Which small outboard?

[ashtead]

Looking for a small ob to replace mercury ? Do I go electric or if not which for 3.1 m ? I am told Honda are to be avoided but what else ?

 

[RichardS]

It's probably only the small air-cooled Honda which people suggest is best avoided, but I suspect that would be too small for a 3.1m anyway.

Richard

 

[ashtead]

Richard many thanks I was thinking Suzuki?

 

[Stemar]

If you can find a second hand Tohatsu 2 stroke or a badge engineered equivalent, I'd grab it. A couple of OB engineers have told me that they're worth spending almost any amount of money to keep going as they're so much better than the small 4 stroke engines

 

[Seajet]

I'd agree, my 1987 Mariner 2hp 2-stroke still runs brilliantly - I do take the head off and remove the salt build up every winter.

A great engine, as is my Mariner 5hp 2-stroke - and what's more I can lift them without a crane.

 

[RichardS]

Richard many thanks I was thinking Suzuki?

I have a Suzuki DF2.5, mainly for it's lightness. It's a great engine and starts first pull on 5 year old petrol even after the 6 month winter storage in the locker. However, we only have a 2.6m dinghy. It would be underpowered for a 3.1m dinghy unless you like to travel very slowly. I think you need a 5HP but unless you can find a two-stroke, they are much heavier.

Richard

 

[TQA]

Another vote for the Tohatsu 3.3 hp 2 stroke. They are the energiser bunny of the small outboards.

Also sold as Nissan/Mercury and other bits of badge engineering.

They will push a 3.5m RIB at displacement speed and even plane a small dinghy one up.

 

[thinwater]

I had a Merc 3.3 (same as Tahotsu) 2-stroke for years on a 3.5M inflatable. So light and strong. Would plane one person. Quite reliable, but I did add an inline fuel filter (lawn mower type in hose --easy).

 

[UMCorps]

I have a DF 2.5 on my Post Boat which is over 4m on the water and weighs over 500kg fully rigged with me on board. The engine has no problem in driving the hull at reasonable speeds (3 to 4 kts) and has had enough power in reserve for me to provide emergency tows for boats of similar size to mine on two recent occasions.

I think with a 3 m dinghy you will be trading off the ob power against the weight it adds. Depending on the hull shape it might not be worth the extra weight of a 5HP. For me the only benefit of a bigger engine would be that it had a reverse gear.

 

[ctva]

Have a look at the Yamaha 2.5 or 4hp. Unlike Honda, these are properly designed and built marine outboard engines and are good reliability wise.

 

[ashtead]

Thanks for suggestions . Currently have a 3.3 mercury so thinking of trading for a four stroke larger unit . A reverse gear and throttle control would be useful certainly but reliability is greatest criteria.

 

[KompetentKrew]

If you can find a second hand Tohatsu 2 stroke or a badge engineered equivalent, I'd grab it. A couple of OB engineers have told me that they're worth spending almost any amount of money to keep going as they're so much better than the small 4 stroke engines

I have the Tohatsu 9.8 2-stroke on my Honwave 2.7 airdeck and it's cracking - straight up on the plane, no bother. You can lift it one-handed quite easily.

I think the previous owner said he was selling it because it couldn't plane 3-up, so it should be perfect for me. :encouragement:

This particular engine is quite sought after as I believe it's the lightest 10HP outboard ever made - I set alerts on eBay and Gumtree to tell me of any being listed (can't remember if nationwide range or within 200 miles), and only saw one or two listed per month. When I did find one the seller made me collect it the very next day, because he had someone else very keen but who couldn't make it to collect until the day after.

 

[owen]

Ive just bought a suzuki 2.5 but still kept my mercury 2.3 2 stroke.
Thoughts on the suzuki: its not much heavier than the mercury, easy to start ; nice to have neutral/ forward gears. Amazingly powerful cooling stream ! the engine will never get up to temp.
Its quite noisy and vibrates unpleasantly in the throttle hand despite the thick rubber grip.
overall I much prefer the 2 stroke but had problems with the carb despite rebuilds.
I wish you could easily buy new 2 stokes
both easily power zodiac fastroller 2.7 not planing though

 

[ashtead]

Thanks for replies . Yes my ideas for change are more driven by reliability issues rather than a real desire for planing balanced against weight so ideally a lightweight 5hp might be solution but what really need is something that starts just like the lawnmower ( why don't Hayter make outboards) without having a carb cleaning session each time which is clearly academically stimulating and to be fair not unduly complicated but repeat performances seem to arise somewhat frequently.

 

[RichardS]

Thanks for replies . Yes my ideas for change are more driven by reliability issues rather than a real desire for planing balanced against weight so ideally a lightweight 5hp might be solution but what really need is something that starts just like the lawnmower ( why don't Hayter make outboards) without having a carb cleaning session each time which is clearly academically stimulating and to be fair not unduly complicated but repeat performances seem to arise somewhat frequently.

That can be a problem with small outboards although fitting a small inline fuel filter and always draining the carb before leaving the engine unused should remove the need to ever remove the carb.

Richard

 

[UK-WOOZY]

hate my 2017 honda 2.3. my boats on a swing mooring on the thames and the thames currents are very strong. i get nervous everytime the honda changes pitch, it often stalls despite having a service, has to be warmed up lots. POS thing. the honda 6hp i had on my previous yacht too was also crap so should of avoided honda again

 

[Laysula]

Whatever you do, don't just buy one online. Go into a dealers and ask to lift one of the stand and carry it about for 5 mins. It's not just the weight, but the awkwardness of moving it about. lifting it on and off the dinghy etc.
The best thing we ever did was to get rid of the four stroke and replace it with a two smoke.

 

[Mikedefieslife]

Yamaha seem to be the cream of the crop. For a cruiser a (used, though you can still buy them new from certain places) Yamaha 2 stroke would be my choice. They are found in just about every corner of the globe, and so dealers/spares are more easily available than some other brands.

 

[Balbas]

I don't understand the reliability issues with 2T. I have a 1998 model Johnson 3.3hp. I took the leg off out of curiosity (and to clear the cooling passages) and changed the head gasket this winter as the compression had dropped and it was getting harder to start. Aside from that it gets a new sparkplug and a new impeller every year and that's it. Must have thousands of hours on it now...

 

[wully1]

I have a Suzuki DF2.5, mainly for it's lightness. It's a great engine and starts first pull on 5 year old petrol even after the 6 month winter storage in the locker. However, we only have a 2.6m dinghy. It would be underpowered for a 3.1m dinghy unless you like to travel very slowly. I think you need a 5HP but unless you can find a two-stroke, they are much heavier.

Richard

I bought a Suzuki and much prefer it to the previous 2 Hondas I had. Much lighter, maybe slightly quieter,as powerful, cheaper to buy. Starts very reliably (apart from when I used contaminated fuel which was easy enough to drain and clean out...)