# What do you think, new Suzuki 25, or a 25 2 stroke



## southboundchicken (Aug 21, 2015)

Ive had both a 25 merc 4 stroke and 25 2 stroke, the 4 stroke was smooth, quiet, and great on fuel but suffered when compared to the torque and overall performance of the comparable 2 stroke imo, i have no experience with the suzuki you speak of though


----------



## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

The new Suzuki 25hp seems to be generating some negative feedback on performance and prop options. If you want power look for a 3 cylinder 25hp 2 stroke Yamaha or Suzuki.


----------



## pt448 (Mar 22, 2014)

jonrconner said:


> Trying to figure this out, obviously it's a lot cheaper to buy a 2 stroke, (Merc, Yamaha) but the main question is performance, am I going to find the Suzuki much less powerful??? Top end, acceleration, load capacity?? Hope someone here has experience with both.
> JC


I've got a 20 hp 2014 suzuki and I love it. The 25 and 30 are based on the same technology. Great low end torque for a 4 stroke. Coming from an old merc 2 stoke, the EFI on these motors is a thing of beauty and really just makes your life so much easier than an older carbed motor. With the pull start assist (and the efi) my 4 year old daughter can start it first pull on a cold morning when it hasn't been ran in months.
As mentioned the down side is limited prop options in stainless, but I think there's a decent aluminum selection and hopefully the stainless folks will come around soon. I'm seeing good performance considering my hull/load weight with the stock prop.


----------



## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

I think a lot of the choice between older 2-stroke and newer 4-stroke really depends on how and where you run. If you fish shallows and run shorter distances, a 2-stroke will give you lighter weight and the low end torque to get out of the hole, and the fuel economy won't be a big issue. If you run longer distances and light weight and hole shot aren't that important, the new 4-stroke would be a good choice. In terms of maintenance and purchase price, an older 2-stroke will always beat a new motor, and the old technology is far less likely to crap out because of the failure of a transistor on a printed circuit board.


----------



## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Evinrude is the only manufacturer out there that makes a 2 stroke now so the market for 2 stroke oil is drying up and going the way of land telephone lines. You can no longer get it anywhere.

I am personally very tired of having to go find it and buy it. I would happily move my 50lb battery to the front compartment to balance the extra weight of a 4 stroke.

The penzoil full synthetic that I have been buying has gone up from $34 to $54 /gallon over the past 2 years.


----------



## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

Wal-Mart has Mercury 2 stroke oil for $20.00/gallon. My 2 stroke 25 Yamaha on my Spear Skiff gives me 3 days fishing for 6/7 gallons from the 12 gallon tank. I also thought about the 4 stroke route, but the 2 stroke performance/weight is undeniably superb....and $1000.00 less....


----------



## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

CurtisWright said:


> Evinrude is the only manufacturer out there that makes a 2 stroke now so the market for 2 stroke oil is drying up and going the way of land telephone lines. You can no longer get it anywhere.
> 
> I am personally very tired of having to go find it and buy it. I would happily move my 50lb battery to the front compartment to balance the extra weight of a 4 stroke.
> 
> The penzoil full synthetic that I have been buying has gone up from $34 to $54 /gallon over the past 2 years.


You can buy the Evinrude XD100 for less or Amsoil HP marine. $54 a gallon is crazy!


----------



## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

CurtisWright said:


> Evinrude is the only manufacturer out there that makes a 2 stroke now so the market for 2 stroke oil is drying up and going the way of land telephone lines. You can no longer get it anywhere.
> 
> I am personally very tired of having to go find it and buy it. I would happily move my 50lb battery to the front compartment to balance the extra weight of a 4 stroke.
> 
> The penzoil full synthetic that I have been buying has gone up from $34 to $54 /gallon over the past 2 years.


not sure what you're smoking but 2 stroke marine oil is available everywhere.


