225 optimax
- Thread starter staying alive
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staying alive
Active Member
actually I would like to get more than a couple years out of it, so we will see how it runs ---ran strong before I sent it in ---it was just when idling into dock it liked to stall so I had to play bumper boats---not cool
I mean it's only got 700 hrs on it , I was hoping they would run for 2000 before being replaced--if I get a few more years out of it maybe merc will have a 225 in their new 4 stroke lineup by then ---they look promising
I mean it's only got 700 hrs on it , I was hoping they would run for 2000 before being replaced--if I get a few more years out of it maybe merc will have a 225 in their new 4 stroke lineup by then ---they look promising
JAC
Well-Known Member
I owned a Trophy a couple years ago that has a 2002 Optimax and it was a great motor. They do go through a bit more fuel but they have a ton of power . The plugs were pricey from a boat dealer, if you get a deal at lordco they will be around 14 bucks. The bottom two holes are a ***** to put the plugs in but you can cut a piece of hose and push the plug into it, then you can get a good feel for the plug in the threads. I would get mad that the DFI oil was so expensive but they are so good on oil its not that bad. When you go and buy fourstroke oil and a filter for a change its not cheap either. The good thing about a Optimax is there are no oil changes. Make sure to carry a spare belt if the belt fails your compresser will shut down and your screwed, buy that belt at lordco also and save some money. Good luck I'm sure you will like the motor.
JAC
Well-Known Member
Its been a few years since I have owned the opti. But what kind of funny I was cleaning up my boating stuff last week and I just tossed a new belt in the Garbage because I have no use for it. I guess next time I will just put them on the fourm for free haha. I just took my belt into lordco and they sized it up and figured it out. I think that they sold me one for around $10bucks and I think mercury sells them for around $40 bucks if I remember right!!!
vetteman
Active Member
I picked up a replacement belt in Port Alberni last year after I lost my belt. Glad I was carrying a spare with me. Took 5 minutes to replace on the water. Fortunately we'd just come back into calm inside waters when it failed. We'd been fishing for cod offshore and the big water drove us back in. That belt cost $75 from the Merc dealer, the same as in Nanaimo.
I just bought three plugs for my Optimax from Lordco. $33.00 each now before my 30% discount. Can't really complain though because the plugs I replaced had 278 hours on them.
Dave
I just bought three plugs for my Optimax from Lordco. $33.00 each now before my 30% discount. Can't really complain though because the plugs I replaced had 278 hours on them.
Dave
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
Yamajunk and Mercrap
If you treat your Optis right, they should easily give you 2000 plus hours. So...what that means is....warm 'em up, warm 'em down, bring 'em up gradual and don't run the bags off them all the time. Also, if you're running cheap shiat oil, they're not going to last, not mentioning if you're running crap fuel and not replacing the plugs. It's easy to dump on Mercs when they're run hard and put away wet and they dominated the backs of boats on the coast for so long.
The thing about the Yamahas...and there is an illusion about just how good the big Yamaha 4 strokes are...because few people are running big twins and triples on this coast and running them like they are on the East Coast. The Yamaha mechanics I have talked to say...Yamahas are no better 2 or 4 stroke than any particular brand and there are plenty of issues with any manufacturer.
I had a privileged opportunity to guide a few trips on a 35' Everglades with triple 250 Yamaha 4 strokes on them in 2010. The captain ran them wide open or damn near close to it at 5700 to 6000 rpm everywhere we went...at 50 plus mph. Uh...there's no salmon here....let's join the fleet up there 6 miles away. No sooner than we'd get the rods in and the bite died....and 20 minutes later we went back to where we came from at...you guessed it...50 mph. Crazy! Let's just says I've never chased a Sockeye bite in a fashion like that. At the time they had somewhere around 250 hours on them and I'm very sure they didn't make 500 hours without blowing up.... if they're even still on the back of that boat. The only reason the boat didn't have triple 350's on it was because the owner wanted to make sure that they could be fixed anywhere in the world..and the boat had them on it new.
Anyways, every bunch has a few bad ones....Merc...Yamaha...Zooks...'Ruds...you name it.
If you treat your Optis right, they should easily give you 2000 plus hours. So...what that means is....warm 'em up, warm 'em down, bring 'em up gradual and don't run the bags off them all the time. Also, if you're running cheap shiat oil, they're not going to last, not mentioning if you're running crap fuel and not replacing the plugs. It's easy to dump on Mercs when they're run hard and put away wet and they dominated the backs of boats on the coast for so long.
The thing about the Yamahas...and there is an illusion about just how good the big Yamaha 4 strokes are...because few people are running big twins and triples on this coast and running them like they are on the East Coast. The Yamaha mechanics I have talked to say...Yamahas are no better 2 or 4 stroke than any particular brand and there are plenty of issues with any manufacturer.
I had a privileged opportunity to guide a few trips on a 35' Everglades with triple 250 Yamaha 4 strokes on them in 2010. The captain ran them wide open or damn near close to it at 5700 to 6000 rpm everywhere we went...at 50 plus mph. Uh...there's no salmon here....let's join the fleet up there 6 miles away. No sooner than we'd get the rods in and the bite died....and 20 minutes later we went back to where we came from at...you guessed it...50 mph. Crazy! Let's just says I've never chased a Sockeye bite in a fashion like that. At the time they had somewhere around 250 hours on them and I'm very sure they didn't make 500 hours without blowing up.... if they're even still on the back of that boat. The only reason the boat didn't have triple 350's on it was because the owner wanted to make sure that they could be fixed anywhere in the world..and the boat had them on it new.
Anyways, every bunch has a few bad ones....Merc...Yamaha...Zooks...'Ruds...you name it.
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salmonkiller01
Well-Known Member
I paid 22 bucks a plug at advanced marine and the belt was only 20 and change. That was last summer for my 225 opti
scott craven
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't consider a 2000 hours a good life span for a motor ?
For the investment $$$ , these motors should last at least twice that long.
trophywife
Crew Member
get bod to chime in and tell how many hrs on his zuki...
beemer
Well-Known Member
love optimaxes , but 2000 is a realistic goal for non trolling operating hours. On the whalewatching boats 1500 hours is considered an average reliable life. Don't forget that they are pushing around 3000 pounds of american.
beemer
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