2 stroke vs. 4 Stroke

Ok. so I still can’t decide between the navigator and dominator but now I have to pick a motor. Most are in the same price range with the exception of a standard yamaha 2 stroke.

What is everyone’s preference? I can pick a new generation 2 stroke (ie. e-tec), an old generation 2 stroke (yamaha carb), and a 4 stroke. The motor will be 90 no matter what brand or type.

I have run both 2 and 4 in the past and have not been all that impressed with the performance of the 4 stroke. Yeah they are quiet and use less gas, and better re-sale (not planning that for a LONG time). but for a guy like me that only uses 1 tank of gas all summer, does some trolling, but mostly casting am having a hard time justifying the added expense of a new gen 2 or 4????? I don’t mind the smoke so that is not a big deal either.

Am I missing anyting?
Any advice would be great! I think I am making this too hard!

I think you answered your own question…. Sounds like the 2 stroke yamaha for you?

I agree with Jami

Go with a new 2-stroke they are virtually bulletproof. Opti or Etec.

That was my follow up question. Will he carb 2 stoke be as reliable as the others? I don’t want to be cleaning carbs every spring either. Can’t we have our cake and eat it too?

well, only running one tank through a year… if you run sea foam in each tank, shouldn’t be an issue??

Jami

Do you fish in early spring or late fall? I have a 150 e-tec now, but had a carbed 2-stroke merc 75 on my previous boat. Talk about a cold blooded piece of crap. It never wanted to start, and didn’t like to idle when it was cold. Plus, it went through gas like it was going out of style. I get 3 or 4 times better gas mileage with my 150 e-tec than I did with my 75 merc. My e-tec always starts, regardless of the temps, and runs smooth as a baby’s butt in the cold.

I have a 2009 Navigator with a 90hp Etec. Stay away from the old carbs unless you’re cheap! They are cold-blooded, smelly, and thirsty. As for the 4-strokes in the 90hp range, the Suzuki is the best performing. I chose the Etec for best holeshot and trolling fuel efficiency. Check out this article from Bass and Walleye Boats magazine:Roaring 90’s http://www.bwbmag.com/output.cfm?id=943183&sectionid=310

i have a 2006 70hp yamaha 2 stroke, and i love it. it sips on the gas, does not start like a “typical” cold blooded 2 stroke, and the reliability has been phenominal.

regardless of the model, i will be buying yamaha until something changes.

Can`t agree more I know I will never own another carbed motor again. SSoooo sweet to hit the key and it`s running no matter what the temp. And incrediable fuel mileage with some common sense, any motor will drink fuel running wide open. My 135 Opti uses way less fuel then my Evinrude 60 HP tiller ever thought about. So you know where my vote is.

Jami is right!
Buy that carbed 2-stroke.
You will loose a bit on resale, but you will gain on your initial purchase, to make it a wash.
You won’t burn enough gas to justify EFI or 4 stroke.

So, unless you got money burning in your pocket….

i run a yammy carbed 2-stroke on my navigator (5 years now) and have NEVER had a problem and i use it year round.

People have been using carbed 2 stroke outboards for what? 75 years???
Ya’ll sound like they just don’t work!
The 2-stroke lawn mower, weed whip, snow blower, snowmobile, dirt bike, 3-wheeler, blah, blah, blah, blah ALL start each and every year!!!!!!

Like Jami said, a little sea foam and ya got her licked!

Yeah, my two stroke carbed merc worked, usually, but my e-tec works a whole lot better.

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Jami is right!

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Wow, I don’t hear that to often….

For as little as he runs it, and not planning on getting rid of it any time soon, save the cash and get the 2 stroke.

How many old motors are still out running around? At least in this neck of the woods, there are as many if not more older 70’s – 80’s models than the new ones….

Now if he was going to run it 100 times a year, answer would be different….

Jami

Just got my old Evenrude 150 rebuilt for under 3 grand. The 4 stroker would have been twice that much. Something to think about….

Good conversation keep em coming. One rig I’m looking at right now has a 60 4 stroke yammie on it. I’ve never run one other than test drives. 4 strokes seem a lot heavier for the horses.

