I have the opportunity to get a 2002-03 evinrude ficht 225, freshly rebuilt. A friend has it, he is a marine mechanic and trading him my 1997 225 johnny-rude I really wouldn't have much into the upgrade at all. I know my fuel economy will be much better and my top end should improve alot. I have heard alot of neg. comments about the ficht. Are they really that bad?
Yes! Especially that year!
Keep your '97. That thing is just about bulletproof.
The Ficht motors are generally all freshly rebuilt. Or in a junkyard. That era had most all Ficths constantly being rebuilt (because they constantly blew up). Hence why he is willing to trade you a much older motor for a direct injection motor. He is a mechanic and he wants to get rid of that thing, and sees your dependable motor as an option. No deal.
i'd buy a FORCE before i bought a FICHT
I'd find a new friend, one who isn't so willing to do "favors".
Tough crowd. So how do you guys really feel about Ficht...? ;D
I've never had one.
O.K. I'll be the different one here. I had one and never had a bit of trouble with it until the day I sank my boat on Lake St. Clair, but that is a whole other story. On the other hand my buddy had one and it blew up 3 times and the last time was when evinrude went to Bombardia, or how ever you spell it, and they wouldn't cover the warrenty. Needless to say he now has a Merc. Me too!
Tom
I've had 2 Ficht motors, both 175 HP. One was a 1998 0n a 1998 Stratos 201. I had it for 8 years with absolutely no problems. Wonderland installed a couple of factory updates, one in 2000 and one in 2002, I believe, at no cost to me. That motor always performed flawlessly.
I have a 2000 Ficht 175 on my Basscat. I have owned it since spring 2008 and it has performed flawlessly as well. Absolutely no problems at all.
I have always heard of others having all kinds of problems with Ficht motors, I just thought I must have got the only 2 good ones built!
My only issue was I always thought the hole shot on the Strat was not what it should have been, but I chalked that up to the weight vs. hp thingy. The 201 was a big boat for 175 HP.
The Basscat has a great hole shot and about 15-18 mph better top end than the Strat with the same motor. The Strat had a much better ride though. I do have a Boger prop on this motor, maybe that helps?
Willie
Quote from: fear no fish on August 11, 2010, 07:56:38 PM
O.K. I'll be the different one here. I had one and never had a bit of trouble with it until the day I sank my boat on Lake St. Clair, but that is a whole other story. On the other hand my buddy had one and it blew up 3 times and the last time was when evinrude went to Bombardia, or how ever you spell it, and they wouldn't cover the warrenty. Needless to say he now has a Merc. Me too!
Tom
If your boat is still there... can I get the waypoint from you!?! Thanks ;D
Quote from: djkimmel on August 12, 2010, 12:07:27 AM
Quote from: fear no fish on August 11, 2010, 07:56:38 PM
O.K. I'll be the different one here. I had one and never had a bit of trouble with it until the day I sank my boat on Lake St. Clair, but that is a whole other story. On the other hand my buddy had one and it blew up 3 times and the last time was when evinrude went to Bombardia, or how ever you spell it, and they wouldn't cover the warrenty. Needless to say he now has a Merc. Me too!
Tom
If your boat is still there... can I get the waypoint from you!?! Thanks ;D
Just what I was thinking ;)
I asked first and I'm almost as old as fear no fish!!
I salvaged the boat the same day. Blew up the big motor the next day. Got it all fixed, ran it for 3 more years and eventually traded it for my current boat. After it sank, a sensor kept going off and it wouldn't let the motor go over 1500 rpm's which made it impossible to get on pad. That eventually happened in a tournament on lake charlevoix and it was goodbye ficht. Sorry no waypoint for the sunken ship!
Bummer...