Re: mercury 115 4stroke or yamaha 115 4stroke
JT, you probably couldn't go wrong with either engine. For a difference of $3k, however, I would definitely be comparing technical specifications and reading every review I could find on the web. (I'd be doing that anyway if they were priced the exact same.) Generally, you get what you pay for, but you can still overpay for something if you're not careful. I'd really make sure you're comparing same the same year model, and try a couple of different sources. I'm a little surprised that there is that much of a price difference. I would have expected something less than $1k, but Merc just might be pricing real aggressive since its a down market. (Trying to gain market share.)
I have a 2006 90 Hp Four Stroke Yamaha. It's been awesome. Regardless of the brand, you have to feed these four strokes good clean gas (no water and no debris in the gas). Keep the maintenance up at 100%, warm it up each time you use it, flush it when it's been in salt water and you'll probably have years of great service no matter which brand you choose.
