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Hello All,
I'm new to the forum but have 25 years Boston Whaler experience. I just spent my first Labor Day without a boat in at least 15 years. The original Evinrude 120 is giving up and it's time to think repower. I live on an island off the coast of Maine and use the Outrage about four months of the year. The 120 has always provided plenty of speed for what we do. Would like to hear any thoughts on what brand to repower with.
Hi Charlie, and welcome to WhalerCentral. The current engine choices document is really helpful, as a starting point before visiting the manufacturer's sites.
My sister-in-law runs an 18 with a Honda BF150 out of Boothbay Harbor, and while I think it'd sit better on the mooring with a few less pounds on the stern, it runs flawlessly and works well. She did move the battery up under the console when she bought the boat, which helped.
I am always a fan of going with more power, to give yourself greater flexibility, so if it were me, I'd think about the Evinrude eTec 150 - it's reasonably light, and you may well find you can reuse your existing controls to save some coin.
I've got Yamahas on my boats, and am very pleased with them (F70LA on a Supersport 15, F200 on a non-Whaler) but Yamaha's 150 is too heavy. I'm guessing they'll update it eventually with linerless cylinders, and it'll go back to being competitive.
The Suzuki DF140, at 421 pounds in the 25" shaft you'll need, is an intriguing choice, but whether that makes sense for you will depend on whether there's a dealer in your neck of the woods.
Just stay away from Mercury - as I am sure you know, they aren't the motor of choice in Maine, and while I don't have experience myself, there must be a reason for it.
