Yamaha 2.5 VS Suzuki 2.5 VS Tohatsu 3.5.

[Tayana42]

MarkSF, I have the Tohatsu 3.5. Lovely engine. I always, always, always run the carb dry at the end of the day (not every time I stop the engine). I always add stabilizer and try to keep the gasoline no more then a month stored in Gerry cans with Sunbrella covers on deck. In CA I can't buy non-ethanol gasoline. Still, I've had carb problems after 6 months of almost daily use.


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[Mike OReilly]

I have a Tohatsu 3.5. Over a few years of seasonal use it has done very well. Reliable, efficient. Not as quiet as I'd like, but certainly better than the air cooled ones. In my 10' portabote I can easily plane with one large person and stuff. I've even had it planing the bote with two people in ideal conditions.


Why go fast, when you can go slow

[DefinitelyMe]

I have a 2-stroke Tohatsu 3.5 and I love it. Since you're a decent-sized bloke i don't think the extra weight would bother you. I weigh 147 pounds and find it very easy to heft around (picked it up from the shop on a pedal bike). It will plane my 8-foot walker bay dinghy with me in it.

In the first week i got it i managed to submerge it completely........while it was running at full throttle........... persuaded a little girl in Petit Martinique to let me use the tap in her parents garden (the population of the island was out to sea at the time for a funeral) and lend me a penknife and a pair of pliers. Using those tools i managed to take it apart and flush it out with brackish water. Then i set it on fire accidentally, put out the flames, put it back together and it has run beautifully ever since. That was 5 years ago :-) Highly recommended.

[Phantoms]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

In the first week i got it i managed to submerge it completely........while it was running at full throttle........... persuaded a little girl in Petit Martinique to let me use the tap in her parents garden (the population of the island was out to sea at the time for a funeral) and lend me a penknife and a pair of pliers. Using those tools i managed to take it apart and flush it out with brackish water. Then i set it on fire accidentally, put out the flames, put it back together and it has run beautifully ever since. That was 5 years ago :-) Highly recommended.

That's one heck of a break-in procedure.

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by Phantoms

That's one heck of a break-in procedure.

Yea, the funny thing is i was trying to be really careful to break it in properly. After that i kind of gave up! I'll never forget the guy that picked us up out of the water. There were four of us treading water - three of whom were holding bags with laptops in them above their heads - next to an over-turned dinghy. A passing German stopped, pointed, laughed, said something that was probably along the lines of 'idiots! Morons! Imbeciles!' and then very kindly offered to give us (and the dinghy) a tow to shore.

Anyway, back to engines. You may also want to consider a mercury. I wouldn't normally say such a thing except that the Mercury and Tohatsu 2-strokes at least are pretty much identical (i heard they're built in the same factory) and the Mercury is just as reliable from what i can tell. A good friend has had the 2.5hp for about 4 years now and it has been very reliable for him.

[Terra Nova]

My Avon 2.85 Roll-up will easily plane with one person using a Suzuki 4 hp 2-stroke (great motor). A Tohatsu 3.5 hp 2-stroke (another great motor) will just barely plane it, under ideal conditions, if I keep my weight way forward, but not reliably.

Get a used 4 hp 2-stroke.

[Scout 30]

Before you disqualify the Honda 3 things to consider. The centrifugal clutch sounds weird but really works great. Being air cooled has it's advantages. Dinghies always get run into shallow water but with air cooled there's no worries. It is loud when you open it up but most of the time we're running at low rpms where it's not bad at all. Most importantly is the weight. 28 lbs to 40 may not sound like a lot but getting a motor on & off of a dinghy that's in the water is awkward at best. The difference in weight can mean you don't screw your back up or end up in the drink.

[Terra Nova]

The Tohatsu 3.5 hp 2-stroke (same as Nissan) only weighs 27 lbs.

[Scout 30]

Personally I think going the used 2 stroke route is a smart move. Although the Honda is as light as a 2 stroke the carburetor can be a real pain in the arse! 2 strokes seem to be more tolerant of less than perfect gas. If you do get a 4 stroke it's important to have your non-ethanol gas drop shipped to you straight from the refinery. Whenever you turn your motor off you should run the carburetor dry, drain the bowl, break the carburetor down & clean the jets. The gas in the tank should then be drained & refilled with only with fresh non-ethanol gas that was refined that day. If you fail to follow these simple instructions & your motor fails to run correctly you have only yourself to blame.

[Compactorguy]

FYI Tohatsu makes all Mercury and Nisson small motors
I have a Tohatsu 2.5 on an old AB flat bottom I use as a tender/dive site transport. I've had three adults with three sets of dive gear here in Southern California and it got us out to the site and back ( that's just as important) no problems. I would go with the Tohatsu 3.5


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[HopCar]

"To me the best thing would be a solution to the tiny carb jets that get gunked up from ethanol or from infrequent use. The little propane outboard looks attractive in that regard."

That's exactly why I replaced my 2 hp. Suzuki with a Lehr 2.5. The Lehr starts every time, even if it sits unused for a couple of months or more.

[Scout 30]

The Lehr sounds like an interesting option. Who cares how light or powerful an outboard is if it won't run right. I just put a new carburetor on my Honda so I'm back in love but who knows for how long. If the Lehr is more reliable with less hassle it gets my vote.

[Terra Nova]

When cruising, isn't it a big hassle to provide propane for an outboard?

[a64pilot]

The smaller the motor, the more logical propane is. I'm surprised the big boys haven't done it, that or go to fuel injection. How many little propane motors do you think Yamaha would sell?
I have several small engines, all with carburetors, and as long as I use the Sta-Bil I have no problems, I do use it at twice the recommended dosage though.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

When cruising, isn't it a big hassle to provide propane for an outboard?

Making a propane run is something you get used to every couple of months. Adding an outboard would make you go much more often. There must be a way to fuel one of these things from a big tank? Those little green tanks are going to be hard to find sometimes.