2 stroke or 4 stroke for Duck/Fishing boat

[Seabass77]

I am looking at 2 strokes and 4 strokes for a duck/fishing boat. 4 Strokes are nice and quite, less smoke but I am worried about starting in the cold. Any thoughts?

Also, for boats I am looking at the SSV 14 and the WC 16 by lund. Any opinions there?

[Guest]

I have a Honda 15 4 stroke. It starts in any temp, and runs like a dream. I absolutely love it. I hunt no matter how cold it is.

I have seen that the Mercury 4-strokes are very cold blooded and tough to get going in cold temps.

The only disadvantage is that (my) duck motors do see abuse. 4-strokes are spendy and it doesn't feel good to hit stumps, rocks, etc...

[Steve Bakken]

If you're concerned about starting in the cold, it's all a matter of tuning. 4-strokes burn the fuel in the combustion chamber much more efficiently than a 2 stroke, so if it's tuned well it will start as easy if not easier than a 2. If any motor is hard to start in the cold, than the problem is in the choke, not the motor itself. Motors have to be pre-tuned at the factory for a very wide variety of conditions. If a motor is going to be used primarily in a certain temperature range, they can usually adjust the choke accordingly. This would be a good question to ask the dealer when your shopping around. If finances permit and your not hitting too many rocks and stumps at your hunting site,then you I would definitely recommend the four stroke.

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Steve @ Bakken's Boat Shop www.bakkensboatshop.com

[Ybone]

The SSV 14 is a deep and well built boat however I've found the SSV 16 to be a much better performing boat especially if you go with a 4 stroke. The 14 is hard to get on plane with one person in the boat unless you add some weight in the bow. This isn't as much of a problem with a 2 stroke since they are lighter and have a faster takeoff. The SSV 16 also rides and handles better. I'm not real familiar with the WC 16 but I think it's a lower priced model and not as deep or wide as the SSV but is probably a pretty good boat if you want to go a little lighter. Whichever you choose I would recommend a 20 inch transom and a long shaft motor,much better for back trolling.

In spite of the extra weight I like the 4 strokes. They're quieter, cleaner, use less gas and will probably last longer. I'm only familiar with Mercs and they are a little cold blooded but I have been using a 15hp 4 stroke and haven't had any trouble starting it. They need to be warmed up at fast idle for a minute or longer in cold weather and you will probably have to work the choke in and out to keep it from dieing. The Honda may be worth a look since one of the previous posters said he has no trouble starting it in cold weather.