The Problem with Outboard Motors (Mercury, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Tohatsu, Evinrude, Johnson)
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I still like 2 stroke lighter faster and more compact, less to go wrong ,bullet proof. The down side is efficiency and theft,I have had one for 10 years and still runs good despite being sunk once in salt water
Had a 200 horse Evinrude ran 50 to 1 Amsoil ran it hard for over 15 years never smoked
I fix outboard for a living and 2 stroke has never failed me. When it comes to 4 stroke the maintenance is way over the top and the amount of problems I've had with 4 stroke is no joke.. i still run a 2 stroke daily from the 70s
Where are you located? Might need to reach out in case I have issues with my 100HP Mercury outboard. Regards.
I 2nd that Ive had and rebuilt so many 2 strokers and 4 strokers is nuts 2 stokes are more reliable although 4 stokers have come along way and def have alot of benefits
Last summer, I bought 2, 2 strokes, 2hp mariner engines for 10 dollars a pair, I've fixed one to about perfection and the other just had a clog in the water cooling
Dirt bikes trained me.
2 stroke's are SO easy
to learn, fix, and run.
Freshwater? No outboard will last that long in the salt. I don't care who you are, no 2-stroke is doing 4000hrs like a 4-stroke will
I have owned 2 stroke outboards and have never had a problem. I am now on my second four stroke outboard and they definitely are more economical but a well maintained 2 stroke is a very reliable motor in my experiences over 50 plus years.
It's so easy to mix the oil too I don't know how people can't read simple directions. Even 2 stroke lawn equipment is great.
Even though they have great power they really do leave oil slicks everywhere. It's also nice not to have to worry about clouds of aerosolized oil up in my face at 5 am at the dock.
Had nothing but trouble with 2 strokes from 1)a Johnson Gt with 6 cylinders had 6 carbs and 3 T-fittings to feed those carbs. 1 tiny crack in 1 of the T-fittings and that cylinder didn’t get enough fuel which means not enough oil. I lots a cylinder in minutes which means the motor was trash. Second problem with engine was VRO fuel pump made of cheap plastic that cost over $250 to replace before the engine got trashed for the above reason and that was 2001 pricing.
Next was a Mercury 150 that had the 2 stroke oil tank mounted separately in the transom. Once again a little crack in the plastic down the top side. Tank needs to be pressurized to push oil back up to the motor. Luckily I caught this on before I lost good 2 stroke oil ratio and lost another motor.
Nothings but problems, parts no longer available, and lost engines.
Sucking extra air is a definite engine killer for a 2 stroke engine. I raced motorcycles for a number of years, mostly 2 strokes, and air leaking in is enemy number one for motor destruction. @@hugoglenn9741
@@hugoglenn9741 Which is why it was smart to BYPASS the oil feed and do it manually.
One big advantage of an outboard is the ability to quickly swap out a bad one.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon The time a boat is sitting in the yard waiting for a mechanic to work on it has to count for something. I saw a boat at Marco Island where they were waiting for months to get a trained mechanic to work on their inboards.
Unless you have multiple matching outboards and the new one looks different. Then you have a bastard looking boat.
@@TheBeingReal I really wish to have that kind of problems 😘
@@swietymikolajbb Tough problem to have! 😁
The fact that you can get to everything without removing the engine makes a rebuild or other major work so much easier, too.
I had a Evinrude 225 2-stroke on a 23 ft SeaOx cuddy cabin, very heavy boat and when I'm going out a rough Inlet or dealing with high seas, I'm glad to have a 2-stroke because of the superior torque and power over a 4-stroke.
Most of my fondest memories involve a 2-stroke, whether it was on the snowmobile or boating.
Today, the most relaxing thing I can do is take a bath in the jacuzzi tub with my Klotz 2-stroke oil scented candles burning.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon
Great idea! They are about $30 per candle
lol
In March of 1958 my dad bought a Mercury Mark 55, 40 hp.that was dam near bullet proof. We used that 13 ft MFG from April till October every weekend till October of 1962 at a place called Abbles Warfe in Leonardtown, MD. My dad gave me a one minute instruction on the beach and then said ok, now getin the water. When the rope gets tight I'll hit the throttle and then stand up. From that day on we skied every weekend. That engine never smoked and never let us down. In December of 1962 we moved to CT and and used it well into the 80s. That engine was never put in the shop and my dad never changed the plugs! I love 2 strokers!
I have in my boat a 2003 200 HP Yamaha 2 stroke and I can tell you that other than spark plugs and 2 or 3 impellers I've never ever had a problem in 18 years and I use my boat a lot. I would never change it for a 4 stroke.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Marina del Rey California
My Dad had his 60hp Merc stolen one year on our fishing trip. He ended up getting a new Evinrude 60hp and drilled holes through the mounting bolts and put some type of locking mechanism on there. A few years later in the same place we got our trolling motor stolen. I stayed up late the next night assuming they couldn't get the main motor due to the locks and figured they come back for it. They did. I saw some guys walking in the alley at about 3:00 A.M. and they walked right up to the back of our boat, I ran outside barefoot silently and scared the ever loving shit out of them and they froze dead in their tracks. They both had masks and hoodies on, one of them had on welding gloves and a flashlight pointing right at the motor. I snuck right up to them in the dark and yelled right in their face like a drill Sargeant would about these crackheads coming back to steal our 2nd motor. I asked them if they'd like to get their heads blown off because my Dad was inside pointing a gun at them. Hahahaa, they ran down the alley I chased one of them right into the front door of his damn house a block away. Needless to say my Dad marched down the street with his gun while yelling up at their window and the cops came flying down the street and told my Dad to put the gun down. I thought the police were going to drop my Dad right there in the street. Needless to say, we never got our trolling motor back, but the crackhead down the street no longer lives in that town and I think if he's smart he'll never steal another boat motor again unless he wants to die in the process.
