4 stroke vs 2 stroke

[walleyetighe]

I am looking at buying a boat. What type engine do I go with. I have heard so many conflicting pros and cons for both the 4 stroke and the new 2 strokes. Any words of wisdom?

[jgeatz]

What size of boat and what size of moter? To me that makes the difference. I just bought a 17' Alumacraft and don't have a problem with a four stroke because it will be used for mainly fishing. But if I was going to use it only for skiing then I would have gone two stroke. Mostly it is personal preference. I don't mind the extra weight of the four stroke.

[PerchJerker]

I agree with jgeatz, can't give you an opinion until you tell us more about the boat and motors you're thinking about, and what you're planning to do with them.

[MuskieJunkie]

My 2 cents: buy a Fuel Injected 4 stroke, reasons why, higher resale value, less fuel and oil, they are not as loud as 2 strokes, and with the fuel injection you don't have to mess around with cleaning and adjusting carbs (of course you could easily make the argument that if the FI goes out it will be VERY expensive). All those translate to a lower cost of ownership.

Look at what motors the non-sponsered guides and resorts run. Most of them have FI 4 strokes, and to be more specific Yamahas.

[Giant_Jackpot]

I agree with the Junkie. I have had Suzuki 4 strokes for 7 years now and I cannot see where I would ever go back to a 2 stroke. And even though the new Opti’s and E-Tech’s are quieter and don’t smoke nearly as much as older 2 strokes, they still have an odor that makes for a bad situation when the wind is just right and the exhaust is blowing back into the boat. To me, they still stink (just my opinion, don’t go ballistic on me).

[JDM]

From the other side - I have an Opti and I really like it. It is easy to take care of and winterize, it always starts, and it is economical on fuel. It also is pretty quiet. I don't really notice any issues with smoke. I am not saying that 4 strokes aren't good, but only that I am happy with my 2 stroke Optimax. I am seeing plenty of them on the water, so I must not be the only one who likes them. The Opti is also a lot lighter than the 4 stroke equivalent and I have heard that the larger 4 strokes are gas pigs.

[DitchPickle13]

Questions: How much do you want to spend? How long do you want to keep it? What size? How often will you use it?

If it's a smaller motor, you'll need to up the HP on a 4 stroke get similar performance. If you're keeping it for a long time and/or using it often, you might enjoy some savings from less gass/oil. If not, don't waste the extra $ up front and hope you can get a proportionate amount when you sell it depending on what time of the year you buy/sell. If you spend an extra $1500 for 4-stroke, your cost of ownership will be higher if you don't use the boat enough or keep it long enough to see those benefits.

And remember, resale is more relevant towards purchases of new merchandise because if it has higher resale and you're buying it used, you paid that same higher percentage that you're expecting to get upon selling it.

So, if you're planning on keeping it for a while and spending a decent amount of $, then 4-sroke is probably a great idea.

If you're looking to get more boat/motor on a limited budget and might upgrade in the near future, 2-stroke is probably your answer. Good luck!

[caseymcq]

If you are going for a motor under 100 HP consider a Yamaha 4-stroke. The 4's idle down smoothly so you can back troll with it. Yammy's have electronic variable trolling speed (low rpm) adjustment so you can really creep along. They are fuel injected. Better performance, better fuel economy, they start better than a carb'd motor. Yammy's have some nice features like the hose conection for flushing your cooling system (i.e. don't need the rabbit ears) and their handles are about the best for having the shift lever where it can be easily reached and that variable trolling speed switch I mentioned.

If you are going over 100 hp consider a Mercury Opti-max. I had subscribed to Bass and Walleye Boats Magazine. Every time they had a head to head with motors over 100 hp the Opti performed very well. In a few instances they actually had better fuel economy than the 4-strokes of the same HP. They also usually were at or near the top in performance. Merc has been making Opti's for quite a while now. They had some bugs early on but they have really done a good job of working those out.

If you can't bring your self to buy the Merc check our Yammy's HPDI series. They are a good performing 2-stroke. If you have your heart set on a 4-stroke and are looking for something over 100 hp check out Yammy's or even Suzuki's.

I am a little partial to Yamaha. I have an '05 75 hp 4-stroke and I love it. I have it as a tiller on a Alumacraft 175 Navigator. It is the perfect fishing set-up for me. The motor starts like a charm, it is as quiet as a church mouse and hase plenty of power to push the boat up to 35 mph. I usually cruise right around 32-33 and it is fairly easy on the fuel.

If I were looking at a bigger boat/motor (i.e. a boat with a wheel) I would be seriously looking at an Opti-Max.

Good luck on you hunt for a new boat/motor.

[Payday]

If your looking at a tiller; go 4 stroke. Over 100 hp wheel boat; look at a DI. I have a 150 Opti and am quite happy with it

[walleyetighe]

Thanks for the replies! I am looking at a 23 foot, 8.5 foot wide lake assault aluminum deep v. I am going to spend more money that I want to, so I won't be looking to get rid of it any time soon. I will be using it for everything from fishing some of the smaller lakes to pulling the kids on tubes to downrigger fishing the Great Lakes. So I am looking at fuel efficiency, longevity, cost of maintenance,,,,,I guess the whole package. I am looking at a 225 Honda 4 stroke with a 9.9 Honda 4 stroke kicker.

[PerchJerker]

Sounds like a great setup. For the record I'm in the group that says a big DFI motor would be a better choice on that boat, but what's most important is what you want. Good luck with your new boat.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'd go DFI, too, but the Honda would be a great option!

[marine_man]

Sounds like a nice rig...

I'm bias though.. I'm not a big fan of Honda's, but a yamaha 4 stroke would be awfully nice on there!

I'm actually more of a di fan for larger HP motors - mostly because of how they wind up faster.

Enjoy the new boat!

marine_man

[JDM]

Just curious - what's the price range on a new rig like that from Lake Assault? I have always been impressed with their product.