What's everyone's thoughts on the 175 Suzuki?
-Fuel Consumption
-Sound (quiet or loud)
-Speed
-Reliability
-Longevity
Thinking about getting a pontoon and it has the option of a 175 Suzuki or 150 Merc FourStroke. Anyone have real life experience with both and could give me a comparison?
Phoenix 721 - Yamaha SHO 250 - 8' Blades
At my lake community the boat club has 4 of them and they really like them given them no problems. I have a 250ss on my bass boat and really like it!
Good stuff thanks! Anyone else have some time with this motor?Originally Posted by jimbotaylor
Phoenix 721 - Yamaha SHO 250 - 8' Blades
Not the 175 but my 140 has been absolutely fantastic for 4 years now. Super quiet, sips the fuel, lots of mid range torque and I can run wot or troll for hours without a hiccup. My first Suzuki but definitely not my last.
Triton Tr17, Yamaha 130
Lund Pro V 1900, Optimax 200
Smokercraft Pro Mag 182, Suzuki DF140
Helix 9si, 10si mega
Minnkota Talon, Terrova
I bought my Bennington tritoon with the Yamaha F150 from Leader Marine in Dickson, TN. Last time I was in there, their mechanic was installing a new Suzuki motor on a tritoon. He also has Mercury outboards. They ordered more Suzuki prepared boats this year due to the unavailability of large Yamaha and Mercury outboards. I was under the impression that the Suzuki is a fine motor, but it's a little more complicated mechanically when compared with the Yamaha outboards. Bear in mind that the Suzuki motors are geared substantially different and they run high pitch, large diameter propellers many setup technicians may not be familiar with.
One downside to the Suzuki is there are few dealers in some areas of the country. Parts and propellers are not commonly available at non-Suzuki dealerships. The engines are just a little different, however I have not heard any complaints on the motors. I would want to buy from a very established, long time dealership that has good parts and service departments, however.
My biggest concern.
Phoenix 721 - Yamaha SHO 250 - 8' Blades
Only have had my 2017 140 four stroke Zuke for 1 season, and not a complaint! EXACTLY what above post says!
They don’t break I heard the same thing and I have never had a problem with mine!
I have a 175DF on my bass boat. I bought it with 120 hours on it. It had set for about a year and didn't have any compression, like 25; 50; 75; 125. I figured I'd have to re-ring it BUT while waiting to put it on my boat I shot WD-40 down the plug holes. When I checked it before tearing it down it had regained compression, 125 down the line. I've been using it ever since as is, never had the valves adjusted, and now it has 420+ hours on it.
I had to replace the prop shaft seals due to running over some braid, and the driveshaft seal into the L/U which was relatively easy. I've put three water pump kits in it, but never seen much wear at all on the old pumps. I change the oil and filters each year and spark plugs. I change the sacrificial anodes, there's like 7 on the motor, if they look worn. So far it always starts and is pretty quiet, and I beat the doo-doo out of it, I've twisted up 3 or 4 props.
I'd buy another. It has always gotten me BACK.
I have a 2017 175 on a bay boat with about 75 hours. easy to start, quite, great on gas, really great motor in my opinion. Pushes my 19'8" bay boat with 2 people and medium load at 52 mph gps. I've run 44 with a super load. Prop-ing was the most difficult, but that was due to a faulty tach. Once I got that ironed out, everything is fine.
Thanks for all the feedback.
Phoenix 721 - Yamaha SHO 250 - 8' Blades
They are every bit as good as the other Japanese motors, if not better.
They run a auto adjusted timing chain that lasts a lifetime whereas the Yamaha uses a timing belt that has to be changed periodically. The earlier comment about them being somehow mechanically more complicated is surprising (and not factually based) because they are both 4 stroke DOHC engines.
Their gearing makes them different to prop than similar hp engines, but most Suzuki dealers know about that and how to prop them correctly is not difficult. People like Ken from Propgods are very knowledgeable about them and will sort you out it others cannot.
Had my DF115 going on 9 years this year with no problems at all. Run a 3 x 14 x 20” Suzuki SS prop at hit 6100rpm at WOT. Average fuel economy over the long term is 2.2 km/litre, as recorded on my Simrad’s TripIntel app.
If anyone needs assistance or info on setting them up to run engine data on MfD screens etc via Suzuki NMEA2000, I am knowledgeable about that and happy to assist.
Moon lighter what boat are you pushing and what kind of speed are you seeing. I was looking at a 115 on a vexus 1880. Or actually going with the 150 on a 1980.
LOL you wont have seen or heard about my boat over there in the USA!! Its not even close to a bassboat either!
Mine is a Surtees Workmate 5.5meter Alloy cuddy cab. Made in New Zealand to fish the rough southern oceans and bays.
4mm plate hull running an 18dg V, no strakes, auto-ballasting keel that floods when the boat is at rest and empties when boat is put onto the plane. Its not designed as a fast hull. Its simple, tough and built to fish!
Anyway, it will do 35-38knots at about 6100- 6200rpm WOT. On an average fishing day offshore or large bays, I average 2.2 km/litre. The new A series 115’s are 10-15% better in fuel economy than my 2010 model.
Here is a link to the current model of my boat if you want to see what its like. Surtees has increased length of the current model slightly to 5.75m.
https://www.surteesboats.com/our-ran...t/575-Workmate
Last edited by Moonlighter; 02-16-2019 at 08:48 PM.
That's a serious water fishing boat you got there Moonlighter.
Thanks Bill!
Hard to get wet in that boat the way it is designed, interesting auto ballasting keel.
Works exactly as they say it does.
Barely notice it emptying out when you take off - in fact I dont notice it at all.
Have been out in some rough conditions, and close the ballast door before taking off to keep the water in, the extra weight down low makes a real difference.
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