Suzuki 2.5 or Yamaha 2.0?

[a64pilot]

I’m looking to buy a tiny motor mostly as a backup but also for when we are places where only no wake speeds are allowed, so if I give up planing that means to me to get the smallest, lightest and cheapest motor available, that is reliable, no Chinese clones for me.
I’m in the Bahamas, the two stroke 2 hp Yamaha is available, but is $900, and weighs in at 22 lbs.
The 12% VAT just kills prices here.
In the US I can get the Suzuki for less than $800, it’s 30 lbs.
The Yamaha requires mixed fuel of course, nothing else I have does, and the little motor won’t be used very often I don’t think unless the bigger motor dies.

So which one is most reliable, better made? I assume there will likely be carb issues with either, just have to live with that I guess.
Neither will go in the Lazarette, they will live on the rail or on the dinghy, so no worry about oil leakage when laid on its side.

[yalla]

i have the Suzuki 2.5, it spent several hours fully submerged, then sat a few days out of the water not having been rinsed. so a real good attempted murder but with a skilled friend got her running again.
with that motor on my dinghy i was able to tow my 10000 pound 32' sailboat, slowly...

[Lowcountry]

My opinion is that there is no better outboard for the money than Yamaha, so that's what I would buy. As far as carb issues, I always turn the fuel off and run the gas out of the carb before stowing the motor, but I know that you probably do this as well.

[sparrowhawk1]

Cheapest, most reliable, for short distances Is a trolling motor preferably solar charged. If you have an inflatable you may have a hard time with head winds, with my Walker bay, 2.5nts straight into 20 knots with a 30 lb thrust 100 dollar minkota. For longer distances I'm seriously considering a 2.5 horsepower Honda propane engine. I have had very bad "luck" with carburetors on engines less than 5 horsepower( small Jets) so I will never buy one again. Also almost any engine that sits for long periods of times or even just used periodically will need its carburetor cleaned. Propane seems to solve this problem. I've been researching it but can't quite find out how much propane is used per hour. Yes it's a pain to refill propane, with everything in life it's all about balance.

[NewMoon]

Our 2hp Yamaha (re-branded with a Mariner sticker on it) is 31 years old, and runs like new. Has been submerged once. Could not be simpler. Bought it originally for a canoe, used it for many years on an Avon Redcrest.

Price we pay for super light weight is it's always in gear - no neutral. Swing it around backward to go in reverse.

[Sailmonkey]

I would go for the two stroke engine. Both lighter and more reliable. Especially if you’re only going to use it occasionally. We’ve got an old mariner 2hp 2-stroke that will start even after sitting in the garage for a year. It does smoke like a chimney until new fuel is put in it, but it’s always run.

[BlackHeron]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I would go for the two stroke engine. Both lighter and more reliable. Especially if you’re only going to use it occasionally. We’ve got an old mariner 2hp 2-stroke that will start even after sitting in the garage for a year. It does smoke like a chimney until new fuel is put in it, but it’s always run.

Ours is great too, but parts are getting hard to find. We sprung a leak in our internal fuel tank and they are almost impossible to find and uaed ones go for $65+ on eBay. Might not even be any better than what you have. Ours had a hairline crack at the bottom rear of the tank where it gets the hottest. You could barely see it. I had to pressurize the tank in a bucket of water to even find it. It would only drip at first when it got hot and the cap was sealed so it pressurised. I eventually had to heat weld it with a soldering iron and strips from a milk jug. Still holding today.

The weird square-shaft prop is getting harder to obtain as well, and expensive too.

It is sad to say but the time is near to retire this old war horse. Runs perfectly well and starts every time with only a half-hearted pull. It pushes our Porta Bote almost to 4 knots without any wake to mention. Can run at 3.7 knots according to Navionics on my phone right through the anchorage or mooring field without waking other boats.

Weighs about as much as a splitting maul and with similar balance. I can climb over the lifelines and down to the boat holding the outboard with one hand.

Would love to find a modern 2-stroke in the 2-4hp range with similar reliability, low weight, but with parts available to buy without scrounging junk piles or getting bit by the sharks on eBay. Supply and demand...

[MooGroc]

I purchased a Suzuki 2.5, 4 stroke in 2011 and it was worked flawlessly ever since.

[01kiwijohn]

I have a 2 ho Mariner ( Yamaha) of 1982 vintage bought second hand, 16 years ago. It has cost me a head gasket (cleaned the cooling passages), a plug, 2 impellers and a prop shaft seal. Pre mix is not a problem. It's noisier than a new model but can't complain about reliability. Parts easily obtained. A one hand lift from dinghy to the ⛵. Would buy again.

[hamburking]

Have you considered the Honda 2.3?

Its the lightest and most fuel efficient small outboard (according to Honda). Its an air cooled 4 stroke. Cost around $1000 in Canada, so I would expect it to be much less in the USA.

I bought one. Worth considering.

[oldersalt1944]

I bought a 2.5 Suzuki a couple of years ago. Runs great, no problems. Whenever possible, I put aviation gas in it. Here in the US, av gas has no ethanol, which is what kills new outboards. If you have a small airport near you, just take your gas can there and fill it up.
Good luck
Oldersalt
"Everything on your boat is broken. You just don't know it yet"

[Dooglas]

Originally Posted by oldersalt1944

I bought a 2.5 Suzuki a couple of years ago. Runs great, no problems. Whenever possible, I put aviation gas in it. Here in the US, av gas has no ethanol, which is what kills new outboards. If you have a small airport near you, just take your gas can there and fill it up.

Everywhere I have boated in the US, all gasoline available at marine fuel docks is non-ethanol. Many gas stations also sell "recreation gas" which is non-ethanol. No reason to purchase high octane aviation gas for your outboard.

[letoile]

I have a 2 hp Suzuki ob that I purchased in 1981. So it is 38 years young this year.It has been run too lean at one point and got hot.
Thought it was done since I couldn't pull the starter cord...put oil in the spark plug hole left it for 2 weeks and it ran better than ever. It was also submerged for a day... drained , new fuel and is still running our dink today. A little choke and starts first pull every time. The only downside is it is always in gear. Just my experience, but I do agree , it is hard to beat Yamaha now and it is less weight. Just some thoughts.

[yachtgemini]

One data point for you... We are 3 years into a suzuki 2.5. light, reliable, super economical and tough. Have also used the baby Yamaha and is also brilliant.

I think these engines are really well sorted out and I would be pleased to have either.

A few years ago a UK magazine reviewed both and while describing the Suzuki as a best buy it said the performance differences were minimal while the Yamaha price is a fair bit higher here.

[Peter1949]

Dooglas
If you go to pure gas.com their web site shows where to obtain non-ethanol by state
There are no Marina’s I know of in Massachusetts that sell non ethanol. I think you mean Marinas have a special blend with a formula made for Marine engines.
You can buy 1gallon containers here of non ethanol for 22 bucks plus tax.
If you know any Marinas let us know and I be happy to send you a gift