Four stroke vs Two Stroke ???

[Bream Master]

Is the extra money for a four stroke justified for bream fisho's considering how much time we spend trolling with electrics. They are super quiet and a delight to use, but is the extra cost worth it ???

Warren.

[Dave W]

IMHO, I don't think so.

All my fishing, be it trolling or spinning, is done using the electric - the 'big donk' just gets me to the spot and back.

Sure, it would be nice to be able to have a conversation on the move without having to yell - but it 'aint worth the extra dollars.

Funnily, the price difference between the 2 of them is getting smaller - hopefully in the near future you'll be able to make a choice between them for reasons other than price.

Cheers,

[chris_lemess]

Quieter
Hassle free (fill up w/ unleaded at random petrol stations)
Starts perfectly on a cold morning
Better re-sale value
Better for the environment (rated to 2006)

Plus they are getting lighter and cheaper constantly. I'd say it's definately worth it if you can afford it. Sure - if say you are stretching the funds to buy the boat let alone the donk - a 2 stroke will do. I reckon plan the 4-stroke in with the package though...

Chris

[Big Muddie]

I'm with Chris on this one.

Having been a 2-stroke owner and since moved to a 4-stroke (and up in power), I can confidently say that I have NEVER made a better decision.

My 2 banger was a 30HP Merc Lite. The new motor is a 40HP Yammie. For an average 4 day trip, fishing and crabbing, I would use all of 50-60L of premix fuel in the Merc. For the same trip now I use at worst 30L of unleaded - and I now cruise at the top speed of the old Merc at less than half the fuel cost and a whole lot less noise. The amount of time I now spend on the water means that in a year I will have saved in the order of 300-350L of fuel and quite a bit of 2-stroke oil.

The quietness is remarkable. And that does make a difference over time - believe me. The lack of smoke and more importantly, the lack of oil slick no matter how little is also very important for our environment.

At the same time, Dave has a good point in that if you are only using your motor to get to and from your fishing location with very little major movement in between then a 2-stroke is adequate - provided of course that the to and fro part is not a major distance.

All that said, it's a matter of personal preference and ability to pay - I would never go back to a 2 banger now but there are still lots of people out there who will be more than happy with their 2's.

[chris_lemess]

You said it.

GEEZ! I forgot to mention fuel savings! That's like a major aspect! I can go for two very long bream trips 6hrs plus with plenty of travelling on a 20L tank. It's a 15hp Honda 4 stroke and it drinks barely anything!

Chris

[Ravin]

I would not run out & sell a 2 stroke that was in good nick to buy a 4 stroke but on a new boat I would definitely get a 4 stroke for the reasons mentioned above. They are quiet & very fuel efficient & more enviromentally friendly as well. I have a 50HP EFI 4 stroke on my new Hornet & I am very happy with the performance. If you were going to mount one on an older hull the extra weight of the 4 stroke must be taken into account.

Gday
Being a former motocrosser, i can shed a bit of light on this subject. About 6 years ago yamaha made a revolutionary four stroke bike which since then has become a best seller. The new bike's engine weighs less than the equivalent capacity two stroke (yes its lighter!!!) and produces only slightly less power.
All this technology is being put into outboards aswell. Honda and Yamaha are the leaders in motorbikes and looks to be translating to the same in outboards.
Also the noise factor. It is proven that quiet motors cause less fatigue than louder motors, and this translates to more fishing time, and better concentration (that is spelt wrong but oh well).
Hence why luxury cars are so damn quiet!
Anyways that is my bit on this subject!

[cyclops]

I have switched to a 4s after years of 2s albeit small 15hp 2s. I now have a Yammie 60hp 4 stroke and it is fantastic. Like most, the big motor gets me where I want to fish, then the Minn kota cuts in.

Believe it or not, I find that the 60 uses about the same amount of fuel as my old Yammie 15! and no smoke, no mixing, and its soo quite I have to check the tell tale to see it is running.

Another thing to consider is that 2stroke is under suspicion as a carcinogen. Many of our freshwater rivers and lakes are used to supply drinking water and dissolved 2stroke oil is suspect. I have heard that some lakes overseas are already electric only or 4stroke.

pete

[fooltothabream]

The Yamaha 15hp 4 stroke 2001 model I recently bought from Access boating is brilliant. Maximum fuel usage at full revs is 5.6 lt per hour. And it pushes my 3.7 punt along at 22 knots. Couldnt be happier.
Dennis

[FisherMatt]

In the 5 years Ive owned my 40 yam 2 stroke, apart from its 10hr service, it has NEVER been to an outboard mechanic for a service. I do all the service work myself coz it it just that easy!!!!!