Anyways...
Thought it was worth a share.
I ended up drawing a police sketch of the 2nd guy who slipped through the alley during my foot chase and the local sherrif was blown away at how accurate it was and he knew exactly who the man was based off my sketch.
I get out next year I turned over a new leaf Leif
Excellent! My dad would've shot'em! Great story!
Just cut the transom out with a Sawzall.
@@lw7238 anyone who does that should themselves be cut up with a sawzall
Man the good ol days.
Can't do that anymore. The police would arrest your father now.
We had to chain are outboard to the boat and fence back in the ghetto Minnesota.
I had a 1986 Force 125 two stroke on a Bayliner Capri for 15 years. It was bullet proof. Must have put over 1000 trouble free hours on it. Ran Mercury Power Tune through it once every other season, and pulled the cylinder head to decarbon the pistons every three or four years. Super simple job and that motor ran flawlessly. It was fast and super efficient.
Alternators are rated in amps. The main problem with Evinrude was marketing. They were cleaner burning than any of the 4 stroke engines. They had better torque. They cost less to maintain. Their technology is still used on Ski Doo snowmobile’s. It was a sad day when they went out of business.
The E-TEC started the high out put charging system in the Gen 1 that was a big sales pitch. It must of worked I bought a 200 Ea-TEC and love my motor not one single problem and it’s set on 100-1 mix and a 3 gallon oil tank would last all summer !
the overall cost of the 2 stroke fuel combined with alcohol in the fuel and the unwillingness of BRP to give consumers what they want made them go out of business.
my best mtr. was a 150 evinrude i ran 30 wt oil in my fuel mix i am 88 i never bought a qt of so called marine out board oii bought the150 evin rude new kept about 6 years then sold itl i was about 12 yrs old got 5 hp elgin SEARS MTR, did my own repair never had an eng fail because of oil mix old age stoped me i sold out everthing about my boats
I had an evinrude etec 40hp it was heavier than the 50hp tohatsu 4 stroke i replaced it with
@@toniharbaugh2437 You need to stop using ethanol fuel immediately. The alcohol attacks the rubber in the fuel pump and carbs. It cost me $1000.00 to repair the damage on my Johnson 115. I only use recreation fuel now and my motor runs great.
The Evinrude ETec G2 was both cleaner and more fuel efficient than any other outboard. Including 4 strokes They also ran a magneto not a alternator and charged better than other outboards. The oil was not injected in before the combustion chamber but pin point injected to were the motor needed it most. Such a great motor with so much misinformation.
@J R couldn't agree more. Had my 150 Etec for 12 years now with zero issues and no smoke ever. Just always done regular required maintenance, and used synthetic oil and top tier gas. No 4 stroke can match that 2 stroke punch out of the hole. Gonna keep my Etec as long as humanly possible
Thank you for pointing out how the oil system works as most folk don't know this. I have a 75hp ETec that is the best as it can get for 2-stroke design in my opinion. I love it. It seems to run forever on a tank of oil.
I m a 4.2 l 4 stroke owner, but i agree 100% with you!
Etec is a great outboard. Have a 2010 still running original spark plugs,starts on the first turn of the key every time and never no smoke!
Until you get a repair bill lol the ecm is water cool imagine salt water running through a electronic device for 10 years
Still run two strokes- triple Mercury Optimax 250 XS. Love them and will run them for as long as possible. They smoke very little. Four stroke outboards just don't stir my soul. From the rumble at idle to the scream at 5800 rpm, my Opti's bring happineess and joy to my heart.
I'll be looking for it!
I owned for many years a 100hp Johnson Javelin outboard. It worked, never had an issue, loved it. Did it puff yes but it was very reliable.
Modern synthetic two stroke oil produces very little smoke & smell. Oil technology has come a long way.
I replaced my 2 stroke with a 4 stroke and i can actually have a conversation at 4100 rpm is a game changer for me.
Must've be an important conversation ...
@@Charlimarteli 2 strokes are inherently noisy. So being able to have a conversation at higher rpms with a four stoke is a pleasure. Do you got it now cranberries
@@anbigal764 well, you said you actually want to have a conversation at 4100 rpm and ill I said was it must be an important conversation...you probably don't want anyone to hear you since you're probably in the mob and are attempting to hide a body.....God, why is everyone so cynical these days
I have an 2012 model Etec 200 on a Quintrex trident and I can have a conversation on my boat while listening to music.
