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I ordered a 23 foot center console with a 200 efi yamaha 2 stroke and now im second guessing my self.I will use boat several days a week to fish in bay or inlet in ocean,about 5 miles a day.I plan on keeping boat for a very long time.The cost a 4 stroke 225 yamaha will increase the cost about $4000.Is it worth the increase or dont worry about it.MY DECISION WAS NOT MADE ON COST ALONE.1. 2 STROKE A MORE PROVEN ENGINE.4 STROKE MORE WEIGHT.UNPROVEN PERFORMANCE.3$4000.00 BUYS ALOT OF OIL AND GAS?Any SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. DOUG
If you troll a lot 4 strokes are really nice. If weight is really an issue get 2-stroke. Otherwise...who knows. Four stroke is quiet at low speeds, is the in thing, but costs more and weighs more. Two stroke is not the in thing, but weighs less, in many cases gets same gas mileage, and has less parts to fail. Two stroke makes a bit more noise at low speeds. Both make noise at higher revs. SO, I guess I did not help too much.
The two-stroke will have a quicker hole shot, accelerate faster and have a faster top end. Also, the EFI OX66 series is probably the most reliable motor Yamaha has ever made and it does not take a state-of-the-art mechanic to work on one.
I recently pondered the same decision! The f115 vs the 2 stroke yammy! My salesman kept the price low in the 2 stroke so that kept my attention! After looking at yamahas website I saw the 4stroke not to be as miserly as I hoped! Then the weight came in, while 60 pounds on these models is not that much at first, add a livewell, cooler,few people and you got a potential slug with a 4 stroker! I have heard good reports with the f200 on a 23 seahunt rigged out though! I hope I don't come to regret not buying the fourstroke later but I don't feel you will be disapointed with the rock solid performance of the 200 yammy you chose!
i have a yamaha f225 and could'nt be happier with it's performance and economical operation. it operates so quiet while trolling you have to listen to make sure it is running and it has no smelly exhaust, the resale will be higher than an old fashion 2-stroke carb outboard and i am sure it will outlast a 2-stroke by a few years. yamaha tests thier motors better than most and i have faith that the reliability is a non-issue.
I still say I've NEVER heard anyone that bought a 4 stroke say they regret their decision or that they would ever buy another 2 stroke.
The $4000 is a lot of $$$$, but, add up the gas and oil savings and the increased resale value, and it will be a much smaller number. The 0X 66 is probably one of the most dependable motors ever produced though.
I weighed the same decision when repowering my 18' Whaler. I went with the F115 and have not regretted it. I'm repowering my 23 CC over the winter and will definitely go with 4 strokes.
I strongly recoomend looking at the yamaha HPDI two stroke motors. Similar fuel economy as tthe four stroke, faster accelleration, lighter, less expensive and a somewhat proven motor. I have a pair of 150 HPDI's on my 23 Grady which have performed wonderfully for me.
Doug
Stick with your first decision, usually when you second guess yourself after the fact, that's when problems occur. I had been going through the same dilema before ordering my new boat and after reading the posts on this site and talking with fellow boaters, I opted for the 2 stroke HPDI. Even the Yam dealer said that the 2 stroke in most cases is the better motor choice.
My Seagull Catamaran is rated for a 90, ( albeit, a 4 stroke 90 would be too heavy.........)
Any way,it came with a yamaha 4 stroke 60, 242 pounds, quiet, but very poor power to weight ratio. So my fuel economy was terrible because I was really pushing it hard, like WOT most of the time to cruise at 24 mph, like 4.5 mpg.
Repowered with a yamaha 90 2 stroke, 268 pounds, and for an additional 16 pounds, i get a solid 5.5 mpg at 4500 rpm/ 27.5 mph. I am closer to the torque range on the 90.
Just trying to get that prop tweaked!
So, every situation is different.
The amount of 2 stroke oil used is insignificant, about as insignificant as changing the oil and filter every 50 hours. ( Yamaha says 100 )
Smoke? none, ok a little at startup, no smell, and noise, you bet! But don't let anyone tell ya that a 4 stroke in the upper range is quiet either.
I don't troll, I set my gps, and go fish on the bottom at an anchor, so the trolling thing just doesn't matter.
