2-3 hp 4-stroke outboards

[Metabarca]

Does anyone have any experience of these? I'm about to buy a 2-3 hp outboard, am tempted by the Suzuki (good review on this forum) but also by a Honda 2.5hp 4-stroke for about the same price. Info or experience, anyone?

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[dickh]

I thought the Honda was only 2HP - not 2.5HP or has it been upgraded recently?
I have the 2HP Honda - early version, good, quiet, not as light as some 2 strokes, starts after 2 or 3 pulls but SHMBO cannot start it... The latest version with a centrifugal clutch is excellent.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[bigmart]

I've got a Honda BF2. They seem to get slagged off a lot in the magazines. Mine is superb. the economy is amazing its very reliable & it pushes my flubber along as quich as my old 4 horse Mariner. The centrifugal clutch works well but you have to get use to using it because you lose steerage if you try to trickle alongside. I'd certainly buy another.

Martin

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[Metabarca]

You're quite right: it's 2 hp.

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[Paulka]

I had a Honda for the last 15 years.
Excellent, but it gave up its spirit last year.
I replaced it by an Yamaha/MinnKota electric.
Fantastic, no string to pull at, no noise.
O.K. the battery is a little bit heavy, but a small one will do the job if you just go from shore to boat and back.

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[poggy]

I heard the Honda 2hp was great. It comes with a 5 year warranty for free for leisure use and is the only one with a twist grip throttle and a neutral. I am looking at buying one as they have dropped the price to £249.99. Apparently not all engines provide the same amount of forward thrust, so a 2.5hp may not necessarily be as good as a 2hp, not sure if this is true.

If you buy the Honda, let me know what you think as it is my favourite choice at the moment.



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[bigmart]

Another point in favour of the Honda is that its air cooled. No impellors to screw up & no water cooling that requires constant checking. It comes with a safety cut out too.

I'm a great believer in the KISS ( Keep It Simple Stupid) principal.

Martin

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[poggy]

I knew there was something else which made the Honda attractive and I forgot the most important one you mentioned, it is air cooled.

Other smaller outboards suffer from corrosion in the very small alloy water cooling tubes and this is normally what kills them. I think that even the PBO experts think this is the biggest cause of small outboards being scrapped.



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[John7]

Iv had two Honda 2hp, the second one a replacement by Honda for the original one!
Many of the original problems have been fixed BUT there are nuts that are not stainless that are used. As you might think (though Honda didn't) these rust. The clutch is something you need to try out, I still find it a problem. As you slow down it disengages the drive and you have no steering. Not just me my son refuses to use it and he has an instructor qualification so has plenty of experience in using a wide range of outboards. Others I know get on fine with it Yes it has a very good fuel consumption and indeed pushes our tender along well but my arm grows as i hump it along the pontoons. I watched in envy some one else carrying a another small outboard this weekend and when I lifted it found it was so much lighter than the Honda. If you have to carry it far try that out as well.
One thing I have found is many spares are much cheaper from Honda motorcycle shops, motorcyclists don’t get the price hike we get and in some cases, washers used on the oil filler, were the same things in a different packet at under ½ the price!

Would I pay for another one NO, no. To design and build a outboard using bolts that can rust sums it up.


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[Metabarca]

Wo, hold the show there! Where did you see it selling for £250? Best I've seen is £350...

anxiously yours


Metabarca

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[poggy]

Hi,

In my dreams most likely !!!!!!. It was a typing mistake, it was in fact £349.99.

Sorry for raising your hopes.

Mind you are reading the other post I am not too sure about the Honda now, seems daft to use steel bolts. Although I can't understand why everybody is complaining it is heavy as the Honda BF2 weighs 12.7kg and a Mariner 2.5hp is 13kg.

Poggy




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[ThomasHome]

I bought a Honda BF2 a couple of months ago and am very happy with it so far, starts first time every time, but I guess thats because its new!

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[bigmart]

I've had mine for two years & there ain't no signs of rust.

Martin

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[poggy]

Hi,

Was yours a BF2 4-stroke as this only weighs 12.7kg (s/shaft) and a mariner 2.5hp is 13kg. Doesn't seem that heavy to me.

Poggy

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Have read comments so far with interest. I looked at new motors when the aged Yamaha that had been in my fathers garage would not start. I could have got it going I am sure, but I hated the rope start and wanted a recoil starter.

I did not buy a new engine, I picked up a 2nd hand mariner 2.2, I had the choice of three from a local engineer in Porthmadog, all three had been reconditioned and mechanically were pretty much identical. I went for the one with scratches, peeled off stickers and least sexy looking. I hope that under this criteria it will not be stolen, I would have constantly been looking out of the sailing club window if I had had a new sexy engine fitted to my tender.

I paid ooh, £100 for it, so far it has started 2nd pull every time, I can throw it in the trailer without worry of scratching it, it is as simple as an engine can get. I have been using it weekly since last April, right through winter, it has been swamped twice when returning to the boat at anchor through the beach surf.

If I have to replace it in 5 years because it dies I will still have saved a fortune on a new and sexy engine. It is after all the tender motor, I have oars if it fails.

Just a thought, a new engine would be lovely I am sure, but how long it remains new with the abuse of carrying it up and down slips and steps is another question, I just personally could not live with a new tender outboard.

Not what you were asking I know, I just thought I would give my opinion anyway /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue> Julian </font color=blue>

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[Sandro]

I too am looking around (just looking presently) for a small 4 stoke.
Has anyone experience on the Yamaha 2.5 ?


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[John7]

Yes my one is a BF2 the other one was a old Yamaha.

Two other things I forgot before was the filler cap retainer, a thin plastic T. I lost a cap when filling the tank on the tender as we were rocked about in wake. It shooke about and fell off into the sea. The chandler I located a replacement at said it was a common problem which benefited him.

The other gem was an article in PBO a year or so ago saying you shouldn’t carry the BF2 by the “carrying” handle!

As for the rusting bolts there was a lengthy series of posts here about what you could do last year.


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[Metabarca]

I've heard one of the issues about these engines (in general) is that you need to be careful how you lay them on their side as, if you get it wrong, the oil leaks out of the sump. Can anyone comment on this?

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[John7]

Yes it will. Also, as reported in PBO last year, how you carry them can cause problems. You aren't ment to carry them with the handle, how else I have no idea!<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by John7 on 08/04/2003 08:27 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[gtmoore]

I bought the Yamaha 2.5hp 4 stroke but so far have only used it briefly - build quality is excellent and very quiet (it's water cooled). Wish it had reverse gear (F-N only) but the 4hp which is the next model up that does is oh so heavy!

<hr width=100% size=1>Gavin