Out Board Engines 2 Or 4 Stroke

[lloyd]

I'm thining of replacing my old 2 stroke 8hp. Have decided a 5 Hp will suffice.

Anyone got views or experience to compare advantages/disadvantages 2 or 4 stroke out board engines?

[Trim50]

Love my two-stroke Mercury...can't imagine lugging around a 4-stroke.

[Harbor_Pilot]

Originally Posted by lloyd

I'm thining of replacing my old 2 stroke 8hp. Have decided a 5 Hp will suffice.

Anyone got views or experience to compare advantages/disadvantages 2 or 4 stroke out board engines?

Lloyd,

My contribution is based on comments from my brother, whom is an inland, freshwater, avid sporting fisherman with experiance on very large and very small, lakes and rivers, since 1970. Since the early 1980's he was a part time commercial fishing guide to sportsmen. Since the early 1990's his primary occupation has been a commercial fishing guide on large (**) freshwater lakes and rivers, in the Midwest US and Canada. ** Large lakes means the shoreline may be not visible and large rivers means with large commercial vessels.

Posting his web site may add creditability, but it may breach this boards guidelines of remaining non-commercial. In short, just trust me, in that I am relating my brothers' vast experiances with 2 and 4 cycle outboards.

Although he has multiple methods of propulsion on each boat, large outboards 150+ HP or twin 50-75+ HP, and electric trolling motors - bow and stern at the same time; he also has small 5-10 HP gas outboards as trolling motors for fast river conditions.

His comments and my observations:

* He has not owned a 2 cycle since the 4 cycle technology improved vastly; about mid-1990's, as I recall.

* He said (about 4 cycle) clean, efficent, reliable, no mixing gas and oil, can use one fuel and multiple fuel tankns for multiple engines - everything is interchangeable.

* Longer engine life, less noise and air pollution

* No fuss, no muss. Simplifies life greatly.

I have no idea how engine warranties, weight, fuel consumption, or purchase price compares today, but think it is worth considering those factors.

Just trust me at face value, but also consider the other posts, your own reseach and apply that to your situation.

[bluh20]

4 stroke all the way. There is not that much weight difference anymore and no fuss or muss with 2 stroke oil. Cleaner burning, quiter and it will last longer with proper maintenance.

[JeanneP]

The greater weight of the 4-stroke outboard has discouraged us from replacing our beat-up old Johnson 5 HP outboard with a new motor. However when we went to the Miami Boat Show in February, it was clear that 4-strokes are changing, and although they still are a bit heavier than the 2-strokes, the difference is narrowing.

Peter likes the Yamaha outboard, and a 4-stroke, 4 HP (yes, 4 HP - we never liked going fast) weighs 48 pounds. That's not that bad, but go up to an 8 HP and the weight jumps to 83 pounds.

I think we will finally bite the bullet and get a 4-stroke. It seems to be cleaner, and with no more oil being burned with the gasoline, it should be a bit more environmentally friendly. Rowing would be even more friendly, but I can assure you, Peter won't agree to that, and to be honest, I'm not keen on that, either.

[Spike_dawg]

I have a 5hp 2 stroke which weighs 33 lbs. If you ever have to put a motor on a dinghy, while at anchor with a small swell running, you will know just how important weight is. 4 strokes mean higher weight and that means a lot of trouble. That said- - I agree with all the comments (except Jeanne's about rowing) and will probably have a 4 stroke for my next outboard.

I like to row.

[JeanneP]

Originally Posted by Spike_dawg

I like to row.

Yeah, Spike, I used to like to row, too, but that was 50 years ago.

When we were in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, we were on a mooring inside a beautiful round bay, as calm as could be. I'd row our dinghy to shore because it was more pleasant than using the outboard, but rowing an inflatable dinghy is usually not that easy, particularly if there is any wind or current.

[lloyd]

4 stroke it is. Now I'll decide between a 4hp Yamaha or 5hp honda. More decisions. Many thanks for the advice.

[Charlie Jones]

JeanneP- that weight difference is becasuse when you go from the 4 hp to the 8 hp you also go to a 2 cylinder rather than a single. That's the main reason we purchased an 8 hp Yamaha as our power on our boat- smoother running with two cylinders. Of course we don't use it on a dinghy. It's running in a well on the boat.

And I don't know about outside the US, but we searched for a small 2 stroke before we bought the 4 stroke- 2 storkes are no longer made in smaller sizes by MANY makers. We could not find a NEW 6 hp anything, which is what we wanted, so the decision between 2 and 4 stroke just might be moot.

[Lynx]

I have an 8 foot 128 pound Portland Pudgy with a 4 stroke 2hp Honda. It pushes it at 5.3 mph with some to spare. Light at 28 pounds.

[Lighthouse]

No need to over-power!

[Auzzee]

Engineering luminary Sachiro Honda, promised the people of the world he would never manufacture a 2 stroke outboard engine. Water, he said, is life....fish and rice being the staples of japanese cuisine...and to pollute water with residual oil from a 2 stroke engine, he thought was to threaten life itself.

A wise man!

David.