Which Engine ?

[super5]

I am new to the forum but have been lurking for along time. I am planning on purchasing a 1648 welded
jon in '15. Looking at 3-4 lines. also looking at 25-30 hp 4 stroke , elect start and ptt. Merc, yama, suk, or tohatsu. I have had 2 Tohatsus 5hp 4 strokes on 2 different driftboats and they were very good. what do yall think?
Thanks, Have a great Thanksgiving
Super5

 

[ggoldy]

I don't understand "3-4 lines". I've heard Evinrude and Johnson are Tohatsu motors and have a 5 year warrenty, better than the others(3 year). Tohatsu would be least expensive. Weight and warrenty would be my biggest concerns. Also consider the personal attention a small local dealer would give you if you buy from him, compared to mail order. Supporting my local, small business owner and knowing them by name is worth 5% to me.

 

[super5]

What I meant was several different boat brands. Sea ark, weldbilt and xtreme are
the ones I keep going back to.

 

[JMichael]

What I meant was several different boat brands. Sea ark, weldbilt and xtreme are
the ones I keep going back to.

Have you looked at https://wareagleboats.com/

 

[turbotodd]

I know nothing of the other motor brands, other than Yamaha.

Bad part about Yamaha is that they don't offer a tiller steer PT&T motor. You have to buy a remote motor and add the expensive tiller kit to it. It is sweet, but it's not cheap once you add it all up. The 25 is old school carbureted motor which there is absolutely nothing wrong with. They also have a 30 and 40 hp, both 3 cylinder (the 25 is twin cyl), both EFI, honestly both are almost identical motors-same weight and all (around 215 lb roughly). Unless the boat was only rated at 30 hp, there is absolutely no reason not to get the 40. It is a sweet little motor

RE: war eagle. I have a 548 war eagle, and absolutely love everything about it. My first brand new boat and I looked at many of them. Waco, Edge, Duracraft, Alumacraft, Alumaweld, Lowe, and a bunch more. Went back to the War Eagle. Took them a while to build it, but it came in and was exactly what I needed. Nothing more, nothing less. I went to the dealer and spec'd it out, they ordered it and the way I spec'd it is the way it came. I like it a lot better than the old fiberglass boat I used to have, even though it was faster and bigger, this thing does a lot more than I could do with the 'glass boat, like run in a foot of water among other things.

 

[TNtroller]

Try and buy from a good dealer that is close, so IF you have issues with the 4s, it won't be a major hassle, ju0st a normal hassle. Tohatsu makes the smaller Merc's, where the break is on size/hp I can't remember, maybe around 20hp, then Merc makes 'em. Everything I've read about yammers is they are bullet proof, but no 1st hand experience with. I've got a 5hp merc 4s, the carb needed adjustment due to hard start issues, but resolved. I've got a Merc 60 4s with about 8 hrs on it, and it runs great, starts and idles like a car, runs good.

You can get a lemon in any brand, so get what you want/can/need and go from there.

 

[25yamaha]

If you could afford it I would go with honda or yamaha thotsu would be my 3rd choice.