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Old 25 August 2003, 09:21   #1
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Country: Ireland
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Boat name: Tsunami/Saol Eile
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Evinrude Ficht Fuel Consumption!!

After hearing all the hype about how good the ficht outboards were on fuel consumption I decided to fit one on my new boat.
I previously ran a 225hp Suzuki on my last rib and had no problems with it. However I thought if it was possible to be getting the fuel savings stated by Evinrude then it would certainly be worth a change!
I bought and fitted a 250hp Ficht. I'm not saying that it's not a good engine but it certainly isn't a miracle worker when it comes to using fuel.
I've always fitted flow meters on my boats so I can make a direct comparison. The Evinrude is about 3 gallons per hour better at flat out rpm. But how often do you get the chance to run at over 50 knots for extended periods! However at cruising speeds of around 30 knots the ficht is using between 9.5 - 10 gallons per hour, The Suzuki used about 10.5 gallons per hour!!!
Hardly worth the extra hype and expense!
I like the engine but not sure if I would have been as keen to change from my Suzuki which never gave any trouble.
I also occasionally get an annoying system alarm at around 3000rpm which starts cutting engine power until I accelerate through it!(this only happens in rough conditions!)
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Old 25 August 2003, 11:32   #2
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120 ltrs /100 miles

I had been using evinrude ficht 115 HP on my boat (6,1 Sportis RIB) during 1999 Baltic RIB Race. On a route approx. 100 miles, the fuel consumption was 120 ltrs! And I had the same thing with cutting fuel off, when conditions were rough. I read before, that fuel consumption of that engines is even 40% less, than of the others engines. On the same event had been a participant with Johnson 150 HP, the same boat, and fuel consumption was less than 150 ltrs... But one thing is sure - the engine is marvellous! And consumption of oil is really small
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Old 25 August 2003, 21:07   #3
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Country: Ireland
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Fichts and Flow meters

As you know we run a pair of Fichts just 75hp flat out at 36 kts we burn over 40 ltrs p hour, however at cruising spped approx 3300 we can get fuel economy of 1.3 nm a litre.When compared to my last engine a 50hp merc I could get 20 miles for 25 litres with 3 times the hp and running 2 motors we can get approx 20 miles for 24 litres, I know this because I have owned and driven both.I find the Fichts to be exceptional on fuel, we only got accurate readings after careful calibration of our flow metres and the introduction of very flexible hose each side of the fuel trandsucers, as vibration caused inaccurate readings.Your last motor was 225 hp and you have made the jump to a 250,on the Round Ireland Event last year the two Evinrudes which were used showed a difference of 10% a 225 and the 250 .With the 250 showing a 10% increase on the fuel consumption of the 225, your present fuel figures when you compare the Suzuki to the Ficht suggest that even after upping your HP, by 25 hp, at cruising speeds that a 250 Ficht is still better on fuel than a 225 Suzuki, I think that this is still very good fuel economy,we just seem to find our best fuel economy at around 3300, but obviously our weight and hull shape would dictate this to a certain extent.I still think Fichts are good on fuel , the 225 which ran on the Round Ireland event used on average 24.2 litres per hour,pushing a 7.5 m Redbay the 250 pushed a 8.5 Revenger.We also use Ficht Ram oil and use approx a ratio of 70.1 on average.
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Old 26 August 2003, 08:50   #4
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Gavin -don't forgot you have a HYSUCAT - this in itself would save you fuel whatever engine you are using.
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Old 26 August 2003, 10:27   #5
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I don't disagree that I am still getting better fuel consumption with a 250hp that I had previously with a 225hp, but considering that if your willing to have a good look around you could pick up the Suzuki 225hp for about £4000 less than the ficht at 10% fuel saving is the ficht worth it?
The Suzuki was also very easy on oil, although certainly not as good as the ficht, However standard 2 stroke oil is about a third of the price of Ram Ficht Oil!
I've used that Red Bay with the 225hp Ficht quite a lot (even used it in a race round Rathlin last weekend (and won!)) but I'm not convinced that the fuel figures given for the round Ireland were that accurate! I've used the boat and it certainly uses more than 5.5 gallons per hour!
Plus a lot of the Evinrude figures are given at 3000 rpm. At 3000 rpm you get about 18knots and a flow of about 5 gph but who runs at 18 knots!!!
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Old 26 August 2003, 16:08   #6
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We were going to run a test of all the big outboards and publish the results as we have 4 identicle boats, we never actually did the tests in the end but still tried 3 engines, 200hpdi, merc 225 opti, and 225 ficht.

All doing the same speed pushing the same boat the opti won every time, I cant remember the figures (have them written down somewhere) but it was really good. The ficht did have a minimal more power but it used quite a lot more. The Yammy did loose however and it also used the most iol.
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Old 26 August 2003, 16:17   #7
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Quote:
Originally posted by H2O Events
We were going to run a test of all the big outboards and publish the results as we have 4 identicle boats, we never actually did the tests in the end but still tried 3 engines, 200hpdi, merc 225 opti, and 225 ficht.

All doing the same speed pushing the same boat the opti won every time, I cant remember the figures (have them written down somewhere) but it was really good. The ficht did have a minimal more power but it used quite a lot more. The Yammy did loose however and it also used the most iol.


