Outboard? 4 or 2 stroke? Make?

[Delta Hillbilly]

I am planning on buying a 25 HP outboard. Should I buy a 4 or 2 stroke? What model seems to be the best? I understand Mercury is building their power heads in China. It is hard to find a Honda outboard dealer.

I am currently looking hard at a 2 stoke Yamaha. It will be going on a 1442 Monarch.

I do not have an application for a mud motor. I duck hunt the lakes and rivers, crappie fish, and grabble.

Any suggestions will be helpful.

Thanks

[h2o_dog]

I am currently looking hard at a 2 stoke Yamaha.

I'd say you're definitely looking in the right direction.

[MSDawg870]

I got a 4 stroke Yamaha 25h on a 1448 polarcraft. Runs very quiet, will start when it cold. The only downside is that the damn thing weighs about 150lbs. Got it somewhere in Little Rock, AR.

[Wildfowler]

If you're looking for a new motor, you'll be hard pressed to find a 2-stroke anymore.

I've always been a Merc fan and would like to make the recommendation for their 4-stroke 25 HP, but I have no personal experience with that one. (or any 4-strokes for that matter)

The Merc 2-stroke 25 HP engine was one of the best motors ever made. Very reliable, and should be readily available in the used marketplace. Just be patient.

Though, I have no personal experience with Yamaha 2-strokes, I have never heard of them being overly problematic. That would be my second choice if you can't find a Merc.

If you're looking specifically for a 25 HP, you may want to ask on the refuge forums, AR page. A lot of the Arkansas WMA's have 25 HP restrictions, and you could probably get some opinions from what those guys are running over there.

I "think" that Suzuki or Tohatsu made a 3 cylinder, 2-stroke 25HP engine. If you can find such an engine, it should have more torque than the Merc or Yamaha 25's that I've mentioned above. Can't speak for their reliability, but they are two-strokes. Not much to go wrong.

http://www.onlineoutboards.com/25hp_yam ... _motor.htm

Maybe they are still available?

[mtmilste]

I just bought a boat with a 4 stroke yamaha 115, and we have an offshore boat with twin 4 stroke yamaha 250s. I wouldn't buy anything else. Never had any problem with them. The four stroke is worth every penny extra. It is woth it to me to heve less noise and no oil smell. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[qckmstr]

don't know to much about the big 4 strokes but i'll tell you my experience on the small ones.. ain't got no uump. I'D GO WITH THE 2 STROKE IF I'S YOU. THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE POWER THE 2 STROKES HAVE. NOT EVEN THE BIG HONDA 25.

[Mean2Green]

I have a 2 stroke Merc. 25(01 model) on a Triton 1546. I wouldn't trade either one for a brand new anything else. I have hit nearly everything in the delta over the past 5 years with both boat and motor and the worst problems yet are 2 broken gas fittings at about $6.00 each(floating logs @ full throtle kicked the motor up too high and broke the fitting both times) and spun a prop($32.00) on the Big Black a couple of weeks ago. Knock on wood. If that motor blows up tomorrow I've gotten my moneys worth. A friend of mine from Madison told me a few months ago he knew a guy in the area that still had 4 or 5 new Merc. 25 2 strokes. If he still has any I'll let you know. Sorry to be so long winded but I can't say enough about that motor. That friend from Madison sold his 40 Tohatsu so he could get one!

[duckkiller]

I bought a 15hp 2 stroke yamaha back in 05 and was the best thing I ever did, I put it on a 15/42 war eagle today for a test drive and it ran 26.5mph according to my gps. with a full load in it she ran 21.3

[KWAKHED]

We must just have bad luck, but me and two of my hunting buddies have had the worst luck out of our Yamahas. Mine has been in the shop ever since I bought my boat(25hp), one buddy has had problems with his idling(40hp) and another buddy has a problem with his starving for fuel and not idling very well(115HP) all are 2 strokes. When they are running they do a good job pushing the boats and seem to have plenty of power. Mine is on a 16' 50 " fisher marine.

[duckkiller]

go to the ocean and look at what 90% of the bay boats are using now. YAMAHA, call Duncan MArine in Brandon, they have the lowest prices on yamaha motors than anyone else in the state when I was looking. Also check w/ Pickensville Marine in Pickensville Ala, ask for Big John. If you want a 2 stroke then yamaha and OMC(Johnson/Evinrude) are still makeing them at the moment but as of last year I know Mercury had gone back to making nothing but 4 strokes or so I was told

[H20fowlkiller]

i would definitely go with the yamahamer bc evinrude doesnt make anything smaller than a 40 hp new and the new johnson 25 hp just has no pep what so ever

[torch]

go with a 2 stroke, unless you don't mind missing duck and fishing seasons while its in the shop.

[MSDawg870]

Go with a 4 stroke unless you like a good carbon monoxide buzz.

[Delta Hillbilly]

My decision is made. I am going to buy a 25HP Yamaha 2 stroke, Saturday morning.

Reasons:

The 4 stroke is 45 pounds heavier
The 4 stroke is slow out of the hole
The 4 stroke motors have had more failures/shop time

Why Yamaha: the Mercury powerhead is being built in China.
I have found the Yamaha 2 stoke to crank and idle without issue.

Thanks to everyone for posting.

DH

[weimhunter]

25hp Nissian 4 stroke has been great! You can run for weeks on a tank of gas. Highly recommend!!!!