Re: Merc 115 vs 115 Etec
I don't think you can go wrong with either engine really. The outboards made today are incredibly sophisticated machines and should prove to be mostly trouble free for many, many hours of use.
You may get a lemon from either Evinrude or Merc, but I really don't know I could generalize and say that one is better than the other. Kind of like comparing a Ford to a Chevy or a Honda to a Toyota.
I happen to have an Etec on my Lund and love it. I chose it mostly based on price (slightly used and came from a non-profit that had to sell at wholesale to get new motors from Evinrude), but I really prefer 2 strokes on boats for weight reasons. Mine is only a 40 HP, so it is a completely differnent animal than the 115 (although the engines share many internal parts due to BRP's "modular" approach). Even for a 2-cylinder it is smooth enough at idle and amazingly quiet even at full tilt..and the sound the Etecs do make at full throttle is a little more pleasing to listen too in my opinion (not something that can be classified/quantified, but they sound "tighter" or something).
There is zero smoke with these things and the meet the same EPA regs as the cleanest 4S.
Being a 2S, it does consume oil. But you will be surprised at how little they use since the oil is injected directly into the moving parts and is not sucked through a carburator like on conventional 2S engines where it must whirl around in the crankcase in hopes of lubing a bearing. In other words, the engines lube moving parts in much the same way as a 4S (oil directly flows where needed) but there is no sump and no oil to change. I have yet to refill the oil bottle on mine and I have been using it somewhat regularly....probably uses oil similarly to a 150:1 mix. Maybe less.
You do have to buy the Evinrude oil for the Etec though. It is offered in 2 flavors - XD50 and XD100 - and you have to have the engine programmed by the dealer for the appropriate oil. You can run XD100 ($30/gal) in an engine programmed for XD50 ($25/gal), but not the other way around. i use XD100 and am programmed at XD50 levels which may be wasetful, but we're not talking about much oil here. And I don't usually winterize as I use the boat all year - even when below freezing until the lakes get soild - and the XD100 is supposed to offer better cold lubricating properties.
Even at $30/gal, with the consumption rate so low and gas prices where they are the expenses for oil are trivial in comparison. besides, you do have oil to change in a 4S, and it isn't free either and if you count your time for anything you might do well to consider an Etec or Optimax.
Speaking of winterizing, on the Etec you can do it yourself (via a few sequenced movements of the throttle) and the motor will fog iteself in only a few minutes. Slick.
The Etec 115 is probably lighter and more compact than the Merc since there is - mechanically - lot less inviolved with a 2S. In my size class, the Etec actually advertises a higher weight than the Merc 4S, but it seems that Evinrude lists operational weight while other manufacturers list only the lightest version. A few pounds saved help to balance the boat and in theory reduce fuel consumption on the road...
The Engine Management Module (EMM) computer in the Etec tells the oil injection system to use more oil during break in. So the engine does in fact undergo a break in period, but you won't know it.
They call for no service for 3 years on the Etecs which seems plausible since there isn't much to do anyway. All you can do on the engine itself is change the plugs (but they must be "indexed" properly so the electrode faces the injector). Three years out of a waterpump ought to be fine for most guys too. The maintenance calculator on Evinrude's website seems to paint a pretty grim picture of what life is like for 4S owners, so I'd take its info with a grain of salt.
Now that I have my Etec, i am 100% pleased with it. I probably would have been equally pleased with a Merc 4S. My family has always had Johnson/Evinrude stuff (even Lawnboy mowers) and we have been generally happy. That said, dad currently runs a Mariner (Merc) on his boat and has never had any design related problems (although a tree fell on it and broke the cowling and screwed up the power trim electrics...). We have a 1959 merc 6 HP that is still a great little engine and still gets used, so they certainly have the pedigree to turn out good product too.
If I had to do it all over again or had to recommend a new motor, I'd go with the Etec.
Your mileage may vary,
Steve
Edit:
I forgot to mention that last season a close friend bought a new pontoon boat with a Merc 115 4S. He is entirely satisfied with the motor and I can agree from my little experience on his boat. It is very quiet (especially on a Pontoon where it is way behind you) and makes no smoke. It also seems to offer excellent fuel efficiency for such a large motor. he put almost 150 hours on it last summer and had it in to the shop for 2 oil changes (one was after break in, on was at the end of the season) and for winterization...he has no aptitude to do anything on his own and I don't know what the added costs were, but he complained quite a bit about it. But, if you can read a manual and turn a wrench, cost of ownership will be lower. Not sure if this line of OB has valves to adjust (probably not since it is so new), but might want to check.