Grumpy, The F225 is an excellent motor, you will be MUCH happier with the four-stroke or the HPDI. If you are intersted look at my ad on the trading dock. We have a triple engine boat with 3 F225's that are for sale. Looks like we have two sold and need to sell the last as a single, give me a call or email. Save $$$ off new! Full warranty until 9-2005.
I too just bought my 23 center console this summer. After debating endlessly over 2 vs 4 stroke, I went with the 2 stroke. It it a 200 Yam HPDI. For me I just could not quite justify the extra 3-4K for the 4 stroke. Do I believe in all the merits of a 4? You bet! It just came down to economics, and I figured the pay beack would be a long one. I feel very strongly my HPDI is the best 2 stroke out there. It's quiet, uses about 1 to 1-5 gallons of oil per 100 gallons of gas. I figure I am getting somewhere around 2.5 to over 3 mpg. No smoke, very little smell, quiet and starts up on the first try everytime. Any regrets? Yeah. I could not afford the Pursuit with twin F225's [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
I ordered my 2470 WA pursuit with 150 HP 2- strokes. When it finally arrived at the dealer, there was another 2470 WA on the same truck, very similar to the one I ordered, but it was fitted with F115s. My dealer suggested that I might be interested in checking out the boat with the F115s on it because I had discussed 4-stroke options when I was ordering my boat. At the time, Yamaha only went up to 100HP 4-strokes, and the hull is rated for 300 HP. After studying the propeller performance charts of the 150 2-stroke and the 115 4-stroke, mounted on my hull, I decided to go with the F115s. I have not had any regrets. 2 1/2 years and 500 hours later, I can tell you that I will never own another 2-stroke outboard engine. The F115s are smooth, quiet, reliable, and very fuel efficient.
Good luck with your decision, you will probably be very happy with which ever way you decide to go.
All the numbers I have looked at indicate that Yamaha 4 strokes perform less admirably than 2 strokes when trolling. For the same reason 2 strokes have more get up and go, they are better at trolling speeds. If you don't troll much, however, four strokes look a lot more impressive in cost (oil mostly because FIs are about the same in gas guzzling) and noise. For $4000, I'd stick with the 2 stroke. For $2000-3000, I'd look long and hard at the four stroke and how I want to use it.
I've a Bluewater 2350, F225 with 4oo hours on it since 3/01/02, 60 gallon L/W in the transom and I do 38-40mph top speed. A little sluggish out of the hole(does that matter) Not really. In the real world, sea conditions dictate the you be running 20-28mph most of the time, unless you enjoy shaking everybody up. No oil smell which will aid in new comers spewing on the deck.
It costs me 15-25 dollars in gas on a 4-10 hour fishing day. Oil canges are simple, waterpump is the same, plugs cost more, oil filter more etc.
I've heard some people getting a squeaking some from the belt(whatever). Not me.
To me, this motor is totally awesome in every way. Period. Not crying about the additional initial extra cost. And no " buyers remorse" everytime I hit the water. Thanks.
Poor Coop
If it doesn't have fins, props or hooters...Count me out!!!
I agonized over the issue of being underpowered for a couple of days. 230 HP is actually 77% of the hull's rated power, so from that perspective, it is underpowered. I gave up some top end speed and "hole shot" performance, in exchange for much smoother, cleaner, & quieter operation. The main eye opener for me was the fuel consumption and resulting range with the F115s. I bought the boat to fish, not to race, so hole shot and top end are non-issues for me. I typically cruise at 20 to 26 knots and am burning 8 to 12 GPH at cruise speed. Most of my fishing day is spent at idle speeds, slow trolling live baits, and that's where the 4-strokes really shine. If I remember from the prop performance charts correctly, it takes about 0.7 GPH to idle the twin F115's Vs around 8.0 GPH to idle the twin 150 HPDI's. At nearly 500 hrs now on the F115s, my average fuel burn rate is under 4 GPM. I can go to the Gulf Stream, which is a 60 NM run from Carolina Beach, fish all day, and return with roughly half a tank of fuel. It was questionable to me, whether the 125 gallon fuel capacity was adequate with the 150's to even make it to the Stream and back. BTW, it will top out at 38 Kts, but I rarely have and inclination or a need to run over 28 kts.
4 stroke or 2 stroke yamaha 
