Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hello,
New here. We are looking at a Sun Tracker 22 fishin barge in the next year and we are doing some research. There are several engine options for this boat but the question we have is what is the better engine the 90 ELPT FourStroke or the 90 ELPT OptiMax? Which would be better on fuel as well? We are going to be fishing with a trolling motor for the most part but will pull the occasional tube otherwise we would have considered the 60 Bigfoot.

4 stroke advantages--smooth, long lasting, quiet at low-mid speeds, resale

2 stroke advantages--faster acceleration and top end (usually), slightly lower cost, very little maintenance

Fuel mileage advantages: I'm not so sure either has an advantage on the other, as 4 stroke oil changes offset the cost of outboard motor oil.

Most people do better with a 4 stroke on a pontoon unless they're really heavy into water sports. Either way, you're making a good decision going with the 90 over a 60, 70 or 75 hp motor.

Guess where I would be boating would have a bearing on my choice. Here in Ga we can boat about 10 months out of the year. Once you winterize one it not real cost effective to take it out for a day or two an redo the process of winterization. Still pretty much an opti guy but may consider the 4 stroke on the next one. Surprising how quiet they have made to optis over the years.

doc

Bamaman wrote:4 stroke advantages--smooth, long lasting, quiet at low-mid speeds, resale

2 stroke advantages--faster acceleration and top end (usually), slightly lower cost, very little maintenance

Fuel mileage advantages: I'm not so sure either has an advantage on the other, as 4 stroke oil changes offset the cost of outboard motor oil.

Most people do better with a 4 stroke on a pontoon unless they're really heavy into water sports. Either way, you're making a good decision going with the 90 over a 60, 70 or 75 hp motor.

Sorry, I don't agree that the 4 stroke oil changes offset the 2 stroke outboard oil. Change a 4 stroke once a year(4 qts) vs 50-1 mix of 2 stroke oil isn't even close.
50 gallons of gas at a 50-1 ratio will use 4 qts of 2 stroke oil. Get a 4 stroke and you will never look back.

[quote="fishinnut]
Sorry, I don't agree that the 4 stroke oil changes offset the 2 stroke outboard oil. Change a 4 stroke once a year(4 qts) vs 50-1 mix of 2 stroke oil isn't even close.
50 gallons of gas at a 50-1 ratio will use 4 qts of 2 stroke oil. Get a 4 stroke and you will never look back.[/quote]


I would agree plus not really more maint. just the crankcase oil, no big deal. Accerleration isn't that much difference with the 90 hp. besides it's on a Toon.

If you do your own 4 stroke oil changes maybe it's cheaper, but it's a couple hundred bucks to have someone do it down here. That equals roughly 15 quarts of 2 stroke oil. No way I go through that much 2 stroke oil in a season (year).

Plus 4 strokes are so quiet you can have a converstaion with your wife while your running. Big negative.

Ron Burgundy wrote:If you do your own 4 stroke oil changes maybe it's cheaper, but it's a couple hundred bucks to have someone do it down here. That equals roughly 15 quarts of 2 stroke oil. No way I go through that much 2 stroke oil in a season (year).

Plus 4 strokes are so quiet you can have a converstaion with your wife while your running. Big negative.

Wow,,,a couple of hundred to change the crankcase oil, that's crazy. I do mine myself, it's so easy to do with the new Merc. 150 efi 4 stroke. It cost me about $45. and that's using the Merc. oil and filter.

A 2 stroke has more, faster power upon demand for the engine displacement & weight. 2 stroke engines will easily last longer than 4 strokes if kept cool, as they have fewer moving parts. (No valve troubles at to worry about, but this only applies to high-time engines. If you want to keep an engine for many years, 2 strokes will give less (cheaper) trouble in the long run.

I'd never consider buying a well-used 4 stroke engine due to (the inevitable) overhaul costs. Overhauling a 2 stroke engine is simple & way cheaper than doing the same on a 4 stroke. 2 stroke engines are easier to troubleshoot/fix, but you may do it more often, usually it will involve a spark plug.