I am a retired US Coast Guard Machinery Technician Chief. I am certified Johnson/Evinrude and Honda. I have worked on most all brands out there. The older OMC 2 strokes were awesome. Now that they are out of business, parts are going to get expensive. The Honda 4 stroke Outboards are awesome. Less breakdowns, less maintenance is what made me like the Honda's. I currently have a 1994 Johnson 225 HP, 2 stroke on a 20 Ft fish and ski, I love the engine. My biggest fear with it is if the VRO pump fails, they are now over $500.00 to replace. As with any engine, if you go cheap on your oil and maintenance, it will cause you problems in time.
Check out Marine Engine.
Got the parts from them for my 1952 Johnson & 1954 Evinrude.
@@jimolson8424 been using them for years.
Read my above comments about watching for small cracks in the T-fittings(fuel) and losing your 2-stroke due to a dropped cylinder.
Secondly I bought the first year model Honda 200 years ago, I think the CG was using the same motor but 225. A couple components have manufacturing defects. Honda claimed wire harness and replaced under warranty under great expense but that wasn’t the problem. After that fix a small box on the engine smoked badly and can close to full fire. Apparently bad soldering in the small box that contains fuel shutoff, ignition shutoff, and injector shutoff in case the kill switch is pulled was the problem with engine running intermittently bad.
Had 60 hours on motor after 6 years because I was flying constantly in the War ofn Terrorism. Honda would not replace under goo faith warranty. Shame on Honda wears the part should have been involved in a recall and also the CG who initiates concerns on boating recalls.
Luckily the part was only a $57 part and could be simply plugged in a mounted with a clip.
Great motors, horrific corporate mentality and ethos. I understand some Civics had a run of the same “dry” solder joint problems in the cars
Get rid of the vro
Cant you just delete the oil injection and mix the oil your self. I have seen a bunch of boats with oil injection go out and the alarm not go off and the motor blows up. Every 2 stroke ive had that had oil injection i have it deleted and mix it my self when i put gas in the boat then i know for a fact its done right.
I have a 1975 Evinrude 70 that has never spent one minute in the shop, and a 2003 Kawasaki jet ski that I've only had to buy a battery for. My 2 strokes have served me well if they never ran again.
I had the same year Johnnie in 115. Never a problem, never left me.
Running a 94 Evinrude 115 Since 98 - Changed 1 starter and 1 coil pack - plugs every other year or so and impeller - run great never had a problem or major mechanical issue.
The smell of 2 strokes is like perfume to me. Had a 13' Whaler w a 50hp Merc 2 stroke when I was a kid, and a 15' Whaler w a 70hp Johnson in high school...and all two strokes since.
You make some semi valid points. I grew up on 2 stroke outboards (actually had 2 strokes in my snowmobiles as well) and yes they were more maintenance prone, you had to mix the gas & oil, smoked on a cold start up, etc. but the packaging was smaller and lighter than today's 4 strokes (given that 2 strokes have higher power density). And yes an outboard can be stolen but I had the outdrive on my I/O stolen. My present boat has an I/O. When the boat was built the pro's and con's of I/O's and outboards was about even. Today however, the pro's for outboards is about double the pro's for a stern drive which is why you see more and more boats using outboards and why my next boat will have one as well.
I have a 2001 Yamaha 200SX 2 stroke. After years of Rudes, Johnson’s, and Mercs, there is no comparison in terms of reliability. It’s been such a great motor that I just spent $1500 rebuilding after the carbs started to get gummed up. The mechanic said that he has seen them go 1000+ hrs after a rebuild. This motor is bullet proof and I wish they still made them.
gummed up, what's that. Merc owner.
Running a 1999 135hp optimax, fuel and oil efficient! Super efficient actually ... extremely low maintenance! Hope it never dies because it's awesome.
I'm still rocking the '92 Evinrude 120 on my 17' runabout. I would absolutely go with another newer injected 2 stroke over a 4 stroke if given the option. My 120hp is strong and is like music at the high RPMs
I’ve run 2 stroke Johnson’s all my life. My every day motor is a 1962. Plugs and carb rebuild and water pump are only thing I’ve had to replace. I run older ones also and a couple in the 60’s. The TC3 oil is much cleaner and if mixed properly burnes clean, only clean plugs at winter layup. They are lighter also and less injection crap, so less to go wrong. Yes 4 strokes are more efficient and cleaner and quieter, but more expensive to operate and maintain. Good video.
My best outboard story was losing a Tohatsu 25hp 2stroke for 28 days. After recovering it and giving it a little love it started on the 5th pull.
I have a similar story with a 15 hp 2 stroke Mariner. After 2 months on the bottom of the Danube river (5 years ago), I recovered it, cleaned all the parts, and today it runs even better than before. It is still the most reliable outboard I ever owned.
have a 2 stroke mercry 1986 hadnt run it for years started useing it in 2022 runs perfect, still looks new also upgraded to electric start myself
I have a 1980 75HP Evinrude and a 1990 XP200 V6 Looper Evinrude. Both run like new to this day. Used every year since new. Can't kill them.
The XP200 pushes my (heavy) 20 foot 1991 Javelin 396F/S up to 65mph with a 24 pitch OMC Raker stainless prop.
Both engines get regular 10% ethanol gas treated with StaBil and never had an issue. Both engines get the gas and oil mixed in the tank by yours truly.