----------



## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

If you run an older 2-stroke, there's no need for $54/gallon oil. I run Pennsoil TC3 which is available at Walmart for less than $18 per gallon. Synthetic isn't much more. I can also find 2-stroke oil at the local hardware store, and at two convenience stores and a marina, all less than 3 miles from my home. Just because Evinrude is the only company making 2-stroke outboards does not mean 2-stroke motors are going out of style. There's still chainsaws, and weed whackers, snow mobiles, dirt bikes, jet skis, small engines of all types, etc. that run 2-stroke.


----------



## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

devrep said:


> not sure what you're smoking but 2 stroke marine oil is available everywhere.


That's what I was getting at. I wish I wasn't "2-smoking" anymore ha-ha. Another benefit to the 4 strokes is they are fuel injected which means they crank easy cold and are not as susceptible to ethanol / carb issues. I use to have to pull and clean the carbs on my 2 stroke Yamaha a few times a year to keep performance up. I haven't had to once on my fuel injected Tohatsu and have been running ethanol fuel for 2 years. They are also better for the environment, quieter, and they look better so the ladies wont think your a poor ******* with an old motor. 

I bet Old Spice Al and the Dos Equis guy have 4 strokes.


----------



## mcraft173 (Apr 21, 2014)

For what its worth, you may want to check the weights of these particular motors. If memory serves me correctly, the Suzuki 20 4 stroke (which I have, and is a great motor, completely satisfied with it) weighs in the range of 105 to 115 pounds depending on options. From my research, most of the 25HP 2 strokes weigh in the same range. On the Suzukis, you add 30 or 40 pounds jumping to the from the 20HP to the 25/30HP. The 20HP is the same block as the 9.9 and 15HP models. 

I have considered buying a 25HP 2 stroke to swap out with my 20HP 4 stoke, but decided the extra speed wasnt worth the hassle.

My understanding from others, if I wanted to stay with a 4 stroke suzuki, is that jumping to the Suzuki 25HP, the gain in HP would be negated by the increase in motor weight.

My point is, if you are shopping 25HP motors, then you probably have a smaller/lighter boat that will be weight sensitive and you would be best served to look motors based on power to weight ratio. For my boat, the best motors in this case are the 25 2 stroke or the 20 4 stroke.

It is true, that propping the suzukis can be somewhat difficult. I have yet to find the "perfect" prop for my boat and set up. That said, there are a number of props offered online both in aluminum and stainless for this motor from both Solas and Powertech. The aluminum props seem to perform better for me than stainless. The aluminum props run about 70 to 80 bucks and the stainless props run around 150 to 200.

I cant compare the suzuki 20HP to the 25HP 2 stokes, because I've never run one, but I am more than happy with low end torque and ability to get on plane quickly. In my experience the top end is where I have issues and is resolved by running the correct prop based on the weight (Number and/or size of the people in the boat).

At last glance the suzuki 20HP 4 strokes run between 3000 and 3200 most places, and used Yamaha 25 2 strokes run between 1500 and 2500 depending on condition and age, with the newest available being model year 2007 or 2008.

Hope this helps.


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

mcraft173 said:


> I cant compare the suzuki 20HP to the 25HP 2 stokes.


I've tried both on the same hull. Not much difference. They have the same RPM range and the same prop. My 25 2 stroke runs a little faster on the top end but it's marginal at best.

Even though the 20hp four stroke was superior in everything other than top speed, I kept my 2 stroke because I can rebuild that powerhead several times before closing the cost gap on the 4 stroke. I can also service the 2 stroke in my garage. It seems like the zuke required something similar to an OBDII scan tool, but I could be wrong.


----------



## mcraft173 (Apr 21, 2014)

Good to know. This is my first outboard and I am able to easily perform all of the normal preventative maintenance, but diagnosing and repairing/replacing parts would be another story. The good news is I have a warranty.

