Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

[salmonee]

I'm looking at a 1999 Sea Ray 180 DC fish/ski. It has a 135 optimax, <100hrs. I've googled "optimax" and it seem as though these outboards were plagued with problems. Can I get some inputs?

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

Well, when you Google something, you get what people write about it. People write most often when they're having a problem, not when they're out enjoying their stuff.

I think you'll find that googling any outboard brand will bring up more problems than happy reports. I can't imagine how it would be any other way.

Just look at this site. Problem after problem with every brand of outboard. But, this site is about solving problems, so that's what people write here.

Same thing with cars. Same thing with big screen TVs.

Mercury Optimax outboards are just fine. Like all the others, if you use them the way they're intended to be used, keep up with regular maintenance, as described in the owner's manual, they'll do just fine.

Don't do that, and any outboard will soon become a lemon.

If you're looking at used boats and motors, the key is in how they were maintained, not the brand name on the engine, as long as that company is still in business. That means that you should skip Chrysler and Force stuff, since their companies are gone.

Also, find out if there is good service available near you.

Don't stress over the major brand comparisons. They're all good.

 

[salmonee]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

There lies the problem. Many of the complaints I see are from brand new outboards! Someone buys a new boat with a new outboard, thing blows up after a couple of hours. They swap the outboards for a new one and the same things happen. I also read where some are happy with their optimax. It's a hit or miss situation I guess. What about the boat hours? Does this seem reasonable for a 9yr old boat? roughly 10hours/year. We get 3 months of summer boating season here in the northwest. This is not including fishing season. This boat was setup for fishing by the way.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

Ten hours a year is very low usage, in my book. We have a very short season up here in Minnesota, but the average weekend fisherman puts 50 hours or more on his outboard a year. If I only used my boat's outboard 10 hours a year, I'd just rent a boat when I wanted to use one.

More important than total hours, though, is the record of maintenance done on the outboard over those 9 years. Frankly, most people don't keep such records, but you can get an idea by talking to the owner. How often did he do this and that, and has he had any repairs made to the outboard? Most folks will answer those questions relatively honestly.

Of course, the ideal is someone who has a written log or all receipts. That's pretty rare, though.

If he's been running this Optimax for 9 years, then it wasn't a factory lemon. Those break the first year or two. Most of the whining trouble reports on the web from folks are from people who just plain got a bad motor or from someone who abused the heck out of their outboard and won't admit it.

So, ask the guy about what service the engine got, and if there have been any repairs needed. You'll have to judge his honesty for yourself. Have the cowling off. With that few hours, things should be **** and span in there. Look at the prop. With that few hours, it's probably the original. Does it look abused or just used. Used is fine. Abused means the rest of the outboard may have also suffered abuse.

But, I wouldn't worry about the low hours. Lots of guys buy a boat and go fishing two or three times a year. I think it's foolish, but lots of guys do it. It could be that this boat is a cream puff. That's what you're looking for, the boat the guy took care of, but hardly used much at all. Same price, different deal.

It's always a crap shoot. Always. No warranty on used boats, but the entry cost is low. 9 years is not much. Heck, my boat is over 40 years old, and it wasn't babied. Dents and everything. But, who cares? It takes me fishing, not just two or three times a year, but at least once a week. I'd much rather be on the water in my crappy-looking boat than off the water waiting to find a nicer one I can't afford.

Different strokes...

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

Just one more thing, in passing:

How many hours do you think you'll spend, realistically, using your boat each year? It's an important question. Look at your lifestyle, demands on your time from work, family responsibilities, and other things. How much time do you spend on recreational activities now?

Odds are that amount of time won't change much. Your job still goes on. Other stuff still goes on. You'll still have the same time for recreation.

Now, divide those hours, times five, into the price of the boat. That's how much owning the boat will cost you for five years, per hour. It's a shocking number for most people. Plus, in all likelihood, you'll overestimate how much you'll use the boat.

Now, call a local marina that rents pontoon boats and other kinds of boats and find out how much it costs per hour, then multiply that by the number of hours you'll use your boat, then by five. Odds are it'll be cheaper than what you're planning to spend on a boat. And that doesn't even count the cost of maintenance, fuel, towing costs, etc.

I have, roughly, $1000 in my boat, motor and trailer. I use it about 100 hours a year. I can't rent a boat for $10 an hour anywhere, so my boat has paid for itself in one year.

Now, if I only used it 10 hours a year, like the guy who owned the boat you're looking at, it would have cost me $100/hr. Wow! I could go fishing several times with a professional guide for that. Around here, a full 8-hour day with a guide runs about $300. His boat. His fuel. His insurance. And, you catch lots of fish.

Boating's enormous fun, but it's also enormously expensive. It's all worth calculating. Don't be the 9 hours a year guy. That's a total waste of your money.

 

[salmonee]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

What kind of maintenance are normal for outboards? Can you list a few?

I'll be using the boat quite a bit. 100hrs/yr would be low for my case. I'm looking for 80% fishing machine and 20% pleasure, pulling kids behind a tube.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

Outboards have lower maintenance requirements than i/o units, but it depends on the type of outboard. 4-strokes require oil changes. 2-strokes do not.

