What Outboard To Buy????

Looking for some opinions out there. Should I get a new 2 stroke or a new 4 stroke. Tell me what you think and more important, why you think it. Also what brand works for you, Evenrude, Honda, Yamaha, Merc, etc. and again, why! Looking to buy something in the 70hp range give or take a little. I’ll just sit back and wait to hear from you. Thanks

I see you call yourself Backtroller, well, I spent the weekend backtrolling with a 2-stroke and I still smell like outboard exhaust…you don’t get that with a 4-stroke. Go 4-stroke and enjoy not mixing gas, quieter and less vibration, better fuel economy, better re-sale when the time comes. I had Yamahas on my last boat and couldn’t be happier with them!

yammy’s got it goin on, you cant go wrong with em. great runnin, dependable, low maintenance and great resale. dont get any better than that. Sounds like i’ve owned one or two, YEP!

Want a four stroke, fine. just be prepared to twist some wrenches! There is nothing more relaxing than doing some wrenching in the garage on the boat the night before a big outing in the morning. Wrench on the motor (i.e. preventive maintenance) and then rigging up some poles while having a few beers.
A 4-stroke will give you long term dependability but they are not maintenance free. One must change oil in these motors on a regular basis. Contrary to what your DAD or your best friend has told you, black oil is dirty oil.
Do not let your oil change intervals go so long as to let the oil get that black. If you pull the dipstick on a clean engine you will have to look hard to see the oil on the dipstick. Once an engine is dirty it is really hard to
get them clean again. If maintenance is not your thing-buy a 2-stroke and then you’ll just have to add oil to the oil tank.

Believe it or not-contrary to your DAD
BLACK OIL IS DIRTY OIL (i.e.4sroke)

Love,
Brian

E-tech’s don;t require mixing oil, additionally, they do not smoke like conventional (older) 2 strokes. Add that to the fact they weight 30% less than the 4 strokes, AND have NO maintenance requirements for the first THREE years, I’d say its a no brainer. I ALMOST put a brand new 75 on my new boat but my 2001 ficht 75 still runs like a top and it was cheaper to convert it to a tiller and hang it on the new boat, so I kept it.

My next brand new motor will be an e-tech.

Buy the E-TEC, very little maintenance( 200 fewer parts than a 4 stroke) no mixing the oil and you won’t smell anything. Do yourself a favor and check them out.

Over 400 hours on my e tec and only thing done so far is the plugs.

Also test show that the etec’s have less emissions than a 4 stroke of any brand.

If are in the Hastings area give my a PM. I have a video or maybe we can hook up for a ride.

Good luck in your search

I have had very good luck running a 4-stroke outboard! 100-150 hours a season and my oil looks as good as the day I put it in. I change the oil each fall prior to winter storage. The motor is just over two years old….and it has the original spark plugs in it yet!!! starts in a second or two every time!!!

just my 2 cents…

I think it comes down to personal preference.. its that simple. As others havestated, the Etec motors have very low emissions, and adding 2 cycle to a tank is not a big deal(no mixing gas).

The Etec is a no brainer that it will get the best performance… its much lighter than the 4 strokes(boat doesnt sink in as far), and the responsive power of a 2 stroke is much greater.

Does it really make a difference? Not to me. I am not drag racing, and I dont really care if I reach my top speed 4 seconds faster. The fuel consumption is similar between the etec and the 4 stroke motors. They are all quieter and smoother than the 2 stroke pre-mix mosquito foggers of past, and easy on gas.

I still run a mosquito fogger.. I will be buying a new motor soon and I have been asking myself the same question.. Etec or yamaha?

I think everyone has pretty much covered all of the points for either side. If you’re looking for a tiller, the Yamaha has a great tiller handle allowing to increase and decrease your RPM’s by 50 each way. You can really dial in an accurate speed. I really like the 90 Yamaha that I have. If I didn’t own a Yamaha, I’d own an ETEC

To many advantages with the 4-stroke to not buy one. Its a Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge kinda’ thing but 4-strokes are wonderful. SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOTH …RR

I would look at a yamaha four stoke or a evinrude etec. Every one is saying that there is a lot of maintenance on a four stroke, what 1 to 2 hours each fall. How about you two stroke guys forgetting to bring two stroke oil with you and having to find some place on the on river to buy it or ask another boater if he has some he can buy. Happen all the time. The weight difference is not going to make that much difference under 90hp engines, the 50hp engines weight is the same. Over 90hp then two stroke all the way.

I run a 90 yam tiller and couldn’t be happier. No engine is maintance free for 3 years whatever evinrude says. Im guessing your looking for a tiller, and a yamaha tiller with the vts is unbeatable.

Good Luck with whatever u choose, they both make good engines im sure.

Backtroller – I’m sure you’ve read a plethora of information on what is out there and almost anywhere you post you will get a variety of answers. You read about the person that is really upset over brand X and then there’s the guy that can’t say enough great things about brand Y. I really think you have to determine what brand of motor best fits your style of fishing and send the money their way. I’ve owned Yammies and am currently enjoying Etech and see no reason to change. I personally think nearly every company today tries to produce a quality product. The weak link is that people make these products and at times we are just not at our best so failures will occur. That’s were I believe you should put as much emphasis on the importance of a quality dealer as you do the motor you select. Warranty is only as good as the dealer that provides that warranty. Have fun as there’s nothing better then dropping your hard earned dollar on fishing “stuff.” Kurt

Can you recomend any good dealers to work with for waranty work on ETECS?

