Buy boat with motor or separately O.K. ?

[shopping4mac]

Hi,

There are two dealers that I've narrowed my purchase decision down to. They both have good customer service and a discount off the factory suggested retail price. However, neither dealer sells the Suzuki 50 HP outboard motor, which I've been told that's the best for reliability and fuel economy.

Would it be wise or unwise to buy the motor and boat from 2 different vendors? I mean, would an outboard motor dealer that is unfamiliar with Mac 26M's damage my Mac trying to install the motor?

What should I watch out for or ask about when I am having my outboard motor installed by someone other than a Mac dealer?

Thanks,
shopping4mac.
P.S. What were your experiences dealing with buying the boat and engine separately? Where did you buy your Suzuki DF50 from in Dallas and/or Texas? Did boats4sale work out for you even though Bill doesn't sell motors? Did Saleventure work out for you even though you bought your engine elsewhere because you didn't like the Tohatsu two-stroke motor?

[Jack Sparrow]

We bought our new without an engine and fitted it myself it's not that hard I would think the fellas on this post could talk you through it. We wanted to fit a flush fitting control box so the factory one was useless to me, we shopped around and pick up a Yamaha 50 tiller arm 12mths old fresh water use only with 15hrs on it for less than half the price of a new one and converted it to forward controls. To us paying big bucks for an engine that was going to spend most of it's life idling to charge batteries was not warranted money better spent on other toys

Jack Sparrow

[James V]

Not really a problem. Most Merc's are not sold by the Mac dealier. I suggest that you buy from your best local dealier and have them install. Get all the data from the threads that you can and hand it to him. You do not want the motor cables comming in from where the boarding ladder is or have the wrong cables.

Also make sure if you are going to have a seperate depth guage that there is room next to the engin guages and that the throtal will clear enough espically if you are going to put on an auto pilot in the future.

Have all cables run under the aft bunk put in a 2 inch PVC for protection.

[shopping4mac]

Hi,

I have a limited budget, so what I want to do is to buy a boat with no engine from a Mac dealer. Then, buy a used 5 hp motor for it. After I save up enough money, I'll then replace it with a 50 hp Suzuki 4 stroke outboard. Can this be feasible without damaging the boat? I mean, will I have to drill a set of holes for the small 5 hp outboard that will not be used with the 50 hp outboard. So, I'll end up with some ugly and/or dangerous holes in my boat that are unused? Please advise.

Thanks,
shopping4mac.

[James V]

Don't. There is way to much windage on the Mac to be handled with a 5 hp. The smallest I would recomend is a 10 hp with a big prop (one for sailboats).

[Nickyd]

I would recommend that you watch anybody unfamiliar with a Mac every step of the way when mounting your engine and controls. I did not like the one I received with exposed cables and a new smaller sterring whell because the control arm was to long. I brought it back to the evinrude dealer and he replaced the throttle cable with a heavier sterring wheel and gave me back the originalbut I have yet to find sombody who can fix it like I want probably with a B184 control. Live and learn!

[albion]

I bought my Mac from Boats4Sail last year and had Bill take me to OX-BO Marine, Although I have not sailed the boat yet I have motored around, I find that the Suzuki 50 HP has more than enough power for what I will need. It cost me $7295 for the motor & installation, but I had boat and motor put on one bill so when I got back to Ohio I didnt pay so much tax. Bill also gave me an excellent deal on the boat.The only thing I would have done different was to get the Mercury, not because the Suzuki is bad, its that there are not many Suzuki dealers near my home. At the time I purchased the boat I never knew OX-BO sold Mercury motors when I ordered the motor, the reason I would have got the is, there are plenty Mercury dealers near me.If you ask BEENE on here I know he just put a motor on his boat himself. Like these other post,s say 5hp is not very powerful. Good luck with what ever choice you make.

[kmclemore]

If you bought your boat from Bill, I'm really surprised that he didn't take you out in one to give you all the tips and pointers he knows. How did that not happen?

[albion]

If you bought your boat from Bill, I'm really surprised that he didn't take you out in one to give you all the tips and pointers he knows. How did that not happen?

KM the reason I didnt get to sail with Bill while in Wisc was I wanted to go to him on Friday and stay till Wednesday. Unfortunately there was a big airshow at Oshkosh that week and all the lodgings were fully booked.So I went up on Saturday and stayed near Chicago for the night then on Sunday we drove up to Bills place where he put us up in a very nice motel near him.After rigging the boat we took it to OX-BO for the motor installation. Bythe time that was done I had to get back to Ohio as I was playing in a golf league championship, that I unfortunately lost. Came second though. I am still waiting for someone to go out sailing with me.I hope that answers you question. George Lee, ALBION.