What’s Better 2 Stroke or 4 Stroke Boat Motors?

Author : Efrain Silva

We finally come down to the motor boat match of the century, my dear spectators : The question is “Will it be 2 or will it be 4?”. In other words, will the 2 stroke boat motor win the match and deliver the final upper jab blows to the 4 stroke, or will the 4 stroke steal the show in another way entirely? That is what we are going to look at, and we have been asking this question for many years as boat owners, so it is high time that we take a bit of a close look at it.

Let us start with this, then : The common myth (but with some truth proven to it) holds that the 4 is higher than the 2 and thus better in every aspect. That is not quite the case, though, at least not every time. Let us see where things can take a different turn here and why you should not just drink the kool aid of thought that everyone else is sipping from, in this regard. So first and foremost of all, both motors are actually not way too different on everything ; they are very similar, one to another, in more ways than you might have been told to think.

Inside the cylinder of both motors, is found, a million dollar bill (ha, gotcha)….no, a piston. As fuel, along with air, both go inside that cylinder, your piston moves around. It basically compresses the water and the air. Once that’s done, the spark plug that is inside both motors will then light a spark, and a fire gets going, allowing the motor to start and the boat itself to run.

The piston goes down more and more as the crankshaft also makes the movements into energy, and helps the boat to get going. Now within a 2 stroke, and this is where it gets really exciting, the piston only engages two strokes of all those steps. Those five stages of movement basically just happen in two strokes. With every cycle, the crankshaft only moves one time.

As such, this motor’s lighter. It’s also more compact and takes up a bit less room. In smaller applications, it’s the ideal choice. Plus, it costs a whole heck of a lot less to repair or upgrade + regularly maintain.

Now, within the five stages of action, in the 4 stroke, it all happens — you guessed it — within 4 single strokes. One of the advantages here is that the motor is a whole lot quieter than the 2 stroke, so if you favor moving quietly along those scenic river fronts, with a good mate at your side, or simply wish to calm your mind and do some deep - sea fishing, this could be the motor you should think about. These engines last longer, as well, and that is a known fact with the 4 strokes.

Plus, they do not require you to feed them any oil, usually. They are also very fuel - efficient. Which do you prefer?