4 stroke engines (of same HP) are heavier. 4 stroke engines get way better gas mileage tha 2 strokes. This, besides burning oil, is the main advantage of a 4 stroke engine. But remember, 4 stroke engines also have oil filters which must be factored in to the cost, along with oil changes. 2 strokes just burn the oil along with the gas.

This is my opinion of 2 stroke v. 4 stroke engines, in general. I've worked on a lot of gas-powerd things. (Aircraft (big & small), Cars/trucks, motorcycles, weed whips, chainsaws, you name it.) However, 3 separate boat mechanics have all told me that they wouldn't have a 4 stroke on their own boats, not by a long shot. No boat mechanic has ever told me they favored a 4 stroke engine.

I was seriously thinking of getting a bit bigger (150 v 115HP) engine for my boat, but in a more fuel-miserly 4 stroke until I asked the people who work on boats everyday.

Just my $.02 worth.

belercous wrote:A 2 stroke has more, faster power upon demand for the engine displacement & weight. 2 stroke engines will easily last longer than 4 strokes if kept cool, as they have fewer moving parts. (No valve troubles at to worry about, but this only applies to high-time engines. If you want to keep an engine for many years, 2 strokes will give less (cheaper) trouble in the long run.

I'd never consider buying a well-used 4 stroke engine due to (the inevitable) overhaul costs. Overhauling a 2 stroke engine is simple & way cheaper than doing the same on a 4 stroke. 2 stroke engines are easier to troubleshoot/fix, but you may do it more often, usually it will involve a spark plug.

4 stroke engines (of same HP) are heavier. 4 stroke engines get way better gas mileage tha 2 strokes. This, besides burning oil, is the main advantage of a 4 stroke engine. But remember, 4 stroke engines also have oil filters which must be factored in to the cost, along with oil changes. 2 strokes just burn the oil along with the gas.

This is my opinion of 2 stroke v. 4 stroke engines, in general. I've worked on a lot of gas-powerd things. (Aircraft (big & small), Cars/trucks, motorcycles, weed whips, chainsaws, you name it.) However, 3 separate boat mechanics have all told me that they wouldn't have a 4 stroke on their own boats, not by a long shot. No boat mechanic has ever told me they favored a 4 stroke engine.

I was seriously thinking of getting a bit bigger (150 v 115HP) engine for my boat, but in a more fuel-miserly 4 stroke until I asked the people who work on boats everyday.

Just my $.02 worth.

The way things are going you may not have a choice in the future. Then again I know a couple of mechanics that love the 4 -strokes. To each their own, that's what is great about the USA!!

If you resell with a 2-stroke, I won't be interested in purchasing it. Deal breaker.
My point, many two stroke fans will buy a boat with a 4 stroke.
Not many 4 stroke fans will ever buy a 2 stroke.
Of course you don't buy a toon for it's resale value, usually, but it is a consideration.

Well, another opinion: my toon has the Yammi 150 4-stroke. First 4-stroke I've ever owned. I really don't think I'd go back - quiet, smooth, reliable (so far). My only complaint is I have to look at the tach before I try to start it - it's so quiet I've tried to start it 3 times while it was already running!

As good as outboards are today, you won't be disappointed either way.

Todd

Just going from what a few boat mechanics have told me what they'd want on their boats. None have said they'd prefer a 4-stroke engine. I'd prefer the mileage gain of a 4-stroke engine, but from my personal experience I know that 2-stroke engines are way easier to fix than 4-strokers are. Much cheaper too. 2-strokes have more power on demand right quick, are lighter for the power rating & are easier to repair. Their fuel mileage sucks though.

2-strokes need plugs changed more often, but that's about it maintenance-wise. 4-strokes get better milage, to be sure, but when they breakdown they cost a whole lot more to repair. A whole lot more moving (& thus breaking) parts on 4-stroke engines than on 2-strokers. I've also found 2-stroke engines to be pretty reliable even after 2,000 hrs. 4-stroke engines have problems when they age, 2-strokes, not so much.