The 75HP is on a 1980 McKee Craft Cat Cay model, 14 foot tri-hull. Runs great.
Hey Salty, how do you like your tri-hull. Im looking at a 1983 Manitee a 80 hp merc and i want to fish an inlet on the gulf. Is it decent on chop?
@@bradbryan9137 Tri hulls do well. A little rougher in bad chop than a V hull, but a tri hull is more stable.
I have a 1969 Merc 650 65hp outboard I've never been bothered by mixing the gas, it's all I've known. It doesn't smoke much, runs well, don't have to change oil or filter. It's simple, it works, I like it.
Thanks for sharing your experience
Two strokes were regulated out of the market as opposed to four-strokes being superior.
Two strokes develop more power per displacement, have fewer parts, are easier to maintain and use less fuel while being less expensive and less heavy.
That's why buyers opted for them for so long.
The EPA killed the viability of two strokes in the US. Two strokes are still popular outside the US.
Now we have heavier, more expensive motors as a result.
The fuel efficiency on this 2020 tohatsu is amazing. Unbelievable. I do love the speed and weight of my Mercury 15 two stroke. Sucks the gas though
@@samcarrs Modern two strokes still consume less fuel per horsepower than their four stroke counterparts. The relative advantages of four stroke motors materialize as engines get larger.
WRONG!!! 2-STROKE uses more gas!
A friend of mine has a 4-stroke 150 and uses 1/6 the gas as my 2 stroke 150. Fine for fishing and cruising, but no hole shot for skiing.
I like to keep it simple. My little 2 stroke 3hp Gamefisher with it's gravity fed onboard tank has never had a problem from oil/gas mixture, and this little motor doesn't have an impeller to replace either. Mix the fuel and oil correctly and this little old motor just runs perfect. My 10ft Pelican Bass Raider is a perfect size boat for this motor as well. I also appreciate my 62 lb thrust electric Newport motor as a second motor.
I have a 15hp Honda o/b , e-start. .. I love this motor, it keeps my electronics charged with the 12v charge it has.
Loved my Yamaha 25hp 3 cylinder 2stroke.
The sound is awsome and the 2 stroke made it so responsive.
And of course the smoke when you start it 🚤
I’ve had my Suzuki DF100 4 stroke for 13 years. I have never had one single issue with this motor. It’s quiet, fuel efficient and starts first crank every year and thousands of hours later.
Can I ask you how long continuously you ran the engine? I am planning to buy a 28ft boat soon, I am in between a 200hp Suzuki outboard or a inboard Yanmar? I am planning 8-10 hour trips around. I wonder if a Suzuki outboard will perform well.
Fuel wise, I run premium and add Startron. It neutralizes the ethanol as well as remove moisture from the fuel. I have a 1976 Mercruiser 165 4.1L straight six. This is well before the ethanol Era back in the day of leaded fuel. My old man has always done the same in his 91 Johnson two stroke 150 hp outboard. Neither of us ever have any fuel related issues. Startron is amazing stuff!! I've had fuel still good after almost two years with Startron. You also can't over dose with it like you can with something like Stabil.
I had the 1981 40hp Johnson on a 17' Alumicraft. The mix was 30:1 and I never had any problem with smoking or excessive smoke. It did smoke a little on startup, but that cleared away once the engine warmed up. I never had fouled plugs, apart from a seasonal tune up to reset the plug gap on both cylinders and check for cracked gas lines, I never had to replace plugs. I used that boat hard, too.
Have been using Outboards past 50 years, can not remember how many have owned, stil have a handful of them. Never had any real problems with them, never been towed back home. Well ones actually needed towing on a racing boat, lost a propeller :) Past year mainly using a Yamaha 90 2stroke, its basically indestructible. No issues what so ever.
Have a Evinrude E-TAC 250hp Gen 2 it will run 50hrs on it's internal oil reservoir, no smoke, smooth and runs great.
One idled up to the fuel dock next to me a few weeks ago and I never heard or smelled it. I didn’t even notice the boat until they were already tied off. I’d consider refitting my Sea Ox 260 with them if I could afford it.
I have a gen 1 2012 model etec 200 with 200 hours and only use xd100 fully synthetic and I cant smell anything damn miss that smell.
My dad has a Evinrude 30hp from 2009. It runs perfectly doesn´t smoke like the mercs on your picture and had no Issues so far except one broken coil after 10 Years. He always uses it only in Saltwater. I think thats pretty good. It only takes liter ( less than a third of a Gallon) 2 stroke oil per a 3 week Holiday and only a gallon per hour on average drivinig and a lot of watersports. Evinrude ftw!!!
I have had lots of outboards throughout my life i can tell you the best two strokers were the 150 and up black Max's oil injected very reliable big screamers.👍
i run a 1976 johnson 35hp 2 cylinder, i bought new fuel pump, and new coil packs, water impeller and sparkplugs 5 years ago from the old owner. it runs perfectly. original wires etc..i use it in salt water only. no complaints...
I have a 2003 Yamaha 150 carbureted 2 Stroke. I’m literally waiting for this engine to die so I can buy a 4 Stroke and it just won’t. Year to year it just keeps going, still has good compression and the lower unit is still sealed and solid. Super impressed with how it’s performed over the years and when it does go I’ll owe it nothing.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Apparently sir. I keep it well maintained and you could eat off the engine block. Lol. I suppose it’s good though that it hasn’t failed me because I couldn’t buy a new outboard even if I had cash in hand right now. Crazy world we live in anymore.
