Even though I tend to have to rebuild/clean the carb every year on my old Honda 4 stroke it is very dependable once the carb has been cleaned. I would go with what you can afford. As others stated the kicker gets used A LOT! So get the best you can and then enjoy it. I would go with a 4 stroke as I don't like the idea of 2 strokes adding oil via the exhaust into the water. If I were to buy new I would probably go with the one I got the best deal on and not really worry about the brand. Yamaha, Honda, Mercury, Suzuki, Evinrude, and Johnson all make great motors. This is like asking do you want a Ford, Dodge, or Chev Pick up! \:\)

I do have to say that I really like the throttle/shift linkage that Mercury uses. It is very convenient to simply twist the throttle to shift from neutral, forward, and reverse. However on my next boat I'm going to put remote control on my kicker so that I can control it from the helm just like the main motor. With that I don't need to invest in a TR-1 although I would certainly love to have it!