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I am spec'ing out a Glacier Bay 2240sx and have option of selecting either of these two motors for power. Knowing that the Suzuki's are available for significantly less than the Yam's what factors come into play here. I know the list prices of both motors is within a whisker for the base models, the difference being the gauge packages. Yam has the full on gauge package with fuel management deluxe, the Suzuki has only tachs and indicator lights. They both seem like fine motors as I get from reading here.
I am only concerned about reliability here. Are there any glaring differences that steer a person one way or another?
I have the Glacier Bay 2260 with Yamaha F115 's. I only have 120 hours on the boat so I cannot yet attest to the longevity of these engines. But I am very pleased with their reliability so far, I would definitely try to steer you toward the Yamaha and would highly reccomend the Fuel Management Guage. Especially if you plan on covering any distances.
lets face it. the japs have their mess together when it comes to engines in the auto or outboard world .i would say they are tit for tat as far as reliability. i have read of 3 to 4 thousand hrs on the yamahas. not sure about the zukes. as far as the guages on yamaha are concerned, i have a seperate standard floating guage that came with my yamaha f115 and the multi functional tach. the fuel managment system is right costly. a f115 mounted on a 1900 or 2000 lb hull not heavily loaded normally gets around 6-7 mpg at 4500 rpm according to yamaha surveys, in which i have found that to be fairly accurate. thats my managment system. the darn thing makes gas. love it. you will win with either one in my opinion.
We have twin Suzuki 115 4-strokes with around 600 hours on our Twin Vee cat. The engines have been fantastic - sip gas, very quiet, start up everytime, etc.
Additionally, I'm not aware of any problems, complaints, etc. with either the Suzuki or Yamaha 115. Both manufacturers appear to have done a great job with the 115s.
I am not a mechanic but have owned Yamaha & Suzuki, presently run a 115hp Suzuki on a 24ft skiff type rig now and like the performance, 6 yr warranty and sips fuel. Own a 86' Suzuki, 30 hp on a jon boat that has finally required a water pump and new prop, prior to this no probs on the Suzuki.
Do not know anything about the guage packages from Yamaha, sorry.
I have the Yamaha F150 with digital gauges, including fuel flow. Simply *outstanding*... I can't put it any other way. The fuel savings from the fuel flow indicator will about pay for the extra costs for the gauges in one year, if you run it 40-50 hours. You can literally cut your fuel flow by 2-2.5 gph by adjusting your fuel flow by as little as 200-300 rpm.
You can buy a generic fuel flow meter (NMEA compatible), by the way. So it isn't just the Yamaha that you can fuel flow for. If you have a GPS that accepts NMEA input and a generic indicator for the fuel flow data, you will be good to go. So I don't think it's imperative that you get the Yamaha just because of the fuel flow. And I am not sure, but I would think that you might be able to install Yamaha digital gauges on a Suzuki engine. I was thinking of doing that if I got a Honda (instead of the Yamaha) because some dealer told me I could. But I never looked into it further, so you had better ask around more. But as far as the Yamaha fuel flow--I am certain that you could use it with the Suzuki as the installation has nothing to do with the engine. It goes in-line just before the fuel/water separator.
As for Yamaha longevity, there are guides around Titusville (FL) with Yamaha 50-100 horse engines (different guys) who have owned the same engines for 4-5 years and have thousands of hours on their motors; no one gave me specifics. I talked to a few of them before buying my engine and most were running in salt water in the intracoastal waterway almost exclusively. No one could/would recommend against the Yamaha 4 strokes. They are very big in our area--lots of F-series Yammies running out here.
I sold a few of those 2240's. All with Yamaha F115's. You are correct on the gauge differences. I don't know but does Suzuki offer a DF115 counter rotating engine yetor would both be standard rotation?
Is your local dealer service geared toward Suzuki or Yamaha or does it not matter because you perform your own?
If the gauges don't bother you and the Suzuki's offer a counter and standard motors, save the money and go with Suzuki's. Both Yamaha and Suzuki's F115 outboards are fine engines.[img]../images/emoticons/thumbsup.gif[/img]Its hard to go wrong with either.
The dealer offers the C/R models in higher horsepowers for both brands. The local service is equally good for both I"m told and after the initial break in I will change my own oil and filters. By hearing the responses here I think I will go with the Suzuki's and add gauges as needed in the future. The price differential is 7-8% of the boat cost so I'm a little hesitant barring any huge negatives to spend the extra moola.
With the others that mention fuel savings with fuel management gauges, how is that accomplished? Is it because you find a sweet spot close to the speed you need and maintain that for best economy?? Or do you simply pick a fuel flow that you can afford and deal with the resultant speed?
Since I've had analog all along it might be better to stick with that, going to twin engines and all until I get my bearings with this new boat. Thanks all
With the others that mention fuel savings with fuel management gauges, how is that accomplished? Is it because you find a sweet spot close to the speed you need and maintain that for best economy?? Or do you simply pick a fuel flow that you can afford and deal with the resultant speed?
Yes, that's it. You vary the power setting and watch the fuel flow--then compromise speed for fuel flow as desired. The fuel flow & speed combinations in my boat are very dependent on weight distribution, so it changes from day to day. However, I seem to be able to get about 3.8-4 gph at 25 knots in my boat, turning about 3500 rpm...give or take. If I kick it up to 3800 rpm the fuel flow goes up to almost 6 gph, and the speed only goes up to about 28-29 knots.
So for an extra 4 knots I burn almost 2 gph more. But the boat *feels* better at 3800 rpm, so I would be running it there more often were it not for the fuel flow gauge. It takes a little experimentation to get the hang of it, but it's pretty simple. And if you have a NMEA compatible GPS you can read out mpg on your fuel flow indicator--just make sure all your components are of the same NMEA standard.
With fuel management you also get the best fuel effeciency for the conditions: you trim the bow down because of head seas, and you will find that the most effecient setting will be different than level running or bow up down wind and seas. It is something you use all of the time--just a glance and you know.
Opinions needed Suzuki 115 vs Yamaha 115 
