At first I was upset that the G2 was like 9 but after seeing the top 3 it made sense😂. I literally felt so bad about a guy that had a force at a boat ramp I took him fishing. I knew they’d never get to go fishing otherwise 😩
Actually i love my 98 50hp fuel2noise converter Fires up everytime, never let me down. Last week someone asked if it was on fire…. No one longer appreciates the smell of a 1:50 twosmoke anymore 🤷♂️
Most of the Force failures were from people running bad gas or cheap oil, the people that bought them weren’t seasoned boaters and didn’t know how to take care of them. As shown in these other comments, people that actually take care of them properly have good luck with them.
Exactly 💯!! And I would say this is true with all outboards. People that put an outboard away for the season without Fogging it or draining the carburetor and using any remaining fuel for the snowblower shouldn't even own an outboard!! Lol 💸 😅
Funny thing is my trusty 96 Starcraft tin dinker has 50 force. Yeah it smokes a little, yeah every 3-5 trips I got adjusted the idler. But that little 50 has been through hell with me. Hitting cypress knees, rocks, hitting stuff in the marsh. Yet I have not bring into a shop get motor work done to it, 26 years still running lol. I think I got 1 out of billion that wasn’t a bad one 😂.
@kwd1253 I don't know if you had that one in a billion one or not but if any motor is junk it's because of lack of care, maintenance, fuel mixture mistakes, etc. The theory of a 2- strokes operation is the same principle across the entire spectrum
My Dad bought a 1979 Mercury 140 tower of power. I was nine at the time. I have been running that same outboard up until two years ago. ( I’m now 52). That motor ran as smooth as a baby’s butt. Never had a issue.
That’s funny my dad bought 2 of them a 90 and a 115 in 75 the wire harness corroded out and the ignition took a crap on the 115 and can’t get parts is what I was told. They ran great. Any suggestions on a 115 replacement
@@slowscout if you are on Facebook there is page for the power of tower and has great information for parts. There is also aftermarket companies making all of the ignition components
I have a1986 Force 125, and a 1985 85hp and both run great never an issue maybe I'm just luckey.. But I believe it is the owners that make a good motor as most people just park them in the off season, and never matenance then as they should. After nearly fourty years the compression on both of mine is still 145+ on all clynders.
I am so happy to see Force number one on this list. I think my dad had the worst boat and motor combo ever probably in your eyes, he had a mid-80s Bayliner with a mid-80s force. There was times you couldn't even get that off the trailer.
Haha..the "Tower of Power". We had one when I was a kid and there was always SOMETHING you had to phuck with to get it to run right and when I was, it went through gas like you were pouring it overboard. Replaced that with a (then new) 150hp Merc Black Maxx and wish to God i still had it. People got into trouble when they'd either forget to refill the oil injection tank or if the oil injection system had an issue, but if properly maintained, that was the best bass boat engine I ever ran
The 1995 Evinrude Intruder 150 was a solid motor. It wasn't on his list thankfully, but I got mine for free thanks to my impulsive and eccentric neighbor who thought he was a jack of all trades. It started running rough for him. He would go out there trying this or that for an hour, then start cussing lol. He rebuilt the carbs, new plugs, new coils, power pack, fuel lines, etc. But it was just super hard to get started and then ran poorly while stalling when u put it in gear. One day a delivery truck shows up and he purchased a brand new 200 Mercury. I noticed the old Intruder on a trailer. He said it's worn out and going to the dump. I asked if I could have it and he said if you can get it to your house,then go for it..... The next day on Sunday I check compression and it's fine, spark is good. I then notice some very fine dust coming from under the flywheel that looks grayish. I pop the flywheel off and discovered half a magnet cracked and dislodged. I ordered a used flywheel and installed it that Friday. The motor fired right up, but still ran terrible. I figured it was the carbs. I took it to a local outboard mechanic. He laughed and said whoever rebuilt these carbs had 0 clue as to what they were doing. I said go ahead and just rebuild and tune all of them. I have had that motor since 2007 and it has left me stranded once when the starter quit. But while it's a gas guzzler, it's a strong motor..... After fixing it, my neighbor actually thought it would be fair if I paid him at least something for all the money he put into it 😱. I told him I would provide him with some fish..... We have never really talked since, which I think is petty
I had the 115hp version. It was an absolute stud. Mine was a "98 model. I owned it for 11 years and NEVER had an issue. Just regular maintenance. Everyone would always comment on how reliable it was. I would buy an older one right now if I could.
OK, nice video. I had a 2.6 ducted Sea Drive. It should have been #1 on your list. Not enough money in the world to keep it running. I replaced it with a Suzuki 225, with two plugs per cylinder. Best two-stroke I've ever owned, ran it countless offshore miles for years and had almost no issues. It was fast too. Loved that motor. Take it off your bad list. Today I'm running a pair of '21 Suzuki 200 hp. Very nice engines.
Valuable insight from a life long boat mechanic. I love your episodes. I found your experiences on Chrysler outboards interesting. My grandparents bought a home on Pine Island Florida in 1967 and after failing with Mercury he swore by the Chryslers holding up better in the salt water. He used the 120 primarily. I know they were always run very hard in rough conditions at times.
Dude...the Evinrude G2 rocks. Didn't sell that well but it was the best outboard of all time. A shame it wasn't more popular because it was a high tech piece of kit.
Believe it or not. My Dad and I had a 150 Force in the mid 90’s. Dad was an old boat racer and we modified the hell out of the engine and on our 16’ 89 Cajun we would leave mercs, evies all takers. It broke peoples minds. Funnest boating of my life.
I had a Force 90hp for 5 years. No problems except trim and tilt. It didn’t produce 90hp. Water skiing , cruising, with good oil, no smoke. Ran it WOD frequently, tried a few different pitch props, always ran the same speed. I feel lucky now.
