Best little outboard to get!

Zagato

Zagato

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I want to buy a brand new 5-6HP Longshaft outboard preferably 4 stroke for a wooden Lugger I am hoping to pick up soon.

What is the best marque to go for. Honda seem to do great lawn mower engines and my last Honda 6HP 4 stroke was nice and quiet! Yamaha, Mercury/Tohatsu etc seem to be popular. I am selling my 3.5hp brand new Tohatsu (£400!) and it has been fine but only just run in so not much of a test.

Who has the best reputation and back up service, I will be keeping it for a long time. If i can find anyone that sells them :rolleyes:

Many thanks
 
I've had the Honda 5hp (I really didn't like it)
I've had the Yamaha 4hp which I did like a lot. Reasonably light, not too noisy and pretty smooth.
I've had a Mariner 4hp and now have a Tohatsu 5hp (same engine in reality)
All four stroke.

I find the last two the best. very quiet, easy to start, frugal, hardly any vibration.
Spare should not be a problem with any current engine. The 6hp is the same engine again (apparently the difference is all in the carb and ignition).
Some models have internal tank and remote fittings. Some come with only the external fuel connection. You want to buy new so you should be able to specify which you need.
You should be able to get a 5 hp for £890
Presumably you need a long shaft.
My 5 hp pushes my grp displacement boat at 5.8 knots at hardly half revs and 4 knots at a little above tickover.
The new models have the gear lever moved to the front of the motor and the internal tank has the filler at the front of the motor, which would make refilling easier.

The Mariner, Mercury and Tohatsu are the same motor (all made by Tohatsu). However are priced differently. When I bought the remote control fitting kit one dealer quoted me £130 but found he didn't have one. He told me he had the Mercury kit but it was £180. I asked if they were the same kit. "Yes" he said.
 
Got 2 Tohatsu' both are great little runners. The 6 is in daily use and the 3.5 is in weekly use. Neither use enough fuel to talk about and both start first pull.

Service is by Brent Marine in Newport Isle of Wight and is also terrific.

Simes
 
I've got a 15hp Tohatsu and 4hp Mercury auxillary (aka Tohatsu), so for me it's Tohatsu every time.

Only difference I can see between Tohatsu and Mariner/Mercury is the stickers on the hood. Tohatsu use a single sticker for the word "Tohatsu" whereas the other two use individual vinly letters.

Try Mike Vincent at South Coast Marine in Christchurch if you want a keen price - 01202 482695.
 
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Many thanks folks, having called around a few boat builders and asked which engine they supply with their new boats they say Honda seem to have lost their way a bit so they now recommend the Yamaha & Tohatsu group....

Yamaha & Mariner etc do seem to be the most popular when you look up and down the moorings.
 
As it happens, I'm going the rounds on Saturday to look at a new O/b for Brigantia and at the moment the Suzuki 6hp model is favourite on my list for several reasons

It has the largest displacement in the class, it comes as standard with an external fuel tank connection (some don't) and the charging (optional, as with most of them) is the highest output at 6A

I've always been a fan of Hondas small engines but their biggest offering in the single cylinder engines is 5hp and various reviews suggest their single cylinder engines are a bit gutless

I;d be tempted by the Mariner but the charging output is only 2A which is fairly useless

The Yamaha 4/5/6 hp engines optionally come with what is described as a 6A lighting coil/alternator which would require a seperate rectifier (which doesn't appear to be available from Yamaha) in order to charge the boat battery from the engine so that rules that one out

Ideally, I'd fit one of the small two cylinder engines in the 8-10hp range however they ain't exactly small - no way any of them could be squeezed into our o/b well - and they are getting on for twice the price of the 6hp singles.
 
Well I am going to hopefully buy a Drascombe Cruiser this weekend and will buy a new 6HP for it. Googling reviews and Tohatsu comes out well, the Yamaha don't at all on the 4HP, can't find any 6HP reviews so that has put me off Yam's.

I will go with the Tohatsu, or Marina like most others! Are these engines made by the same people with just different logos' or are the same parts bought by the the two companies and put together themselves. I see the RNLI use a lot of Marinas :)
 
[pedant]
if you are determined that you are going to go out and buy a marina, it may cost a bit more than you expect
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Mariner and Mercury (and Nissan) are Tohatsus. (in this size range)
They are made in factories all around the world. Whether they are made under licence or by Tohatsu I don't know but most bits are interchangeable.
Tohatsu are cheaper.
 
Thanks, going to go for the new model Tohatsu, sail drive long shaft with external tank and charging unit of 5 AMP 60W. Should be able to get it a tad under 1K!
 
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