steve_paul Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 (edited) Having sold my boat this week and the dealership offering me an acceptable trade on my other it is time for boat shopping. I have picked out the boat - 16' Lund SSV but have 2 choices to make on the motor. Boat is rated for 40HP and has a total weight capacity of 995lbs. Given varying degrees of fluffiness during the fishing season I go through you can take off 260 lbs for myself leaving 735 lbs for motor, fishing partners and gear. The 2 choices I have are both new motors - 2004 Yahama 4 Stroke with 2 year warranty or a 2007 Mercury 2 Stroke with 1 year warranty. Both are 30HP, both electric start. Yamaha is about 200 lbs and Mercury is about 98 lbs. Price difference between the 2 is about $1500 more for the Yamaha. I have never owned a 4 stroke so am a little torn on the decision. I like the fact the 2 stroke is lighter leaving more weight capacity. I like the fact the 2 stroke is less money leaving more to outfit the boat how I want it. Based on those 2 things I am leaning towards the Merc but would welcome any and all advice you have. (I have already considered the lose 100lbs and get the 4 stroke but due to my ongoing love affair with all things malt and barley, this is not likely) Edited October 22, 2007 by steve_paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 My boat is also a 16' Lund SSV.(Great choice BTW ) I modified it by installing the Lund floor inserts, and put a casting deck on the front with a pedestal seat. Anyhow, I'm running a slightly older (2000) 2 stroke 25hp Yamaha on it. There's no question it's underpowered, however it's only used and is stored year round at my cottage so it's not a "huge" issue with me. It's alright for my lake and is only a pain when we're headed over to camp with a huge load of supplies and people. I would say that especially if you're not going to modify the boat and add extra weight to it, you'll be just fine with the 30hp 2 stroke Merc. The smaller size would be a huge factor for me, plus I'm a huge fan of those motors in general. I had a 2001 15 horse 2 stroke Merc and I LOVED having the gear shift incorporated into the throttles twist grip... That's an EXCELLENT feature especially if you troll a lot for walleye, or jig/troll, powerdrift (whatever you want to call it ) with a jig. One other thing that's unrelated to your question: it's very, very easy to add storage compartments to those boats. I bought 3 waterproof hatches from Cabelas, cut holes to fit (one in each bench, one in the front deck), dug out the foam they spray in there, then screwed down the hatches with a bead of silicone around the inside lip. Works like a charm and easy to do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_paul Posted October 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Thanks solo - what do you think of the lund floor inserts? I have a price on those but was thinking of putting in flooring using aluminum tube and plywood similar to what Gerritt did on his boat. Would not add as much weight that way and I had thought of using that space under the floors as storage. Do you have any pics of the casting deck you put in as I am thinking of adding that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Thanks solo - what do you think of the lund floor inserts? I have a price on those but was thinking of putting in flooring using aluminum tube and plywood similar to what Gerritt did on his boat. Would not add as much weight that way and I had thought of using that space under the floors as storage. Do you have any pics of the casting deck you put in as I am thinking of adding that as well. Okay, forget everything I said . If you're going to do all the modifications then go with the 40, you won't be sorry. Although my first choice would be still be 40 horse 2 stroke because of the weight difference... As far the Lund floor inserts go enequivocally YES, they're fantastic! Incredibly durable, nice surface to walk on and not "that" heavy... Anyhow, here's a few pic's of my boat....not the greatest but all I have access to here at work . BTW these boats can handle huge payloads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigeontroller Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 How about thinking green? 4 stroke or direct injection 2 stroke!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomcat Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 One of the headlines in the news today was a warning that we can look forward to $1.50 per litre gasoline. Even at $1 per litre, savings with a four stroke engine add up. My experience is with smaller outboards. I purchased a 2007 Honda four stroke 15 HP outboard this past spring. Six guys did a walleye trip in three boats in mid August. All boats were identical 16 foot aluminum camp boats. I put the most hours on the water for the week and I burned 12 Imp gallons. The other two boats burned 20 plus gallons each. One was powered by a two stroke 18 HP Evrinrude while the other was powered by a two stroke 15 HP Mercury. The run to camp involved 16 miles at close to WOT. I used about 1.5 gallons while the other two motors