Who Makes the Best / Worst Outboards ?

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

"You don't need to bother with that, no one's going to steal that engine--even if you wanted them too."

That's probably because the thief had already stolen our year-old 4-stroke 6hp Merc, with a large lock on it, in a patrolled marina.



-Sven

[Hud3]

I've had a Nissan 9.8 and a Tohatsu 5, both 2 stroke, and both made by Tohatsu. Never had a minute's trouble with either of them.

[forsailbyowner]

I've had yamaha 4 stroke 9.9, honda four stroke 9.9, merc 4 stroke3.5 and an ancient eska 2 stroke 4 a chrysler 2 stroke 9.9 and a johnson sail twin9.9 .
Of these yam and honda and eska went above and beyond call of duty.yam went 15 yrs, running when boat was sold. Honda outlived parts availability. Couldn't get replacement points. Johnson continual problems fouled lower plug regularly. Eska ran after 50 years use ran when sold. Chrysler went underwater couldn't get parts. Merc purchased new, low quality replacing failing parts constantly will off when warranty is up. Next purchase will be honda or yamaha

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by SvenG

That's probably because the thief had already stolen our year-old 4-stroke 6hp Merc, with a large lock on it, in a patrolled marina.

-Sven

No worries...Make me an offer!!!

[ka4wja]

unbusted,
Here are my personal, real world experiences.....

1) For current / recent outboards (those that I've owned / used in the past 5 - 10 years.....and those that you're liable to buy, whether new or used), the answer is:

Best = Yamaha.....no question about it....(especially their 2-strokes, with the 100:1 oil mix....)

Worst = Everything else ....
Seriously, the worst of the current crop seems to be...
a) any 4-stroke used with ethynol-enhanced gasoline......and...
b) Mercury


2) Historically (those that I've had experience with over the past ~40 years....), the answer is:

Best = Old Evinrude's......they were great!!!!
Worst = Chrysler's.....oh, gawd, how truly horrible they were......

Back in the 60's and 70's, I had experience with both of these brands.....
My parents were aquaintances with Frances Langford and Ralph Evinrude, and while we didn't get any free outboards, we usually had Evinrude's for the dinghy, and they worked well.....
But, back in the early 70's ('71 or '72) I became intimately aquainted with a demon that lived on the transom of the dinghy, and it was a Chysler outboard....I think it was white, with beige or gold trim.....what a horrific beast that was!!!! and it get my vote for worst outboard ever made!!!!


These thoughts sum up my experience with that Chrysler......thanks Bash...

Originally Posted by Bash

But whenever an outboard has me down I recall what Steinbeck wrote about his outboard in The Log From the Sea of Cortez: "Our Hansen Sea-Cow was not only a living thing but a mean, irritable, contemptible, vengeful, mischievous, hateful living thing. In the six weeks of our association we observed it, at first mechanically and then, as its living reactions became more and more apparent, psychologically. And we determined one thing to our satisfaction. When and if these ghoulish little motors learn to reproduce themselves the human species is doomed."

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[svcattales]

Originally Posted by Zydeco

We've had several small outboards for the dinghy in the past 10 years:

3hp and 5hp Nissan 2 strokes - These were both good engines and they ran well, but my wife couldn't get them started.

5hp Honda 4 stroke - Worked great like all thing Honda. Easy to start. Wife loved it. RIB would plane at full throttle with both of us in it under ideal conditions.

15hp Yamaha 2stroke - The best one so far. Easy to start, runs great, wife loves it. And it makes our little 10 foot RIB into a thrill machine. Planes easily at half throttle, scary fast at 3/4 throttle. Wife drives with maniacal grin on her face while I hang on for dear life.

What he said on 15hp Yamaha 2stroke. We've been cruising with one for six years and it always starts on first pull. Keep an eye on engine weight...2 stokes are significantly lighter than 4 strokes. We use it on a 10ft Livingston hard dinghy and it planes with 2 large adults, laundry and groceries.

[svcattales]

What he said on the 15hp Yamaha 2 stroke. We've used one for cruising the last 6 yrs and it always starts on first pull. Check weights on 2 strokes vs 4 strokes... 2 strokes are much lighter.

