Suzuki Outboards

[Favrefan]

I'm looking at getting rid of my 115 Mercury Optimax and putting a Suzuki 115 4 Stroke on my Ranger 1760 Angler. I've heard nothing but good things about Suzuki. Would be interested in hearing from others their opinions on this motor, especially if you're running one on a similar boat.

Ty, I know you run a 150HP. Ever have any problems with it?

[Bones]

I have a Suzuki 115 4 stroke on my Ranger 1760 Angler. Bought it last May. Very nice motor. Quiet and had no problems with it. Top speed is only about 36-37 mph.

Why are you looking to get rid of the Opti?

[Yake Bait]

I have owned a 90HP Suzuki for 4 years on my 1750 Fishhawk. Have been very pleased with this motor and have not had any problems as of yet. I get 39 mph GPS with the factory 19 pitch propeller. Motor really gets up out of the water nicely.

If you troll, you will have a tough time getting it down below 1.5 mph, that is about as slow as you can run it. You will need a kicker if you want to troll slower.

[Favrefan]

The reason I'm thinking of giving up on the Opti is because of the problems I had with it last year. It would randomly start missing and run terrible. You never knew when it was going to happen. Not good when you're fishing a big body of water like the Chip. Had in for work multiple times and fought with Mercury to finally agree to provide the more expensive parts the dealer wanted to replace. They think they have it fixed, but I'm still skeptical.

The top end speed with the Suzuki on the Ranger is less than I had hoped. I was geting 43MPH with the Opti. Is that at max RPM and planed up all the way? What are the specs on the prop you have?

The 2009 Anglers are rated to 150HP, rather than 130HP for the 2007 and 2008 models. Too bad no one makes a 130HP. They're a little underpowered with the 115HP.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

[Bones]

That speed is at max 6,000 RPM and planed up all the way. Don't have the specs on the prop, it was the factory stainless prop from Ranger. I agree that its a bit underpowered with the 115. I thought it might be better with the 2-stroke Opti. I can't believe they changed the rating on the boat with the 2009 model. I wonder what they did to get it rated for a larger motor? I think it would run much better with a 135hp.

[Ty Sennett]

I think Suzuki and Yamaha four strokes are the best outboards on the market. Very reliable and still have the power. If you play around with the prop you should be able to get close to the same top end speed as the Mercury. You might be a tad slower but it's worth it to have a reliable motor and save on gas.

You asked if I've ever had trouble with the Suzuki's. I've had eight of them and had one powerhead blow(it was my own fault not the motors). I ran it while the overheat alarm was going off. I had sucked weeds into the impeller. I was in a tournament so I kept going so as not to get DQ'd. Suzuki fixed it no questions asked. I can say without a doubt that you will be 100% satisfied with the Suzuki.

[MuskyManiac]

I don't have a Ranger, but I have an Alumacraft that weighs about 1,000 lbs. and I have a 60 HP 4-stroke Yamaha on it, the max would have been 75. I am extremely pleased with the Yamaha after owning 2 Merc 2-strokes. I max out at about 37 MPH. Like Ty said I think Yamaha's and Suzuki's are the best motors out there. During the past season I have seen Merc's and Honda's with starting problems at the launch.

[Yake Bait]

Keep in mind that the gear ratio on Suzuki is 2.59:1 which is higher than Mercury Optimax 2.07:1. That means that you would need to run a higher pitch prop to get the same number of turns for a given rpm speed on the motor which may account for a slight difference in top end speed.

[Favrefan]

Looks like a Suzuki is in my future. I'll just need to work with the dealer to get the right prop on it to max the top end. I don't use it to ski, so I can live without a great hole shot.

I appreciate all the helpful comments and advice. Thanks!

[Mike Hulbert]

I agree with what Ty said. I have had 5 Suzuki motors since 2004 and they amazing motors.

Not a single problem in 5 years of running them. I have had the 150, 175, and I am currently running a 225 on my Polar Kraft.

I simply due the break in, change the oil when I am supposed to and that's it...nothing be 100% happy with Suzuki 4-strokes. They are pretty good on power, SUPER quiet and awesome on fuel economy. You'll be very happy if you go with a Suzuki.

[BucktailScott]

Get an E-Tec it's the best on the market. The 4 stroke is way to heavy and is slow out of the hole. A E-tec 90hp would beat a 130hp suzuki out of the hole.
Buy american, E-tec is made in Wisconsin.

[BucktailScott]

Ty took off my posting about E-Tecs. The E-Tec kicks the heck out of those Jap motors and your buying an American product built in Wisconsin.
I have seen a 90hp E Tec kick a 130hp Suzuki.