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Reply With QuoteAlthough I am a 4 stroke fan, Quieter, more fuel efficient, easier maintenance, better slow speed idle speed. Heavier and more bulky. But If Johnson were to reintroduce the mid 80's 88spl, I would buy another one in a heartbeat.
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Slabmaster II
My 2 cents worth. The smaller 4 strokes perform better with a 4 blade prop. The difference was drastic between a 3 and 4 blade prop. May have just been my setup but it made a big difference for me.
Crappie.com 1K Star General
Although I am a 4 stroke fan, Quieter, more fuel efficient, easier maintenance, better slow speed idle speed. Heavier and more bulky. But If Johnson were to reintroduce the mid 80's 88spl, I would buy another one in a heartbeat.
Crappie Wall Hanger
I own a lot of boats, some with 2-stroke, some with 4.
Surprised that the FICHT/Optimax/HPDI/E-Tec owners haven't chimed in here...
The above are all 2-stroke, but are very quiet and very good on fuel. I have an Evinrude 150 Intruder Ficht that I absolutely LOVE! Yes, I use the fuel additives, and I run XD50 or Amsoil in it, but it uses very little oil, and WOW is this one powerful engine! Pushes my very heavy 190 Pro Cajun up to 63 MPH, and at WOT it is much quieter than the 4-stroke Yamaha in the other boat.
And that is a funny thing... The Yamaha is almost silent at idle, but the faster you go, the louder it gets. The Ficht is a little louder at idle (but still pretty quiet) but the faster you go, the quieter it seems to run. At WOT, you mostly hear the wind.
I know... Fichts are garbage, and all that, but I really, really love this motor!
Still- for trolling shallow fresh water for crappie... a 4 stroke, 9.9 kicker is my engine of choice.
Just another free opinion.
-TH
Slabmaster II
IMO 4 stroke engines flat suck. I use to fish a LOT of bass tournaments and it seemed like the 4 stroke engine were always in the shop. Yea they save file but are alot heavier and slower than a 2 stroke. I would only consider one if I had a big center console that I was going to use to go off shore with and put 140+ miles on in one trip
Crappie Wall Hanger
Now-a-days, both engines are good! It is not valid to compare an older 2 stroke with the new 4 strokes or a earlier model 4 stroke with a new 2 stroke. Compare pluses and minuses on 2 present day models and they will come out equal. Comes down to a matter of personal preference and opinion and intended use.
