I'm getting ready to purchase a 24' long, 3-log pontoon. The boat's the easy part. There are so many opinions out there on the motors.
I have an existing 2-stroke, 115 HP Mercury on a pontoon, so I understand the oil/water mix, the smoke, fouled plugs, etc. We will either purchase a 150 HP Mercury Optimax 2-stroke or a 150 HP Honda VTEC 4-stroke with the pontoon. The price difference is approximately $750.00.
We test drove the Optimax and was impressed with the power. The motor had been broken in and there was not any noticable smoke. All of the salespeople who recommeded the Mercury said the Optimax should not smoke like older 2-stroke engines. None of the dealers we visited had a Honda VTEC's mounted on a pontoon for us to test.
The salespeople all have their own opinions. Here are my questions:
Are the 4-stroke engines less noisy?
Do the 4-stroke engines get better gas mileage than two stroke engines?
Do the 4-stroke engines have a longer plug life than two stroke engines?
Can I expect a longer plug life with the Optimax than with the older 2-stroke engine I have (just for my comparison)?
Is there any difference in power between the 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines?
Other than oil changes, is there any other regular maintenance for the 4-stroke (more than with the 2-stroke engines)?
Any other recommendations would be appreciated.
gpgaspe
I have an existing 2-stroke, 115 HP Mercury on a pontoon, so I understand the oil/water mix, the smoke, fouled plugs, etc. We will either purchase a 150 HP Mercury Optimax 2-stroke or a 150 HP Honda VTEC 4-stroke with the pontoon. The price difference is approximately $750.00.
We test drove the Optimax and was impressed with the power. The motor had been broken in and there was not any noticable smoke. All of the salespeople who recommeded the Mercury said the Optimax should not smoke like older 2-stroke engines. None of the dealers we visited had a Honda VTEC's mounted on a pontoon for us to test.
The salespeople all have their own opinions. Here are my questions:
Are the 4-stroke engines less noisy?
Do the 4-stroke engines get better gas mileage than two stroke engines?
Do the 4-stroke engines have a longer plug life than two stroke engines?
Can I expect a longer plug life with the Optimax than with the older 2-stroke engine I have (just for my comparison)?
Is there any difference in power between the 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines?
Other than oil changes, is there any other regular maintenance for the 4-stroke (more than with the 2-stroke engines)?
Any other recommendations would be appreciated.
gpgaspe