One of the IDA’s very own sponsors. Al’s Specialty Marine 282-5532.

I have a Suzy 50 4 stroke, a Yammie 115 4 stroke and have tried the Etec 90. Gotta say it’s a snappy little motor, probably would stomp my 115 out of the hole. Not bad for quiet, but for all around smooth and quiet, either of my 4 strokes would be tough to beat. jerr

I welcome your post because I am also looking for opinions. I read the subsequent posts and was hoping to see a little bit more about Mercury Motors, but nothing so far.

For those that talk about adding oil, forget it. The Two-stroke E-TEC has a seperate resovoir and for most of us one fill and it will last most or all of the year. The oil thing simply is not an issue with the modern two-strokes.

BPR has put out two videos explaining why the E-TEC is better, in literally all respects then a four-stroke.And it is worth a look, but remember it is an ad.

I have owned a 90HP E-TEC for two full seasons and my son also purchased a new E-TEC this spring. Shortly after buyng the new E-TEC he traded it in on a four stroke, while I still own my E-TEC and in most respects am still happy with it.

Following are the reasons why I atill own an E-TEC and he is much happier with his four-stroke Suziki, along with comparisions of both motors.

1. Gas mileage with both motors is good, but the E-TEC is clearly better.

2. I use my E-TEC for trolling and it has never been a problem. However, the kid trolls for hours on Lake Michigan and the plugs on the E-TEC would carbon up. The only solution, replace the plugs a few times a year.

3. The four-stroke is quiter regardless of the BPR promos. At higher speeds this becomes very apparent.

4. What suprised me is the four-stroke Suziki, although slower out of the hole, is every bit as fast on the top end. Now the kid knows tons more then I do about this stuff, and actually took his Alumicraft back to St. Peter to have the engineers make some changes in the boat, but the bottom lne is this four stroke is every bit as fast as my E-TEC. As for the Alumicraft folks they were just super.

5. The E-TEC require much less maintenance, and in the long run this will save you $$$. i have a seven year non-depreciating warranty, and I doubt that is available with the four strokes.

6. The tilt/trim does not hold on some E-TECS built on or before March, 2006. My son’s was replaced and mine is currently being replaced under warranty.

On balance, I am sticking with the E-TEC because it runs great, trolls nicely for me, starts even faster then a four-stroke, requires virtually no maintenance and has a great warranty. However, as noted above there have been some problems and the four-stroke Suziki has been a great engine for my son.

Unfortunately, I do not have enough personal expeience to comment on Mercury or Yamaha.

I think the weight differnce between an E-Tec and a four stroke is even more important on a smaller boat. A 90hp. E-Tec is a hundred pounds lighter than a 90hp. yammy. That leaves alot of options when considering a kicker. Also on smaller E-Tecs, 115hp. and under, you can have oil pump set to 100 to 1. Pretty hard to forget to put oil in oil tank when you get that kind of consumption. Also there is no break in period, hammer down right out of the box. Also has self fogging mode, come fall, screw garden hose into back of motor, yes no ear muffs, put in fogging mode, and fog away. Use it, park it, and forget it. Walleyebry

One small note. On the smaller E-TEC versus 4-strokes, say 115 HP and less I do not think the weigh difference is nearly as much as you quote.

If I am wrong I am sure someone will let me know.

They are all good motors too own. My suggestion is too find a on the water boat show and take a brand of motor for a test drive and see what one you like. Then compair the warranty and service and you will have a fine motor when done. Nothing better then a test drive! I currently run Yamaha and love them for 8 years now with absolutely no shop time involved. That is hard too beat in my book.

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Want a four stroke, fine. just be prepared to twist some wrenches! There is nothing more relaxing than doing some wrenching in the garage on the boat the night before a big outing in the morning. Wrench on the motor (i.e. preventive maintenance) and then rigging up some poles while having a few beers.
A 4-stroke will give you long term dependability but they are not maintenance free. One must change oil in these motors on a regular basis. Contrary to what your DAD or your best friend has told you, black oil is dirty oil.
Do not let your oil change intervals go so long as to let the oil get that black. If you pull the dipstick on a clean engine you will have to look hard to see the oil on the dipstick. Once an engine is dirty it is really hard to
get them clean again. If maintenance is not your thing-buy a 2-stroke and then you’ll just have to add oil to the oil tank.

Believe it or not-contrary to your DAD
BLACK OIL IS DIRTY OIL (i.e.4sroke)

Love,
Brian

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So you change the oil once every 100 hours or once a season.

Trolling all day with little noise and no smoke is worth an oil change a year.

Have you ever notice that guys who have kicker moters prefer 4 strokes?

I’ve had a Honda and Yamaha 4 strokes.

If I have a choice, I’d take the Honda. Very smooth, quite and better on fuel than my Yamaha I now own.