Boat show repower deals

K

kennharriet

Member
Has anyone ever received a significant repower deal through one of the northwest boat shows? We are in the market this winter and seems I have heard people suggest shopping during a boat show. Besides, it would be a good excuse to attend. Ken
 
Don't know about any boat show specials, but last October I repowered my 22 Cruiser with a new 90 hp Suzuki and got what I believe a very good deal from Sportcraft down in Portland. The complete installed price was a couple thousand better than any other dealer, and they also gave me the best price on my trade in outboard. Install with new control digital instrument went great and they completed and even tested it in the river in a little over a day.
 
One thing I have noticed about the used outboards for sale at Sportcraft is that they turn over very fast from when first listed. If you see a used outboard that you are considering for purchase, don't wait too long on making the decision to buy.
The techs there are very conscientious in the quality of their work to keep a good reputation and to keep the customer satisfied. Gary.
 
Hi Ken,
Sometimes with boat stuff I feel like we live in the middle of no-where here in Idaho, but we do have a good local source. You might visit with Miller Marine (Ron Miller) on Hwy 12 just east of Orofino. 208-476-0795.

He has lots of business in summer, but getting thru the winter is his problem now. So people that come to him with winter projects get a deal. I've spent about $4,000 each of the past 3 winters and am very happy with his work.

He has connections with Sportcraft in Portland and with Englund marine in Astoria. He put an anchor windlass on Two Bears last winter. Not something he normally deals with but is willing to spend time on phone and the web to learn. He is an EZ loader dealer and the trailer I bought in '12 from a now defunct Lewiston dealer before Miller opened had brake problems. He got on the phone and took care of it.

He might give you a pitch for going with Tohatsu, which is a good motor, and often quite a bit less than the big names like Honda and Yamaha. My reservation about Suzuki is the few dealers around nowadays. My first few years with the boat I stopped in Bellingham on my normal launchings there to visit the Suzuki dealer there = now gone. The whole big company is in trouble in North America. They stopped importing the cars last year.

Chuck
 
The hair is going up on my back at this moment!

We love our Suzuki outboards. They run very well and are a quality motor. I will drive, boat with kicker, or be towed to any distance if I needed for service, just to own one!

I will not put down Honda, Mercury, Tohatsu, Yamaha or others, for any reason, but please do not put down Suzuki outboards for the reason of area service as to imply that they are of a less desirable engine because of dealer network. Suzuki may not work for you but it does for us and many others here a C-Brats. We are very pleased with ours and if needed, I would buy another one.
 
Not an expert in outboards by any means. I can only go on empirical knowledge. I have had three very bad boating incidents in the past 4 years since increasing my time on the water due to retirement. 4 out of four involved Suzuki outboards all new or new new. All involved major engine malfunctions.
 
Fishstix2":1ibih09v said:
Not an expert in outboards by any means. I can only go on empirical knowledge. I have had three very bad boating incidents in the past 4 years since increasing my time on the water due to retirement. 4 out of four involved Suzuki outboards all new or new new. All involved major engine malfunctions.
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Be specific about what type of malfunctions you had. A bad boating incident sounds very serious, I have owned 5 different Suzuki's and had zero problems. All of the outboards can have issues--Probably all in all they are close to being equal.
 
I carefully weighed my options when we repowered Sierra. There were only two options in the 200 hp range that were in the same weight class as the old 135 Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha both fairly new on the market. I have spent a lot of my life fixing almost every kind of engines, marine, construction and automotive. I carefully researched both engines including here on C-brats. A few engineering and ease of maintenance things on the Suzuki's swayed me in that direction plus Sportcraft, but I know Yamaha's are also great engines. I don't think you could go wrong with either engine. Yes maintenance in central California is a drive but often the quality of the local dealer is more important than what brand they sell. My local (still 1.5 hrs away) Yamaha/Honda dealer who has a good reputation was very happy to do the first service on our Suzuki's. A Suzuki dealer will mostly only be needed if it needs computer diagnosis. We in the past have spent most of our winters in Mexico and they run a lot of Suzuki's (along with Yamahas) on the commercial pangas down there with a lot of dealers. They run them hard every day and then put them away wet with little maintenance. Our Suzuki is amazingly quiet and smooth for a big 4 cylinder has great torque, economy and hp for the weight. They are low geared and swing a big prop which seems to suit our heavy 25. I also like that the 200's are built in Japan (I like my Sthil saws that are built in Germany) Time will tell but so far it has been perfect.
 
2006 Suzuki 150. About 600 hours only. Normal maintenance and flushes with Salt-A-Way. Only issue was the lower unit began leaking and I discovered it this spring when I change the gear oil and it was milky. Removed it and had the local Suzuki dealer (Performance Marine, Everett) re-seal it. Even the impeller looked great and it's been two years. The engine cover's paint is looking kinda sad (flat & peeling) but a re-spray would brighten it up easily enough. That engine has been a champ. I would re-power with Suzuki in a heartbeat.

Our kicker is a 9.8 Tohatsu. Also a great engine. Starts up without issue and runs and runs and runs...
 
Appreciate all the responses. By a wide margin Sportscraft appears to be the best deal on a Honda 90 and is offering a boat show rebate. As always, thanks all for sharing your wisdom. Ken
 
Fishstix2":3m9vwr21 said:
Not an expert in outboards by any means. I can only go on empirical knowledge. I have had three very bad boating incidents in the past 4 years since increasing my time on the water due to retirement. 4 out of four involved Suzuki outboards all new or new new. All involved major engine malfunctions.
Click to expand...
More details please. I have one, so I'm interested in what issues you've had. BTW, if I had to repower today, I'd buy another suzuki. Let's see if you can change my mind.
 
little wing, to consider re-power with an outboard is quite a task. First, I would consider the weight of the motor on the back of the stern when comparing motors. Second, consider the dealer network for service on your outboard near to where you live or where you plan to travel. Third, do your own research, be diligent, consider only the facts and be careful with what you hear about personal testimonies or inaccurate information from well meaning individuals.

I think you will do fine with any on the major outboard brands on the market today. It really comes down to personal choice as to what keeps you satisfied and happy on the water.

Gary.
 
Tohatsu makes a good engine, essentially a Honda. You could check with EQ Harbor Sales and Service in Coronet Bay by Deception Pass if you wanted a price or info.
 
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