Parsun Outboards

[BarryH]

Whilst out looking at outboards I came across a chandlers that stocks these things. The costs compared to the mainstream offerings seems to be pretty good.
On the face of it, it looks to be a no brainer saving a good few quid. Yet in the long run is it. How do these things compare to the likes of Merc/Mariner Honda etc regarding spares and servicing.
The chandler who was trying to flog me one doesn't do servicing or offer a spares backup.

Is the saving in initial purchace price really worth it when you need a bit of technical back up? I've not seem many of these things out on the water or hanging on the back of boats. With experience of chinese motor bikes and the lack of quality and difficulty in obtaining spares, I'm not 100% sold. Has anyone actually bought and used one of these things??

 

[Tranona]

All the tests report them as being heavy, crude and underpowered compared with the mainstream Japanese brands. Made in China and copies of older technology. Few reports of people buying them have not been particularly favourable. They are about 30% cheaper than the competition.

 

[longjohnsilver]

The chandler who was trying to flog me one doesn't do servicing or offer a spares backup.

About all you need to know? If and when it goes wrong will you need another engine?

 

[snooks]

Made in China

Made in China, yep, they are made in the same city Mercury outboards. About 8 miles away IIRC.

Nout wrong with being made in China.

 

[Davy_S]

Nout wrong with being made in China.

Indeed,an old flame was made in China, she was put together very well, although she sounded a lot better than a Parsun does.

 

[maby]

They are probably ok till they stop being ok and will very likely never be ok again. I have a small unbranded Chinese made petrol generator down in my garage - cost about £150 from a discount warehouse and worked fine for a year or so. Then I tried to use it and it wouldn't start. I checked the plug and it still wouldn't start. Asked around several plant suppliers for someone that would service it for me and nobody wanted to know about it. At £150 it was cheap but lasting 18 months at £150 it seemed a lot less cheap!

 

[Tranona]

Made in China, yep, they are made in the same city Mercury outboards. About 8 miles away IIRC.

Nout wrong with being made in China.

I know there is nothing inherently wrong with being made in China, having spent over 10 years visiting and working there. But that does not make it as good as most of its Japanese made competitors, nor does it compensate for lack of spares and service from the supplier. But it does offer a working product at a significantly lower price.

 

[fantasia7628]

Buy cheap, buy twice. I would always prefer to pay a bit more for assured quality.

 

[dylanwinter]

in the PBO test.....

they did sound a bit rough - they sounded harshe compared to the Honda, Tohatsu and Mariner

and came in tatty boxes straight out of the shipping container

completely unprepped for the job

so I would be a bit worried

I think I would rather spend the same money on a good second hand one from a company with a good reputation

and you would get a brilliant second hand one from a good dealer at the price of new cheapo

Dylan

PS I still have your gas ring in my garage

 

[Sans Bateau]

Made in China, yep, they are made in the same city Mercury outboards. About 8 miles away IIRC.

Nout wrong with being made in China.

A friend of mine used to do a lot of business in China, he had a factory built there to make shipping containers. He always has said, if you want the Chinese to make you a quality product they can, but if you want them to make a cheap product they are happy to do that as well.

 

[Davy_S]

Most twist and go Scooters on the road today use the GY6 engine (4 stroke) this was developed years ago by Honda and Kymco, when the licence ran out, the engine was produced by China and Taiwan, it is still made today and is a great success story of reliability. China can make quality goods as well as cheap goods, it all depends on the price. I do not think that Parsun is one of them that will still be running in 10 years or more time.

 

[Adonnante]

Interesting that no respondent appears to have any first hand knowledge of these outboards, Scuttlebutt at its best?

Peter.

 

[josephmoore]

Interesting that no respondent appears to have any first hand knowledge of these outboards, Scuttlebutt at its best?

Well, not quite true given that Dylan had one at the PBO test he was present for, on his own boat. Granted, not a long term relationship with the thing, but first-hand experience of having to use one for a while when it's brand new and in theory as good as it's going to ever be.

 

[Tranona]

Interesting that no respondent appears to have any first hand knowledge of these outboards, Scuttlebutt at its best?

Peter.

Think that probably tells you more about its success in the market place, although it has only been on the market for a couple of years and it takes time for any issues to surface.

 

[BruceDanforth]

I bought a Yammy 2.5 from Storrar marine just before the bank holiday for a very good price. I did think about second hand from Bill Higham but kept missing the engines I wanted. I noticed that Bill Higham stopped selling the Parsuns engines.

Whilst out looking at outboards I came across a chandlers that stocks these things. The costs compared to the mainstream offerings seems to be pretty good.
On the face of it, it looks to be a no brainer saving a good few quid. Yet in the long run is it. How do these things compare to the likes of Merc/Mariner Honda etc regarding spares and servicing.
The chandler who was trying to flog me one doesn't do servicing or offer a spares backup.

Is the saving in initial purchace price really worth it when you need a bit of technical back up? I've not seem many of these things out on the water or hanging on the back of boats. With experience of chinese motor bikes and the lack of quality and difficulty in obtaining spares, I'm not 100% sold. Has anyone actually bought and used one of these things??

