2-Stroke vs 4-Stroke Outboards

[Lepke]

I use an electric, but you can buy 2 stroke outboards on Amazon in the US.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

The light weight of a 2 stroke is appealing, but at the same time, I want nothing to do with the smoke, stink, etc. of them and would rather have a good 4 stroke.

Agreed , toss em!
Technology, Will win in the end, polluters!
Boatyarddog

[MicHughV]

My favorite engine of all time was the Yamaha 8 hp two stroke. You could pick it up with one hand. It ran like a swiss watch.

It's not made anymore, but you can find used one's online all over the place.

[Funkydrum]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

My favorite engine of all time was the Yamaha 8 hp two stroke.

It's not made anymore, but you can find used one's online all over the place.

Luckily, you can find them new in The Bahamas and the Caribbean.

[MicHughV]

They might be new, but they would likely be " dated" some years back....

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Adelie

2-strokes are more tolerant of dirty fuel. And fuel with ethanol in it.

My new Suzuki 4 stoke (only 2.5hp, anyway . .) has painted on the cover a notice that says 5% and 10% ethanol is just fine.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Davidhoy

You can still get parts for old 2-stroke motors in the US. I have a 1999 Johnson 15hp 2-stroke, and haven't, yet, had any issues. In fact I just received a replacement throttle cable in the mail today. And I've seen parts like replacement carbs to be readily available - I'd imagine that a carb would be the most egregiously un-environmentally friendly part of the motor...

-David

I meant harder to get parts for a new/newer 2-stroke where the parts have to be imported.
I still have a 4.5hp 2-stroke from 1982. Parts are domestically sourced.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by waterman46

My new Suzuki 4 stoke (only 2.5hp, anyway . .) has painted on the cover a notice that says 5% and 10% ethanol is just fine.

I could be wrong but my understanding is that 2-strike use bigger jets in the carb which are less likely to gum up and clog when ethanol gas gets old. If you never let the motor sit with ethanol gas in the carb for an off season it’ll never be a problem.

[misfits]

If you can't get ethanol free fuel, Seafoam gas additive really helps keep carb jets on small horsepower motors from becoming temperamental.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Adelie

I could be wrong but my understanding is that 2-strike use bigger jets in the carb which are less likely to gum up and clog when ethanol gas gets old. If you never let the motor sit with ethanol gas in the carb for an off season it’ll never be a problem.

Yet the little ones always foul much easier and 4 stroke definitely worse in that regard in my own experience.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Adelie

I could be wrong but my understanding is that 2-strike use bigger jets in the carb which are less likely to gum up and clog when ethanol gas gets old. If you never let the motor sit with ethanol gas in the carb for an off season it’ll never be a problem.

Bigger doesn't mean big, I think. I could never keep our previous 1-cylinder 2-stroke carb working. No fuel issues with the subsequent 2-cylinder 4-stroke EFI.

-Chris

[ggray]

Every point has been covered except one. I suspect 2 strokes shake/vibrate less.

Larger than most dinghy motors, I know, but I have had to replace a 25hp Evinrude ETEC that I "loved" (until it died for the reason that Evinrude went belly up) with a Yamaha 25. One of the newer 25s with two cylinders.

The ETEC was smooth as a sewing machine (well now it's really smooth!), but the Yamaha shakes terribly. I understood why when I discovered that both throws of the crankshaft were side by side, contrasted to 180* apart on a 2 cylinder 2 stroke.

I still have a Merc 3.3 two stroke that fired up on first pull after 11 years storage (after I remembered to install a sparkplug).

[Adelie]

360* separation is not inherent to 4-stroke, it is a design choice that Yamaha made. No idea why.

[IslandHopper]

I hung on to my old 15hp 2-stroke Yamaha for as long as I could but eventually replaced it with a brand new 4-stroke, other than the zing of the line I'm not sorry about it at all.

It uses less fuel, doesn't stink or smoke, and I don't need to mess around with and carry 2 stroke oil.....and it's waaaaaay quieter.

As mentioned, you cannot buy new 2-strokes in Australia anymore, including Tohatsu.

[Tupaia]

I am a 2 stroke advocate for marine use and have 2 Tohatsu's 1 x 5hp and 1 x 9.8hp the 9.8 weighs 26kgs and is my second in over 17 years of use. I even got a good part ex on the first after 12 years.

Having said this I just came across this:
oceanbayboat.com - Motores Fueraborda Ocean Bay-Aquaparx( mismo fabricante ozeam) 1.3-1.5-2.5-5 Cv - Motor Fueraborda Ocean bay-Aquaparx F 2.5 M Corto(mismo fabricante ozeam 2.5)
8.3kg dry weight 9kg wet
<150 euros for the 1.5hp and <400 euros for the 5hp