Best Tiller Outboard

[trueGriffin]

Looking to by a 1655 DLX CS with a tiller to save a lot of money. Looks like I will prolly get a 25 hp. I have Suzuki, Yamaha, and Mercury to choose from...all with different prices. I can get a 2 stroke or 4 stroke in the Yammi and Mercury, but can only get 4 strk in the Suzuki.

What should I choose!?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

well it depends. do you want the extra weight and maintenance of a four stroke, extra moving parts, or do you want a simple 2 stroke. they are all good motors.

 

[trueGriffin]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

i prefer the 2 stroke to be honest.

 

[JB]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

I guess I am just ignorant. What is a 1655 DLX CS?

Do you want the extra noise, smell and fuel usage of the 2 stroke or do you want a clean, quiet, fuel efficient, 4 stroke?

Gotta be fair, daddy.

 

[DutchMerc]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

Look at the fuel-prices today!!!! I'd sertainly go fot the 4-stroke, if you are not related to any oil-sheikh..

 

[BF]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

I have a new this year 25 hp merc 4-stroke EFI (they're actually made by Tohatsu)... it's my first foray into the 4-stroke outboard world. Plus sides: it is very smooth, is quite a bit quieter than my previous 2 strokes, burns much less fuel, is battery-less EFI, so you don't need a battery to run it. Down sides: the twist grip shifter on the merc isn't very good, the idle surges for a couple seconds following shifting gears (makes it very hard to bump it in and out of gear quickly), I don't like that the motor needs to be in FWD to tilt to the shallow water running or full tilt position, by the end of the break in period I had lost the bolts that hold the tiller friction adjustment together...

So, I like the 4-stroke part of it, but not sure that I wouldn't have been happier with a different brand (other than Merc) of 4-stroke for the reasons above. Of course, time will tell whether future maintenance issues for mine will be a PITA. I figure I have 3 season's of warranty time to figure out whether it is worth keeping beyond that.

 

[trueGriffin]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

I guess I am just ignorant. What is a 1655 DLX CS?

Do you want the extra noise, smell and fuel usage of the 2 stroke or do you want a clean, quiet, fuel efficient, 4 stroke?

Gotta be fair, daddy.

The boat I refer to is a Carolina Skiff. I don't mind smell or noise...but fuel consumption - yes. What is the ture difference on a 4 stroke to 2 stroke on fuel usage.

I cannot be so much on a 25 hp since they don't use much fuel anyway.

I also am worried about costly/time consuming maintenance and costly repairs. 2 strokes are easy when it comes to that stuff...

 

[DRIFTER_016]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

Generally 2 strokes will use about twice as much fuel as a four stroke of the same size. The four stroke will be noticably heavier and requires 2 people to man handle it around.

 

[mickjetblue]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

You can get a Nissan 20 hp 4 stroke, and be happy forever after with it.

 

[quackaddict1]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

4 stroke motors are the ticket IMO, I hate mixing gas, its just another expense and a pain IMO. Quieter and fuel efficient top the list of reasons to get a 4 stroke.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

I hate mixing gas, its just another expense and a pain IMO.

I hate changing oil......

Sorry, as JB said, gotta be fair.

 

[quackaddict1]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

I hate changing oil......

Sorry, as JB said, gotta be fair.

Changing oil is something that can be done in the comfort of your shop or garage, if you travel like I do to hunt ducks and your in the middle of nowhere, you had better not forget your 2 stroke oil, and you change oil what, maybe once or twice a year? Sure beats every fill up.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

Generally 2 strokes will use about twice as much fuel as a four stroke of the same size. ....

Are there any mileage figures published anywhere for motors this size (or smaller - I'm thinking of a future new kicker)? I think I've seen them for larger engines somewhere. I'm curious what twice as much fuel would actually amount to in smaller engines. Like OP mentioned, depending on how much fuel is actually burned (gph or mpg), it may or may not be signficant depending on the amount of usage planned.