Have a 1999 Johnson 150hp 2 stroke. Bought it after it sat for 12 yrs, hooked it to the garden hose and ran it, had for 4 yrs now, never had an issue.
You never mentioned how much more storage the outboards give you in the boat! The new 4 stroke outboards are so quiet you don’t even hear them idle
with a outboard there is usually no swim Platform if so its small and with some outboards your tank is in boat so no space saving by having a outboard yea 4 strokes they are quite and weak and much more moving parts to go wrong and even the 4 strokes turn hi rpms so whats the advantage as i said if i want a 4 stroke ill get a mercruiser.
But the e tec literally sounds like a sports car. Theyre sick.
@@EV1NRUDE I have a g2 300 its awesome on a 23 steiger cc a friend has the same boat as me with a 300 4 stroke Yamaha we took off at the same time my g2 blew by him like he was standing still I kid you not! And he was far behind
my 1998 150hp OMC Johnson is the best older boat motor ive ever had. Between me and my dad we have had 2 of them he bought his new and i got mine used and it still runs great and sounds like a boat motor should. I wish OMC was still in business.
I had 150 hp 2 cycle Johnson for years. It ran fine but there were things that had to be done to keep it performing well. The fuel jets needed to be cleaned at the end of each season and no gas should be left in the carburetor.
Got my first boat this year, aluminum tracker with a 1988 48 spl.
I expected very little from it, but have been going through it and replacing parts and it has run strong and really impressed me. People are right, the power to weight ratio is phenomenal. Weight is something I really have to consider on this boat so I'm pleased there are options for me
Congrats!
Growing up, my family had a 14’ boat with a ‘68 65 HP Merc. We burned it up after 4 years. Replaced it with a ‘72 65 HP 3 cyl. Johnson. We ran it for many years after that with no problems. Still stored in family garage. Would probably still start if I tried. Great engine.
Generally we would just park the boat in the garage over the winter. In the spring, we would just put fresh gas (unless there was already gas in the tank) and start it up. Always ran. This engine is almost bulletproof.
Oil injection was a step in the wrong direction. To this day.. I rip that silly pump off and go back to the trusted pre-mix. Merc 260 owner. 108mph boat.
I have a stern drive in a cobalt and a 150hp Mercury carbed 2 stroke on a dual console. One thing you didn’t mention that’s nice about the outboard is being able to see where your prop/lower unit/engine is pointed. It can be nice to see the angles when working in tight quarters, or if your firing up the boat and forgot when way it was pointed when you shut it off
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon they should just put a device on the control panel indicating the position of the inboard, inboard/outboards. Just like Yamaha organ put an indicator on the control panel showing the position of the volume pedal (used by the foot).
Dad told me along time ago it's better to go little rich than lean or even just right. A 45 to 1 ratio is what he always said and always use Premium gas. The 1983-115 Johnson I have hasn't missed a beat and have left gas in the carbs, until next boating season Fires right up ! The VROs ( Variable Ratio Oiling ) were junk and seen a lot of engines burn up because the pump quit. There is nothing like smoke coming off a cold engine in the morning !
Nothing can beat a 2 Stroke outboard. Fastest, best power, lighter, less maintenance and easier to work on. Adding oil is not an issue with me.
The new 4 strokes beat the 2 strokes hands down. Not opinion but fact.
@@melrose9252 nah
@@melrose9252 You are completely wrong. Only plus with a 4 stroke is it’s quieter and I really don’t care about that. If you are too lazy to add oil to the gas you are worthless lol
IT DOSENT BOTHER anybody else for that matter TO ADD THERE 50:I , There trying to sell us heavy , still polluting, under powered outboards that you have to change oil and cost 3 times as much TO PURCHASE. Does everybody like to change oil and filter ? is that easier ??? Come on there Junk AND WONT BE AROUND IN 50 YRS LIKE THE BULLET PROOF 2 STROKES
Sorry but 2 stroke are inferior to an equivalent modern 4 stroke
I've not had much experience with two strokes, but my 79 ish 9.9 hp evinrude, the only issue was fuel not pumping into the engine. that's been years ago and have been fixed. All will say 2 strokes are just bulletproof and last generations.
2023 I still use a Johnson from the 90s I love the smell of the smoke.
Grew up on 2-strokes. I had a 88SPL that I screamed every weekend for 25 years. Never a problem, It was running when I sold it. We have two boats now, A 90SPL on a Kenner and a Suzuki 150 4-Stroke on a Nauticstar deckboat. 4-Stroke is nice but as a mechanic that works on my own stuff, I prefer the low maintenance and less mechanical parts to leave me stranded. No timing belt to break, No valves to adjust , No oil and filter to change, Burnt valves , Camshaft lobe failure, Fuel injection and or computer failure with 4-Strokes. I can pull start my 90SPL in case of start failure. 2-Strokes do not require power to run. They create there own power from the mag. I can lose all battery power and the 2-Stroke will pull start and get me home.