I will have to say, I bought a new Nitro 700LX back in the 90's with a 90 hp Force. I fished out of it all year for 6 years and beat on it. yet never had a single issue with it, but I maintain my stuff. I sold it and upgraded to a new 2002 Ranger 518VX with the 200hp Opti. Still running it today.
That seems to be the common theme with forces. Cheap people buy cheap motors and treat them like crap. Then they break. I have a 50 hp force, so far I like it. Simple, easy to work on. If I could afford a better motor, I'd get one. But so far, I'll run the force till it dies and take care of it.
This is freaking awesome,my family was in the boat biz for many years and we started out as force/mariner,then mercury after 96-ish.My buddy traded in a Suzuki 150ss and when I sold it the guy came back and said it quite on him,ended up just a bad stator.keep up the good work fellas.
I’m restoring a 1974 Allison sst and I was given a running force 120. Hadn’t had it in the water yet but I hope it last long enough for me to find 2.5l merc.
Just sold an old 86 Bayliner that I had inherited from my brother when he moved. Had an 85hp Force on it. Think he had about 300 hours on it. Motor hadn't been run in over a decade. Pulled the plugs, fogged the motor, put in new battery and cranked it over no problem. Put the plugs back in, filled the tank and the damn thing started the second time cranked it and idled great. Guy that bought it has been running it for about a month now and told me he loves it. Starts and runs everytime.
I had a stack of evy's and john's through the 70s, 80s and 90s, and they never let me down. The old motors were made to last. I would not buy a new outboard these days.
My uncle had a Johnson fast strike that was in the shop more than on the water. I’m sure by the numbers OMC made a decent motor, but we never had luck with them.
My 97 force 40hp has been reliable as hell for over a decade. Not the smoothest but it idles good and the only thing I ever had to do besides maintenance is a starter. I have not been easy on it and it still hauls but. Maybe I just got really lucky.
My fiance and I bought an older bass boat last year with an 89 force 125 on it. Stator went out on it last year, but after that, it's been a great running motor. Idles really well and gets us to where we want to go and back.
Sold my 86 Capri with 125 Force after owning it 15 years. Had over 2,000 trouble free hours on it. It was over 10 years old when my buddy's new Yamaha 250 blew up. LOL😂
I had a force 125, late 80’s, most reliable outboard I ever owned. Maybe I just got lucky. I had a Johnson 65hp before and that force ran so much smoother with much less vibration. But knowing they are prone to issues I won’t get another. I don’t buy new outboards for several reasons, they are all crap, they are all priced way higher than they should be, they all rely too heavily on electronics. I have my favorites, old evinrude/ Johnson, smaller mercury’s, and for stern drive mercruiser alpha 1 with a Chevy small block.
I had a 99 ficht on my old Ranger with around 650 hours on it when I sold it three years ago. Sipped oil and fuel and ran like a champ. I had it for 8 years I think and besides routine maintenance the only problem it had was a cracked capacitor in the ecm that needed to be fixed for starting in cold weather. The lower unit did give it up right before I sold it, but it was the original, so pretty good. I'll tell you I hated indexing those damn spark plugs though lol
We bought our Suzuki when Covid was just getting started. (we weren't even wearing masks yet) so hopefully we are safe. Carburetors are great for engines that are used regularly, but on outboards that sit or troll a lot, over time they just lose their tune and don't work right. I see small boats with electric trolling motors all the time simply for the reason that their trusty old carburetor outboards just don't troll right anymore. My marine mechanic has the Merc Opti max on his list as well. Good video by the way.
I have an Evinrude E-Tec 150 2012. Had to replace the stator after 400h. Had the engine rebuilt after 500h due to a blown piston (piston 1). Now at 700h it blew another piston (piston 6). So far I've had repair costs of more than 6000USD, I'm done fixing it. Gonna replace it with a new Yamaha 150 VMAX SHO.
Just had a 7.5 Force given to me from a friend who is developing dementia and will never fish again. Is it worth having it serviced or should it go in the scrap yard? Thanks
I know a guy that had a Fitch…. It was a good thing he put a brand new trolling motor on that boat, he put more hours on the trolling motor then the outboard that thing left him stranded everywhere haha
First boat was a 1982 Renken bow rider with a 1982 Chrysler 115 2 stroke. I brought it to a mechanic to go through it and he told me this is a red headed stepchild but somehow this one was in great shape. It was loud, shaky and smoked like hell but it always ran never gave me a problem. Didn’t have so much luck with the 2006 Yamaha 225 4 stroke though.
Carburetor for four-stroke Mercury is because they're using ethanol gas if they use non ethanol and put a little seafoam in each fill-up you never have a problem
I was a Sears tech for 20 years.The models with tecumseh powerheads were nothing much more than a lawnmower engine under the cowling(ignition timing and carb were slightly different.They had many issues. I do remember Sears had other manufacturers too with issues but We had a couple models with a Japanese powerhead.We had dozens here in south florida getting run hard in salt water,ran great with no abnormal/early failures.
Most of the sears motors were Eska, actually pretty good for what they are. I have a 40 year old one. Still runs like a top. The late model ones were made by force I wouldn't touch one of those.
I just bought a tracker with a 1999 mercury force 90hp. Thing runs great but only had a few days. Should I try to resell it in the spring or go with it? Can I get pets for it? Thanks.
Great video! So I’m looking at buying a new still in the crate 2021 Suzuki DF200 ATL3 outboard from a marina. But after watching your video I’m having 2nd thoughts. What’s your thoughts? Thanks
Good job. Toastmaster expert quote: Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them and then tell them what you told them. I'm a former toastmaster and then got too busy for the program. You followed that format, so I told you. I am thinking of being a RUclips presenter via slide show of my home repair projects. No time for me to do the action videos but am doing progress pics. I can do a good narration of the organized pics. I am deciding if it is worth my while or a waste of time. I hope to get back into boating after I get a good but used full size pick-up truck to tow the boats.
