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2 - 2.5hp Outboards - recommendations of good/bad ones


Clipper

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I'm thinking about getting a new 2hp or similar size for the dinghy, There are now a few more options around than there used to be. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations, or ones to avoid?

 

the waterman is a great price, but a little concerned if it really is as good as the yamaha?

 

Mercs are cheap - seems good option?

 

Honda does an aircooled 4 stroke, which sounds good, but is expensive and possible noisy?

 

Cant go wrong with the yamaha i guess?

 

And finally, wondering if anyone knows if is worth going to the boat show to look for specials?

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Is the electric one not doing it for you??

Go with Yamaha, my 2hp seems to keep going no matter how much the kids abuse it, and it is the Yammy that a lot of the Chinger outboards claim to be copies of but I would doubt their ability to be as continuously reliable as the original.

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Be careful of the Chinese ones. A mate had one - all the paint blew off in under a year, and it failed permanently in 18 months. The handbook says it must be washed in fresh water after every use, and kept indoors and dry!!

Not much help for a cruiser who lives aboard!

I'd go with a common brand. I have a Suzuki DF2.5 four stroke (2009) and an old Mec 15 Hp 2 smoke, 1997. I much prefer the 15. The Suzuki is beginning to loose it's paint as well, bubbling off. I also just had to pull off the head on it due to a stuck valve. The merc has been really mistreated, and is fine, heaps more hours, and way older.... BUT it is one of the USA mercs, not the Japanese ones.

I think I'd go for the Merc or the Yamaha...

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Have personally or seen friends have brilliant runs with Merc 2 strokes and baby honda 4 strokes. Also personally have, or have seen friends terrible runs with Suzuki and chinese brands. I think that the Merc babies are actually Tohatsu outboards, but more expensive ( was told this by a dealer so unsure of validity as many dealers know worse than nothing in my experience! ).

 

I think that the Merc's are a "cant go wrong" in that size. Not so sure about the larger ones though!.

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A friend has a 2003? yammy thats still great gets a fresh flush after every use.

My 2008 merc 2.5 starts first pop and goes good. I just ensure sparkplug is clean and fuel is no more than 3mths old. It gets no flush after use. When this one dies I'd probably get a yammy.

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The best one would be anything that I haven't owned.

We don't seem to get on. The current one is still getting over a dinghy flip.

I would have thought that the Honda 4 stroke is very quiet. But as you say, expensive.

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I'd recommend mine , but I have no idea what it is.

Something that hasn't been under water , could be yamaha or that other motorbike, never been serviced , never had a fresh water flush , might have had a plug once, always has fuel older than 3 months, Is currently about 9 years old .

New I think I'd buy the tohatsu 3 or 3.3 ,whatever it is from the guy at silverdale , who is a yachty/ cruiser. And I'd do the same for the 2/ 2.5.

Mercury is the same motor but usually detuned a fraction.

The brands all do those market share deals , I think the old mariner I had for 9 or 10 years and a yamaha was the same unit too. The really funny thing about those two identical motors was that one was specced to run on 50:1 and one on 100:1. That tells you sumpin doesn't it.

 

edit : been back through some old photos, I currently have a yamaha 2hp. Its been good, like a good consumable should be.

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New I think I'd buy the tohatsu 3 or 3.3 ,whatever it is from the guy at silverdale , who is a yachty/ cruiser.

 

Who is 'the guy at silverdale'?

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I would go yammy, I have one at least 10 years old, got dunked on its first outing, serviced once after that that was nearly the cost of a new one so I never touched it again. Only issue I had this year when the stop button failed so it would only go but not stop. Normally starts third pull

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I would go yammy, I have one at least 10 years old, got dunked on its first outing, serviced once after that that was nearly the cost of a new one so I never touched it again. Only issue I had this year when the stop button failed so it would only go but not stop. Normally starts third pull

 

Ha yeah I have had exactly the same problem with the stop button on my yammy 2. If you are buying a new one(or come up with any other good solution) then grab me one and I will pay you back, for now I just touch the 2 wires together to stop it but I have been given a few good electric shocks already!

Brought my one for a bottle of rum because it wasnt running well, had a look and it was just the float was stuck in the carb, cleaned it out and it has been gong mint for 3 years now. its very old but starts first time.

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Had a Merc 3.3 for 11 years which I got with a boat so it was older than that. No problems and minimal servicing (for that read occasional fresh water flush and a squirt of CRC). Drowned twice but always went. Only replaced this year because a new 2.5 Merc at Westhaven (just along from Sailors Corner - advert on street) cost $699 and all the "bits" on the original were getting tired - slop in all moving parts etc.

 

All small outboards are, I think, much of a muchness.

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Brought a Yamaha 2hp 10 years ago new.

Never missed a beat ever,never flushed ,never had a new plug, did replace impeller once.

Ripped the head off a few seasons ago just to have a gander at this mechanical wonder and it was clean as a whistle inside so slapped head back on and off to sea we went.

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Yammy 2hp. 7-8 years old never been flushed, washed, serviced or even had sweet nothings whispers in its exhaust. Never missed a beat and starts easy peasy... once even with fuel known to be at least 3 years old. Got caught short but it went fine bar a little smoke.

 

I think you'll find if you pop the top on many brands you'll find the same guts underneath, probably Tohatsu.

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Yammy 2hp. 7-8 years old never been flushed, washed, serviced or even had sweet nothings whispers in its exhaust. Never missed a beat and starts easy peasy... once even with fuel known to be at least 3 years old. Got caught short but it went fine bar a little smoke.

 

 

 

 

ditto with mine

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Purchased a 6hp 4stroke merc from Gulfland Marine Whangaparoa 2 weeks back, brilliant service and cheaper price than Trademe along with real mechanics to look after the thing, which (truth be told) was what I was really looking for. There is a made by Tohatsu somewhere on it. Also have a 3.3 merc 1998 model, goes very well, would trade to a yamaha 2, but for weight reasons only.

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