considering purchasing 150 optimax for my 186 seahunt , any comments from optimax owners about this motor would be appreciated
New or used?
I had a '99 135 Opti on a 185 Edgewater. The 135 is identical except calibration and a 2.0:1 ratio whereas the 150 is 1.81:1. I had over 800 hours on it (400 were put on by me in 4 years) before I sold it.
Pros: Serious low and midrange power out of that engine which give it great acceleration. Fuel economy is excellent. I would expect 3.5-4 miles per gallon at cruise speeds. Oil consumption is minimal. I would use about 3 gallons for the whole season (100+ hours). No smoke at all.
Cons: Can be a little noisy depending on the RPM.
If you do get one, only use the Mercury DFI oil, use Mercury Quikleen or Yamaha Ringfree in the fuel, and use the severe duty spark plugs (NGK iridium) which are $12 each, but will last 2 seasons. Also, it is important to run the crap out of it for a few minutes every trip. This will keep the plugs from getting too fouled up.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160
Native Manta Ray 14
hairball nailed it on all accounts
hairball, that edgewater was a great boat! (you bought it from me) That was one of the only boats my wife was upset when I sold it, LOL
Captain Steve Little
TowBoat US Charleston
Psalm 107:23-32
www.towboatcharleston.com
Cpt Steve,
It wasn’t me, I bought mine from a gentlemen who kept it at his airplane hanger in Summerville. Regardless, you are very correct that it is a great boat. I do miss it a little. My wife also was upset when I sold it.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160
Native Manta Ray 14
great information thanks , the Mercury dealer is bound and determined to sell me a 150 verado instead of optimax which i do not understand the verado is only about 500.00 more. The verado is about 60 pounds heavier than optimax in the 150 horse power
I think I’d want the Opti for that set up. But, pretty sure the Verado has power steering built in, so you won’t need hydraulic set up that could weigh about 50 lbs.
Don’t even consider Verado unless he has a Verado certified tech to service it. Ask to see the certificate.
check out this site for all you want to know about Verado: