I'm still a little hesitant to pull the trigger on the 135 Optimax engine for $6495. In searching the various online boat sales sites, I didn't find any comparable boats equipped with any less than 150 HP. I'm concerned that should I ever decide to sell the rig, perspective buyers would consider it underpowered. And the Opti reputation won't help either, regardless of how many years it's been running perfect (knock on wood). Heck, I'm still paranoid of it myself.<br /><br />Fully loaded w/ 80 gallons of fuel, three adults, full fishing gear the boat will weigh in the neighborhood of 3500 to 4000 lbs. That just seems like a lot for a 135 HP engine. Throw in some rough water and ripping currents and I just think I could be in for some trouble.<br /><br />I found another dealer that I should be able to get a 2003 carbed 150 for basically the same price as the 135 Opti. I can't help but wonder about the cost of repairs once the warranty on the Opti expires. Granted the Opti warranty is five times longer than that of the carbed motor, I can do most repairs and diagnosis on the carbed motor myself. The 18 years of relatively trouble free operation of my current carbed 150 says something to me as well...<br /><br />Setting fuel consumption aside, which should be the better performing, more powerful engine for my application?<br /><br />Brian
