Out of the two engines what in your opinion would be a better choice a Yamaha 150 4 stroke or a 2 stroke to be put on a Skeeter TZX 190? This will be a used boat/engine probably a 2000 through 2005 model, I don�t know if that would make a difference or not on your opinion.

My main concern is reliability, maintenance cost, etc. opposed to speed.

Thanks,

2 stroke

4 stroke...easy to start,less noise, and alot less smoke.

Your 4 stroker will probably cost more. It will get better mileage than a regular fuel injection. It won't beat the direct injections engines.

Unless I were going to be trolling with the engine, I'd get the 2 stroke.

4 stroke. It might cost a little more to maintain but will hold up better in the long run. Much like a car engine, as long as you take care of it, it should last as long as you need it to.

a 4 stroke will be heaiver than a 2 stroke. but the 4 stroke will will be quieter, and less smoke and noise.

I think a more important consideration over 2 versus 4 stroke is the weight and HP of your current engine and the weight and HP of the new desired engine. One of the considerations when rating the HP of a boat is how much stress the transom can withstand from the combination of engine weight and motor torque and how the boat "floats". Hanging a substantially heavier motor off the transom will definitely make the stern ride lower, change the handling of the boat and may create transom issues down the road years after repowering the boat.

My personal preference is two strokes. There is less moving parts and maintenance but higher fuel costs when considering quality 2 stroke oil can be around $25.00 per gallon

I just changed the oil in my 4 stroke yesterday, 6 quarts of Mobil One and a Fram filter, $48.00.
If you are going to run a 2 stroke that burns 10 gallons per hour you will burn the same amount of dollars in 10 hours of use.
A 4 stroke is heavier and the hole shot is slower, they are significantly quieter and far more reliable.
If you are repowering shop around, there are deals available on either engine. If you are looking at a quality boat and I think you are the transom shouldn't be an issue.

If you can afford the Initial cost, get the 4-stroke. Prices of gas, it will save you. Yamaha and their new 4-stokes are lighter and made for high performance bass boats. My next one will have one. And we don't know for sure what directions the EPA will go. All others maybe grandfathered in. But DFW Metoplex lakes could have a 4-stroke only law enforced.

Not many people understand the modern definition of quality in manufacturing. Today, the definition of quality in manufacturing is to meet the minimal expectations/standards of the customer. If a manufacture doesn't meet the minimal expectation/standards of the customer, the company loses business and eventually goes out of business in short order. On the other side, if the manufacture overshoots the minimal standards and remains price competitive with others, the customer is happy, business is great however the company is losing money on each sale and eventually closes its doors. If you don't think this is today's attitude in corporate America you are just kidding yourself.

Everything we purchase today, from boats to our homes and everything inbetween is designed and produced with this minimalist approach to quality. The transoms of our boats are designed for a certain HP of motor that weighs so much and that is it. The manufacturer is not going to make an extra beefy transom just in case. Hanging a heavier or more powerful motor will not cause immediate problems but down the road, 5 years or more, this could be a source of transom failures.

Amen to that cast net!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the 4 stroke yamaha(466) weighs 2 lbs less than the 150 hpdi(468).

Two lbs either way but the 4 stroke is lighter than the hpdi.

I don't buy into manufacturers meeting minimal standards or going broke for building quality. You will find lesser in anything and boat building is the same. Those builders build and sell for less but its quite different to say that all builders build on the same quality level.

The Allison is the only builder that uses structural steel on their transoms. They hang whatever on theirs and some with 400 hp. They don't break.....although a 250 Verado may sink one. Try and find an Allison since they quit making wood transoms with a bad transom.

my words exactally!

Get the 2 stroke opti or hpdi they are very good on fuel.
Not to mention a lot lighter and will haul butt.I have a buddy with a 115 yammy 4 stoke on skeeter all I CAN SAY IS it is a dog.
J.D.

That definition of quality is by no means some pearl of wisdom I found. It is taught by a major international electronics manufacturing corporation with headquarters in Dallas, TX. It is called quality control and it works both way. Everyone thinks QC only raises flags about "poor quality". The QC department is also charged for identifying when too much quality (read as exceeding the customer's standards) is being built into the product. The customer is paying x dollars for x quality. If the company delivers a product with x + y quality and is only being paid for x quality, then all of the labor and material associated with y quality is a loss to the company since the customer is not paying for it. A company can only run like this for a limited time.

You say Allison builds transoms with structural steel. Is Allison price competitive with boat builders that don't? Probably not.