Thread: Outboard advice

Looking for some info on most reliable outboard for a 12ft parkercraft for beach launches with my 2 kids(9+6yrs) mostly be waihi beach in the summertime for morning sun and evening missions not too far from shore,noticed the surf rescue boats all use mercury motors,is there much difference between Yamaha,merc,Tohatsu etc,probably looking at 15hp. Thanks

I am also looking for a small outboard, all the Yamaha models seem to be made in France? mmmmmmmmmmmmm would you own a French car? Tohatsu have an awesome reputation but a small seller in NZ

Min 15hp
I have heard the Tohatsu are very good - weight wise and reliability

Yes. I am having a good run out of my 30hp. They are built ad a commercial fishing motor.

I have mostly owned Yamaha and had no issues with that brand. I also respect Tohatsu as they are commonly used, overseas at least, by commercial fishers. Take the cowling off a Tohatsu; you may find the Yamaha tuning forks logo cast onto the block. I launched off Waihi beach nth end for 30 years, so if you need advice on what to do/ where to go, Pm me. Biggest thing there is sand in the water, so flush motor well. Go early and be aware the wind often swings to come from a northern Direction as the day progresses.

The tohatsus mariners and mercs all out of the same factory ,just go up in price in that order up to 40 hp these days the 18hp is a goody but about 5 kg heavier than the 15s so hard on back the yamahas and suzukis are all good just a bit dearer also the suzi can be a bit heavier . any jap will be good if new remember most outboards rot out through lack of use rather than wearout .

I have an 18 HP Tohatsu I'd sell. It's an '06 model with < 40 duck punt hours only on it. It's been unused since I put a Tohatsu O/B Jet on the punt.

There are pix of it in this old thread and I'd let it go for a grand now.

https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....utboard-17862/

Ray.

Awesome offer imo.

Ive run a 6hp 4stroke merc on the 13" fryan and found it super reliable...changed to 15hp 2 stroke merc and havent looked back....got enough power to get me into or out of trouble.... so far very reliable too. if had the option the 15hp super which has gear change on throttle would be awesome way to go....twist one way for forwards and other for reverse...

Have taken up the offer of the 18hp Tohatsu,if I can’t shoot the ducks I will catch them in the boat!,,!!!!

good stuff.....woundies are interesting...what I do it give then 2 chances to fly when approaching,third time if if dives it dies.... most opening weekends I end up with as many from boat,pickups and woundies as the crew shoot from maimai...that and spotting them in cove,zooming past,parking couple hundy yards away and stalking in to jump shoot them....AWESOME fun that is....

I hated the throttle gear change on a merc I had years ago!!much prefer the gear lever.

I mean it will be fast enough to catch them flying with a 18hp on it,the little 7.5 I have been using motored along.

I know it's not totally relevant but we've got a merc 250hp on our 770 and it's gone 1000 hours and never needed any major repair. We also have a merc 60 on our stabi 430 that has 300 odd ours and has been sitting there without being run for about 6 months and started first pop just yesterday. I would say merc or honda all the way, but that's mostly just brand loyalty as both brands have done me well on the water, but on land i've always had yamahas.

I have a 12 foot fryan with a 2 stroke Yamaha 15hp that I beach launch by my self up north and I find it to be the perfect weight. Enough power to plane with 2 adults and a kid and runs on the smell of an oily rag