60hp Merc 2s vs 4s ??

[Goodwater]

I "fixing to buy " in a few days, and it is a puzzle as to what advantage a 4stroke has over the 2.
Other than the price of TC-W3 oil .
My last boat had a 1991 Ev60 2s, bulletproof, good for 13 years til I sold it, and still good then .
Opinions and experience needed , please.
Mercury is the brand I am interested in, on a new BPS pro crappie 17.
Thanks

 

[Laddies]

Re: 60hp Merc 2s vs 4s ??

A 4 stroke at idle is more fuel efficient but is heavier and slightly slower than a 2 stroke of the same HP and generally the 4 stroke is higher in annual maintenance cost, while the 2 stroke requires oil for the fuel mixture, As you can see I am biased toward the 2 strokes.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: 60hp Merc 2s vs 4s ??

4 stroke (efi) pros -
Turn key start
economical
quiet
Very smooth idle

Cons -
Heavier and bigger
Costly ( to purchase & service)
Difficult for home handyman to diagnose faults

2 stroke pros -
Cheaper to buy & service
user friendly to service
Lighter, smaller
Power band kicks in at lower RPM

Cons-
Smoky at idle
Rough idle (in comparison)
Hard to start (in comparison)
oil slick in water (often)
Not welcome on some waterways

 

[Goodwater]

Re: 60hp Merc 2s vs 4s ??

Thanks, But I am unclear on what the annual maintenance costs are that would be more than a 2s.
I usually change lower unit oil once a year, add TCW3 2 stroke oil when low, plugs almost never.
Will a 4s need an oil change more often than once a year?

 

[WrenchHead]

Re: 60hp Merc 2s vs 4s ??

I have a 2005 17.5' Bass Tracker with 60 Merc, EFI, 4-cyl, 4-stroke. I put my boat in the water, turn the key and it starts like a car engine. Then it sets there and idles smoothly, quietly and no smoke or oil in the water. Other boats with 2-cycle engines are crankin' and crankin' their engines to get them to start. If there were no 2-cycle engines and someone told me they had a design for an engine where you mixed the oil with the gas and the conn rod would be lubricated by the gas/oil passing through the crankcase before reaching the cylinder I would have told them it wouldn't work -- and lots of times it don't

After 4 years I can say the engine has never been in the shop. I did change the fuel filter recently. I'm still running the original oil, gear lube, spark plugs, etc. I also would like to hear about the extra maintenance on a 4-stroke.