Very hard to make an E-TEC smoke. Only time I've ever had my 250 smoke is a small puff when going from idle to WOT if your looking for it you'll see it but otherwise it'll never smoke. Also E-TEC was the cleanest running outboard to date, better than any 4 stroke, despite burning oil.
Loved the 2 stroke smell. Depending on which oil you used. I remember when synthetic 2 stroke oil came out. Klotz racing 2 stroke castor oil. That smell will take you back to the 70’s motocross races. They still make it.
Thanks for sharing!
As a professional marine tech I can tell you that even stern drives usually have a specific battery for starting and then house batteries for electronics because no matter what engine you have, no engine will charge all of your batteries on your vessel. Thats why every marina has shorepower. The alternators are actually the same on some sterndrive and outboards as well and amps are actually not the most important thing either, amps push the voltage which is the actual thing that powers you electronics and modern outboards make around 14 volts when charging and sometimes a little more.
I have a couple older 2 strokes for my small boat. One 1986 4hp evinrude, and a 1996 6hp johnson. Both are still really super reliable for their age! Got both of them for a good deal too. So if you are on a budget a good two stroke is a great way to go. The reliability comes from the simplicity of them. I'm not really a big fan of the oil injection systems, because they are prone to failure, and if they fail it will destroy the engine. If you get the ratio exactly right it should not be too smokey at all at high rpm, so from my perspective the pollution is not even bad (if you are not trolling slowly or idling for long periods). They also have much better power to weight ratio. I understand why people like 4 strokes more, but I really don't think it's absolutely superior.
Owned Johnson and Chrysler two strokes. Also a Yamaha 4 stroke. The two strokes are an ease to work on they also offer way more torque than a four stroke pound for pound. Rebuilds come more often but they are easier to do.
We still have a 1985 Yamaha 200 2 stroke. It is a beast and runs like new. We did block off the oil Injection as they can fail and fry your engine, so she runs a little rich in the no wake zone.
Early 90s Evenrude ocean pro 2 stroke still running strong on my rig . Goes offshore weekly.
If you service them regularly the motor will be bulletproof making sure you use top quality two stroke and 95 octane fuel.
I have a 2 stroke 200hp yamaha the only 2 disadvantages it has to me against a 4 stroke is that i have to mix the oil with the fuel and it consumes a lot more fuel but it has never failed me yet for 5 years of ownership
I've got a 25 hp Johnson 2 stroke motor and i still love it. Mixing oil and gas isn't a issue with me
Tohatsu makes a very good 2 stroke outboard with direct injection. My personal experience with the 70hp version has been great. It’s virtually smokeless and I don’t have to mix any oil cause it does it on its own. Also very reliable
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon I’m based out of north central Florida 👍🏼. I’m not the first owner of the boat though so it’s very possible the engine was sourced from overseas when they built the boat.
I had a 5 two strokes from 9.5 to 20 hp range and Ive liked them all. I use a motor lock to secure it to the transom.The portability of them is what I like over my sixth which is a four which is crazy heavy....
I had a 1998 Mercury 250 2-stroke. It had the fuel injection and oil injection tank, but that thing was a beast. Made a ton of power but guzzled gas and oil, sounded like a pro-mod dragster on the ear muffs and would smoke like a chimney at the boat ramp.
I currently have twin 300 Evinrude G2s. These things are still two strokes, but they are not even on the same planet as my old Mercury 2 stroke. These things are quiet, don’t smoke and use less gas than the single Mercury 250 that I used to have. But they still get up and go like a 2 stroke.
I am looking forward to repowering with the new V8 Mercury 300 four stroke.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon I bought a 2004 model 30 Intrepid center console earlier this year that already had them on. I got a decent deal because it had the G2s on, a lot of people are hesitant of these motors. If Evinrude wasn’t out of business I’d seriously be considering two more of them when it’s time to repower.
I bought new in 1987 Evinrude 15 for my 14’ fishing boat. Plenty fast for its purpose. Motor purring like a kitten. Super solid on the tiller handle. Run quality like jeweled Rolex watch.👍
Back in the late '60s-early '70s, my dad was an Evinrude outboard dealer. The old Evinrudes were pretty much bulletproof. The 1985 70 HP Evinrude on my old Harris Flote Bote is still going strong, according to its present owner.
In 1977 we started using Amsoil 100/1 oil in our premix outboards and snowmobiles. Pretty much eliminated the smoke cloud and fouled spark plugs. We occasionally would have people holler out to us " Shut your engine off, you don't have enough oil mixed in!!! "
I have a 84 70 up on my 17 1/2ft boat & I love . . I've had 2 of them . .
My brother is still running a 1965 evinrude 9.5 that I gave him last year. I Rand it for 20 years before I gave it to him. Rebuilt the carb once, changed the impeller a few times. Still runs like a top!!
So that's the absolute truth about the older 2 strokes and the plugs. I grew up boating with my dad and grandfather who both had 2 stroke outboard and both of them carried an extra set of plugs. My first boat had a mercury 65 which was about a 76 model and I always had extra plugs with me. It was just part of boating. I swapped to sterndrives after that 1st boat and I've never looked back. I will say these new outboards are pretty impressive.
I still run two strokes. Simple. Less moving parts. Own a 2012 Evinrude 225 HO. flush it after each use. Replace lower unit gear lube twice a year and always use startron fuel stabilizer. Run hard and still running great!
