Getting a new (used) outboard

I'm looking for a used outboard for my grandsons 12' jon boat. It'll be about 5 HP. What is the best brand to choose? Honda, Merc, Evinrude, Yamaha? What do you think? Thanks. 4 Stroke is the way to go, right?

Some of the small 4 strokes are single cylinder and feel kind of lumpy to me. Don’t be afraid of an older motor. I’m taking my 1971 Johnson 4 hp on an interior trip this week. An older 6 hp johnyrude is nice because of a shiftable gear box. But will move the boat quite well. Don’t know your grandsons age. A 4 hp is direct drive but only weighs 33lbs. Great little motor for small boat and small water.


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I see your profile says you are in south florida....any interest in a longtail type motor instead of an outboard? You can get a kit and 5-7.5 hp motor from Harbor Freight and build one yourself for about $500-700. Seem like a useful type for that area.

If you are getting below an 8hp all the 4 strokes are going to be a single cyl and like said above, they aren't as well balanced. My 6 hp Mercury 4s is a great motor, but chunky. I'd get the smallest 4 stroke in a twin cyl you can, which is probably an 8hp.

I like the quality/price balance of Tohatsus. I haven’t owned one, but my family did a bareboat charter in the Carribean a few years ago and the dinghy had a 9.8 Tohatsu that was really good.

IIRC, all Mercury and Evinrude(?) outboards 15 hp and under are really rebranded Tohatsus with a markup. That information is a couple of years old, but I haven’t heard that things have changed.


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where are you getting your info??

I had an old black and silver Mercury engine that was 6 hp but 2 cylinders. It was made in the 1960s in Wisconsin. It was a one pull motor that you could put a full glass of champagne on, and it would just sit there. I took it a mechanic and he tried to buy it from me. I sold it for $300 a long time ago. I wish I still had it.
Go look at some used motors. Find one that starts on the first pull that has been taken care of.

The newer 4 strokes are pretty great. I like Yamaha and Honda. I just bought an 8 hp Honda for a kicker motor and plan on taking it out tomorrow and running it wide open for awhile with some additives in the fuel.

bcbouy said:

where are you getting your info??

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Yeah it's true.. Mercury, non Etec evinrude and Tohatsu. All the same motor. I think 15 hp and below.

Don't be afraid of a Suzuki either, they seem pretty decent.

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Ok. Today, I found a Nissan 5 hp on Craigslist, starts on the first pull, and idles very smooth. How can I find out what year it is? The model # is NSF5A2. And then it says: 3H6-1. Does anyone know where I can find an owner's manual, and service manual? Tomorrow I will change the fluids and spark plug. What else?
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Kind of depends on your budget. The 4 stroke motors are great, mostly Japanese. They start around $600-800 and go up from there.
I had a 1970s era Johnson 6 hp that was extremely dependable. The older 2 stroke motors in good shape can be had for $250-300.

DMGO said:

Ok. Today, I found a Nissan 5 hp on Craigslist, starts on the first pull, and idles very smooth. How can I find out what year it is? The model # is NSF5A2. And then it says: 3H6-1. Does anyone know where I can find an owner's manual, and service manual? Tomorrow I will change the fluids and spark plug. What else?
.

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I'm late to the show as it seems you've made a purchase now. Call any dealer and they will be able to tell you or e-mail the manufacturer.

You never stated your grandsons age, but if he is young and speed is your concern I was going to recommend you getting him a 2 cyl outboard. 1 because they are smoother and quieter and 2 because as he grows up, it will soon be far too slow a boat for his likes. By getting a 9.9 and putting a restriction on it so it won't go too fast you can later on remove the restriction and let him hit 20 MPH and have some fun when the right age/maturity level comes along.

It is pretty easy to look up serial numbers and owner's manuals on line for any normal outboard.