will 3.3 be significant improvement on 2.5

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nyx2k

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ive bought a few 3.5hp in the past but never used on the dinghy.

there is a 3.5hp tohatsu localy in vgc but before i spend the money does the forum think this will be significantly better than the 2.5hp 2st mercury i have at pushing against the tide in chi harbour.

i like the idea of a neurtal gear so i can start the engine before i get into the dinghy

i think its top money of £250 but is very clean with low hrs and one yachty owner fron new

there is also an old johnson 4hp but with direct drive for £180 but seems pretty old to me but clean and tidy
 
Cannot comment on the Tohatsu

If the Johnson is a fixed drive then it will be 1980 or earlier so pretty old. From 1981 onwards they had neutral and in some cases reverse as well.

The old 4hp Johnsons and Evinrudes are however generally reckoned to be among the best outboards made! If you are interested in it get the model number, which should be on a plate on the transom bracket, and we can look up its actual age.

They changed the way in why HP is measured and quoted in the early 1980s so a modern 3.5 hp will be as powerful, may be even more so, that a pre 1980 4hp. Dont buy the 4hp Johnson believing it will be more powerful than the 3.5 Tohatsu. It wont be if its as old as we think!
 
Yeah £250 is a lot for a 2nd hand diddy outboard but it doesn't surprise me as it seems the 2-5hp 2-stroke market is very buoyant (excuse the pun!) as to be honest I still think they are the best outboards for the job for a small tender.

regarding 2.5 compared to 3.3, the Mariner & Tohatsu etc (2000 vintage), other than the neutral gear aspect, just restrict the carb and throttle slider to make the 3.3 a 2.5

Effectively to get the extra over the 2.5, you're just revving the motor higher. I 'derestricted' my 2.5 to get the extra. (other than the neutral gear of course) Handy to have for short spells against a strong current.
 
i presume the 3.5 tohatsu will hold its value against an older 4hp.

i was hoping someone would be able to say id notice a fair difference between a 2.5 and a 3.5 but there must be a difference and i like a neutral and a safety lanyard which the 4 and my 2.5 doesnt have.

i think £250 is a bit high but it is very clean.
 
I went from a 2hp to a 2.5hp - no noticable difference - other than the 2.5 was a 2 stroke - so quieter and I could put it anywhere I wanted ... :)

You do seem determined to get your heavy tender going faster ... but you've got to push a lot more water out of the way to achieve that (without planing)
 
its not the overall speed i want really.
the 2.5 is agreat engine i have but its let me down twice now dues this carb overflow problem.
whilst trying to start it we have drifted into the path of other boats. once its running it runs all day no problems until start time agian.
even if i fix it perfectly i know its let me down twice so i want to getr another engine and might aswell go slightly bigger if i can to help with tidal currents a little.
 
I exchanged my 2.5 Tohatsu two stroke for a new 3.5 when they started to get difficult to source.
I do a long commute with a substantial dinghy, as you do.
The performance on the water is not very different but I feel that I get by at lower revs and have a bit more speed in hand. Fuel consumption is exceptional.
A very clean late engine would be a good buy for long tern use. From my experience they are a fine engine.
They were getting on for £400 new, £250 is a bit high, but will you find a cheaper one?
 
mint clean one will always keep a good value with the yachting fraternity for tenders etc.

i think its a fair price and as others have said if i get a 6hp to go on the tender then it wont go any faster due to it having a displacement hull so may as well save the extra 200pounds and stay small, economical and light.
 
We've had a Tohatsu 3.5 for 8 years and its been a great frined - reputation fairly bulletproof - suggest you go for 75:1 oil mix and always open the filler vent before the fuel on. Clean spark plus and its pretty much first or second pull. Any test I've seen rates the 2 stroke 3.5 as a (better) benchmark than typical 4 stroke larger engines. I'd buy afetr angling to get slightly cheaper
 
i think i will go and try to get some money off.
the 2.5hp i have in running much better now so i can always sell that if i dont need it.
 
I have a Tohatsu which is so old it doesn't have a serial number. Will's Marine tell me it could be a 2.5 or 3.5 even though it doesn't have a neutral gear setting.
It pushes the boat far better than my Evindude twin 4hp. I am thinking the Evinrude has a much lower pitch prop.
As the Evinrude has a neutral gear setting (which the Tohatsu doesn't have) I am thinking about a deeper pitch prop for it, but only if it is for peanuts.

As you can tell, I don't regard an outboard as an essential item.
 
the 4hp has no neutral and is a twin but i think it's better to look at the 3.5 tohatsu as i like the idea of a neutral as im alwayslate to turn the motor off too late and scraping the prop on itchenor hard.
 
nyx2k said:
the 4hp has no neutral and is a twin but i think it's better to look at the 3.5 tohatsu as i like the idea of a neutral as im alwayslate to turn the motor off too late and scraping the prop on itchenor hard.
Click to expand...

Re. 2nd hand price.
My neighbour has just bought a new Mariner 3.5 4str to replace an old and unreliable 3.5 2str.
He sold his 2str. within a day for £320!!
 
very clean ones that have a good write up promising all runs perfectly are fetching good money.

im testing my 2.5hp 2stroke out all day tomorrow and if it behaves itself like it should then i'll put it on ebay as i want something with a neutral setting.
i think i may get around £200 for it.
 
Fire99 said:
but it doesn't surprise me as it seems the 2-5hp 2-stroke market is very buoyant (excuse the pun!) as to be honest I still think they are the best outboards for the job for a small tender.
regardin.
Click to expand...

Too right! I wonder if the bureaucrats who legislated against 2-strokes ever thought about the sump oil that now gets spilled into the sea (as well as car boots).

Vic
 
like has been said many times before they are perfect for tenders but within 10 yrs they will be showing their age and not long after that clean good ones will be very rare.
 
to answer my own original post.
there is a significant difference between the 2.5 and 3.5hp 2 strokes.
the 3.5 only needs 1/3 throttle to keep the same speed as the 2.5 at 3/4 throttle.

its very clean with original receicpt and all original stickers.
so much better than my old 2.5
 
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