Hit the nail on the head..for fun back in the day we put a chrysler 100hp on nitro methane...surprisingly it lasted for 2 full quarter mile passes and idled at 4k rpm...😆. I never seen a piston turn into tooth paste...it oozed out the block.
I have a mercury 115 power of tower bought it from a guy that didn’t know much about it. Just need a tune up and carbs clean. It hasn’t miss a single beat since and owned it for 5 years now still going strong as brand new. Plus I just pick up a mercury 175 that’s been sitting for 15 years after a tune up that bad boy fired up like it never been sitting at all. Crazy the rare finds on them good motors.
I got an old aluminum bass boat im restoring it came with a 80s evinrude 28 spl on it how were they and what kind of problems can I expect from it would i even be able to get parts if i need to make repairs to it or would i be better off to just repower it
I had a 115hp mariner tower of power and these motor had a sick personality. It would get you out to the middle of the lake and then never start back up. The trolling motor became the primary engine. Smartest thing i ever did was unfiltered from my awesome tidecraft and sell it on Facebook market place. I seriously thought I was gonna have to sell it for scrap metal weight but the Lord put it someone's hands.
I had a '98 Force 120hp. I ran the crap out of it. I know it wasn't the best motor ever made, but it did give me some fun times fishing. I didn't own that boat/motor long, after 1.5 years and a starter motor, I traded it off for a new boat that had a Yamaha. I have not looked back. I did run 100% regular gas and Pennzoil Marine 2-stroke oil. Could be the reason I didn't have problems like others have stated.
I have a 2005 175 Ficht engine. One of the best engines I've ever owned. I did have to have the top head computer rebuilt by DFI Industries in Alabama. Came back better than ever. The best engine I owned was a Johnson 150 GT (1981????). Always ran, ran ran. And super fast.
I got a 1988 force 50 for 400 bucks. Im brand new to outboards but can turn a wrench. I was hesitant but it had really good compression and looked really clean. Figured what the hell. Gotta be better than a dead motor right? Out of the gate had a stator problem which did not inspire confidence, but i fixed that easy and the thing runs good! Gets me going fast, and for a cheap motor, it just needs to get me where i need to fish and i have a good kicker motor as a back up. I think for just getting started, if you just want to get out fishing and to learn about working on outboards without breaking the bank, not a bad choice. This thing is super simple and easy to work on. Maybe I got lucky but so far, as a DIY guy I am not disappointed. Maybe someday i will sell it and upgrade to a nicer motor but so far, Im fishing so im happy.
My first boat had a 45 Chrysler. It would always drop a cylinder at idle. About shake the transom out. Come out of the bay and hit the throttle. She'd sputter and cough and then the cylinder would come back and run good. Ended up putting a 6hp Johnson kicker on with it. Trolling was outta the question with it. 2nd boat was 115 tower of power. Little temperamental but ran forever. Eventually it tore the transom outta the old MARK TWAIN boat. Hung on it another boat and ran it several more years.
Tower of power - changing the #6 spark plug....uuggghhhh... What where they thinking when they designed that??? It has an excellent hole shot though!! Are the carbs designed to leak a little?
I had a 15hp force that blown head gaskets for brakfast and it was heavy on fuel. It would run well on a light boat, but it was a bad experience on a heavy vessel. Even A and B series Yamaha are dream motors, when compared to Force.
I have about 3k for an outboard motor and currently I have 2 options… 1. 1996 Johnson 175hp 2. 1995 Merc 2.0/150 hp. 3. Other suggestions/places to find good cheap used outboards.
I had a early 90s 15hp Game Fisher also. We took it to Lake Fork. 1st time out. The 1st stump we rolled over a stump the prop nudged it and the prop didnt spin. Little did we know they put shear pins in the prop shaft!!!!!! We had to be towed in! I used make my own shear pins out of welding wire for it. Total junk
Isn't the alternative to a sheer pin a friction fit rubber bushing that shreads itself to protect the gear but leaves you with a barely working prop. Some people/shops can press fit a new bushing in and most often you can limp home on a torn bushing. But not sure a sheer pin is as bas as you make it out to be - if you carry a spare;)
I think I have the only good running Ficht. I bought the boat in 2011 and was told my engine was going to blow up soon. It is a 2001 135hp V6. I have had my issues, but it still runs strong due to my great mechanic and regular maintenance.
My dads boat had a Yamaha 100 4-stroke carborated. Ran flawlessly for approximately 25 years until we sold it with my dad’s passing. The gentleman that bought it said it’s still running great after he cleaned it up a little after it sat in storage for 5 years. One of the reasons when I bought my last fishing boat in 2020 I insisted on Yamaha
Chrysler and force was the same motor. Bought out and renamed force then merc bought whoever out and renamed it force by mercy. And then tried to just call it a merc. Then they got smart and finally scraped it. I had a 91 50.hp force. It was ok. But really had to keep up maintenance and make sure all was good before using. Lol.
I heard you talk about the number one fast boat in your opinion it was a champion 203 I like to get your opinion on a '98 champion 202 are they about the same in your opinion just one inch difference in length is the rest of the boat in your opinion the same thanks JT from Virginia
I truly enjoyed this video. Thanks for sharing some knowledge , and then making me laugh several times. 😆 … I mean I am still picturing the kid swimming with the rope in his teeth 😂
Not going to sit here and take up for force. But I have a 96 model 90 hp on an aluminum boat that is still running like a top today. Don't know how or why, just knocking on some wood.
You are dead wrong on the Mercury Tower of power. Those were great motors that you could not kill. However I think you’re absolutely right on the Chrysler outboard‘s. The only good thing about those was the damn good starter motor. The one outboard missing from the list was the Hiawatha. We had a 7.5 hp outboard, and it rarely ran. I think those were sold by the gambles department store, and you could buy those with the green stamps
Had a OMC Johnson gt 175 with the direct injection oil pump. Popped the heads every time due to lack of oil. Then started putting oil in the gas tank. Last longer, but pop goes the weasel. Replaced it with a 175 merc efi.
