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small outboards 2.5-3.5hp


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What are peoples opinions on small outboards in the 2.5-3.5hp size  

 

2 stroke or 4 stroke?    Reliable brands?  Simple maintenance?  

 

I'm thinking 2 stroke at  this sage.

 

 

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I'm a big fan of Suzuki.

 

I have an old 2hp two stroke, and a new 2.5hp four stroke.

 

I've not really noticed much difference in top end, neither can get my tender planing.

 

As you might expect, the four seems less bothered by a headwind.

 

Weight wise, I'd guess at the four stroke being marginally lighter, but there's nothing in it.

 

The one major difference is the two stroke seems to be dirtier around the exhaust outlet. To be fair tho, that one has a tiny split in the fuel tank, so it could be tracking from there.

 

The 2 is direct drive, the 4 has a gear selector.

 

A friend has a small new Mercury, I think, which has a centrifugal clutch, which I personally found hard to use close in, as it needed revs to drive.

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Bought a 2.5 Suzuki 4 stroke at Xmas for the dragon. Super cool engine. Has neutral. Clean, no sh*t all over you lifting it. Pushes the Dragon at 6 knots. And light.

 

I read all the reviews and comparisons online and although some similar outboards scored better individually, overall the Suzuki was tops.

 

I toyed with a torqueedo but they aren’t light and the thought of getting stuck out in the bay with a flat battery put me off.

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inherited a 2.3hp 4 stroke honda with the yacht, no smell but carry correct way up or get a oil drain. It has centrifugal clutch great idea but hard to control at low speeds,there is a bearing in the clutch system thats prone to getting wet from moisture I presume and its a costly exercise to replace $450 + leaky fuel tap that seems impossible to get a new one for some reason.

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I just took a 12 month old 3.5 tohatsu for a trip around Tonga and Fiji and back as baggage for 5 months.

Sat on the transom the whole time because the %$$%^^er broke down for the second time in its miserable excuse for a life. Same fuel tap problem that killed it at 10 months old . Tohatsu wouldn't support it at 10 months old and certainly won't now , their warranty is of no value to me.

I'm fixing it by buying a yamaha fuel tap,ordered it yesterday as it happens.

Buy a Yamaha.

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I changed our 2 stroke 2hp Yam for a 4 stroke 2.5hp Yam.

The difference is vast, while its heavier the 4 stroke has better grunt, uses less fuel and is a lot quieter. One of the few issues I do have with the 4 stroke is that is very specific on how it can be laid down and can only go on its back or on the throttle arm side, you cant just chuck it in a locker or on the cockpit floor any old way around like the 2 stroke. 

 

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Yes...had Suzukis since forever. 2h.p. 2 stroke. Only problem was occasional cooling system blockage with dried salt. Saltaway not a perfect answer. They take a beating and easy to get going again if they go for a swim. Provided of course you get on to it immediately !

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Anyone got any view on the 2 strokes pumping oil into the environment? It's not a lot, but it can still leave a sheen on the water. I'd bias to 4 stroke if everything else is near to equal.

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I bought a 3 horse yammy 4 years ago after our 3.5 tohatsu failed, very reliable and quiet but the things is pretty gutless doesn't like revving.

If I was to replace it I would look to a 3.5 merc, great little engine light and powerful. Don't like 4 strokes as they have an aversion to being stored in a locker for long periods.

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Anyone got any view on the 2 strokes pumping oil into the environment? It's not a lot, but it can still leave a sheen on the water. I'd bias to 4 stroke if everything else is near to equal.

The 4-strokes are a lot more expensive but I'm happy to pay that premium for the freedom of not having to mix fuel, not having oil stains all over my clothes, quietness and not the least, looking after the environment

 

Torqueedo's are 3 times the price and I can't justify that. Plus their reputation isn't crash-hot

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I bought a 3 horse yammy 4 years ago after our 3.5 tohatsu failed, very reliable and quiet but the things is pretty gutless doesn't like revving.

If I was to replace it I would look to a 3.5 merc, great little engine light and powerful. Don't like 4 strokes as they have an aversion to being stored in a locker for long periods.

 

Tohatsu make the small mercs so buy a 3.3 Merc and you're buying a 3.5 Tohatsu. The difference? The Merc has a one piece cowl, but its a fairly nasty plastic one,

 

I've had a few Tohatsu's and (at the risk of jinxing myself) they have been pretty good.

Currently have a 9.8 for the tri and a 3.5 for the inflatable. 

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have a cheapo 2.5 Merc - no clutch or neutral.

Goes fine, easy to start and plenty of push for 2.8 RIB

Not as smooth or powerful as our 8hp yamaha of course but the lightweight is a real bonus lifting it on and off the rib and also makes the rib much easier to pull up the beach. just about never use the 8hp now.

Need to be careful to turn off fuel and close cap vent before tilting or it will spill fuel.

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It depends how much you want/have to spend I guess.  I used to have a Mariner 3.3 which came with my tender when I bought it second hand, but then sadly it was lost when the tender took off in a blow, and hasn't been seen since (by me anyway, though I suspect somebody else may be enjoying it now).  It was a good motor, but not without it's drawbacks.

 

In the meantime I was lent a Parsun 5.8 to use while I waited for the insurance money for the tender.  It was/is a great wee motor and I was sort of impressed.  Eventually I got some insurance money for the tender and outboard, though not enough to buy new to replace them, so I was looking at second hand.

 

I found a near new tender on TradeMe for a good price, but I also found I could buy a brand new Parsun 3.6 with a 3 year warranty for much the same money as older second hand well known brands so, after quite a bit of research, that's what I got.  For me at the time it was a choice between a 5-year old unit with unknown history and no warranty, or a brand new one with 3 years warranty.  I also did a comparison with a new Mercury 3.3, which was the equivalent of the Mariner, and for around $350 less money I got twist grip throttle, metal prop instead of plastic and ever so slightly more horsepower.

 

If I compare the new Parsun with the old Mariner, (which was effectively identical to the new Mercury other than covers), the Parsun is much nicer to 'drive'.  The twist grip throttle is so much better than the little lever on the body of the Mariner/Mercury.  It was the loan of the bigger Parson that convinced me of this.  To get a twist grip on the Mercury I would have needed to go up to the 5hp model, which was over twice the price of the Parsun, so on that (perhaps not very sound) reasoning I figured the Parsun only needs to last half as long to be an equivalent investment.  For a 2-stroke, the Parsun is noticeably quieter too.  I can't compare performance in terms of power, as I now have a different tender, but it's certainly fine for what I need.

 

As it turns out I still have the 5.8hp Parsun (sort of inherited it), though I seldom use it.  It's a good motor and has had no problems since new, however the smaller 3.6 motor is lighter, and therefore much easier to manage (important consideration).  I only use the tender to get to and from the mooring so high speed is not important, but handling in and out of the car, on and off the tender, up and down the slipway, and onto the pushpit of the big boat if I want to, certainly is.

 

There are some cheap and definitely nasty outboards for sale, so buyer beware, but some of the shall we say 'less expensive' brands may be a good buy if you are on a budget.  The dealer told me he has just as good a spares supply as for Honda and Tohastu that he also sells, and very few warranty claims.  So far I'm happy, and if I can get 10 years out of the motor before I need to send it for recycling it will have cost me $85 per year - not too bad.

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