The Missing Link
You probably want the hard, factual fuel numbers now, eh? We worked very hard to get consistent repeatable data. But after getting wildly inconsistent data from three different fuel-flow meters we decided to not publish the results. You’ll find plenty of performance resources from the manufactures and others about fuel consumption. What I will say is that my truck burns more in gas getting to the ramp than the motors did while on the water. If we threw out the inconsistent data and averaged the numbers left, the 25-horsepower four-stroke engines on our test skiff averaged between 13-15 MPG combined at cruising speeds.
Conclusion
Can the weight be worth the reward? Weight represents the greatest nemesis of any shallow-water skiff. However if fuel prices continue trending up instead of down, then yes absolutely. Four-stroke power will always be heavier than its two-stroke counterpart unless someone makes an amazing breakthrough in metallurgy and the laws of physics.
Who’s the winner in our shootout? No matter which manufacturer you pick, you the consumer win. Each manufacturer adds their own touches to win consumers over. We like Mercury’s tiller handle with integrated throttle and shift. Yamaha wins points for styling and bulletproof build. Honda proved the quietest motor we tested and the tiller was comfortable for all-day operation. Tohatsu captured our attention with price. Ultimately consumers will decide the winners for their applications. Our goal? To collect and present data to help the consumer make the best educated choice.
Honda | Mercury | 
Suzuki | Tohatsu | Yamaha | Conclusion | The Skiff | Back
