Small outboard recomendations please.

[ghostlymoron]

OK...so lets just recap on what you are looking for:

1) a well made reliable
2) small (2 or 4hp) outboard for my tender.

At great risk of incurring the wrath of the Green factions here, may I suggest the venerable Seagull 40+

It is a very well made outboard. They have been around for many years and most will still start first time everytime (well...mine does and it has been in service with my father originally and latterly myself for over 40 years now!!) and it sits perfectly on our tender, looks good and SOUNDS like an outboard should...not like the Japcrap outboards that sound like a gnat farting in a bean can!!

Go on...you KNOW you want one!!!

I've got a seagull and love it - the same way I love my 1965 bsa bantam BUT I wouldn't recommend it as clean, reliable, quiet power unit for a dinghy. However, I expect both will still be around in another 50years.

 

[Billows]

FWIW, my Suzuki 2.5hp experience. About 18 months ago, after one dunking too many, my venerable and hitherto reliable Honda 2.3hp ceased to function and I replaced it with a new Suzuki. This engine is generally OK but I've had a couple of persistent problems with it and, from a bit of googling, it appears I'm not the only one - although I have no idea what the percentage of units affected might be.

First, an irritation, is the habit it has of kicking back while I'm starting it - it's hard on the arm and feels as though it could result in real injury on an unlucky day. Second, more serious, is its habit of stalling when put into gear and/or when attempting to accelerate. I read on an American forum that it is something to do with the standard jetting - there is an acknowledged fix apparently but it involves stripping the carb so, unless you are good with carbs and their fiddly innards, can cost a bit to fix.

Not a lousy engine, but not as good as I expected.

Pulling gently until you feel resistance due to compression, then allowing the cord to rewind, then pull to start will cure the kick back.
I've had the stalling.If you leave the engine warm up, and accelerate gently it doesn't happen I find.

 

[jerrytug]

Tohatsu 3.5,and you can buy new from Mainbrayce in Alderney.

 

[rogerboy]

I bought a new four stroke 5hp Yamaha 2yrs ago great engine also have a 70hp yam would not buy any thing else

Don't buy a Yamaha 2.5, nothing but trouble trouble trouble!!!

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Buy a Tohatsu (Mercury, Mariner) 3.5 hp 4 stroke which is the same engine as the 2.5 hp but tuned up and approx. £40 more. Tohatsus are reliable and robust engines but not the lightest.

 

[TQA]

Get a Tohatsu 2.5 to3.5 2st

Did you know that on April 30, 1995, Seiko Nakajima, his 21ft boat and a 2.5hp Tohatsu outboard motor arrived at the historic South Street Seaport in New York City, concluding an eight-month voyage from Switzerland including a transatlantic.

RESPECT to the little eggbeater.

 

[readings]

Tohatsu are excellent. If you want the lightest possible engine look for an old Yamaha 2hp 2 stroke, great little engines.

I'll second the suggestion of a Yamaha 2B 2-stroke - so easy to lift up and down to the dinghy, and good when you need to pull the dinghy up the beach! They come up on eBay quite regularly.