 

[snooks]

Interesting that no respondent appears to have any first hand knowledge of these outboards, Scuttlebutt at its best?

Peter.

I tested one for MBM, not the smoothest engine in the world. Out of the three outboards I long term tested the Yammy is still my favourite, the suki was lighter but would occasionally try to rip my arm off, and unless left to warm up it would cut out as soon as revs were applied. The Parsun did what it was supposed to do, but I didn't feel it was refined as some other models.

 

[BarryH]

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking to replace an 8hp Mercury 2 stroke. The mercury weighs in at about 30 odd kilos. A new merc/mariner 9.8 costs around the 2k mark, give or take. The Parsun hits the tills at 1300 quid'ish. Not to be sniffed at anyway you look at it. Yet, having had to repair a few chinky bikes I know that the quality is a bit iffy. I wondered if the same could be said for the outboards.
1300 quid seems rather cheap if the thing lasts a few years. I don't know what my existing engine cost back in 1997 when it was purchased and its not really wornout yet. Ok it looks a little shabby around the edges but still starts when you yank the chord and chugs away for hours on end. It is a bit of a hungry beastie when it comes to feeding it petrol. It will empty it 12 ltr tank in no time at all, especially if theres a bit of a tide running.
The idea of getting a new engine was for a bit of peace when chugging along and, hopefully, reducing the running costs a bit.

The general feeling is that its best to give the Parsun a miss. I'll have to bite the bullet and shell out the sheckles for a mainstream motor. At least the others seem to give a 5 year warranty whereas Parsun give a 2 year.
Thanks for the input, much appreciated. Now Selva......any thoughts??

 

[longjohnsilver]

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking to replace an 8hp Mercury 2 stroke. The mercury weighs in at about 30 odd kilos. A new merc/mariner 9.8 costs around the 2k mark, give or take. The Parsun hits the tills at 1300 quid'ish. Not to be sniffed at anyway you look at it. Yet, having had to repair a few chinky bikes I know that the quality is a bit iffy. I wondered if the same could be said for the outboards.
1300 quid seems rather cheap if the thing lasts a few years. I don't know what my existing engine cost back in 1997 when it was purchased and its not really wornout yet. Ok it looks a little shabby around the edges but still starts when you yank the chord and chugs away for hours on end. It is a bit of a hungry beastie when it comes to feeding it petrol. It will empty it 12 ltr tank in no time at all, especially if theres a bit of a tide running.
The idea of getting a new engine was for a bit of peace when chugging along and, hopefully, reducing the running costs a bit.

The general feeling is that its best to give the Parsun a miss. I'll have to bite the bullet and shell out the sheckles for a mainstream motor. At least the others seem to give a 5 year warranty whereas Parsun give a 2 year.
Thanks for the input, much appreciated. Now Selva......any thoughts??

A 2 yr warranty is only any good if there's someone around to carry out the warranty work. I believe you can still get new Tohatsu 2 strokes in the CIs, maybe another option?

 

[dylanwinter]

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking to replace an 8hp Mercury 2 stroke. The mercury weighs in at about 30 odd kilos. A new merc/mariner 9.8 costs around the 2k mark, give or take. The Parsun hits the tills at 1300 quid'ish. Not to be sniffed at anyway you look at it. Yet, having had to repair a few chinky bikes I know that the quality is a bit iffy. I wondered if the same could be said for the outboards.
1300 quid seems rather cheap if the thing lasts a few years. I don't know what my existing engine cost back in 1997 when it was purchased and its not really wornout yet. Ok it looks a little shabby around the edges but still starts when you yank the chord and chugs away for hours on end. It is a bit of a hungry beastie when it comes to feeding it petrol. It will empty it 12 ltr tank in no time at all, especially if theres a bit of a tide running.
The idea of getting a new engine was for a bit of peace when chugging along and, hopefully, reducing the running costs a bit.

The general feeling is that its best to give the Parsun a miss. I'll have to bite the bullet and shell out the sheckles for a mainstream motor. At least the others seem to give a 5 year warranty whereas Parsun give a 2 year.
Thanks for the input, much appreciated. Now Selva......any thoughts??

guarantees are wonderful

but you have to have the engine properly serviced at the right time

pretty soon you have bought a new engine

one bloke wanted £110 for a first service on the Tohatsu

by the time I had clocked up a few hundred hours on it I would have given enough money to the dealers to change the oil, plug and sign the paper-work to cover the cost of a replacement engine.

I think I would now buy a good second hand one

but I was young and crazy and wanted a new engine

Dylan

PS - I did 120 miles up the Humber and Ouse the other weekend and used about four galls

 

[BarryH]

"I think I would now buy a good second hand one"

That was my initial plan of action, money being hard earn't but easily spent. Yet actually finding a decent second hand one is a task akin to climbing a mountain in carpet slippers! Everyone I found that was reputed to be "its mint mate" or "you couldn't do any better buying new", was, in short, a bloody minging dog!

The prices for a decent 8/9 hp outboard suitable for the stern of my boat isn't much short of a new one. I reckon I could get almost half the purchace price back selling my existing Mercury.

Call my young and crazy....especially the young bit.