All require thorough flushing after saltwater use. There are lubrication points that need service at regular intervals, and more often if used in saltwater. Water pump impellers need replacement every couple of years.

Either an owners manual for the outboard or the factory service manual will spell out routine maintenance requirements for a particular unit.

After any engine is a few years old, maintenance costs tend to go up. Parts fail and must be replaced. Props get dinged up. That sort of thing. Comes with having something with moving parts and electronics. Some stuff, you can do yourself, but that's getting to be less and less an option on the newer outboards, where a computer basically controls everything. Just like cars.

Then there's maintenance on the boat and the trailer to add into the picture. You can save by doing this stuff yourself, but it all takes time.

Boats. You gotta love 'em. If you don't, they get old pretty fast, in more ways than one.

 

[TonyNoriega]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

CATransplant I just wanted to chime in an mention how impressed I am while reading yours posts in this chain. It's obvious that you have put a lot of thought and effort into understanding boating (and I would guess that the wisdom was accrued over many years on the water).

Enjoyable stuff to read.....

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

You're way too kind. I know some stuff, but there's a heckuva lot more I don't know. That's OK, though, since there are many folks here who do.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

Just one more thing, in passing:

How many hours do you think you'll spend, realistically, using your boat each year? It's an important question. Look at your lifestyle, demands on your time from work, family responsibilities, and other things. How much time do you spend on recreational activities now?

Odds are that amount of time won't change much. Your job still goes on. Other stuff still goes on. You'll still have the same time for recreation.

Now, divide those hours, times five, into the price of the boat. That's how much owning the boat will cost you for five years, per hour. It's a shocking number for most people. Plus, in all likelihood, you'll overestimate how much you'll use the boat.

Now, call a local marina that rents pontoon boats and other kinds of boats and find out how much it costs per hour, then multiply that by the number of hours you'll use your boat, then by five. Odds are it'll be cheaper than what you're planning to spend on a boat. And that doesn't even count the cost of maintenance, fuel, towing costs, etc.

I have, roughly, $1000 in my boat, motor and trailer. I use it about 100 hours a year. I can't rent a boat for $10 an hour anywhere, so my boat has paid for itself in one year.

Now, if I only used it 10 hours a year, like the guy who owned the boat you're looking at, it would have cost me $100/hr. Wow! I could go fishing several times with a professional guide for that. Around here, a full 8-hour day with a guide runs about $300. His boat. His fuel. His insurance. And, you catch lots of fish.

Boating's enormous fun, but it's also enormously expensive. It's all worth calculating. Don't be the 9 hours a year guy. That's a total waste of your money.

Ok, Cat...I have to blow some sunshine on your thread too because I too fully believe and subscribe to this kind of thinking.
This is what I did/do with my boat in looking at my budget to purchase vs. anticipated usage. The only other thing I included in my financial angle on this is my approximate/estimated resale value at the end of that time and then what i'm left with...positive or negative.
I assumed that renting an 18' bowrider was going to cost me about $75/hr and then I worked back from that. Nobody makes money on owning a boat, myself included, but at least I can align my boat expense with my lifes realities and still have some fun...maybe giving up a little bling along the way...no problem.
Anyhow you are dead right tho' in that I think it would scare a lot of people straight to know what they are paying per trip in a (new/expensive) boat over a 5 year span.
Good threads and feedback guys!!
BP

 

[j442w30]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

The first few years after the Optimax was introduced they had some problems with a bad batch of injectors and some other problem that I cannot remember but it affected the 200 HP and up models as I remember.

In my opinion Optimaxes are a good engine, they are very fuel efficient and have excellent throttle response and top end power. You mentioned that you were going to be fishing and pulling the kids around on tubes, the Optimax is great for that kind of stuff.

I would recommend having it checked out before buying it and if you do end up getting it only use Mercury Optimax oil in it. I think you would be happy with that engine on that particular boat.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: Are Mercury Optimax bad outboards?

Good thread - lots of insight here, and not just about the engine you're asking about. I had similar thoughts about $$/hr before I took the plunge and bought my project.

I've also done some reading about engines lately; with all the work I've done recently, been thinking which route I'd take on replacement. Now about the Optimax..... it's fuel injected (a plus), 2 stroke (low maintenance, lightweight, another plus), Mercury parts are everywhere via their dealer network (I have 4 within 10 mi of my house, another plus).

Minuses, I'd say, is that the Optimax uses an air compressor for injection. More moving parts and stuff to fix. Fuel consumption's better than carb'd 2-strokes, but probably not as good as a 4-stroke. You probably know all this by now, though.

If it were me, take the plunge. You'll never find that "perfect engine" with the right balance of purchase price, reliability, maintenance/operating costs, etc. because your needs/wants are constatly changing (at least mine are) as is the boat market (influenced by new technologies, price of fuel, and EPA regulations, mainly). So, get something you're comfortable with now and be happy with it.