See full version: Are Johnson Outboard Motors Any Good? (Explained)
The warranty changed over the years on Johnsons, as marine standards and the demands of the public changed. By the end of their existence, most Johnsons came with a 3 year/300-hour warranty or a blanket 5-year warranty on some smaller models.
At this point, all Johnson outboards are out of warranty. Some Evinrudes are still under warranty and are serviced by the Bombardier Recreational Products group.
Despite ceasing production two decades ago, there are still many Johnson outboards on the water and the market.
In 2007, Johnson Outboard Motors was discontinued. In 2020, Evinrude Outboard Motors was shut down, and OMC folded.
This was especially the case in the 2000s when they were delineated by horsepower.
Johnson made some of the most iconic outboards in the history of the marine industry. here
Just to clear up the GM comparison Their lines were seperate and distinct cars right up to the 60s ocassionally they shared some body parts
between lines and models.But engines,transmissions,chassis etc were
developed by each devision.Then of course they started to blur to the point of a chevy based Cadillac "flop" and Pontiacs with secret Chevy engines.
and of course now everyone is blurred with other companies. [links]
Re: What's the difference, Johnson/Evinrude
Re: What's the difference, Johnson/Evinrude here
IMO, the older stuff was basically the same. I wouldn't say that the 50's Evinrudes were any better than the 50's Johnsons either. I have several 50s Johnson outboards and some were very unique in their day like the '56, '57 Javelins. Those were the best of what OMC had to offer in their day.
Short of paint color and hood design, trim, they're mechanically the same outboards in everyway.
I also have an '86 Evinrude 15 HP and it's the exact same as any 15 HP Johnson from that era.
I've also never really understood why OMC made the same outboards under two different names (as yes, GM's done for decades too) but I think that when it all began, well over 50+ yrs ago, Evinrude and Johnson use to be more different, at least from what I've seen in pictures and at shows. more
Re: What's the difference, Johnson/Evinrude [links]
Evinrude motors parent company, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), announced last week that it would discontinue manufacturing of its Evinrude E-TEC and E-TEC G2 outboard engines. Instead, the company will focus on growing its boat brands and developing technology and innovation of other marine products.
BRP announced it has entered into an agreement with longtime outboard engine competitor Mercury Marine which will support boat packages and continue to supply outboard engines to our boat brands, Alumacraft and Manitou. It will continue to supply customers and its dealer network service parts and will honor manufacturer limited warranties, plus offer select programs to manage inventory.
"It caught everybody off guard," said East, who before returning to the boatbuilding sector, was the longtime editor of Florida Sportsman magazine's Best Boat series of magazines, boats and television programs. "The G2 had on issues mechanically or technologically. I rig my boats with Evinrude, Yamaha, Mercury or Daihatsu and my boat is better with an Evinrude. It performs better and has much better fuel efficiency." [links]
"My phone rang off the hook for three days straight," East said. "But people who had ordered boats which are still being built said they don't want any other engine. They want the Evinrudes." [links]
East said conversations he had Monday with BRP contacts alleviated some of his concerns. He said the company will have to stand behind warranties and parts for the next 12 years partly because their other product lines like Sea Doo, Ski Doo and Can-Am are cross-owned by loyal Evinrude outboard owners.
Today while in a business meeting I was daydreaming about outboards…so a typical day at the office.
A buyer of a new outboard motor back then probably had previous experience with outboards and when the time came for a brand new one, a top of the line Evinrude or Johnson was the obvious choice. Dealer location may have played a part but the OMC motors were a step above what the department stores could offer and as long as you didn’t mind blue or white, it would be a new Evinrude or Johnson!
If you were to ask the average Joe back in the day about the difference, he likely would say Johnson is more dependable, but Evinrude is faster. Of course that wasn’t true. Much of the attraction to one brand or the other had to do with dealers, their reputation, deals, advertising, glitz, financing—-all the usual stuff. [links]