Thank you sir, nice to hear that from some's who's been there done it

Lee
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Old 26 August 2003, 17:55   #8
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i have just had a couple of 200hp ficht put on the back of my rib and have clocked up some serious hours over the past few weeks. Unfortunately my flow meters aren't connected yet so cannot give any good data ref fuel consumption. However compared to the 2 x 300 promax that used to be there i am in heaven. Top speed is around 45 kts with 120 gallons of fuel and i cruise nicely at 34 kts, i estimate my range to be about 300nm.

I went for ficht cos the quote was nearly 5-6 grand cheaper than the Opti option. Thats a lot of fuel in the CI.

New ficht owners beware that when running in the engines the oil consumption is many times normal consumption. Nearly double i think, so keep an eye on the oil levels for the first 10 hrs so you don't run out in out of the way places were ficht oil is unheard of.

Steve
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Old 26 August 2003, 18:19   #9
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Quote:
Originally posted by seahound
New ficht owners beware that when running in the engines the oil consumption is many times normal consumption. Nearly double i think, so keep an eye on the oil levels for the first 10 hrs so you don't run out in out of the way places were ficht oil is unheard of.

Steve
sounds like a bad experience

Do you have a local Alderney dealer or are you using M&G in gsy?

I ask because I was buying a boat that came with a 225 fitch from 2001 on it. It had been maintanied by M&G. But when the boat was in my care the 6th piston went pop. Which was due to over heating because the temperature sensor wasn't functioning correctly and didn't report the over heating engine. But it was fixed under warranty. So although this experience has put me off the fitch, I wondered if you use them and if you rate them?

Thank you,
Lee
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Old 26 August 2003, 18:43   #10
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Quote:
Originally posted by seahound
so keep an eye on the oil levels for the first 10 hrs so you don't run out in out of the way places were ficht oil is unheard of.

Steve
Heh, heh Steve- take care now!
Lee, you plonker its a FICHT.
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Old 26 August 2003, 18:49   #11
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Quote:
Originally posted by Charles
Heh, heh Steve- take care now!
Lee, you plonker its a FICHT.
hey, party saturday, party sunday, party monday, us youngsters are what we used to be ya know

tsk tsk
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Old 26 August 2003, 20:23   #12
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Both Fichts and Opti's inject double oil for their run in period.

We also had big probles with the Fichts but so far have un up big hours on Opti's (over 1000 ) with only a couple of small probs.

A pair of 200 Fichts should be far cheaper to run than 3oo promaxes, there is a third more power and they are a totally different engine. Nice tho I bet.
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Old 26 August 2003, 20:25   #13
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Opti 225 experience

tsunami

Have not run Ficht myself but my new 225 Opti is very good. As -<=[Tw18]=>- stated both engines use more oil during run-in period. Mine has done about 10 hours & oil consumption has reduced noticably. Opti oil is avaliable at £17.25/5ltrs from Yellow Penguin in Poole, not sure how this compares with ficht oil.

I can't compare these new type engines as H20 events can, but I can confirm the 225 Opti on a 7.5 Phantom Evolution is using about the same amount of oil & fuel as my old BWM deep sea 18 with a 135 Merc Carb engine. This is also happening at higher speeds.

The Opti passes fuel barges & sniggers. I can't believe it yet.........it actually seems to do what it says on the tin.

Hope this info helps.

Micheal.
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Old 26 August 2003, 20:26   #14
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Seahound where did you get a quote that made them so much more expensive, you must have spoken to the wrong guys.

Did you prefere the Ficht or was it just the price that won the deal.
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Old 26 August 2003, 20:28   #15
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Micheal

I can probably get oil for your opti cheaper than that. Let me know if you want some.

sh
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Old 26 August 2003, 20:34   #16
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H20 Events

YES PLEASE. My very local dealer Chris Lewis (Marinatuque, at Cobbs Quay) charged me £45.00 for 10ltrs last time.

Do I have to buy large quantities?
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Old 26 August 2003, 20:38   #17
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Guys - the worst thing you can do now is tell Steve he could have purchased his engines cheaper elsewhere!
BTW, Steve....that Icom 401 you bought in Jsy for about £180.00 is now on sale from the same place for £135.00 -sheesh, I am a little bastard
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Old 26 August 2003, 20:38   #18
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No Send me an e-mail and Ill price it up.
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Old 27 August 2003, 17:25   #19
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H2O

Believe me when i say that i did a lot of research, and did a lot of phoning about (starting off with all the major players then working out from there) the companies that i called as it was in Jan of this year. You have to do the research when paying that kind of money.

The qoute i got for the fichts included finding a buyer for the promax, which as you can imagine have a v limited market.

So far i like the ficht, noise levels greatly reduced, good mid range power and way less fuel consumption. Being in the CI with fuel prices being reasonable, going for the Opti which were several thousand £ more expensive was never going to be make up with the better fuel consumption, if indeed that is the case.

Steve
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Old 27 August 2003, 22:46   #20
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Seahound

I was only wondering why you got quoted a few grand more for the Opti's, you can usually get about the same deal on both makes, but as you said part of the deal was taking your old promaxes which I can imagine was difficult and that is what caused the problem.

Good luck with your engines, I imagine she flies with those on the back.
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