2 stroke vs. 4 stroke

[ndweimer]

Looking at some boats with a variety of different motors. Looking late 90's to early 2000's 17' boat with tiller motors. My questions would be, can I troll slow enough for cranks with a 75 to 80 hp motor. Is a early 2000 2 stroke any better than same year 4 stroke? My understanding is that the early 4 strokes are carbureted just like the 2 strokes. I would think the advantage would be noise and fuel economy, but I have also heard the carbs can be fussy on the 4 strokes. Thoughts?

 

[SupressYourself]

Love me a 2 stroke for their torque, but for your application, a 4 would probably be better. In either case, you'll probably need some add-ons to make it troll slow enough.

 

[martinslanding]

depending on size and weight of boat, maybe a 4 stroke might slow down enough, I have found back-trolling and using drift socks cna get me to any trolling speeds I need. If slow going and trolling with big motor are your main requirements then a 4 stroke is hands down better then a 2 stroke.
most 4 strokes are better fuel economy as well, when I made the switch years ago, my pocket book noticed it significantly

 

[johnr]

Nothing like the smell of a two stroke in the morning, however if you are tiller shopping the 4 is the way to go, just for the noise of it.

 

[Jigaman]

I loved my old optimax and fuel consumption was similar if not slightly better than my Verado. noise at WOT was about the same but Verado is much quieter at idle. Opti made great power but after having the four-stroke I'd never do back. four-stroke also hold their value much better and easier to sell.

 

[guywhofishes]

YUK - boy do I hate the smell of a two stroke now that I've gotten used to no smell at all with four stroke (2004 Suzuki under a Big White Johnson hood - fuel injected)

I bought that particular engine because the Yammies hadn't gone injection yet.

 

[shorthairsrus]

depending on size and weight of boat, maybe a 4 stroke might slow down enough, I have found back-trolling and using drift socks cna get me to any trolling speeds I need. If slow going and trolling with big motor are your main requirements then a 4 stroke is hands down better then a 2 stroke.
most 4 strokes are better fuel economy as well, when I made the switch years ago, my pocket book noticed it significantly

Big motor -- if you own a etec you can troll down to less than 2mph. They dont smell and you can troll all day. Gone are the days where you have to open them up unlike big 4 strokes that you should do that to keep them from oiling.

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YUK - boy do I hate the smell of a two stroke now that I've gotten used to no smell at all with four stroke (2004 Suzuki under a Big White Johnson hood - fuel injected)

I bought that particular engine because the Yammies hadn't gone injection yet.

We dont use blue oil anymore --- i could cook with the oil that we use now.

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Big motor -- if you own a etec you can troll down to less than 2mph. They dont smell and you can troll all day. Gone are the days where you have to open them up unlike big 4 strokes that you should do that to keep them from oiling.

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We dont use blue oil anymore --- i could cook with the oil that we use now.

PS that 140 was even more bullet proof than the yammy

 

[guywhofishes]

We dont use blue oil anymore --- i could cook with the oil that we use now.

LOL.

I've experienced dramatic improvement on snowmobiles with the new synthetics, but they still smell.

Plz video you eating food cooked in synthetic two stroke oil. That video could make you some money.

 

[Skeeter]

LOL.

I've experienced dramatic improvement on snowmobiles with the new synthetics, but they still smell.

Plz video you eating food cooked in synthetic two stroke oil. That video could make you some money.

what’s for supper dear? Onion rings and chicken patties cook in 2 stroke oil. Mmmmmmm.

 

[SupressYourself]

YUK - boy do I hate the smell of a two stroke now that I've gotten used to no smell at all with four stroke...

Elitist

#Optimax4Life:;:rockit

 

[sierra1995]

My last boat was an 02 Lund with a 75 4-stroke mercury tiller. Russ at boat works got it tuned up for me, and it ran like a top. It was carbureted, with 4 carbs, but as long as running clean gas and taking care of it, it was great.

That being said, I was looking to re-power it with a 75 optimax from about the same era, for the reason of forward trolling speed. If I remember correctly, the optimax idle RPM was around 700, while the 4 stroke is about 1200 rpm. The ETEC's mentioned above idle around 500 RPM. Ultimately, I couldn't justify spending the money to re-power when I had a perfectly good running and reliable motor.

Side note- the 2000-2005 mercury 4 strokes were made by Yamaha (at least from 50-115 hp). When they went to EFI in 2006, those were made by mercury.

My recommendation - if you find a good one with either 2 stroke or 4 stroke, buy it. you won't be disappointed either way. Then take it to Russ and have him tune it up.

 

[Captain Ahab]

My 75 Optimax is pretty darn nice for a 2 banger. You can troll cranks against a wind or some current with the troll control turned all the way down. Pretty much no stink. I call it a 3 stroke as it acts like a cross between the two.

 

[Allen]

YUK - boy do I hate the smell of a two stroke now that I've gotten used to no smell at all with four stroke (2004 Suzuki under a Big White Johnson hood - fuel injected)

I bought that particular engine because the Yammies hadn't gone injection yet.

Huh? My 2003 Yamaha 4S is fuel injected. I think they were carbed in the sub 100 HP range until about 2004. But the bigger engines went to fuel injection a few years earlier.

Note, I love, love, LOVE that damn motor.


As to the original post, I'd think a 17 ft boat with a 75-80 HP motor would troll slow enough for cranks. I have a 2004 Lund Fisherman 17.5 ft and it trolls down to about 2.2 - 2.4 MPH when pulling cranks. It is problematic when it's windy out and I try to pull with the wind, I'll be up over 2.4 mph then, so I try to pull into the wind just about all the time.

Maybe I only catch the speedy fish tho, I dunno...

 

[Shockwave]

Just got rid of a 93 Sylvan with a 93 Mercury Blackmax 135 two stroke. I have the Mercury ProXS 115 on the new boat and like it so far. The biggest bonus is that is starts right away and I don't have to sit at the boat ramp making sure it starts before I unload it. I was loved at the boat ramp when it took a while to start it and backed everyone up.

I have the Tracker ProGuide V175 and troll at about 2.0 to 2.4 depending on the wind.

 

[guywhofishes]

Huh?

90HP. Does that help?

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Shockwave:

I never get mad at people who struggle to start their motor at the ramp.

Instead I think to myself "there but for the grace of God go I" and feel horrible for them. I often tell them I feel their pain and they're causing me any distress because of the delay.

Some of the saddest moments of my life were trouble at the ramp - turning around and going home crushed without fishing.

 

[Shockwave]

Thanks Guy. For the most part it would start either right away or after a little coaxing, but there was a couple times we had to pull it out and say F it. The biggest heartbreaker was letting my little guy down. That boy loves to fish and would do it all day every day if he could.

 

[guywhofishes]

Thanks Guy. For the most part it would start either right away or after a little coaxing, but there was a couple times we had to pull it out and say F it. The biggest heartbreaker was letting my little guy down. That boy loves to fish and would do it all day every day if he could.

Aaaaarrrgggg. The Worst.

 

[Allen]

We dont use blue oil anymore --- i could cook with the oil that we use now.

And we gave millenials a hard time for eating Tide pods.

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90HP. Does that help?

Yep, for some reason I thought you were running a bigger motor.

 

[guywhofishes]

My shoulder is pretty sure it's a 300.

 

[huntinforfish]

I had a 60 HP Suzuki on a 16.5 Alumacraft Tiller. Trolled down just fine. I would highly recommend four stroke for a tiller from my experience in my boat and riding with others. If you are worried about forward speed, dont they make trolling plates that mount to tillers to slow progress. No idea what they are called, but i swear ive seen them for this exact reason.