I got a 98 ficht 150 with 890 hrs and still runs great, very dependable motor as long as it had the recall. Pin it and trim it. Wished 2 strokes was still manufactured
I 100% agree with you on the Chrysler outboard motors. They suck. My dad bought a brand new boat with a Chrysler motor on it. After the first year the only way you could start it is with starting fluid. After that it ran good. In and out of the shop constantly. The boat spent more time in the shop than it did on the lake. I was happy to see that Johnson didn't make your list. We've had 3 or 4 late 70's models that ran like a top after i rebuilt the carbs. We had a 70 hp, a 90hp, and a 70hp stinger that i currently have stored while trying to find a good hull to put it on. I also have a Mercury black max 150 ( late 80's) that runs very well after i rebuilt the carbs on it
So you say forces are absolute garbage. I assume your talking about the Chrysler ones, but what about the mercury forces. Or are they the same motors? I just got a boat with a 75 mercury force. It sat for 8 years. Fresh gas and battery and it runs, but not well. The boat is in immaculate shape, but the motor is less than to be desired in my opinion.
I have an old evinrude v4 cross flow, the thing is from the 70s and still running strong... would love a 4 stroke or e-tec though, the noise gets to me now and again when trying to have conversations while on plane
New to the channel I know the video a year old lol but I’ve been running suzuki DT225 I dropped a cylinder got rebuilt and 10hrs latter dropped the same cylinder put a hole in the piston I’m thinking about switching to Mercury mid 90s
Mercury vs Chrysler Force. I have the one by Mercury, 120 HP, and it runs quite well. I do agree with the leaking carbs, I have no idea why the replacement/oem seals are cork. Once I leveled the float correctly and don't trim it till the pump maxes out she doesn't leak.
I was planning on purchasing a new pontoon with either a 90hp or 115hp motor, with any of the top 3 manufacturers motors, I'm not picky, but now I'm concerned about getting a Covid Motor. What do you consider the time frame for the manufacturer of a "Covid" motor?
Those are fighting words with tower of power. But, yeah... six cylinders are tall buggers. They are antiques that have been ridden hard and put away wet.
Enjoy your videos .keep them coming ! I have a question ... I have a 2005 Suzuki DF 115 I got it usead whit a boat and i want to know if its anyway to find out the nr of houres and how , thank you !
I still wake up at night in a cold sweat and run to the garage and make sure there's not a blue motor on the back of my boat. The Evinrude Ficht stranded me way too many times to count after I bought it new in 2000.
I just bought one Force 120 0f 1999 pay just 200 bucks. This has no compression in the fourth cylinder. Could you help me find a spare pistons kit in the US ? Please! I'm from Kazakhstan
@jacklucy2 exactly 💯! This is just pure high-school rhetoric!! Nothing at all wrong with Chrysler and Force outboards! Except for maybe the mechanic that has a pre-supposed opinion!
At first I was upset that the G2 was like 9 but after seeing the top 3 it made sense😂. I literally felt so bad about a guy that had a force at a boat ramp I took him fishing. I knew they’d never get to go fishing otherwise 😩
The G2 had to make the list because it killed Evinrude. We also personally hated working on them!
Actually i love my 98 50hp fuel2noise converter
Fires up everytime, never let me down. Last week someone asked if it was on fire…. No one longer appreciates the smell of a 1:50 twosmoke anymore 🤷♂️
@@RHaarFlyup I mix it heavy to keep away the chatty Cathy’s
I had a 70hp Force.she ran great.just had to change plugs every 6 months..😮
99
Most of the Force failures were from people running bad gas or cheap oil, the people that bought them weren’t seasoned boaters and didn’t know how to take care of them. As shown in these other comments, people that actually take care of them properly have good luck with them.
Exactly 💯!! And I would say this is true with all outboards. People that put an outboard away for the season without Fogging it or draining the carburetor and using any remaining fuel for the snowblower shouldn't even own an outboard!! Lol 💸 😅
Comment below of if you've ran any of these outboards and what your experience was like.
Funny thing is my trusty 96 Starcraft tin dinker has 50 force. Yeah it smokes a little, yeah every 3-5 trips I got adjusted the idler. But that little 50 has been through hell with me. Hitting cypress knees, rocks, hitting stuff in the marsh. Yet I have not bring into a shop get motor work done to it, 26 years still running lol. I think I got 1 out of billion that wasn’t a bad one 😂.
I had a 1999 200hp Evenrude ficht that ran good. I must of been lucky
I had a Chrysler, it ran great for a year. Then it wouldn’t stay wot. Sold entire boat
@@aaronz942So, you run a motor for a year and don't expect to have any maintenance or carburetor adjustment to look into?
@kwd1253 I don't know if you had that one in a billion one or not but if any motor is junk it's because of lack of care, maintenance, fuel mixture mistakes, etc. The theory of a 2- strokes operation is the same principle across the entire spectrum
My Dad bought a 1979 Mercury 140 tower of power. I was nine at the time. I have been running that same outboard up until two years ago. ( I’m now 52). That motor ran as smooth as a baby’s butt. Never had a issue.
That's awesome Chuck!!!
That’s funny my dad bought 2 of them a 90 and a 115 in 75 the wire harness corroded out and the ignition took a crap on the 115 and can’t get parts is what I was told. They ran great. Any suggestions on a 115 replacement
@@slowscout if you are on Facebook there is page for the power of tower and has great information for parts. There is also aftermarket companies making all of the ignition components
I have a1986 Force 125, and a 1985 85hp and both run great never an issue maybe I'm just luckey.. But I believe it is the owners that make a good motor as most people just park them in the off season, and never matenance then as they should. After nearly fourty years the compression on both of mine is still 145+ on all clynders.
Exactly 💯!! This guy even thinks Sears actually made things, like outboards!! His list is ridiculously biased
Sears never made a single thing they sold!