But thanks for your feedback. I'm glad I did not go through the trouble to find a 25-2, mount it, test it and learn that I did not gain much performance wise.



jmrodandgun said:


> I've tried both on the same hull. Not much difference. They have the same RPM range and the same prop. My 25 2 stroke runs a little faster on the top end but it's marginal at best.
> 
> Even though the 20hp four stroke was superior in everything other than top speed, I kept my 2 stroke because I can rebuild that powerhead several times before closing the cost gap on the 4 stroke. I can also service the 2 stroke in my garage. It seems like the zuke required something similar to an OBDII scan tool, but I could be wrong.


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

I want to say the 20hp 4 stroke did about 26-27 with two people and fly gear. My 2 stroke will do 28 and some change with the same load. I don't recall getting on plane to be any different if that is any indication of the difference in hole shot. I think if it were noticeable, I would have noticed it. 

The gas assist tilt on the zuke was the tits. It also made our 1 mile idle much more enjoyable.


----------



## jonrconner (May 20, 2015)

Thanks everyone for so many thoughtful responses, you've brought up most of the stuff that I've been wondering about plus the inclusion of the 20hp Suzuki as an alternative.

Now I'll add some more info, first is that I'm now seventy and I'm figuring this will be my last motor, so it's going to have to be easy to tilt and start, things get harder as you get older. Weight is important, that's why I was thinking Suzuki, the base 25 tiller ss weighs 136lb, the 20 weighs 97lb and the 2 strokes weigh around 100, but you also have to carry more gas so I'm not giving a big advantage to one one or another here.

My skiff is a 16' plywood that I built and weighs a little short of 300lb bare, I've got 2002 Mercury 15hp 4 stroke on it now and it goes OK with two on board, with an 11" pitch prop I'm getting 5200 rpm, but I think adding another person and gear is really going to affect it, especially getting up on plane quickly and easily.

JC 
Here's a pic of the skiff.


----------



## pt448 (Mar 22, 2014)

jonrconner said:


> Thanks everyone for so many thoughtful responses, you've brought up most of the stuff that I've been wondering about plus the inclusion of the 20hp Suzuki as an alternative.
> 
> Now I'll add some more info, first is that I'm now seventy and I'm figuring this will be my last motor, so it's going to have to be easy to tilt and start, things get harder as you get older. Weight is important, that's why I was thinking Suzuki, the base 25 tiller ss weighs 136lb, the 20 weighs 97lb and the 2 strokes weigh around 100, but you also have to carry more gas so I'm not giving a big advantage to one one or another here.
> 
> ...


I have my 20 on a j16 that's heavier than your skiff. Alone it planes out fine and tops out at about 24 mph, with an extra 300 to 400 lbs. of people and gear is a little sluggish to get up but still does fine and tops out at about 20-21.


----------



## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

"Another benefit to the 4 strokes is they are fuel injected which means they crank easy cold and are not as susceptible to ethanol / carb issues."

After replacing injectors at $300 to $800 a pop, I'd say that fuel injectors aren't that big an advantage. Ethanol/carburetor issues are an urban myth perpetuated by people who don't maintain their motors and mechanics who make their living off it.


----------



## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

jonrconner said:


> Thanks everyone for so many thoughtful responses, you've brought up most of the stuff that I've been wondering about plus the inclusion of the 20hp Suzuki as an alternative.
> 
> Now I'll add some more info, first is that I'm now seventy and I'm figuring this will be my last motor, so it's going to have to be easy to tilt and start, things get harder as you get older. Weight is important, that's why I was thinking Suzuki, the base 25 tiller ss weighs 136lb, the 20 weighs 97lb and the 2 strokes weigh around 100, but you also have to carry more gas so I'm not giving a big advantage to one one or another here.
> 
> ...


This boat screams for a good ol' 25 Merc 2 stroke. There's a guy in Clermont that sells freshwater Wisconsin outboards for around $2000 with electric start.