Also, doesn't fuel consumption depend on RPM's? Some motors, while burning more fuel at certain RPMs, will actually be going quite a bit faster which mitigates fuel usage somewhat... or, may burn a lot more fuel at certain RPMS, but not so much more, or even less, at other RPMs. I believe all the motors, all the technologies tend to converge in fuel usage as they approach their peak HP - in other words, fuel usage doesn't differ at much at WOT.

I'm not sure about all this stuff and may be just expressing ignorance, but it's worth considering, depending on how you intend to use the motor - trolling, vs, mid-range 'cruising' vs. WOT and accelleration, etc.

 

[BF]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

just my experience fuel-wise....

My 25 EFI 4 stroke merc burns about 1/2 the fuel (maybe a bit less) of my '70's vintage evinrude 25 hp. It's a bit of apples and oranges... I'll try and explain.

I'm just through the break-in period, so during break-in I did quite a bit of running at 3/4 throttle or less, then as per manufacturer's suggested procedure, did occasional runs of WOT lasting no more than a couple minutes. When doing 1 1/2 to 2 hours of crusing like this, the decrease of fuel consumption was very noticeable and at those throttle settings was less than 1/2 of what my old 25 would have burnt at WOT. FYI, 3/4 throttle of my new motor pushes my boat very similarly to what WOT did with my old motor. I think my old motor would follow the horsepower/10 = fuel burn at WOT pretty close... maybe even burn a bit more than that.

So, for a typical weekend of use, now that I'm out of break-in and consider WOT to be available, I find I'm using about 1/2 the fuel that I normally would have in my old 25 hp... BUT I am no longer using a 6 hp kicker for trolling during fishing. I only use the new 25 now. So that fuel consumption includes run-time at idle that my old 25 didn't do. My old 25 was only used to go spot to spot, and was almost 100% used at WOT. My boat is now ~5 mph faster at WOT, so when I do go to WOT now, it's for a shorter period of time than it used to be.

Also, even though my new motor is heavier, I no longer have ~55 (?) lb 6 horse on the transom, and a second fuel tank for it in the boat. That means that overall, the rig may not be much (or any) heavier at all.

Lastly, yes it burns less fuel, but to me that's not a huge deal for a small motor like this. Certainly on it's own it does not justify the cost of replacing my old motor. So far I am enjoying the smoothness and torque of the 4 stroke. It's a pretty big bump up in performance compared to my old one...

And yes, I do like knowing that I am no longer putting a good chunk of that surplus fuel into the lake as unburnt exhaust.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

The fuel use of a new 4 stroke and new 2 stroke is roughly the same.
Evinrude Etec will soon have a 25/30 hp, 35 cubes 142 lbs.
tillertip T & T.no scheduled maintenance for 3 years/300 hours.No fuel mixing,exceeds highest carb standards.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

just my experience fuel-wise....

My 25 EFI 4 stroke merc burns about 1/2 the fuel (maybe a bit less) of my '70's vintage evinrude 25 hp...

... BUT I am no longer using a 6 hp kicker for trolling during fishing. I only use the new 25 now.

... yes it burns less fuel, but to me that's not a huge deal for a small motor like this. ...

So far I am enjoying the smoothness and torque of the 4 stroke. It's a pretty big bump up in performance compared to my old one...

And yes, I do like knowing that I am no longer putting a good chunk of that surplus fuel into the lake as unburnt exhaust.

thanks for the info. If/when I spend the bucks to replace my 70s era trolling kicker with a 4 stroke, it will be because of the lower noise and lower pollution. The fuel probably won't be a factor at all. The weight will be important though because I have to put it on and off the transom of my boat and 20 lbs makes a big difference to me. That alone might keep me with two strokes until I live somewhere where they're illegal.