I am so happy to see Force number one on this list. I think my dad had the worst boat and motor combo ever probably in your eyes, he had a mid-80s Bayliner with a mid-80s force. There was times you couldn't even get that off the trailer.
Was it the model of boat that sunk because the wake coming off plane would flood the boat?
may the force be with you and never behind you
Haha..the "Tower of Power". We had one when I was a kid and there was always SOMETHING you had to phuck with to get it to run right and when I was, it went through gas like you were pouring it overboard. Replaced that with a (then new) 150hp Merc Black Maxx and wish to God i still had it. People got into trouble when they'd either forget to refill the oil injection tank or if the oil injection system had an issue, but if properly maintained, that was the best bass boat engine I ever ran
The 1995 Evinrude Intruder 150 was a solid motor. It wasn't on his list thankfully, but I got mine for free thanks to my impulsive and eccentric neighbor who thought he was a jack of all trades. It started running rough for him. He would go out there trying this or that for an hour, then start cussing lol. He rebuilt the carbs, new plugs, new coils, power pack, fuel lines, etc. But it was just super hard to get started and then ran poorly while stalling when u put it in gear.
One day a delivery truck shows up and he purchased a brand new 200 Mercury. I noticed the old Intruder on a trailer. He said it's worn out and going to the dump. I asked if I could have it and he said if you can get it to your house,then go for it..... The next day on Sunday I check compression and it's fine, spark is good. I then notice some very fine dust coming from under the flywheel that looks grayish. I pop the flywheel off and discovered half a magnet cracked and dislodged. I ordered a used flywheel and installed it that Friday. The motor fired right up, but still ran terrible. I figured it was the carbs. I took it to a local outboard mechanic. He laughed and said whoever rebuilt these carbs had 0 clue as to what they were doing. I said go ahead and just rebuild and tune all of them.
I have had that motor since 2007 and it has left me stranded once when the starter quit. But while it's a gas guzzler, it's a strong motor..... After fixing it, my neighbor actually thought it would be fair if I paid him at least something for all the money he put into it 😱. I told him I would provide him with some fish..... We have never really talked since, which I think is petty
I had the 115hp version. It was an absolute stud. Mine was a "98 model. I owned it for 11 years and NEVER had an issue. Just regular maintenance. Everyone would always comment on how reliable it was. I would buy an older one right now if I could.
OK, nice video. I had a 2.6 ducted Sea Drive. It should have been #1 on your list. Not enough money in the world to keep it running. I replaced it with a Suzuki 225, with two plugs per cylinder. Best two-stroke I've ever owned, ran it countless offshore miles for years and had almost no issues. It was fast too. Loved that motor. Take it off your bad list. Today I'm running a pair of '21 Suzuki 200 hp. Very nice engines.
Valuable insight from a life long boat mechanic. I love your episodes. I found your experiences on Chrysler outboards interesting. My grandparents bought a home on Pine Island Florida in 1967 and after failing with Mercury he swore by the Chryslers holding up better in the salt water. He used the 120 primarily. I know they were always run very hard in rough conditions at times.
Dude...the Evinrude G2 rocks. Didn't sell that well but it was the best outboard of all time. A shame it wasn't more popular because it was a high tech piece of kit.
Believe it or not. My Dad and I had a 150 Force in the mid 90’s. Dad was an old boat racer and we modified the hell out of the engine and on our 16’ 89 Cajun we would leave mercs, evies all takers. It broke peoples minds. Funnest boating of my life.
I had a Force 90hp for 5 years. No problems except trim and tilt. It didn’t produce 90hp. Water skiing , cruising, with good oil, no smoke. Ran it WOD frequently, tried a few different pitch props, always ran the same speed. I feel lucky now.
100% correct. I spend more time fixing carb 4 strokes than any other motor as far as tuning them.
I will have to say, I bought a new Nitro 700LX back in the 90's with a 90 hp Force. I fished out of it all year for 6 years and beat on it. yet never had a single issue with it, but I maintain my stuff. I sold it and upgraded to a new 2002 Ranger 518VX with the 200hp Opti. Still running it today.
That seems to be the common theme with forces. Cheap people buy cheap motors and treat them like crap. Then they break. I have a 50 hp force, so far I like it. Simple, easy to work on. If I could afford a better motor, I'd get one. But so far, I'll run the force till it dies and take care of it.
This is freaking awesome,my family was in the boat biz for many years and we started out as force/mariner,then mercury after 96-ish.My buddy traded in a Suzuki 150ss and when I sold it the guy came back and said it quite on him,ended up just a bad stator.keep up the good work fellas.
I’m restoring a 1974 Allison sst and I was given a running force 120. Hadn’t had it in the water yet but I hope it last long enough for me to find 2.5l merc.
Thank for the great laugh today I needed it. I agree completely, this was the most entertaining one so far! Thanks again smiles for days.
Just sold an old 86 Bayliner that I had inherited from my brother when he moved. Had an 85hp Force on it. Think he had about 300 hours on it. Motor hadn't been run in over a decade. Pulled the plugs, fogged the motor, put in new battery and cranked it over no problem. Put the plugs back in, filled the tank and the damn thing started the second time cranked it and idled great. Guy that bought it has been running it for about a month now and told me he loves it. Starts and runs everytime.
I had a stack of evy's and john's through the 70s, 80s and 90s, and they never let me down. The old motors were made to last. I would not buy a new outboard these days.
My uncle had a Johnson fast strike that was in the shop more than on the water. I’m sure by the numbers OMC made a decent motor, but we never had luck with them.
My 97 force 40hp has been reliable as hell for over a decade. Not the smoothest but it idles good and the only thing I ever had to do besides maintenance is a starter. I have not been easy on it and it still hauls but. Maybe I just got really lucky.
My fiance and I bought an older bass boat last year with an 89 force 125 on it. Stator went out on it last year, but after that, it's been a great running motor. Idles really well and gets us to where we want to go and back.