Originally Posted by Zydeco

We've had several small outboards for the dinghy in the past 10 years:

3hp and 5hp Nissan 2 strokes - These were both good engines and they ran well, but my wife couldn't get them started.

5hp Honda 4 stroke - Worked great like all thing Honda. Easy to start. Wife loved it. RIB would plane at full throttle with both of us in it under ideal conditions.

15hp Yamaha 2stroke - The best one so far. Easy to start, runs great, wife loves it. And it makes our little 10 foot RIB into a thrill machine. Planes easily at half throttle, scary fast at 3/4 throttle. Wife drives with maniacal grin on her face while I hang on for dear life.

[skipmac]

I forgot about the Seagull, probably a mental block since I rate it as one of the top 5 worst boating purchases I ever made.

Bought it because Don Street claimed they were the best outboard you could buy; reliable (hah!), easy to work on (hah again, not my experience and since they're always broke they ought to be easy to work on) and have high torque so can be used to tow your boat if the main engine fails (maybe but never could get it to run long enough to find out).

That piece of $!@#$ never ran right from the first day I bought it brand new. Learned never to try to crank it in polite company as the process always inspired me to expand my four letter vocabulary into new realms. Learned how to cuss in five languages and when that ran out I made up new words.

First prize for worst outboard ever made, hands down Seagull.

Originally Posted by senormechanico

I've never owned one, but the worst has got to be British Seagull.
Typical owner has one apart, or is unsuccessfully trying to start it.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by ka4wja

unbusted,
Here are my personal, real world experiences.....

1) For current / recent outboards (those that I've owned / used in the past 5 - 10 years.....and those that you're liable to buy, whether new or used), the answer is:

Best = Yamaha.....no question about it....(especially their 2-strokes, with the 100:1 oil mix....)

s/v Annie Laurie

I think that does it for me with this conversation. I have heard enough testimonials from other people too (the face to face kind) and had a good enough experience with my Yamaha to know that I am now on the market for a 6 HP Yamaha 4 stroke (need the mileage) longshaft with a 6 amp alternator. I am looking to trade in my heavier 9.9 HP 4 stroke Yamaha. Anyone up for a swap? PM me.

[sded]

Does anyone else remember the "Curse and Carry"? I saw more of those in peoples hands than I ever did actually running boats. I hope they are no longer available, although maybe in the lower reaches of Hell ...

[ka4wja]

Originally Posted by skipmac

I forgot about the Seagull,
Bought it because Don Street claimed they were the best outboard you could buy;

skipmac,
Sorry to smile about your misfortune.....as I never owned a Seagull (Thank God), I can only imagine!!!

And, please don't take this the wrong way....but, you bought a Seagull because of what Don Street wrote....
I mean, I like the way he writes and appreciate his style, but.....
Cantankerous comes to mind????

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by sded

Does anyone else remember the "Curse and Carry"? I saw more of those in peoples hands than I ever did actually running boats. I hope they are no longer available, although maybe in the lower reaches of Hell ...

I think they were weed wackers with a prop bolted on where the spool should be...only worse.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by ka4wja

skipmac,
Sorry to smile about your misfortune.....as I never owned a Seagull (Thank God), I can only imagine!!!

And, please don't take this the wrong way....but, you bought a Seagull because of what Don Street wrote....
I mean, I like the way he writes and appreciate his style, but.....
Cantankerous comes to mind????

John
s/v Annie Laurie

Well 20/20 hindsight but his arguments in the book sounded pretty good. In my defense I was a land locked newbie with limited opportunities to get on the water so did a lot of reading and book sailing. When I did get my first boat there was no one around to tell my I had lost my mind buying a Seagull.

I do think that many of his boating recommendations did make sense, but some were so off the wall that I'm embarrassed now to admit I gave them any credence at all.

Cantankerous. So I've heard. How about unique, opinionated and several other descriptions as well? But certainly never dull or boring.

[Pete7]

hmm, my Seagull, certainly more reliable that my Raymarine shares

Pete

[Tellie]

My first real sail boat, a 21' came with a Sea Gull 5hp. I still have it. The easiest engine to work on ever. It takes maitenance but it still fires the first two or three pulls. I ran it for untold hundreds of hours. Not bad for a Britsh motor, impressed me enough to buy a MG convertable. That cured me of British engines.