Outboards should be serviced anually, and at last check, a service on a three cylinder two stroke O/B will set u back a couple of hunderd bucks. Therefore, I've just saved myslef 1000 bucks since Ive had the motor. Thats about 1100 litres of fuel!!!!!

Now, please correct me if im wrong, but over a five year period, im not sure that doing what we do (breamin), that a comparable, (ie 40hp), four stroke is gunna use 1100 litres less fuel????
And thats not taking into account service costs of the four stroke itself, which are dearer that two strokes.

If i bought a new rig JUST for breamin, id have a two stroke.

If i was gunna burn hundereds of litres of fuel, say, heading offshore for bottom fish, id probably go the four.

Horses for courses.

Cheers

[Brody]

that's good thinking Matt, we have a 435quintrex topender witha 3 cylinder 35 johnson 2 stroke on the back.

we use our boat doing mainly inshore fishing and at the most prolly 4 or 5 kilometres out for dhuies etc.

we workd out that it would be better to hang on to our motor and buy a leccie than sell this motor and spend about another 3 grand on a four stroke when we don't need it.

and for just general breaming most of the day your under electric power so i don't think the extra cost adds up four a four stroke.

cheers, Brody

[Tony]

Originally posted by Rod
I agree that 4 strokes are quiet and cheap to run but they are also a bit more to service. Going for them is the fact that you can carry a bit less fuel but somtimes the dollar saving would pay for a new Min Kota or ????

The new two strokes are alot better then they used to be.

Rod

Hi I will put in my two bobs worth if i can ,I just sold my 435 Hornet with a 50 Yammy 4 stroke, My last service was over $300 I think that is dear. Although I loved the motor and it was quite it made baoting a pleasure.
----------
Ask Ira he has been in my old boat.!!

I have just got a new 475 Hornet and am putting on the back a new 75 Hp E-tec from Evinrude. It is a 3 cly twostroke motor fuel injected,just past Carb 3 USA standards and is Maintinence free for 3 years or 300 hours of normal use. Gotta love that and has gotta save money and you can buy a new Minkota with the saveings.

My reason for this choice was Over here in the south east we have big Dams and Alrge rivers and I do more than just fish for Bream , with 2 young boys and other things you will need more than a tiny motor.

Before the E-tec the only option was a 60hp 4 Banger for a 475m hornet which to me was a bit under gunned,the next jump up was to heavy for the Transom weight. With the E-tech it is 138 Kilo's and can troll down to 500rpm and No smoke. That I will love. and the fuel econemy of a 4 banger. I am haveing a dip at this new technoligy and have faith it will be good.!
They do come in lower size outboards as well.


http://www.evinrude.com./docs/100/0_OT.htm

[fatman]

I'm with Matt and Dave here, I service my own (30 Yamaha, 2 stroke) and it cost bugger all to do.

gear oil- $7
plugs- x3 - $12
grease- $8

That's a cheap service for under thirty dollars. It is a 2001 model so runs 100:1 mix so it does'nt blow any (or very little) smoke, and at WOT it is as quiet (or noisy) as a 4 stroke.

For the amount of electric work I do in my fishing, I could'nt justify th extra cost of the 4 stroke at the time when I bought my boat (almost double) and I like the grunt of the 2 stroke.

FATMAN

[FisherMatt]

Leon

That E-tech engine looks like a really neat peice of equipment.
I too was surprised at the weight, my current two stroke only weighs about 80kg.

I think u'll find that it is the fuel injection system of the E-tech that adds to its weight (and price!!!!!!!)
Other outboard manufacturers dont do fuel injected two strokes in that horsepower range.
Im pretty sure if u got a price on say a yammie or merc carburetted two stroke, it'd be less than the four.

Cheers

[Tony]

I will agree the price is higher than other 2 stroke motor's but you have to pay for the technoligy and what you will use it for.!

I am talking 75hp and above for my boat and there is only the 75 optimax, 80Hp Yammy 4 banger, Johson 70 4 banger they are all heavy for Hp rated motor ,and hence the E-tec 75 for me.

With this motor I can troll all day,Try that with a cheap to service 2 stroke. can not do it. Fuel cost will be a huge saveing as I do lots of Klm on large Lakes and rivers.

Last time I quoted a 60hp 4 Stroke yammy it was over $8000 once above that 60 hp the price jumps up real quick.

But put it like this, A cheap Aerinos Shimano reel and a Stradic will do the same job but one better than the other. I know which one i would buy.

I work in the comm's industry and heaps are changeing over to ADSL internet cause it's better. Old dial up modem will do the job but slower and not as good.!!

Old story Horses for courses and my E-tech has a THREE year non declining warranty.

You all have good and valid points though.