Re: optimax vs efi
Mike F,<br />I gotta echo Whaleys comments, I would reccomend an Opti over a Ficht. In my opinion Ficht hasn't established a long enough trouble-free history yet. Keep in mind that opinions on this board are only opinions. Everyone brings their own biases and life experience with them - just like Chevy and Ford.<br /><br />jrsi812<br />If top end speed is your only concern, go with the 175. If you are looking for reliability and fuel economy, go with the 150. Maintenance is no higher on the Optimax's, just different. For most of the major repairs, you will have to take it to a dealer, but with the scan tools it eliminates a lot of guesswork, so diagnosis is pretty straight forward. The important thing is to use your boat. Letting it sit causes the most damage. If you don't have a lot of time, then I recommend getting something that you can fix yourself, because by not using it, your boat will always be broken down when you want it. It doesn't matter what brand/model. If it sits more than it runs, get something easy and inexpensive to repair - because you will have to - often. Just my $.02
) that just went over 400hrs (should be plenty of hours left). I'm thinking of a 175opti or 175EFI. The EFI is a proven engine but old technology. The opti like I said earlier - well it scares me with the problems they have had. I'm really impressed with what I've read on the new Evinrudes. It makes rerigging a lot more expensive though when you change brands. 