Well, he did say there was one that ran good, guess you have it.
Must be 2 out there then my 120 runs great
I have an 125 horse force on my 1989 bayliner and it still runs great!
My 85hp force is still going strong and I'm not easy on it at all
Sold my 86 Capri with 125 Force after owning it 15 years. Had over 2,000 trouble free hours on it. It was over 10 years old when my buddy's new Yamaha 250 blew up. LOL😂
I had a force 125, late 80’s, most reliable outboard I ever owned. Maybe I just got lucky. I had a Johnson 65hp before and that force ran so much smoother with much less vibration. But knowing they are prone to issues I won’t get another. I don’t buy new outboards for several reasons, they are all crap, they are all priced way higher than they should be, they all rely too heavily on electronics. I have my favorites, old evinrude/ Johnson, smaller mercury’s, and for stern drive mercruiser alpha 1 with a Chevy small block.
I had a 99 ficht on my old Ranger with around 650 hours on it when I sold it three years ago. Sipped oil and fuel and ran like a champ. I had it for 8 years I think and besides routine maintenance the only problem it had was a cracked capacitor in the ecm that needed to be fixed for starting in cold weather. The lower unit did give it up right before I sold it, but it was the original, so pretty good. I'll tell you I hated indexing those damn spark plugs though lol
My 99 Ficht 150 has always been great to me!
Hey.. any thoughts on the ETEC engines by Envinrude?
@@andresetc Not big fans of E-TEC's
Wow you got a good one Austin. Great to hear!
I had a tower of power 150 and that thing was a tank!!! Loved it!! Just so loyal!!! Every time I hit the key that motor with fire and run!
Agreed great engine! love my 1150!!
We bought our Suzuki when Covid was just getting started. (we weren't even wearing masks yet) so hopefully we are safe. Carburetors are great for engines that are used regularly, but on outboards that sit or troll a lot, over time they just lose their tune and don't work right. I see small boats with electric trolling motors all the time simply for the reason that their trusty old carburetor outboards just don't troll right anymore.
My marine mechanic has the Merc Opti max on his list as well. Good video by the way.
I have an Evinrude E-Tec 150 2012. Had to replace the stator after 400h. Had the engine rebuilt after 500h due to a blown piston (piston 1). Now at 700h it blew another piston (piston 6). So far I've had repair costs of more than 6000USD, I'm done fixing it. Gonna replace it with a new Yamaha 150 VMAX SHO.
Just had a 7.5 Force given to me from a friend who is developing dementia and will never fish again. Is it worth having it serviced or should it go in the scrap yard? Thanks
I know a guy that had a Fitch…. It was a good thing he put a brand new trolling motor on that boat, he put more hours on the trolling motor then the outboard that thing left him stranded everywhere haha
Oh man, no good!!!
Worst part is he bought another boat with a Evinrude..
First boat was a 1982 Renken bow rider with a 1982 Chrysler 115 2 stroke. I brought it to a mechanic to go through it and he told me this is a red headed stepchild but somehow this one was in great shape. It was loud, shaky and smoked like hell but it always ran never gave me a problem. Didn’t have so much luck with the 2006 Yamaha 225 4 stroke though.
My brother-in-law had a force Engine,the carbs seat nut kept coming loose.
No one their knew to put a little lock tight on it.
Carburetor for four-stroke Mercury is because they're using ethanol gas if they use non ethanol and put a little seafoam in each fill-up you never have a problem
I was a Sears tech for 20 years.The models with tecumseh powerheads were nothing much more than a lawnmower engine under the cowling(ignition timing and carb were slightly different.They had many issues. I do remember Sears had other manufacturers too with issues but We had a couple models with a Japanese powerhead.We had dozens here in south florida getting run hard in salt water,ran great with no abnormal/early failures.
My Merc four stroke is one cold natured motor, but once it starts it runs great.
Most of the sears motors were Eska, actually pretty good for what they are. I have a 40 year old one. Still runs like a top. The late model ones were made by force I wouldn't touch one of those.
I had the Force 40hp 1994 model. It only needed sparkplugs about once a year. Never had any other problem with it. Sold in 2000.
I just bought a tracker with a 1999 mercury force 90hp. Thing runs great but only had a few days. Should I try to resell it in the spring or go with it? Can I get pets for it? Thanks.
I bought a ‘96 bayliner with a 120 Force and our first trip out blew up the carrier bearing in the lower unit and hated it ever since!
Kind of surprised that Mariner didn't make the list. I am an outboard Tech, Certified OMC, Honda and Merc. I have worked on them all. Hated Mariners.
On the DT Suzukis the lowers all split at the bearing carrier. I've never seen a 115/140/150 without a cracked lower here in MD.
Actually have a 99 120 Force and have had zero issues with it.
Great video! So I’m looking at buying a new still in the crate 2021 Suzuki DF200 ATL3 outboard from a marina. But after watching your video I’m having 2nd thoughts. What’s your thoughts? Thanks
Good job. Toastmaster expert quote: Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them and then tell them what you told them. I'm a former toastmaster and then got too busy for the program. You followed that format, so I told you. I am thinking of being a RUclips presenter via slide show of my home repair projects. No time for me to do the action videos but am doing progress pics. I can do a good narration of the organized pics. I am deciding if it is worth my while or a waste of time. I hope to get back into boating after I get a good but used full size pick-up truck to tow the boats.
Hit the nail on the head..for fun back in the day we put a chrysler 100hp on nitro methane...surprisingly it lasted for 2 full quarter mile passes and idled at 4k rpm...😆. I never seen a piston turn into tooth paste...it oozed out the block.
I have a mercury 115 power of tower bought it from a guy that didn’t know much about it. Just need a tune up and carbs clean. It hasn’t miss a single beat since and owned it for 5 years now still going strong as brand new. Plus I just pick up a mercury 175 that’s been sitting for 15 years after a tune up that bad boy fired up like it never been sitting at all. Crazy the rare finds on them good motors.