Good on you, i have a 2012 XP3 Tritoon with a Merc Four Stroke 250 on it. It has been SUPER reliable, great on fuel super quiet. But unlike even a newer two stroke, its SUPER complicated. So it means Im taking it to the Marina to get it fixed if it ever breaks, which means money. 2 Strokes Ive worked on older ones, they were simple. Also use Startron in my boat too, never had a problem
@@TheMrLebaron < Most boaters would not be able to work on the newer 2-strokes.
Have a 2018 G2 250HO…..it’s a beast,NO SMOKE,fuel economy as good as a 4 stroke….no prblems,love it!
Yep 4 strokes are 50% heavier and have less power getting up to higher rpms. Cost more and require much more maintenance.
Grew up with a 90 horse evinrude v4, best outboard i have ever run but we loaned it out to a buddy and he forgot to mix oil in the gas and it blew up. That was 3 years ago and now we bought a new to us boat with a 90 horse honda and have been loving that engine too. It does not have the power as the evinrude had but starts easy and is quite and takes a lot less fuel. Still have the old evinrude, thinkin of rebuilding it and putting it on another boat someday.
Yamaha salt water series 200 two stroke must have to have been one of the most reliable engines ever made for boats. Never had a plug go out, don't see any smoke ever and it smells great. Still got it, runs like clock work. Out boards have heaps of torque considering a lot of them are v8 engines and the old two strokes were never short of torque, that's why we bought them, reliability and power, well, Yamaha anyway.
Until last summer I had a 1989 mercury 8 horse two stroke and it sat for 18 years and I couldn’t start it for two days until I realized I didn’t pull the choke out and after I did it started right up but it wouldn’t idol so I had to rid of it and also the haul it was on wasn’t water tight
Luckily we can still buy 2-stroke outboards in clean green NZ.
I recently bought a Yamaha 3hp 2 stroke for my tender and expect years of trouble boating.
Love the smell of 3 stroke in the morning 😉
My dad still has a vintage 1980s Johnson Seahorse 15hp two-stroke outboard. It's still going strong. With the shift away from two-stroke to four-stroke due mainly to environmental concerns, the price has gone sky-high. Like $3000 for a 15hp.
I still run 2 strokes. They burn a lot more fuel than a similar displacement 4 stroke but they are easy to work on, easier to troubleshoot and I'm a lot more familiar with them. I trust my 2 strokes.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon ..never had any trouble doing valve adjustments, etc. on the old v4 murdercycle...simple, easy.
4 strokes are problems when they of down they are just shop motors for those that can afford the repairs
@@demoll78 what? You need to translate that homie.
What homie
The reeds
Only had 2 strokes...merc xr6 johnson sea horse 90....still using the johnson
Anyone that thinks a stern drive is better than an outboard has never balanced on his or her head just to change the oil. I love the old no maintenance 2 strokes. Keep the carbs clean and go boating.
I have to change the oil on my volvo sterndrive with the chev 305. I can almost reach the oil filter with my fingertips if I stand on my head! Oh good grief!
I’ve got a 74 Johnson 6hp 2 stroke, first motor, great to learn on, everything is very open and spaced out, easy to learn how the parts work without extra parts in the way
I've been running a oil injected Mercury for over 20 years with no problems. I think it is great that I don't have to mix the oil and gas. I don't understand why there are so many people against that setup and they bypass the way the engine was designed and use mixed gas. They make claims like 'if that pump fails you will never know it until the engine seizes'. In looking at used engines for sale I see many very few that have failed because of oil pump issues and many more that have died because the water pump failed and the engine overheated. In my opinion these engines should be regularly maintained and run the way they were designed with the oil pumps intact.
The oil systems do fail. They get clogged and other things do happy. I have a friend who had oil injection on his motor. It failed and he didn't realize it until he heard knocking.
There is nothing to adding your own oil. Just fill the bottle to the amount of gallons and dump it in. It takes 2 minutes. And you know without a doubt the motor is getting oil
From my experience, the 90's small mercury 2 stroke outboard carburetors would gum up so easily and starting problems. Heard they got a bad reputation and named "black anchors" from others as well. I used new tanks, lines, filter, no ethanol, fresh gas etc etc. Still problems.
They came out with variable oil mixing back in the 80’s with the evinrude/Johnson VRO (variable ratio oiling). The VRO pump on my Johnson 150 worked flawlessly for 30 years. It just started giving me issues last year so I need to put a new one in.
Thank you so much for the information on outboards. I am about to purchase an older 1988 Sea Ray Seville with an 100HP Mercury outboard. I hope I am buying the right first boat to have fun (fishing and pulling a tube) with my family. Kind regards.
I believe Tohatsu is still doing 2-strokes in North America. They were last year, at least.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon I just checked, and no, they are no longer selling 2 strokes into the North American market. Probably just stopped last year like BRP and Evinrude.
