The Problem with Outboard Motors (Mercury, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Tohatsu, Evinrude, Johnson)

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[BoatBuyersSecretWeapon]

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[TheFordprerunner]

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

[lesteraizlewood]

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.

[Sixbears]

One big advantage of an outboard is the ability to quickly swap out a bad one.

[Johnsonfan]

2023 I still use a Johnson from the 90s I love the smell of the smoke.

[donalddrago]

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.

[ZZzrDeYezZZ]

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.

[davesdetail]

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.

[DizzyMan]

Never owned a 4 stroke yet. Have my dad's '94 Johnson 20HP that has been flawless for 27 years. My Uncle still has our Grandpa's '67 Johnson 60HP. Never an issue in 54 years. Currently have a '70 Mercury 80HP that runs mint. Not against 4 strokes, just never had an issue with 2 strokes. Gotta love them.

[MadLudwig]

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.

[JR-hoqm]

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.

[erichoffman]

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.

[erikb]

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.

[chuckbratcher]

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.

[dinga]

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.

[wisenber]

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.

[kensummerlin]

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.

[donrush]

I loved 2 stroke motors, even the smell of the exhaust. I had a 1993 Yamaha 225 2 stroke and it never failed.

[normandauphin]

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!

[anbigal]

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.