Who has gone from a 4 stroke to a 2 stroke?

[Down2Earth]

I'll stick with my 115 Etec. My advice if your getting a 4 stroke is to make sure you max out the hp for the boat. My boat is rated for a 150 but the 115 Etec has it up and out of the water like now. I don't remember how much I saved from going with the 115 Etec vs the 150 4 stroke but it was a nice chunk of change.

[TSchultz]

in the long run I think the 2 strokes will outlast the 4 strokes with less maintance 4 stroke motors do not like to sit for long periods of time also the 2 strokes always will be more durable will less parts to go bad look at some of the real old small 2 strokes that still run good you will not see the new 4 strokes last as long as them.personally I would like a 4 stroke but for the extra money I can't justify up grading. Also there always is going to be more maintence on a 4 stroke .

This just isn't true. 4 strokes will go just as long actually longer than a 2 stroke. One of our 4 stroke 115s has around 5000 hours on it and still going. I'm not seeing that out of our two stroke motors.

[20lbSloughShark]

This just isn't true. 4 strokes will go just as long actually longer than a 2 stroke. One of our 4 stroke 115s has around 5000 hours on it and still going. I'm not seeing that out of our two stroke motors.

If the top ends of the 2 strokes are just worn, and they won't start, you can always put new piston and rings in very easily.

[Farley]

I'm seeing a lot of Etecs on the back of boats latley including ours, i think its safe to say they've worked out the problems they had when the motor first hit the market.

[SkunkedAgain]

I won't jump into which is better, because I agree with the minority that they are pretty equal in most respects. Ford vs Chevy. Lowrance vs Hummingbird.

However, one thought for the environmentally conscious is that while 2-strokes are "sipping" oil these days, they are still burning oil. The 4-stroke oil can and should be recycled, which reduces our dependence on foreign oil. I believe that I read that it takes something like 40 gallons of crude to make 2 quarts of lubricating oil but only takes 1 gallon of recycled oil to make the same 2 quarts of lubricating oil. IDK, may not be a big deal for some but it's worth tossing into the discussion. No matter how good the oil consumption, it's still consumption versus reusing and re-refining.

[BobT]

I won't jump into which is better, because I agree with the minority that they are pretty equal in most respects. Ford vs Chevy. Lowrance vs Hummingbird.

However, one thought for the environmentally conscious is that while 2-strokes are "sipping" oil these days, they are still burning oil. The 4-stroke oil can and should be recycled, which reduces our dependence on foreign oil. I believe that I read that it takes something like 40 gallons of crude to make 2 quarts of lubricating oil but only takes 1 gallon of recycled oil to make the same 2 quarts of lubricating oil. IDK, may not be a big deal for some but it's worth tossing into the discussion. No matter how good the oil consumption, it's still consumption versus reusing and re-refining.

You know, that's a pretty good point that I hadn't considered before. Sometimes the most obvious things can elude us, eh?

[SkunkedAgain]

Well it doesn't make a difference if you change your 4-stroke oil and dump it in the ground. I haven't done much reading on recycled oil but they apparently distill it and resell it if it meets API standards. Most auto repair shops have an oil drain/basin that you can dump your used oil into. That's what I do at my local shop with my truck and boat motor oil.

[20lbSloughShark]

That is a very good point, and one I've never even considered before. No matter the numbers, reusing oil would almost be better than burning it. Even though almost every used 4 stroke I have ever come across has burned some amount of oil, its still less than a 2 stroke.

On the other side of the coin, I'm sure its not even a drop in a bucket compared to how much gets used for gas.

[CaptainMusky]

Thanks and yeah, kind of what I thought. I like the idea of a little lighter/faster and running wide open but.....

Anyone else gone from a 4 to a 2 and actually was happy with the switch over?

I dont know where the worry about running wide open comes from with a 4 stroke. I have run mine for 22 miles wide open (150 Suzuki) and when I throttle down she just sits there and purrs like a kitten.

Other things to consider is if you do any trolling with your outboard a 2 stroke will not do this for extended periods of time well. They load up. I have spent hours and hours trolling with my motor and it still runs perfect. Some Mercury motors they warn you against trolling for too long because the plugs will foul. Plenty of topics on this across the infoweb.

I was one who said they would have to pry my 2 stroke from my dead fingers, but I am a convert.

[BobT]

Quote:

Other things to consider is if you do any trolling with your outboard a 2 stroke will not do this for extended periods of time well. They load up.

This may be true for older 2-cycles but not anymore.

[CaptainMusky]

This may be true for older 2-cycles but not anymore.

Ask guys with new Mercs this question. Like I said, do a few searches, its all over the place and yes, these are new motors I am talking about. For the most part, people do not do this, but I do so it does matter to me.

[Down2Earth]

Ask guys with new Mercs this question. Like I said, do a few searches, its all over the place and yes, these are new motors I am talking about. For the most part, people do not do this, but I do so it does matter to me.

I pull cranks for hours with my 115 E-Tec and have never had a single problem ever. It was purchased new in 2008.

[kkahmann]

I got a buddy--very handy guy--welded up a very nice aluminum 18ft'er--had an 80hp Yamaha 4-stroke on it--boat was very similiar to those gator boats you see on'Swamp People". He uses this boat to run 17 miles out to his cabin on Lake Superior and then does a lot of trolling for trout and salmon.

He switched to a 90hp Etech. He ain't happy.

[magicstix]

Speaking of 80hp Yami's, buddy was going to buy a new boat this spring but couldn't bring himself to part with his 80hp. He also runs Superior and Lake Michgan trips alot.

[Borch]

Don't matter what motor you by. You'll know someone with one who is not happy.

Check industry reliability info. It's pretty publicly available and they are all pretty comparable.

[BobT]

Quote:

Ask guys with new Mercs this question.

You might have identified the problem in your statement and perhaps I stuck my neck out too far. I should stay with my true experience. I never experienced an issue with my 2011 e-tec.

[Down2Earth]

If you are planning on a new e tec buy it now before 2015. They are going to be the ugliest thing on the back of a boat. What were they thinking?

[TR21HP]

Agreed down2earth, what were they thinking. Back on topic, I have several friends, some pros, that went from a yammie hpdi to a SHO and you couldn't get them to go back to the hpdi and one of the most common advantages you hear is take off and top end on the SHO is very noticeable .

[CaptainMusky]

Yep those new etecs are a face only a mother could love.

[20lbSloughShark]

Just looked up 2015 etec. What am I even looking at? The one video I saw, you can't even take the cover off without tools. There is just a kind of side plate that pops off. You can hardly even see anything through it.

[Down2Earth]

I just read the gen 1 Etec will still be available. Plus the smallest gen 2 one can get is a 200 so far.

[Down2Earth]

Just looked up 2015 etec. What am I even looking at? The one video I saw, you can't even take the cover off without tools. There is just a kind of side plate that pops off. You can hardly even see anything through it.

With an Etec one doesn't ever need to take the cover off out on the water any way

[20lbSloughShark]

Right, the e tec is so great, you can just run it forever. I never really understood evinrude's mentality on this. Every motor needs maintenance, instead they should focus on easy maintenance. I always felt the Mercury Optimax was superior anyway, but I feel the more EFI 2 strokes available, the better.