The Suzuki DF300AP outboard on my Caymas 26 HB is the largest Suzuki I’ve ever owned, and I’ve now been running it for over two years. The engine is well over the 500-hour mark and going by average use (60 hours a year for recreational boaters) that accounts for around eight years of running. Way back when we promised a long-term test and review, so what can we say with this much cruising under the belt?
Number one, the DF300AP has been running strong each and every time I’ve turned the key. The only glitch to date has been a sensor in the trim motor that needed replacement. This didn’t render the engine unusable (it just meant that at intermittent times it took a lot of button-clicking to trim down), and it was fixed under warranty in short order. No other mechanical mishaps have occurred through all this use, so Suzuki gets an A+ in the reliability department.
What about performance? I was told when I ordered the boat that 300 horses (the smallest powerplant the builder will rig with) probably wouldn’t be enough for the 26 HB to break the 50-mph mark. But running light and in ideal conditions I’ve hit 52. In loaded-to-fish real world use, top speeds in the upper 40s are the norm and cruise is generally in the upper 30s to lower 40s depending on conditions and the number of passengers.
One feature I thought I’d hate but turned out to love is Suzuki’s auto-trim. I’m admittedly a little bit of a control freak when I’m running my boat, and historically I would tweak the trim to search for a better ride. On the flip side of the coin, after a long cruise sometimes I’d forget to trim back down before the next take-off. With the auto-trim I don’t have to remember, and it turns out that the dang automaton can trim the boat better than I can in the first place. After a year of experimentation I put it on auto and left it there. Another digital doodad to love is the Suzuki Precision Control digital shift and throttle. There’s no more grinding gears or boat-shuddering clunks and accelerating through the powerband is silky-smooth.
As far as economy goes we should point out that the boat has as much to do with it as the engine and the Caymas rides on an uber-efficient twin-stepped SVVT hull design. Plus, truth be told all the outboards in this size range are pretty darn competitive when it comes to fuel economy. Still, the DF300AP is as stingy as they come and if I lay off the throttle (which happens ummm… never) and run in the 3000s I can easily keep it north of three mpg. Usually, however, I’m winding 4500 to 4800 rpm and getting closer to 2.8 mpg. You play, you pay.
Of course, nothing in this world is perfect — what downsides or negatives have I identified at this point in time? It may seem nit-picky but I sure wish they’d invent a flush port plug that would float. I can’t say if the plugs found on all outboard engines sink like a rock, but these certainly do when I fumble one and watch it bounce overboard. (The current solution: I have a drawer full of replacements in case I fumble. Again.)
One interesting perk that I didn’t even pick up on myself, but which has been identified by other people stepping aboard the FishTalker, is the engine’s noise levels. When you first turn the key the sound made by a modern four-stroke — any modern four-stroke — seems like a godsend to those of us who grew up with blapping, burping, roaring two-strokes. And the DF300AP has always seemed pleasantly hushed to my ears. But on multiple occasions people who own competitive motors of the same size have told me that when I hit the throttle and start cruising, the Suzuki is noticeably quieter than their own powerplant.
The bottom line? Today’s outboards are lightyears ahead of those we ran in the past, and so far this Suzuki has proved that the DF300AP is a hands-down winner. It hasn’t caused a single cancelled fishing trip, it hasn’t left me stuck one single time, and it hasn’t disappointed in any way, shape, or form. Now, if only I could snap my fingers and turn it into a 400…
To find a local Suzuki outboard dealer see the Chesapeake Bay and Mid-Atlantic Suzuki Marine Outboard Dealers page.