New Outboard - Which Brand?

[UFO]

I am looking at getting a New 15HP 4 Stroke Outboard (Sadly new 2 strokes are banned in Australia).


I was wondering if any of the major Brands (Honda, Sazuki, Tohatsu & Yamaha) have any major advantages or disadvantages over each other?


Thanks in Advance

[MicHughV]

outboard engine manufacturers seem to hone in on a particular region...who knows the reason...politics...demographics...could be anything...
in my neck of the woods, it's Yamaha....other areas favor other brands....
in today's world there is little difference between all these engines...they all run good....
getting dealer back up and warranty repairs is always an issue.....my vote would be to chose an engine that has a strong dealership presence in your neck of the woods..

[Adelie]

Are you staying in Australia or going offshore?

If staying in Aus then folks from there will have the best info.

If going offshore get at 8-9.9hp in Aus and upgrade to 15hp 2-stroke at a convenient opportunity.

My understanding is that 4-stroke mechanics are hard to find where they are not mandatory which means that parts are special order and subject to additional customs and delays.

Lots of folks recommend Yamaha first and it sounds like Tohatsu second.

[UFO]

It appears no one in Queensland that I have called so far for any brand has any 15HP's in stock

[ranger58sb]

Suzuki and Tohatsu both have EFI engines in that range, and I think currently are lightest in weight compared to Honda and Yamaha.

-Chris

[more]

Originally Posted by UFO

It appears no one in Queensland that I have called so far for any brand has any 15HP's in stock

https://www.rockymarine.com.au/boat/...utboard-motor/


https://www.tohatsu.com.au/yourlocaltohatsudealer

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Suzuki and Tohatsu both have EFI engines in that range, and I think currently are lightest in weight compared to Honda and Yamaha.

-Chris

Yup, the Honda and Yamaha are both carb-ed in the 15hp versions. Both are a bit heavy as well, ~105 lbs for the Honda, ~110 for the Yamaha (assuming short shaft, long shafts are heavier). For the Honda, the 20hp weighs the same, the 20hp Yamaha is heavier (same base engine as the 25).



The Tohatsu and Suzuki 15s are both EFI (for their current lineups it looks like everything 9.9 and bigger is EFI). 95 and 97 lbs for those in short shaft, heavier for long shaft or if you want electric start. Both of these also come in a 20hp version at the same weight.

[PLANET EXPRESS]

We have a Suzuki 15df tiller on our dinghy. It is 6 months old with over 120 hours on it runs great. 9.5 foot rib went up one in pitch with stainless prop and put fin on foot to stop porpoising. I like it

[rbk]

Suzuki and Yamaha are market focused on fleet applications. They are easier to maintain and parts are interchangeable across a larger model bracket. Honda likes to engineer every part for each engine making interchangeability almost non existent. This should be a major consideration with disruption of supply chains and low product availability. It’s nice to be able to strip or source parts off a different engine to fix yours. While I like Yamaha very much, Suzukis are easier to work on. Have not had a Tohatsu that I’ve been impressed with.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Yup, the Honda and Yamaha are both carb-ed in the 15hp versions. Both are a bit heavy as well, ~105 lbs for the Honda, ~110 for the Yamaha (assuming short shaft, long shafts are heavier). For the Honda, the 20hp weighs the same, the 20hp Yamaha is heavier (same base engine as the 25).



The Tohatsu and Suzuki 15s are both EFI (for their current lineups it looks like everything 9.9 and bigger is EFI). 95 and 97 lbs for those in short shaft, heavier for long shaft or if you want electric start. Both of these also come in a 20hp version at the same weight.

Mercury also offers an EFI 15 hp short shaft version at 99lbs which comes from the same joint-venture factory as the Tohatsu and Suzuki, and while it has some different appearing mounting brackets and other details, it is certainly the same powerhead.

In most areas of the world the motor which predominates is more based on the strength of the dealer and distributor network than on any effort by the manufacturer to target a country or region with different versions.

Anyhow, because of my personal preference I'd go to some effort to buy a Mercury.

Although it is no longer a true statement I used to boast to the watching natives, when attempting to start my motor, "Mercury, #1, Made in the USA, One pull" then demonstrate. It usually worked.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Mercury also offers an EFI 15 hp short shaft version at 99lbs which comes from the same joint-venture factory as the Tohatsu and Suzuki, and while it has some different appearing mounting brackets and other details, it is certainly the same powerhead.

In most areas of the world the motor which predominates is more based on the strength of the dealer and distributor network than on any effort by the manufacturer to target a country or region with different versions.

Anyhow, because of my personal preference I'd go to some effort to buy a Mercury.

Although it is no longer a true statement I used to boast to the watching natives, when attempting to start my motor, "Mercury, #1, Made in the USA, One pull" then demonstrate. It usually worked.

Good point on the Mercury. In that size range, they're basically just a repackaged Tohatsu. The Suzuki isn't a Tohatsu engine though, they do their own engines for the small outboards (like Yamaha and Honda).

[wingssail]

The three motors have similar bore/stroke, displ. weight, and appearance. Obviously the cowlings and the brackets and other details can modified for each seller, however the published information show Thailand as point of manufacture while Tohatsu and Merc are made in Japan.

Note: I found information on Mercury motors which shows 16 factories or assembly points around the world including Mexico!

[MicHughV]

I've owned several Suzuks and Yammies...they have all proved to be very reliable and dependable engines...

[Ken Z]

I would go with yamaha for rely ability, quality, parts a chosen outboard rec. and commercial

[sailingunity]

We just purchased a 20HP Tohatsu - same weight as the 15 HP. Mainly chose Tohatsu because of the weight, which seems light for a 20HP. I was stepping up from a 6HP (at a meager 59 lbs!) and wanted something I at least had a chance at manhandling around.
Seems to be OK so far.

Interestingly the 9.9 HP weighs the same!