Honda Tohatsu yamaha mercury outboards??

[chris2998]

so have any of you had experience with any of these brands ranging from 4-6 horse power?? I've been looking at these brands for a small 12ft flatboat for fishing. I know alot of these smaller motors you all use for you're digys or maybe for pushing your sailboats around just am currious what are your thoughts and experiences with these different brands?

Thanks
Chris

[mrb]

I have the 4hp tohatsu.  From what I've seen they make the mercury also. Pushes my little boat fine.

melvin

[chris2998]

I didn't know tohatsu and mercury are the same company. Thanks I'll have to look into them. There motors are about 100 dollars less then honda well compared to the 6hp tohatsu and the 5hp honda.

Thanks,
Chris

[AdriftAtSea]

Actually, Tohatsu makes the small Nissan, Mercury and Tohatsu outboard, less than 10 HP IIRC.

Also, the 4-6HP engines are basically the exact same engines with different carburetors. 

[skylark]

6hp long shaft tohatsu 4 stroke pushes my 28' sailboat.  It is a bit of a thumper (noisy) but otherwise it is simple and has been reliable.  Plenty of power at sailboat speeds (5 mph).

For a fishing boat you might do better with a 2 stroke, they seem to work better at higher speeds.

[AdriftAtSea]

BTW, unless this flat boat is abnormally wide, a 3.5 HP tohatsu should work quite well on it. I've used mine on a 12' 6" portabote just fine. :)

so have any of you had experience with any of these brands ranging from 4-6 horse power?? I've been looking at these brands for a small 12ft flatboat for fishing. I know alot of these smaller motors you all use for you're digys or maybe for pushing your sailboats around just am currious what are your thoughts and experiences with these different brands?

Thanks
Chris

[chris2998]

thanks guys wow 28ft with a 6hp never thought that could happen always thought you needed a 15 or a 20. this is just an aluminum flatboat or some people may call it a jon boat. I have a 15 evinrude that was a hand me down from my dad but the motor is basically worn out and to replace it would be upwards of about 3 gran so thought why the heck not look into something really small like this 6hp. I dought it would get me up on a plain  but who cares just want to putt on out do a little fresh water fishing and maybe do a little soft shell crabing thats about it for the summer.

I was looking on the defender website have you all orderd motors from them? they look like they have some pretty good deals.

Thanks guys,
Chris

[AdriftAtSea]

That's where I got my 3.5 HP Tohatsu. :)

[chris2998]

cool well I just got on youtube and got to see the 6hp run looks like a pretty good motor and the honda 5hp ;ooks like a good motor as well. I'm currious of how long these motors last with routine maintenance? I assume being a 4 stroke they would last longer then a 2 stroke.

[CharlieJ]

Chris- a good friend of mine powered his 36 foot Piver trimaran for three years in the Bahamas using a Honda 10 HP in a well in the cockpit. No problems pushing the boat.

People tend to not realize the huge difference between powering a displacement hull vs a planing hull- takes MUCH less HP to achieve hull speed than it does to plane.

I can ( and have) moved Tehani ( at 7000 pounds loaded displacement), with a 2.2 Merc. Takes a few to get the boat moving, but once moving it goes 4 knots easily.

Of course our usual power is an 8 hp 4 stroke Yamaha, which never runs above the start setting, except for once in a while when I open it up to let it run hard for a few. We're probably running the boat using about 4 HP.

We also delivered a 34 foot trimaran, pushing with a heavy 18 foot flats boat, using (most of the time) a 10 HP Honda. Pushed us at about 5 MPH In this pic the Honda and an 8 HP Yamaha are both running, but we shut down the 8 since we really didn't need it

[LooseMoose]

We sailed for years using a 9.9 HP Yamaha four stroke on our Loose Moose 2 which was 37 had tons of windage and quite a bit haevier than a tri...As long as you are not in a hurry under power smaller is better!

Well at least in outboards...

Bob

http://boatbits.blogspot.com/
http://fishingundersail.blogspot.com/

[CaptMac]

You can also look at onlineoutboards.com they will ship it right to your door and it is included in there price, and no sales tax. I don't know how there prices compair with Defenders.

[chris2998]

Thanks there a litte cheaper

[s/v Faith]

Actually, Tohatsu makes the small Nissan, Mercury and Tohatsu outboard, less than 10 HP IIRC.

Also, the 4-6HP engines are basically the exact same engines with different carburetors. 

Dan is correct....  .... in spite of what the Merc dealers will tell you.... there is no difference other then the decals.

  I do believe that the 15hp's also come off of the same line... did not really look at those that close though.

[CaptMac]

I know that the 8 and 9.9 Merc has the shifter in the tiller throttle grip and the Tohatsu does not, but the basic engine is the same.