Best 3-4HP outboard ?

[roydsy]

Okay, i am need of a 3-4 HP outboard for my basscatcher canoe (rated up to 4hp) and I am after recommendations from you all.

1) Best weight: power ratio (most important)
2) Good brand - reliability
3) Price - any places to buy on Gold Coast.
4) New or used - are these motors normally bullet proof and can buying 2nd hand be wise or should i go new.
5) Is there an equivalent motor size in thrust to compare to petrol outboards.
eg. is 54lb - 2hp etc..........

Any comments appreciated. I currently have a 54lb motorguide electric but would like to get myself some petrol power for fishing the tweed river, as the electric is great when flicking for bass but can be under powered and it would be nice to do some stationary fishing at night with outboard.


cheers
Roydsy

[saurian]

Roydsy , only had experience with 2.
1~ yamaha 4 stroke. gutless, gutless, crocs used to catch up to the boat when going flat out .
2~ 5hp merc 2 banger , noisy but heaps more up and go than the yamaha.
Both where as light as , and 2 banger did not need to be layed down on a certain side , so lots more portable.
The merc 5 & 4 hp are just tohatsus with black paint.
Ta

[johnsonMAN]

No way
Tohatsu 3.5hp 2stroke
13kg
$840
Awesome fuel econonomy good 75 minutes with the 1.4litre built in tank.
Perfect motor

[Fish Guts]

thats pretty impressive johnson man.

roydsy i picked up a 4 hp merc s stroke over tha yamaha only beacuse the merc has the 3 yr warranty and yam only 2 yr. i think it was around 1100. great feature is the built in fuel tank in the cowl. gets a 110kg guy in a 2.8m ridgid inflatable (38kg) on the plane and moving just nicely.

[johnsonMAN]

O yes forgot to add Tohatsu have a 3 year i think.

[boatie]

hey roydsy
i ve got the new 4hp tohatsu 4stroke and love it for a little motor. it doesnt go quite as fast as the old 4hp Mariner i had but i still like the fact that you can fill the 1.1L intergrated fuel tank up once and go for an hour at WOT!. the old mariner use to plane sometimes with two people in the boat but it vibrated something chronic! idle and WOT waas the only time it didnt vibrate as much! if you want speed get a 2 stroke if you want a quiet motor that uses bugger all fuel get the 4 stroke. i beleve thohatsu supplyes merc/mariner the 4stroke 4 hp and many more outboards aswell.

[wiz]

Roydsy

A mate of mine has a 2stk 3hp for sale

I think he wants $250

If you are interestd I can find out more for you

we are up nth side bris

cheers dan

[roydsy]

No way
Tohatsu 3.5hp 2stroke
13kg
$840
Awesome fuel econonomy good 75 minutes with the 1.4litre built in tank.
Perfect motor

Yeah we are probably going to get this exact model but where did you get it for that cheap, i got quoted:

M 3.5 A 2 Start in gear No Neutral - $ 790.00
M 3.5 B 2 Has Neutral and Forward gear - $ 918.00

Which one is it and where can I get it mate, pm if you like, you would be a great help.

[roydsy]

Roydsy

A mate of mine has a 2stk 3hp for sale. I think he wants $250

If you are interestd I can find out more for you, we are up nth side bris

cheers dan

Please find out more for me Dan, I am willing to travel for the right motor.

[Argle]

I used an Evinrude 2.3hp as a trolling motor on freshwater dams for many years. It pushed a 16ft Stebercraft along at a nice trolling pace and would do it all day on one tank (about 1.1l) of fuel. I picked it up second hand for $200 and sold it about six years later for $200. They have a plastic prop which can be a bit fragile but are cheap enough to replace. Also worth carrying a couple of spare shear pins too. They only have a throttle lever rather than a twist type on the tiller which was great for set and forget type trolling. No reverse or neutral just pull start and go. Steering was the 360 degree point it where you want it to go style. Good cheap reliable and would push a canoe at a fair pace I would think.

Cheers and Beers
Scott

[Chimo]

I tend to agree, I vote for the old 2.3 HP too.

The same motor is sold as all sorts of things, all they change is the shape of the fuel tank and the cover.

Simple and easy and very light, which is good if you want to lift it on an off small boats in the water.

Got mine for $150 and its a ripper. Fits on the bait board of the Vag (to carry it; its not that long a shaft!) and beats rowing the 12ft tinny.

Cheers
Chimo

[johnsonMAN]

O roydsy yeh mine is the Foward and Neutral I think it ended up $850.
Bloody good. I forgot to add that in the pm.

[roydsy]

Good one mate, did you get it recently and did you have to haggle. Sorry I sent you a PM before i read your last post. (hence the duplication of questions.)

[sik008]

me mates got a 3.3 hp merc... hasnt got a hand throttle though..
about $900 but an awesome motor. with a 10 feet tinne with the 3.3 he got about 5 mile with 1 litre tank...also goes very fast for its size..it only has forward and neutral though and u hav to spin the motor around to reverse..bloody good motor though and retail sale is good as well.. he got $750 for it after using it for a year...

cheers alex

[Hooked_On]

I used the 2.5 merc's and 3.3 mercs, sounds like the others with the slide throttle great little motor except for fishing around the area's that hold alot of timber under the water as the shear pin works great, always looking for the bank to put new one in. As I do alot of fishing out of canoes with the outboards on them every day, I for the last two years been using the 3hp yamaha's 2st, great motor quiet, light, twist throtle on tiller, can be tightened up to free both hands, and if you are in canoe by yourself you can put an extension on tiller and put your body weight foward and you fly with full control of the motor. forward - neutral-360' reverse.

much quieter than than the merc style with the slide throttle, I also have the 4hp yamaha as well but much heavier motor and more noise as well the 3hp sounds like a 4st any more info i will more than happy to help.

Got the two old mercs still in the shed not using them no more can have the both of them for $100ono