I got an old aluminum bass boat im restoring it came with a 80s evinrude 28 spl on it how were they and what kind of problems can I expect from it would i even be able to get parts if i need to make repairs to it or would i be better off to just repower it
I had a 115hp mariner tower of power and these motor had a sick personality. It would get you out to the middle of the lake and then never start back up. The trolling motor became the primary engine. Smartest thing i ever did was unfiltered from my awesome tidecraft and sell it on Facebook market place. I seriously thought I was gonna have to sell it for scrap metal weight but the Lord put it someone's hands.
I had a '98 Force 120hp. I ran the crap out of it. I know it wasn't the best motor ever made, but it did give me some fun times fishing. I didn't own that boat/motor long, after 1.5 years and a starter motor, I traded it off for a new boat that had a Yamaha. I have not looked back.
I did run 100% regular gas and Pennzoil Marine 2-stroke oil. Could be the reason I didn't have problems like others have stated.
I have a 2005 175 Ficht engine. One of the best engines I've ever owned. I did have to have the top head computer rebuilt by DFI Industries in Alabama. Came back better than ever. The best engine I owned was a Johnson 150 GT (1981????). Always ran, ran ran. And super fast.
Im running a 84 25 Evinrude on a 1519DS lol. E25RCR. Shes a good motor still to this day. I use it duck hunting on the flats!
When I was a boat mechanic in the 90s I made a good living replacing and rebuilding Johnson/Evinrude 60hp powerheads.
I got a 1988 force 50 for 400 bucks. Im brand new to outboards but can turn a wrench. I was hesitant but it had really good compression and looked really clean. Figured what the hell. Gotta be better than a dead motor right? Out of the gate had a stator problem which did not inspire confidence, but i fixed that easy and the thing runs good! Gets me going fast, and for a cheap motor, it just needs to get me where i need to fish and i have a good kicker motor as a back up. I think for just getting started, if you just want to get out fishing and to learn about working on outboards without breaking the bank, not a bad choice. This thing is super simple and easy to work on. Maybe I got lucky but so far, as a DIY guy I am not disappointed. Maybe someday i will sell it and upgrade to a nicer motor but so far, Im fishing so im happy.
Best quote, "There was one out of....there's one that ran good, I think."
Haha we remember it. Miraculous!
@@TeamMarineService I have a force 40 and it runs not the best but it runs lol
My first boat had a 45 Chrysler. It would always drop a cylinder at idle. About shake the transom out. Come out of the bay and hit the throttle. She'd sputter and cough and then the cylinder would come back and run good. Ended up putting a 6hp Johnson kicker on with it. Trolling was outta the question with it. 2nd boat was 115 tower of power. Little temperamental but ran forever. Eventually it tore the transom outta the old MARK TWAIN boat. Hung on it another boat and ran it several more years.
Tower of power - changing the #6 spark plug....uuggghhhh... What where they thinking when they designed that???
It has an excellent hole shot though!!
Are the carbs designed to leak a little?
It was the same way changing the #4 plug in my 85hp thunderbolt that I had
My F25 yam with carb still runs perfect. Starts every time and does sit a lot cause I only like nice weather boating. Had it over 20 yrs now.
I had a 15hp force that blown head gaskets for brakfast and it was heavy on fuel. It would run well on a light boat, but it was a bad experience on a heavy vessel. Even A and B series Yamaha are dream motors, when compared to Force.
What do u think about Mariner motors? I thought they were made by Mercury . But Is there any difference in the good in bad years?😊
Alot of late 70s mid 90s Mariner were made by Yamaha. If it says made in Japan,good chance it is.
I have about 3k for an outboard motor and currently I have 2 options… 1. 1996 Johnson 175hp 2. 1995 Merc 2.0/150 hp. 3. Other suggestions/places to find good cheap used outboards.
I had a early 90s 15hp Game Fisher also. We took it to Lake Fork. 1st time out. The 1st stump we rolled over a stump the prop nudged it and the prop didnt spin. Little did we know they put shear pins in the prop shaft!!!!!! We had to be towed in! I used make my own shear pins out of welding wire for it. Total junk
Isn't the alternative to a sheer pin a friction fit rubber bushing that shreads itself to protect the gear but leaves you with a barely working prop. Some people/shops can press fit a new bushing in and most often you can limp home on a torn bushing. But not sure a sheer pin is as bas as you make it out to be - if you carry a spare;)
I think I have the only good running Ficht. I bought the boat in 2011 and was told my engine was going to blow up soon. It is a 2001 135hp V6. I have had my issues, but it still runs strong due to my great mechanic and regular maintenance.
My dads boat had a Yamaha 100 4-stroke carborated. Ran flawlessly for approximately 25 years until we sold it with my dad’s passing. The gentleman that bought it said it’s still running great after he cleaned it up a little after it sat in storage for 5 years. One of the reasons when I bought my last fishing boat in 2020 I insisted on Yamaha
Your list is correct. I still like towers of power, though.
I had a Tracker motor I was told was a Force. Could never keep it running. I am glad that was #1
Chrysler and force was the same motor. Bought out and renamed force then merc bought whoever out and renamed it force by mercy. And then tried to just call it a merc. Then they got smart and finally scraped it. I had a 91 50.hp force. It was ok. But really had to keep up maintenance and make sure all was good before using. Lol.
I heard you talk about the number one fast boat in your opinion it was a champion 203 I like to get your opinion on a '98 champion 202 are they about the same in your opinion just one inch difference in length is the rest of the boat in your opinion the same thanks JT from Virginia
I truly enjoyed this video. Thanks for sharing some knowledge , and then making me laugh several times. 😆
… I mean I am still picturing the kid swimming with the rope in his teeth 😂
Dont Forgot Scott Attwood my olf man had one and we would get all excited to go boating and it would sit on beach all weekend.