This is great reading. I know there are pros and cons to both which makes the choice more difficult, especially when I plan to keep the boat for a long time.

any other thoughts?

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Good conversation keep em coming. One rig I’m looking at right now has a 60 4 stroke yammie on it. I’ve never run one other than test drives. 4 strokes seem a lot heavier for the horses.

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they are heavier, but I don’t believe it is “a lot”. They are also not as quick out of the hole, but they have their own advantages.

Performance wise, 2 stroke is tough to beat. If this were a tiller boat,the adj RPM feature of the yammie 4 stroke is a wonderful fishing benefit.If you do alot of trolling,the 4 stroke seems to smell a bit better and extremely quiet,I doubt that fuel consumption would be of much difference,but with the 4 stroke,having mixing oil is one less thing to keep on the mental checklist.Pros & cons to both,but I think the best choice for you is in how you anticipate using your boat the majority of the time. Good luck!

Or,
save your money that you would invest on a 4 stroke and get the 2 stroke…….then buy a kicker if you troll a lot!

Out of curiosity, what is the price differences you are getting with a 2-stroke carb, e-tec/opti, or 4 stroke?

One more point, but I am not sure if it matters here, is fumes. Burning oil is burning oil. I used to have problems with getting queasy feeling when trolling the big lake (Superior) when I had a 2-stroke. Once I switched to a 4-str, I have not had any seasick symptoms whatsoever. The 2-stroke fumes flat out made me sick – and it took me years to figure it out………

Personally, I can not foresee buying another 2-stroke outboard in the future. Not that they are not good, but the lack of oil fumes makes a difference to me.

Tim

Fumes – Burning Oil – Injecting Oil – Pre-Mixing Oil to insure that the injectors don’t fail, …… All these items go away with the 4 stroke along with one other item… EVERY 2 stroke I ever owned had some form of an oil leak at one time or another. This normally goops up the front of the motor and/or the reservoir area regardless of any spillage. I remember my splash well looking like an oil slick after storing my boat for 3-4 weeks with the motor tilted up.

I KNOW resale is not important to you NOW, but 5-10 years down the road a prospective buyer would choose a 4 or 2DI over a 2 Carbed model hands down. I would right now!

Lastly – Consider the environmental advantages for us and future generations.

To answer Gary’s Question. From a standard carb 2 stroke to the 4 stroke yamaha is about 1500 and another 1500 or so to get up to the e-tec. that is why the decision is a little hard since that is a bunch of money that I don’t have to burn or I can put it into trolling motor, etc.

I’m shocked at the support for 2-strokes. Shocked.

I’m shocked at all the support for 2-strokes. Shocked.

You’ll get my 4 when you pry it out of my cold dead hands. I will never own a 2 again!

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Go with a new 2-stroke they are virtually bulletproof. Opti or Etec.

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Wow you must be running different Opti’s or Etecs than most. They are not terrible by any means, but far from bulletproof. Sure have great performance and economy though.

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but for a guy like me that only uses 1 tank of gas all summer, does some trolling,

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Yep, carbed 2-stroke, with a can of Stabill all summer. Then come fall, run some Seafoam through it.
Save your money and buy a kicker or even a couple of drift socks!

$1500 – $3000 sure can buy a lot of gas and seafoam!!!!!
I would like to see a poll on here out of the 10000+ members of whom have trouble free, carbed, 2 strokes that are 10 years old or older! I bet the positive response would be amazing!

Some folks are brainwashed in that carbed 2 strokes are nothing but headaches, leak oil, don’t start, blah, blah, blah……..yet they have 2 stroke weed whips, garden tillers, snomobiles, dirtbikes, lawnmowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, etc, etc, etc.
PS: I want to know “ONE” engine that doesn’t leak oil! Any engine, no matter what it is in, will leak oil. I’m talking any engine, not just a outboard boat motor.

Good luck!

the other thing is that the oil is not injected into the cyl not the carb so if you take care of your gas, you should have less carb gum ups?

Great conversation. I don’t know how to do a poll but I will if someone explains it to me. That would be interesting.