 

[marquette]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

hi
i have a 16ft lund rebel that is a side console that i switched from a 2 stroke yamaha to a 4 stroke honda. i love the 4 stroke because of the quietness and sloow trolling speed. both are well built motors so quality wouldn't push me from one to the other. i don't know if honda's are heavier that other 4 strokes but it is a horse to put on and off the boat. and if i was running a tiller putting that extra weight and me in the stern would definatly make the boat back end heavy and be harder to plane out. the lund is pretty typical medium weight aluminum v hull that by design is lightweight in the front and on a heavier wider boat maybe it wouldn't be a problem. gas difference is minimal enough that unless you are having to truck your gas in (remote lakes in canada) it would take forever to make up the initial cost differance between 2and 4 stroke on this small of a motor. the honda didn't change my top end speed but getting up to speed was faster with the yamaha. again this is not a performance boat so acceleration goes into the "what differance does it make " catagory. i already have to change the lower unit oil so changing the oil in the power head at the same time isn't much of a big deal.

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

The mechanic at my local marine store swears by Suzuki. He said all the early Mercury 4 strokes were made by Suzuki.He also said the Honda has always been 4 strokes and other than some head problems in very early larger motors have been stellar. Me, I've sworn by Yamahas for the reliability. Just gotta get past the sticker shock!

 

[DRIFTER_016]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

Are there any mileage figures published anywhere for motors this size (or smaller - I'm thinking of a future new kicker)? I think I've seen them for larger engines somewhere. I'm curious what twice as much fuel would actually amount to in smaller engines. Like OP mentioned, depending on how much fuel is actually burned (gph or mpg), it may or may not be signficant depending on the amount of usage planned.

Also, doesn't fuel consumption depend on RPM's? Some motors, while burning more fuel at certain RPMs, will actually be going quite a bit faster which mitigates fuel usage somewhat... or, may burn a lot more fuel at certain RPMS, but not so much more, or even less, at other RPMs. I believe all the motors, all the technologies tend to converge in fuel usage as they approach their peak HP - in other words, fuel usage doesn't differ at much at WOT.

I'm not sure about all this stuff and may be just expressing ignorance, but it's worth considering, depending on how you intend to use the motor - trolling, vs, mid-range 'cruising' vs. WOT and accelleration, etc.

There are some engine tests on the Mercury site.

http://www.mercurymarine.com/look_deeper/index.php

The lodge I have been guiding at for 15 years has been running 4 strokes for the last 6 or so years. We have always had 30 horse motors. With the 2 strokes we would use twice the fuel (we do a lot of WOT running from spot to spot).
One spot we go to is about 35 miles down the lake, with the 2 strokes it would take between 6 and 8 gallons to make the run (one way) and with the 4 strokes it takes about 4 to 4 1/2 gallons.
We now carry only 2, 6 gallon gas tanks instead of 3 which removes about 50 pounds out of the weight we have to carry. The 4 strokes are super quiet and smooth, I'm just trying to scrape together the funds for a new 90 hp 4 stroke to replace the 2 stroke on the back of my boat.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Best Tiller Outboard

There are some engine tests on the Mercury site.

http://www.mercurymarine.com/look_deeper/index.php

The lodge I have been guiding at for 15 years has been running 4 strokes for the last 6 or so years. We have always had 30 horse motors. With the 2 strokes we would use twice the fuel (we do a lot of WOT running from spot to spot).
One spot we go to is about 35 miles down the lake, with the 2 strokes it would take between 6 and 8 gallons to make the run (one way) and with the 4 strokes it takes about 4 to 4 1/2 gallons.
We now carry only 2, 6 gallon gas tanks instead of 3 which removes about 50 pounds out of the weight we have to carry. The 4 strokes are super quiet and smooth, I'm just trying to scrape together the funds for a new 90 hp 4 stroke to replace the 2 stroke on the back of my boat.

I have a feeling you are comparing efi 4 strokes to carbed 2 strokes.
DFI 2 strokes use about the same fuel as a efi 4 stroke.
No doubt the 4 stroke is more efficient in certain aspects and the 2 stroke more efficient in some aspects.It is pretty much a wash. unless each motor is used specifically in its strong points pretty much impossible.
The new 25 and 30 Etecs have electronically inhanced trolling settings.