----------



## bermuda (Aug 22, 2010)

I'll put in my .02 cents since I've had several of these motors..... Have had an 88 and 05 Merc 25 2 stroke and currently have a new Suzuki 25 4 stroke. They have been on different hulls so I can't give stats but I could never go back to a 2 stroke. The new Suzuki is great plus its quiet and starts with barely bulling the cord. The only downside is availability of 4 blade props in different sizes. Also, I have been in 2 boats with the Suzuki 20 and they are nice motors too but I disagree that there is not much difference between the 20 and 25 - the difference is noticeable imo.


----------



## Swfl angler (Oct 14, 2015)

I have a 2005 mercury 25 2 stroke they are pretty much bullet proof imho I have no problem finding quicksilver 2 stroke oil readily available at wal mart.I run it on a 16 foot bass tracker Flip Pallot edition john boat and can reach speeds of 30 mph with light load and me alone.I like the weight to power ratio my 2 stroke electric start weights the same as a 15 4 stroke and don't worry about gas consumption because I carry 2 tanks under the back deck a 6 gallon and 12 gallon. I can camp in 10000 islands from Friday to Sunday without taking any extra fuel. If your worried about gas consumption you could get a 9 gallon tank they are a little harder to crank but once they wrm up mine cranks with one push of the electric start. You might want to check the weight of the Suzuki 25 before hanging on the back of your skiff.I do know they are the lightest of the 4 strokes but if you want a good hole shot and look ght motor I would try to find an old 2 stroke.The mercury is what I prefer because the shifter is in the handle do you don't have to reach back to grab a shifter handle. Hope my information helped you but ultimately you need to decide what is best for you.


----------



## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

I would get a new motor if you can, just for the reliability factor. If you want a 2 stroke and don't need elect start or trim then the small etecs look good. But as you seem ok with your old 15 4 stroke the new zuke 20 or 25 will probably make you real happy.


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

bermuda said:


> I disagree that there is not much difference between the 20 and 25 - the difference is noticeable imo.


Where did you notice a difference? I noticed a little dip in top end speed with the 20 hp 4 stroke but it seemed to hold it's RPM a little better in a turn. It made running twisty creeks a little easier. I didn't notice any difference in hole shot but that could have something to do with the way I had the motors trimmed. 

Both the 20hp suzuiki 4 stroke and the yamaha 25hp 2 stroke were turning the same diameter and pitch prop. What's interesting is even at the same RPM they ran different speeds, I'm not sure what to make of that. I think with a touch more pitch the suzuki would hang in there with the 2 stroke.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

You should lookat your prop if you're only getting 5200 out of it. Max rpm is 6200 on my 20 and yours should be really close to that. You are leaving performance on the table with your current motor, but new motors are cool...


----------



## jonrconner (May 20, 2015)

Thanks everyone, you've given me a lot to think about.
JC


----------



## bermuda (Aug 22, 2010)

jmrodandgun said:


> Where did you notice a difference? I noticed a little dip in top end speed with the 20 hp 4 stroke but it seemed to hold it's RPM a little better in a turn. It made running twisty creeks a little easier. I didn't notice any difference in hole shot but that could have something to do with the way I had the motors trimmed.
> 
> Both the 20hp suzuiki 4 stroke and the yamaha 25hp 2 stroke were turning the same diameter and pitch prop. What's interesting is even at the same RPM they ran different speeds, I'm not sure what to make of that. I think with a touch more pitch the suzuki would hang in there with the 2 stroke.


I noticed the difference in torque and holeshot - can definitely feel the 3rd cylinder in the 25.


----------



## cypressswamp (Jun 13, 2017)

I'm between the 20 and 25 hp zuke for a hull that weighs 350 and I'd rated for a 35.

When I run the coast Guard calc, I figure max hp to be 39... lending me to believe that the 20hp will be underpowered for anything but me running solo, even though at least 30 lbs is saved by going with 20.


----------

