jason...

[Bassman25]

I am looking at buyin a newer boat and the ones i want have 225 EFI's on them in the 1999-2001 year....how do you like your 225 EFI??? I have a 91 efi now and love it...but tell me about the new one's

[Jiggernaut]

They are a strong, bulletproof motor. I replaced a powerhead on mine, but it was more my fault then the motor's as I didn't realize water was filling my engine compartment on long runs. I'm amazed it lasted as long as it did. The only bad thing is they drink a lot of gas. My '01 also has low water pickups which my old 98 200 EFI didn't. This helps me run with the motor higher on the transom and still maintain water pressure. You will be very happy with the motor performance but unhappy at the gas pump. I don't care that much about the fuel but I will still look for an Opti or Etec on my next rig.

[Bassman25]

but seriously, how much better is an optimax at WOT then an EFI??? I mean if we are talking about 1-2 MPG then that doesnt make a difference really, right? the boat i am looking at is a 2000 champ 203 with a 2000 merc 225 efi...nice boat though

[Jiggernaut]

I am hearing a 40% improvement in fuel economy, but not having owned one, I can't vouch for it. I know my friend Jody runs a HPDI Yamahammer and I've fished with him a lot and it burns way less fuel than mine. It depends on how many hours you'll put on a motor in a year. If you only put 20 hours on it/year then don't worry about it. The difference in fuel costs will be negligible at best. If you put on 100 hrs/year, esp. at high running speeds, it's a whole different ballgame.

[Bassman25]

I would definitely fall into the 20 hours a year category then....

[R.D.]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bassman25 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">but seriously, how much better is an optimax at WOT then an EFI??? </TD></TR></TABLE>

NONE................you cant judge gas milage at WOT anyway....other than that it's senseless to think about IMO.......Are you planign on running WFO all day long???? if so you might look at a 250 while your at it because it will not be much difference but you'll gain that extra HP anyway

If you took the same 225's and looked at MPG at 4500 RPM.....the opti wil beat the EFI.....keep going higher RPM and eventually they will be the same MPG.

I can tell you this though......I can fill the 28 gallon tank on my boat up in spring.....and run on that gas for about 2 months of tourneys (2-3 per month) on Milford and a few trips around lakes here.....Been there Done that.....This year was no exception and I only had to put gas in it ONCE this year and was because I did a lot of running looking for pre-fish spots in Missouri

[Jiggernaut]

My 225 EFI gets 3 mpg at WOT. I would pay good money to improve my mileage by 2 mpg as it would cut my fuel cost almost in half.

[R.D.]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jiggernaut &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> If you only put 20 hours on it/year then don't worry about it. The difference in fuel costs will be negligible at best. If you put on 100 hrs/year, esp. at high running speeds, it's a whole different ballgame.</TD></TR></TABLE>

[dukhntr]

If it were me looking at a new boat, I would definately get a DI engine. With the gas prices they are at, it's highway robbery. IT is only gonna get worse. I bet that it'll be up to $3.00 again here real soon. Eventually all lakes are gonna gave regs where you have to have a DI or 4 stroke. There are already lakes in Cali that are like that

[Jiggernaut]

I look at it like this. My rig holds 56 gallons of gas. I'll put about 45 gal in her if I'm gonna fish both days on the weekend. About $100 worth. At the end of the weekend most of that fuel is gone. Now if I could improve my fuel economy by 40%, I might spend only $60 or $70 a weekend on boat gas instead of a hundred. It starts to become real money after a while, but maybe not justification to drop 45K on a new rig when the one you have is paid for.

[Bassman25]

nor does it justify itself to pay more than 17K for a boat and get a DI motor...i wont go over that amount at all...not worth it to me...when i get the boat paid off in 5 years, i will put a DI motor on it then. in california, you can still run the EFI motors and carbed motors but you cant buy them, if you already own them, you can run them. Kansas wont have that problem because we dont have that many people around...

[dukhntr]

I see what you are saying, but IMO there are deals out there where you can get a DI engine for less than that rig your looking at Tyson. Tim is a fine example. Either way, get what you can afford and what your gonna be happy with. BTW, there are a few lakes in CAli where you CANNOT have anything ont he water but a 4 stroke or DFI. Just forget the names.

[Bassman25]

find me one then Mr. knowitall (this means i was joking)


Seriously, i have been looking for a while and this one jumps out to my eyes and i love the colors and the way it is set up...what do you guys think??

[Jiggernaut]

Nice Champ. What year, model and motor size?

[R.D.]

Did you get the Ranger sold T???

[Bassman25]

From the email the guy sent me back:::


2000 203DCX Champion Bass Boat 225 EFI Mercury
Description: One owner, This boat has everything 2000 Champion Gunmetal,Charcoal and Teal very pretty! 4 blade trophy,All Elite features,Hot foot,two but seats,3 pole battery charger,live well pump out,tilt steering,blinker style trim,compass,deluxe teal boat cover,101 minkota trolling motor,Lowrance Electronics front and back X65 in front and X75 in the dash. Matching single axel trailer..hamby keel protector...Original owner, I ordered this boat...and now I don't have the time to fish ,So I am selling.The boat is in excellent condition!

[Bassman25]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tritonryan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Did you get the Ranger sold T???</TD></TR></TABLE>


nope...

[R.D.]

Deposit!!!!!!!

[Bassman25]

huh?

[R.D.]

you now........what you do when you want something........put some $$ down on it to hold it......a deposit