Replacement 30HP motor

[-Henno-]

I read the post regarding the 70HP and got some good info there but here’s my situation.

My 4.2m wide body dory has been powered by an old first generation 40HP 4 stroke carby motor that was way too heavy for it making it drag its bum until it got out of the hole then was almost too much motor when it was planing. I think it was about 110kg maybe a tad more

So I’m looking at going back to 30HP. Problem with that size modern fuel injected Yam is it is same displacement as their 40 and just detuned so it is still 98kg and about $7900/ $8000ish depending who I go through.

Tohatsu 30 is lighter in the 79kg but I’m looking at $7200 for elec start and PTT on that. They add $1000 for PTT.

A brand I’d never have considered in the old days now has my interest in this HP range. Mercury! I have a non fitted quote from Brisbane Marine for the fuel injected PTT 30 ELHPT of $5880. What this motor won’t have that the Tohatsu will is the variable speed trolling RPM function and the fancy multi function tiller. Fitting will be $120 and it also weighs about 80kg with the PTT motor and electric start.

For a near $2000 saving I’m considereing towing the boat from Agnes to Brisbane. Mercury dealer up here was not too helpful and wanted $6500 for same motor.

I have not researched the 30 Suzuki that much but think it will come in near the 7 grand mark.

What are the thoughts on this Mercury now they have gone injected? Have the dark days of the black anchor finished?

Cheers from Aggie
Henno

[Noelm]

Black anchor days are long gone, they are all good, from your description I would be looking at the weights of them all, write a list, then capacity, how good the local/close by dealers are, then price, a saving is a saving, but in the end, in (say) 5 years time after you have bought a motor on price alone, will you still be happy?

[winston]

I had a new 30 Mercury four stroke on a Clark 4.29 runabout. With myself and the wife on board it would cruise at 18 knots at about 4800 rpm and top speed was 24 knots. These are a great motor and have the benefit of being able to be pull started as well as electric, very handy if you have a flat battery. Fuel consumption from memory was approximately 2.8 nm/ L. Cheers Winston.

[ranmar850]

I believe all the smaller Mercs (30hp and down) are Tohatsus rebadged. As they are with Hondas. Tohatsu have always been highly regarded in the outboard field, even if they have not been big sellers in Australia.

[Noelm]

I guess in a way, that's why you don't buy on brand alone, motors are made by other makers, in different countries all over the world, Honda in bed with Tohatsu (in certain HP) Mercury also in bed with Tohatsu, and used Yamaha power heads at one time, Johnson and Suzuki years ago, it's just a merry-go-round, do your homework on the features you want, yours is weight (it seems)

[-Henno-]

When it comes to my local dealers the only dealer we have in Agnes is for Tohatsu. I don’t think the other guy is trading any more.
Mercury have a 6 year warranty but only if you use a Mercury dealer for servicing. If I use the local bloke I only get 3 years. This means towing the boat 100+ km to either Gladstone or Bundaberg for servicing to get the 6 years.
I’d really hope these days if I keep clean fresh fuel into it that I’ll have no need for warranty. Unless somebody can tell me something these little Merc’s are famous for blowing up?

[stevej]

If any brand was famous for blowing up there would be posts about it somewhere
people here rally don’t post when things are going well