2nd hand outboard: False economy?

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cambscot

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www.plentymorefish.com
Looking to get an outboard for the tender.

As more and more of the areas I sail to are getting pontoons over moorings or even anchor, I'm wondering just how much I need an outboard. Certainly, it's helped in the past when the main engine failed, but being able to tow a 28ft yacht with a 2.5hp powered tender is only really going to work in the calmest of conditions.

I've seen quite a few second hand ones going for notalot, but is it a false economy? Would I be safer and better off buying a new one, and knowing it's going to work if I need it, or would a second hand one that might turn out to be unreliable be acceptable if the only times I'd use it were when I was too lazy to row a few meters to shore?

a
 
Buy second hand, the older the better, preferably a seagull. Then then get hours of endless fun taking them to bits and putting them back together again. Its like buying a petrol mower instead of electric, look at the fun, drying out the plugs, etc. and the exercise you get from pulling on the starter rope is really good for the abs and at least one arm.
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So probably not a seagull then.....It really depends how old you're thinking about. My 20 year old Yamaha 4 is as reliable as the day is long but about twice the weight of a Tohatsu 3.5
 
depends if you can work on it you're self,do you know how to take one apart and put it back together without a book in front of you,if yes get second hand one,if no get a new one.
if you want to try get a seagull,very essssseyy to work on and jhon at SOS will talk you through if you get stuck,or you can pm me any time
 
Working on them isn't a problem, but I already spend a lot of time working on my FZR400 racebike and BSA M20, so would really rather not have to spend time working on an outboard. Also, living 6 1/2 hours drive from the boat means it's not totally practical to just nip down and sort stuff, and I'd be struggling to fit the outboard in the car along with everything else when we do drive up.

I think I'll bit the bullet and buy new.
 
Nowt wrong with Seagulls provided you accept that they are noisy, oily, awkward to handle and a touch on the heavy side.

My 35 year old 40 Featherweight is as reliable as the day is long and provided it continues to receive the usual levels of abuse and neglect will continue to be so for another 35 years.

In addition to the SOS website there is an SOS forum
 
Unless you are going to buy a new one every month, an outboard is as good as the care it has had. I've seen plenty of 6 month old ones play up, usually due to water or dirt in the carb. If a 20 year old one ran faultlessly yesterday, chances are it will run OK today and next week.
However old it is you need basic tools and trouble shooting, be able to drain/clean the carb, change the plug, change the shearpin.
There are good and bad used outboards. If it starts well, runs cleanly and ticks over reasonably, with good water flow, then thats as good as they get. Avoid anything badly corroded.
Any outboard needs a good paddle or oars as backup imho.
 
I bought a 2nd Hand suzuki 2.2 hp from a fellow forumite for a decently low price. It's been totally reliable and easy to start. A lot easier than the brand new hp Mariner I purchased. May just have got lucky and had it serviced with the Mariner, its a great little engine and one of the best 2nd hand buys I have done
 
your second option is unrealistic - nobody with any sense would pay to have a 2.5hp o/b serviced and therefore have a record. if they did, it would suggest they were such mechanical numpties I wouldnt want to buy from them.

outboards of that size are cheap. since most fail through corrosion over maybe 15 years you can work out a rough price by taking the age, divide by 15 and multpily by the new cost. Take maybe half of that as a sensible offer.
 
Good grief. Must be about 400 miles?
That's perhaps 20 or so gallons of fuel, could be £100+ per round trip.
Makes the cost of an new outboard sound well worthwhile.
 
£60 for a 2nd hand Mariner 2hp starts every time /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
only had it 3 years though /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I'd always buy a second hand one and give it a full service myself. That way you know what condition it's in and any faults it may have.
Not a difficult job at all and the internet has a vast amount of resources regarding outboards (particularly iboat)
 
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I've had loads and used loads of Seagulls

[/ QUOTE ] And why exactly have you needed 'loads' of them??

- W

[/ QUOTE ]

I sold on with dinghys, boats (had 6 dinghys and 3 cruisers ...) plus my father and his friends had Seagulls ... so all in all - not had loads through fault replacements - just through changing boats / dinghys.
 
If a technical incompetent, buy new, then you'll have someone to vent your wrath on when it doesn't start.

If you know anything about engines buy 2nd hand, after a careful inspection.

In the event the £80 I paid for the 3.3hp Mariner was probably an unfairly low price as none of the things I expected to have to replace were required in the 1st 4 seasons of use. The new Tohatsu 3.5 (same engine) would have been £250.

I've got to support the Seagull, though I'd probably never buy one, as a 1st-class, heavy-duty lugger. But too heavy, too messy and won't plane my dinghy (which the 3.3 Mariner will)
 
I paid 180 quid for a 2nd hand Merc 7.9 Saildrive outboard for the Snapdragon I used to have - best buy ever ... never failed, never serviced ... sold on with the boat and I know next guy had it for ages without trouble. I lost touch with him.

I have had one duff 2nd hand buy and that was a Johnson 4hp that I bought after a few beers ! paid 40 quid for it ... everything was excellent on it ... started easily, gearbox fine - but water channel in leg was collapsed and no cooling water got to head. Sold it on as spares which it would have been excellent for.
Others I've bought :

2HP Mariner - now in it's 7 or 8th year with me, estimated age ? probably early 90's ... just needs water channel in leg cleared, otherwise fine with no servicing ever !
4.5HP Johnson Seahorse Twin - 1980 build and still going like a good'un. Only problem is the throttle cable is 'gritty' and needs replacement. Again very little servicing ever.

The only new engine I bought was the Johnson 3.3 to put on my race boat ... as I had to comply with "inventory / race specs" ... that was 6 yrs ago and that's never been serviced ... goes as good as the day I bought it. Only reason I bought new was no 2nd-hand ones available in Tallinn at the time.

I don't have experience of working on outboards ... I never work on them ... have only visited an outboard repair place occasionally to sort water blockages etc. and still my neglected 2nd hand jobs keep going.
 
I bought my 2hp Suzi 2nd hand about 20 yrs ago.
Still always starts 2nd pull from cold.
Still the original plug and points!
I have just replaced the start cord as the original was looking a bit worn.
Over it's time I have put in one new impeller and had head off once to clean waterway.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've had loads and used loads of Seagulls

[/ QUOTE ] And why exactly have you needed 'loads' of them??- W

[/ QUOTE ]
I sold on with dinghys, boats (had 6 dinghys and 3 cruisers ...) plus my father and his friends had Seagulls

[/ QUOTE ]
Great answer; that should shut up the inveterate smartarse.
 
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