used over 2.5 gallons each. Food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 (edited) The only advice I can offer is to get a 40HP. Never mind the 30.....go big now, or pay later......?? i have a 40 2 stroke on my 16ft deep and wide. It handles beautiful, and is great on gas. I can go 33 miles wide open on 25 liters of fuel. Honestly, in a motor that size....fuel isn't really an issue. I can go all weekend long and still have fuel left over from a full tank. I think mine is wider than the SSV.....it has a load capacity of 1285lbs, including engine, trolling motor, and 2 batteries. If I remember right, its 800lbs or 6 people. I've had 1800lbs of steel roofing, and 3 guys in it.....we didnt go far, but we didnt' sink either... Get the max HP.......its worth it!! I had a 25 suzuki on it before, and when I put on the 40 it was like a whole different boat!! EDIT: Forgot to mention......I'd take the merc 2 stroke if it was my only options. Sinker Edited October 23, 2007 by Sinker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike the Pike Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Steve yes I highly recommend the flat floor inserts from Lund they don't rattle vibrate or move .They make a boat with benches much more comfortable for walking around the boat and they keep your feet from getting cold on those chilly days in november. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 What's wrong here? 2004 has 2 year warranty and 2007 has 1 year ??? mind you if you have to pay $1500 more for a motor that is 3 or 4 years old, i'd rather go with the newer motor... something isn't adding up here... i'd ask more questions... both merc and yammy have solid reputations... i still run my 1975 merc, they do last... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gbfisher Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 go with the 4 stroke. I have had many different engines over the years. Seahorse to Merc. My buddy bought a 2 stroke only because of the price difference. He would have saved the difference buying a 4 stroke the first year. Less gas. Less smoke. I will never go back to a 2 stroke. My last 70 hp 2 stroke used as much gas as my 225 4 stroke does now. Don't think of it as a weight issue.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyb Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 (edited) If the boat is new, you'll get the best price by pairing it with a Mercury 4-stroke or 2-stroke...but I'd go with a 4-stroke if it is your primary and only engine. Tony Edited October 23, 2007 by tonyb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishn Technishn Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 WOW! Lots of different opinions! I have had both 2(Merc) & 4 stroke(Honda) on different 14 footers. I bought a new 16 footer this past June. I had my heart set on a single console with a 50HP 4 stroke(at least I thought I did) After visiting almost every dealer within driving distance & getting different opinions at each one-depended on what exactly they were selling, I went home & made a list. I asked myself the following questions 1/ What exactly will it be used for? Fishing(obviously!) What kind? Cruising? 2/ HOW? Will I be trolling or casting most of the time? 3/ Do I want it for tubing with the kids (some day grandkids!) 4/ Will the family want to wake board/waterski? 5/ How much service will it need? 2 stroke has less than 10 moving parts-4 stroke has around 200 6/ Will the added weight of a 4 stroke off set the performance/gas mileage? 7/ If I am "in the middle of nowhere" which one will be easier to service/troubleshoot? 8/ If a storm blows up , how fast can I get to safety with each type(top Speed)? An older Marine Mechanic said to me "Get the biggest motor your boat is rated for-but that doesn't mean you have to USE it at full throttle all the time, just get'r up on plane & throttle 'er back. You will find out where it gets the best mileage. Your gonna pay $1000 -1800 more for a 4 stroke, that's a lot of fuel! It will make a difference whether yer trolling or running & gunning and how often you are out there" It was good advice. You are the only one who can ask /answer those types of questions. Oh yeah, I got a 75 HP 2 stroke Merc and NO REGRETS!! FT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 (edited) I'm still glad I went with a 4 stroke and not choking fumes on the downwind troll..but depending on how much you use your boat, your fuel savings could be offset... as remember 4 strokes need an oil and filter change each season. That's $150 +labour on my Verado it takes 7 litres of oil that's $49.99 / 3.78 litre jug, an oil filter and a quart of lower end unit fluid. A 40 HP isn't gonna cost that much...but it's still a litre or two of oil and a filter. My 25 Honda costs me about $90 to have the oil/filter/lower unit/winterize each fall when I leave it for the marina to store away...compared to a 2 stroke that would need nothing but the $12 or so of lower end unit oil and a quick fog of the cylinders. Edited October 23, 2007 by irishfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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