I have little to no smoke, no plug issues and no issues in general or mixing gas/oil in my 8HP Mariner 1995 2 stroke. Not rocket science but having a high school education, at least, helps.
been an outboard and marine mechanic since the 70s. The most reliable outboard or marine engine from mercruiser down has always been the 2 stroke outboard. I/o setups have been the worst by far. They work great for 3 to 5 years but then stuff just starts dying. On the other hand, Johnson outboards from 56,57 and 58 are still running lol. you cannot kill those little buggers. If you have s stern drive you will have heat issues that cost you thousands. You will have corrosion issues that are a never ending headache. Anyway, There have been issues with VRO oil pumps etc but the easy thing was just to premix your fuel and oil.
As far as ethanol goes, the outboard industry fixed that issue within a generation. It was a simple fix of slightly thicker head gaskets lowering the compression slightly was all it took.
Outboards are fantastic. 4 strokes are coming along well but for me I will always choose a 2 stroke. For those thinking the 4 stroke has better gas mileage.... it is not by much and many times it is opposite. Evenrude E=tech beat them all. Anyway... might be biased but the first midsize outboard I built was in the early 70's (135 Johnson) and it still runs today. As long as people do their maintenance and correctly flush after saltwater, wash them down... you get basically forever with them. If you look around your neighborhood... if like mine, the crap boats rotting in yards are mainly sterndrive mercruisers and volvo outdrive boats..
Sup Daddski, How are the early 80's Mercs.. 80 hp
Where are you from I need some work done 74 115 evenrude
I bought a new tohatsu 9.8 last year. It’s been great, but I take care of my stuff. I gave my old motor to my brother…1965 evinrude 9.5. I have no idea how many hours are on that thing, but it still runs good! Lol
We have almost identical boats, and my 9.8 is around 4 mph faster than his, plus the fuel mileage is WAY better and it’s quieter.
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Because new boaters are SISSY MARY's, cause they don't know and haven't realized the power of a two stroke .They didnt grow up with them .Bunch of Mommy's Flamers .If they don't like my opinion go buy a 4 stroke and stroke yourself .
Thats not true about the ETEC as far as gas mileage goes, My buddy owns a KeyWest 24 foot CC with 2 ETEC 150's, gets a combined barely 2 mpg at cruise speed whereas my 24 ft Wellcraft CC with a 300 Suzuki gets 3.5-3.9 mpg depending on weight, and my boat is heavier, I didnt believe it, until he showed it to me.....
I have a 2000 johnson 115 2 stroke and I love it its super easy to work on and as for the smoke I dont get much smoke at all i use lucas 2 stroke oil and I see and hear a huge difference in my motor now and i use seafoam marine pro for my regular 87 gas and i dont have any problems
The problem with outboards? You mentioned mixing oil in with the gas. That’s not an outboard problem. That’s a 2 stroke vs 4 stroke problem.
Had 3 boats over 38 yrs of boating, 2 outboard, 1 inboard outboard. All Evenrudes. Never had any major problems with Evenrudes. Loved them.
When I got my 1st 10 hp 1957 Johnson
I took it to a mechanic to check it out. He told me to always run the carburetor dry if I wasn’t going to use it again soon. I’ve did that on 3 small outboards and never had a carb problem. On bigger outboards a mechanic said not to do that. And I ended up with carb problems
@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon
Letting fuel sit in the carb can build up a varnish? That clogs the jets ect. . That’s what I thought anyway. My motor is sometimes starts hard the first time, but after that it fires right up
Outboard problem for me is corrosion and, yes, I flush my twins with Salt Away after use, internal and external anodes are ok and use rust inhibitor.
The smoke is not too big of a deal, but one point that wasn't brought up is that the water around the area of the motor can have an very very fine oily film if you idle for a while and then hop in to swim. The pollution aspect of two strokes cannot be denied.
most lake if you sit there long enough you can see oil its not the 2 strokes it just well pollution..
@Spanky Ham not a concern. Does the white shark care if his existence is detrimental to sea lions? Nope. That’s the best part of being the top life form on the planet……do what we want, when we want, to what we want. Put your mask back and stay scared there’s a pandemic out there.
It evaps eventually
I've got a 135 mercury verado super charged 4 stroke it's a beast never fails me I love it on a 5.5 meter plate boat love it
Honda never produced a 2 stroke OB. They were really the first manufacturer to push 4 stroke technology long before it was popular.
You're right! My father's green 25 h.p green Kiekhaefer Mercury with it's cooling water stream & sweet blue smoke....that is my childhood 50 years ago!! whoot! Whoot!
Not that I can afford a yacht, but I think the biggest problem with the trend of putting outboards on bigger and heavier boats is the lack of room to stow a tender/dinghy. Say you take a 45’ outboard powered yacht to the islands to explore and discover new beaches - great, sounds fun! Well, a 45’ yacht weighs 30,000+ lbs, has a hull that drafts 3.5+ ft, and costs $500k+. So beaching/shore anchoring the boat isnt an option. So that leaves you having to anchor in 5-6 ft of water. Only now, you cant get your family ashore because there’s no room for a dinghy.
Outboards are great for small-medium sized lightweight boats, but the trend to keep using them on bigger and heavier boats is actually pretty silly.
You missed the point of outboards can be raised to get the prop right out of the water. I beach mine all the time. It just takes a little push to get it back out in deeper water to start the outboards.
I just bought a new Hangkai 6hp 2 stroke for my Sun dolphin American 12. Arizona 😊👍