I had a 96' 90 force on a tracker, most reliable motor I ever had. Never failed me
I’ve had a 90 and a 75 and the boats fell apart before the motor. That 90 never got any maintenance of any kind, and still wouldn’t die.
What engine would you suggest (10-20hp range) for an inflatable boat ? Like very light use. Thanks
You might say Chryslers are junk, mine was 40 years old before it needed pistons, how many new engines will run that long,
Bought my Suzuki 200 December 2019. Thank God I made the decision before covid.
Not going to sit here and take up for force. But I have a 96 model 90 hp on an aluminum boat that is still running like a top today. Don't know how or why, just knocking on some wood.
Was waiting for the force if it wasn't on here I wasn't going to subscribe lol but you have now earned my subscription lol
You are dead wrong on the Mercury Tower of power. Those were great motors that you could not kill. However I think you’re absolutely right on the Chrysler outboard‘s. The only good thing about those was the damn good starter motor. The one outboard missing from the list was the Hiawatha. We had a 7.5 hp outboard, and it rarely ran. I think those were sold by the gambles department store, and you could buy those with the green stamps
I agree, I thought tower of powers were pretty decent
Had a OMC Johnson gt 175 with the direct injection oil pump. Popped the heads every time due to lack of oil. Then started putting oil in the gas tank. Last longer, but pop goes the weasel. Replaced it with a 175 merc efi.
GT stood for Get Tools!
Lol
I got a 98 ficht 150 with 890 hrs and still runs great, very dependable motor as long as it had the recall. Pin it and trim it. Wished 2 strokes was still manufactured
You are the rare exception to this show
I 100% agree with you on the Chrysler outboard motors.
They suck. My dad bought a brand new boat with a Chrysler motor on it.
After the first year the only way you could start it is with starting fluid.
After that it ran good.
In and out of the shop constantly.
The boat spent more time in the shop than it did on the lake.
I was happy to see that Johnson didn't make your list.
We've had 3 or 4 late 70's models that ran like a top after i rebuilt the carbs.
We had a 70 hp, a 90hp, and a 70hp stinger that i currently have stored while trying to find a good hull to put it on.
I also have a Mercury black max 150 ( late 80's) that runs very well after i rebuilt the carbs on it
So you say forces are absolute garbage. I assume your talking about the Chrysler ones, but what about the mercury forces. Or are they the same motors? I just got a boat with a 75 mercury force. It sat for 8 years. Fresh gas and battery and it runs, but not well. The boat is in immaculate shape, but the motor is less than to be desired in my opinion.
Think of the Chrysler Forces as a F on a test. Mercury Forces are a D
I had a Johnson 90hp, 3 cylinder. The tech that worked on it always said it was a Chrysler disguised as a Johnson......Happy day when it was gone!
ruclips.net/video/IPVx_0mo8A4/видео.html
I have an old evinrude v4 cross flow, the thing is from the 70s and still running strong... would love a 4 stroke or e-tec though, the noise gets to me now and again when trying to have conversations while on plane
What size e tech
New to the channel I know the video a year old lol but I’ve been running suzuki DT225 I dropped a cylinder got rebuilt and 10hrs latter dropped the same cylinder put a hole in the piston I’m thinking about switching to Mercury mid 90s
Wow that's bad news Jose! What year is that Suzuki?
IIRC, some Force outboards used cast pistons. Ours was terrible. It never ran well. Oil was always meticulously mixed and pistons actually melted.
Mercury vs Chrysler Force. I have the one by Mercury, 120 HP, and it runs quite well. I do agree with the leaking carbs, I have no idea why the replacement/oem seals are cork. Once I leveled the float correctly and don't trim it till the pump maxes out she doesn't leak.
Do you remember the in-line 5 150 forces tower of power
@@dang5553 No, only had the 120 . Sold the boat 6 months ago.
Came here for Force. Did not disappoint.
HAHAHA
My dad bought a boat with a Chrysler 70hp I think like 22 years ago and we sure were glade to see that thing go
I was planning on purchasing a new pontoon with either a 90hp or 115hp motor, with any of the top 3 manufacturers motors, I'm not picky, but now I'm concerned about getting a Covid Motor. What do you consider the time frame for the manufacturer of a "Covid" motor?
Those are fighting words with tower of power. But, yeah... six cylinders are tall buggers. They are antiques that have been ridden hard and put away wet.
Haha True!!
What’s do u guys think about the 90’s model merc 2 stroke EFI’s?
Good or bad?
Good for the most part
I am considering a 2015 Glastron gts160 with a Evinrude etec 115, 233 hours & good compression. What do you think? Thanks in advance for your input.
Still waiting...
Enjoy your videos
.keep them coming !
I have a question ... I have a 2005 Suzuki DF 115 I got it usead whit a boat and i want to know if its anyway to find out the nr of houres and how , thank you !
Got my 20hp merc 4 stroke since 2008, never ever had a problem. Gets abused beyond hell, never missed a beat!
My buddy had a 7.5 hp gamefish on a John boat when we were growing up in the early 80’s. No reverse you just turn the motor around backwards!
Hey man new sub here you got any news on the old 85 suzuki dt85 , btw hello from Alaska
I still wake up at night in a cold sweat and run to the garage and make sure there's not a blue motor on the back of my boat.
The Evinrude Ficht stranded me way too many times to count after I bought it new in 2000.
I just bought one Force 120 0f 1999 pay just 200 bucks. This has no compression in the fourth cylinder. Could you help me find a spare pistons kit in the US ? Please!
I'm from Kazakhstan
I had a 1989 Force 85 and it worked perfectly all the time! (But only in reverse and I, to this day cannot fathom why that was)
I love Force Outboards!!! Haha
Lies! lol
@@Ace228 Pure Garbage!
I had a 50 for 10 plus years and a Chrysler…never had an issue.
@jacklucy2 exactly 💯! This is just pure high-school rhetoric!! Nothing at all wrong with Chrysler and Force outboards! Except for maybe the mechanic that has a pre-supposed opinion!