Advice - 5 metre rib with either a Mercury EFI 60 or an Evinrude 50 (2011)

[LadyJ]

A friend of mine is looking at two ribs, both c. 5 metres but one has the Mercury 60 4 stroke and one has the Evinrude 50hp 2 stroke. Any advice? He's veering towards the Evinrude as the rib and trailer slightly better. Not much difference in price.

 

[Oscar24]

Depends what they want to use the RIB for.
Having owned an Avon sr4 RIB with 50Hp two stroke Mercury (good for 30knts) and now owning a Merry Fisher with a four stroke Suzuki, I much prefer the four stroke.
'Older' Two stroke engines are fine if looked after, but they don't like idling and drink fuel like its going out of fashion.
Four stroke motors are heavier than two stroke's but more economic and tick over nicer IMHO

 

[Canopy Locked]

There speaks an ill informed person who perhaps has not even owned an evinrude!

The Evinrudes are relatively simple engines, with fewer moving parts than an equivalent 4 stroke. They will idle all day without a problem and the fuel consumption (if you're even worried by fuel consumption on a 50/60hp) is on a par with any equivalent 4 stroke.

I have owned 2 Evinruides - The 1st in 2005 and the 2nd in 2012 - and have never had a single issue. The biggest problem with Evinrudes is idiots who think they're just another bog standard 2 stroke.

 

[Bigplumbs]

On a 5 m rib you will need at least 60 hp. In my view 60 is at the very bottom end so 50hp is not enough in my opinion. 75 hp is more like it. Either way depending on price I would go for a 4 stroke if you can

Dennis

 

[jfm]

You are on the limit with that little power on 5m. I would get the EVinrude because the merc (which is the yam 747cc power head) will not have enough low rpm power to get you easily on the plane. I and my brother have 3 of those yam/merc engines between us in 50,60,70 versions so I know its negatives quite well. Also oscar24 comments on two stroke relate to ancient engines not a modern evinrude. So I wouldn't hesitate to get the evinrude here, except to say 80-90 hp would be better all round.

 

[Oscar24]

There speaks an ill informed person who perhaps has not even owned an evinrude!

The Evinrudes are relatively simple engines, with fewer moving parts than an equivalent 4 stroke. They will idle all day without a problem and the fuel consumption (if you're even worried by fuel consumption on a 50/60hp) is on a par with any equivalent 4 stroke.

I have owned 2 Evinruides - The 1st in 2005 and the 2nd in 2012 - and have never had a single issue. The biggest problem with Evinrudes is idiots who think they're just another bog standard 2 stroke.

Hello robmchugh
Rather a hash comment and as I said all IMHO
I have owned two outboard motors, a merc 50 two stroke circ 2000 and a modern Suzuki 115 four stroke circ 2010
I have not owned an Evinrude, The poster doesn't say how old the engines are so I assumed the two stroke will be an 'older' type outboard (not the more modern direct injection two strokes which I know nothing about) If this is the case I humbly apologise and defer to someone who knows more about them models.

The Suzuki just works, the two stroke merc always needed attention and never liked ideling, at WOT it was fine but used loads of fuel compared to the four stroke Suzuki, as I said, all IMHO

 

[longjohnsilver]

There speaks an ill informed person who perhaps has not even owned an evinrude!

The Evinrudes are relatively simple engines, with fewer moving parts than an equivalent 4 stroke. They will idle all day without a problem and the fuel consumption (if you're even worried by fuel consumption on a 50/60hp) is on a par with any equivalent 4 stroke.

I have owned 2 Evinruides - The 1st in 2005 and the 2nd in 2012 - and have never had a single issue. The biggest problem with Evinrudes is idiots who think they're just another bog standard 2 stroke.

The OP doesn't tell us which Evinrude engine it is. The older ficht engines were notoriously unreliable and problematical, the newer etec engines are superb. Having said all that, I do think a 50 on a 5m rib is going to be very unexciting and slow. I owned a Cobra 5.25 with a 150 on the back. That was good fun.

 

[jfm]

Hello robmchugh
Rather a hash comment and as I said all IMHO
I have owned two outboard motors, a merc 50 two stroke circ 2000 and a modern Suzuki 115 four stroke circ 2010
I have not owned an Evinrude, The poster doesn't say how old the engines are so I assumed the two stroke will be an 'older' type outboard (not the more modern direct injection two strokes which I know nothing about) If this is the case I humbly apologise and defer to someone who knows more about them models.

The Suzuki just works, the two stroke merc always needed attention and never liked ideling, at WOT it was fine but used loads of fuel compared to the four stroke Suzuki, as I said, all IMHO

rob is right. And original poster says 2011, so waffling on about ancient carbed two strokes is a bit of a waste of space to be honest.

 

[Stavros]

On a rib of that size the 50 2t and 60 4stroke will not be too far apart at top end speed, one thing is certain, the 50 2t will have a far better hole shot than the 60, if you are using it for that task, far more grunt with a 2t. the 50 Evinrude will tickover all day long.

 

[LadyJ]

Thanks all, appreciate the help and my friend is now looking at a larger outboard or a Stormcat boat instead of a rib.