E-Tec tiller question.

[680T]

Anyone out there with first hand E-TEC tiller use.I'm looking at updating to the 60hp E-TEC,putting it on a 1990 Ranger 680T.Thanks...

[delmuts]

cool! i have a 1990 680 C !

[PierBridge]

From what I'm hearing from people who own the E-Tec 60 hp tiller they really like them.

[Mille Lacs Guy]

I have a 90 E tec tiller on a Warrior. It is a really good motor for trolling and has good power, etc. You can have the dealer turn the RPM's down to about 450 and troll super slow if you want to. I did it on mine and it works great. I can back troll at under 1 mph and forward troll at a little over 1 mph. You will want to make sure you get the correct prop on the boat you are referring to. I have a 15 pitch on mine and it works well.

Another thing to mention is the tiller handle itself. Evinrude came out with a new tiller handle this year that is a lot nicer than the previous piece of junk they put on the Etec. Ask your dealer about it.

Overall you will like the Etec. It is quiet, maybe not as quiet as a 4 stroke but still very quiet and it has lots of power for both hole shot and top end speed.

[680T]

Thanks for the info everyone.Mill Lacs Guy,I've read up on the new tiller handles and saw one at the boat show .Will check on that.I'm running a 60hp Evinrude now and questioned that the E-tec with two cylinders compared to three I have now.I don't want to lose any power.

[let it snow]

Hi Dinger,

I am an Evinrude dealer, so I am not sure if you will buy what I have to say or not, but here goes. The power I have seen from the E-TECs in comparison to any of the other OMC or BRP product lines is inpressive. The Direct Injection models did come close, but still don't put out like the E-TEC. I put out 2 of the 90 E-TECs last summer and they easily outperformed the carbed 115 Johnson/Evinrude motors. They pulled much harder, were much quieter and used about half of the fuel. They are a phenominal motors and most of the hype about them is true. I think that you will be pleasently surprised.

[gunflint]

let it snow,

I have a couple of questions for you. Is it true that they're comming out with 25 and 30 hps next summer? If so, what would be their general price range? Thanks.

[680T]

Thanks Let it Snow.I grew up fishing and learning to ski way back when behind the ol'mans boat with a 30hp Evinrude "Big Twin" on it.Those were the days.I guess I'm still a points,plugs,and condensor kind of guy.Not much of that on the E-TEC.I have run the 4 strokes so I just need make a decision.Spring is here.

[delcecchi]

Since federal law limits the HP to ten percent over, it is nonsense to claim they will walk all over a 115, unless you have been selling really bad carb'd 115s. I would wonder about someone who said stuff like this.

Bass and Walleye boats has compared etec to other brands and it is competitive but not a miracle. And there is fairly recent history on some models of Evinrudes that wasn't so pretty.

[let it snow]

Hi Del,

I said what I said because it was true and no the 115s weren't poor. I said that the 90s pulled much harder than the 115s. This has to do with torgue and the way the E-TEC controls the timing and burn inside the motor. Top speed was similar, but a little slower for the 90s. I can't remember what years the 115s were, but horsepower ratings have been all over the map the last 15 years, with most of the old OMC brand derated in the early 90s. Keep in mind that horsepower doesn't define pulling power....Ever. Torque defines how a motor comes out of the hole. That is the reason that comparable 4-strokes can't compete with the E-TEC, or any good EFI 2-stroke. The torque isn't there. The E-TECs are designed to be high torque motors and have best in class performance. Enough sales talk. They do indeed outpull the older carbed 115s.

[let it snow]

I do know that they are working on smaller E-TECs, down to the 15 hp size. I have heard that the 25 should be out this summer and that the 15 will also be out before too long, maybe for 2007. I haven't heard anything about pricing yet. I expect that they will be similar to a 4-stroke, price wise. Depending on dealer, the price of the E-TEC will usually run about 10% less thant the new 4-strokes, at least last time I compared them. I sell Johnson 4-strokes as well and I do know which motor I would buy, but the choice is yours. Defining quiet is tough with these motors. At idle they are both so quiet it is hard to tell which is quieter. I have run them side by side in test labs so I had a good comparison. The one thing that I did notice is that the E-TEC is quieter at speed. The valve train makes a bit of noise once higher rpms are reached. Since the 4-stroke has less torgue, they generally run at that higher rpm to generate the same hp, simple physics, which puts that motor at that higher rpm most of the time. That is one of the reasons the E-TEC can compete with fuel efficiency. All of the propoganda is available at the Evinrude website. I won't comment on the statement about the bass boat comparison and the dependability of this motor. That has been proved and tested by every magazine out there. I also know and work with a lot of other dealers that sell all of the other brands. I believe what they tell me, from their own experience. I can't say that I have heard of any bad trends. This isn't the old Ficht motor and doesn't share its many problems. I have heard of odd problems here and there with different models. That doesn't surprise me. I even hear about a lot of problems with Honda outboards and they are at the top of the food chain from the dependability stand point. Sorry I have rattled on. I will now dive off of my soap box.

[3pronghook]

Let it Snow...I am considering buying a used 2004 50 e-tec. what can you tell me about the 04's vs. 06? any major changes or anything to be concerned about?