp's. wasn't real fast- cruise 28-30k so my hours should have been higher than a faster boat. Bought boat with 318 hours. In 3 years I blew power head on one with about 1100 hours running time, an ruining my shark season charters while Bry's spent a month screwing around.

So I averaged 250- 300 hours per year. Most Rec guys don't near 100 hours a year. I don't know if your engine in 30 years old so I don't know what you averaged to get 4000 running hours(actually ignition "on" hours) . But that is EXTREME hours.

As far as no problems in 4000 hours, Sea Tow runs through engines like you change socks. They run pretty much 7 days a week. None of the two stroke 200's (Merc, Yamaha, EVinrude/Bombardier) have lasted more than 2000 hours. None. And there's no maintenance plan that will stop that except ceasing use. In fact the S/T Florida guys have news of 4 stroke SUzukis consistently running 4000 hours. That's big news.

My point is your engine is an aberation way way off of typical. That's a very good thing for you. But probably unlikely for anyone else to expect 4000+ hours of O/B engine's life.

Should put a post up - a poll. And see if anyone ever got even 3000 hours out of a large hp ( not 9.9hp) two stroke O/B. You'll see how luck you are.

Re: Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

Here's one for ya' ! I owned a 25' Robalo CC in the early eighties. I chartered this boat in both fresh & saltwater for ten + seasons.
Looked up my records & averaged about 40 trips a year since I had other jobs .
This rig carried twin 150 HP Merc in line six's.
The average trip was 8hrs all troll rotating engines or on rough days using both !
Saltwater would run another set of trips in primarily fall , tuna troll chink etc.
So at 40 trips per season as the average lets say I put 5hrs a day on engines x 40 days as average that's 200 per year at the very least .
Times ten or so years that's about 2000 hrs in a very conservative estimate !
These engines never had a major , routine maintenance only !
No major break downs even on canyon runs !
I don't want to say it but I honestly believe there might have been as much as three thousand hours on those engines no way of knowing for sure
Guy bought boat & ran it in salt another 4 seasons w/o issue till he sold boat!
Lost tract after that!!:cool:

Re: Opinions: Merc - Opti Max , 2010, 434 hours
 

To answer Perry's origininal question is 434 hours a lot ? No.

Different engines, years, and manufacturers make engine life as consistent as people's shoe sizes.. all over the place.


The best engine I saw on life was a mid 1990's Yahmaha 200 hp HP Sea Tow bought with a 25' Privateer with about 200+ hours on it. It would not die even when traded off for re-powering at 1800 hours.

SO Perry... you never know. I guess that is no answer. :(