4-stroke or 2-stroke outboard?

[animalal]

I am wondering is the 4-stroke is worth the extra money on a new purchase.What are your thoughts, anyone?

[Mark Christianson]

YESSSSSSSS!!!! 4 Stroke!

I have had a 4 stroke for going on 8 years. I will never go back.
Just remember, you spend more in the beginning, and you get that investment back when you go to sell it.

I have a 75 hp tiller that I use for trolling walleyes. Nothing better than NOT breathing in the 2 stroke fumes all day.

[Gofishleech]

Ths noise
The Gas consumption
The fumes
I do not miss them at all!!! And in 2 years I am sure I have got back the extra expence back in lower fuel cost. Go with the 4-stroke!!
Forgot to mention I do not miss buying $15 a gallon oil either.

[This message has been edited by Gofishleech (edited 03-01-2004).]

[Bobcat45]

After having a 4 stroke I wouldn't even think twice about buying another one. Especially if your buying a new boat and motor. Good luck!

[vikes40for60]

It depends on your budget.

In my case the 4 stroke is the only way to go. I have owned both Yamaha and Honda are both perform quite well.

If you can get into an EFI 4 stroke you are getting best of both worlds. Midrange HP like 70 -90 HP go Suzuki and 115 and 150 go Yamaha.

Good luck!

[CabinBoy]

Don't rule out the 2 stroke all together. The FICHT and the Optimax are 2 exceptional engines and are tried and true. You'll find these motors to be just as fuel efficient as the 4 strokes and in the low to mid-range engine, almost as quiet. Plus you get better low and top end performance. I have ran these engines for 5 years now and am in no hurry to make the switch to the 4 strokes.

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fish smarter, not harder

[leechlake]

I guess my question is what size motor. If you're talking a smaller motor 9.9, 15, 25 horse I'd tell you to get the four stroke no doubt. There are other options on the bigger motors like said above. I have a Yamaha 175 HPDI that is great. I saw a study before I bought it that compared 200 HPDI's (high pressure direct injection) and 200 4 strokes. The performance numbers were nearly identical (actually if I recall the HPDI got better gas mileage by a tiny whisker, which surprises me) You'll be happy with either, the non 4 strokes start a bit easier in cold weather (I'm speaking of the 9.9 and 15, I don't have any experience with starting the bigger 4 strokes)the 4 strokes you usually have to choke a bit but they do start good and are super super quiet. Good luck.

[Havin' Fun]

4 stroke EFI!!!
All I have to say.

Good gas mileage
No smoke
Starts first turn(EVERY TIME!)

[Ole1855]

I have to agree with CabinBoy.

I watched a show a few weeks back that tested 225hp Merc's, one was a 4-stroke the other a Optimax. They ran them on the same exact boat and rated them on fuel consumption, noise, speed out of the hole, top end and the time it took to reach top end.

The results were quite surprising, the Optimax was better in all tests except noise and that was negligable at top speed.

Everyone talks about how much better the fuel consumption is, maybe that is true on smaller motors, it definitely wasn't on the 225hp.

Ole

[upnorth]

From what I have read, with the high tech outboards like the ficht, hppd, and the optimax you can spend up to $20 per spark plug. I know that not all are gonna be that pricey.....but some are. Sounds like a pretty steep price for a tune up to me to me.

[This message has been edited by upnorth (edited 03-02-2004).]

[Scoot]

4-stroke. I'm a firm believer in the 4-strokes for all of the reasons mentioned above. 2 cylcles don't compare very well for me when I compare pros and cons.

------------------
Scoot

So I got dat goin’ for me… which is nice.

[Wave Runner]

I've run the larger direct injected two strokes for three years now. Currently have a Yamaha 200 HPDI. I saw no advantage to the four stroke because like others indicated the performance is virually the same. I paid seven bucks each just recently for a set of NGK spark plugs for the 2004 Yamaha.

Two stroke or four, they're both good products. Call me old fashioned but I like still like the "roar" of a two stroke when you're going full tilt

[This message has been edited by Wave Runner (edited 03-02-2004).]

[animalal]

Great replies. I have owned a four stroke since 97 and love it. Its been awhile since I went shopping for a motor. Like others have mentioned, 2 strokes have come a long way. I will be looking for a 115hp to 150hp motor depending on the boat rating. I would like to here more about the 2 strokes. Are they a little lighter and how smoky are they? I see evenrude come out with an e tech motor that looks nice. The biggest one is only 90hp and this wont help me this year.

[leechlake]

I have a Yam 175 VMAX HPDI (alphabet soup?)it doesn't really smoke, I miss that. Nothing like a nice cool June morning and firing up the motor and having a blue haze and that great gas oil smell! I love the new HPDI, I never worry about starting it when I'm drifting into shallow rocks, one turn of the key and it goes. It starts great cold weather also. No negatives at all. I see more 115 Yamaha 4 strokes than any new motor and I've yet to hear anything bad about them.

[animalal]

Thanks for you time and thoughts.