My new Tohatsu 6HP SailPro arrived last week and I'm very pleased with it.

I junked the old 9.9 Honda, the block of which corroded through in the water
jacket and a chunk of the casting broke away and it hairline-cracked on the
opposite side in an oil passage causing it to mist oil there. I'm afraid the
Honda is no salt water engine (ten years old and little used). Stay away
from them as they have a bad reputation for corrosion around here.

The SailPro 6HP Tohatsu

http://www.onlineoutboards.com/Tohat...p-MFS6BUL.html

is reasonably priced and at about half throttle it propels my Coronado 27
with clean bottom at 4 knots. I've not run it wide open yet as I'm observing
the break-in process recommended in the manual but it appears it will easily
propel my yacht at hull speed at 3/4 to full throttle. (LWL = 22ft for a
hull speed of around 5.5 knots)

Some of the reviews of the older models had complaints of it rotating under
power because the steering detent did not lock down hard enough. I've had no
problem with this and it seems to be staying put even with the detent knob
only about halfway screwed in. Perhaps Tohatsu addressed the issue with this
2010 model. It feels like a lot of rubber in the friction dampeners that
provides vibration dampening and friction dampening. There are two zerk
(grease) fittings in the clamp area so perhaps if too much grease is
injected it makes the rubber too slippery and a problem could develop with
it staying put in one position??

It seems to have plenty of torque and a wide powerband for such a small
engine. It is not noisy nor does it stall at idle like some reviewers have
complained of. It starts with one or two pulls on the recoil starter. Only
holds half a quart of engine oil.

All the hardware, shift linkage, trim and tilt linkage etc. appears to be
stainless steel and the advertising claims the internal water cooling
passages are all zinc coated for longevity. (That's what the Honda needed.)

The weight is only 60 pounds as opposed to over a 100 pounds for the Honda.
It's good to get the weight off the ends of the yacht.

And, as light as it is, it will be easy to remove from the transom so it can
be safely stowed away from the elements in a cockpit locker for those
occasional ocean voyages or circumnavigations where an engine is not needed.
The transom plate can then be inserted and locked in place to forestall the
eventuality of a pooped cockpit. Those seas in the Roaring 40's can do some
real pooping action.


Wilbur Hubbard

On 9/07/2010 9:12 a.m., Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
My new Tohatsu 6HP SailPro arrived last week and I'm very pleased with it.

I junked the old 9.9 Honda, the block of which corroded through in the water
jacket and a chunk of the casting broke away and it hairline-cracked on the
opposite side in an oil passage causing it to mist oil there. I'm afraid the
Honda is no salt water engine (ten years old and little used). Stay away
from them as they have a bad reputation for corrosion around here.

The SailPro 6HP Tohatsu

http://www.onlineoutboards.com/Tohat...p-MFS6BUL.html

is reasonably priced and at about half throttle it propels my Coronado 27
with clean bottom at 4 knots. I've not run it wide open yet as I'm observing
the break-in process recommended in the manual but it appears it will easily
propel my yacht at hull speed at 3/4 to full throttle. (LWL = 22ft for a
hull speed of around 5.5 knots)

Some of the reviews of the older models had complaints of it rotating under
power because the steering detent did not lock down hard enough. I've had no
problem with this and it seems to be staying put even with the detent knob
only about halfway screwed in. Perhaps Tohatsu addressed the issue with this
2010 model. It feels like a lot of rubber in the friction dampeners that
provides vibration dampening and friction dampening. There are two zerk
(grease) fittings in the clamp area so perhaps if too much grease is
injected it makes the rubber too slippery and a problem could develop with
it staying put in one position??

It seems to have plenty of torque and a wide powerband for such a small
engine. It is not noisy nor does it stall at idle like some reviewers have
complained of. It starts with one or two pulls on the recoil starter. Only
holds half a quart of engine oil.

All the hardware, shift linkage, trim and tilt linkage etc. appears to be
stainless steel and the advertising claims the internal water cooling
passages are all zinc coated for longevity. (That's what the Honda needed.)

The weight is only 60 pounds as opposed to over a 100 pounds for the Honda.
It's good to get the weight off the ends of the yacht.

And, as light as it is, it will be easy to remove from the transom so it can
be safely stowed away from the elements in a cockpit locker for those
occasional ocean voyages or circumnavigations where an engine is not needed.
The transom plate can then be inserted and locked in place to forestall the
eventuality of a pooped cockpit. Those seas in the Roaring 40's can do some
real pooping action.


Wilbur Hubbard



People I know with Tohatsu motors seem to have had very good service
from them. That seems like a very good price.
How old was the 10hp Honda that rotted out? That seemed to be a common
problem with the early white painted models, but the newer silver
painted models seem to be okay. Popular here for boats with
cockpit-well mounted outboards - where two strokes stink/smoke out the
cockpit.
6hp seems light for a 27' boat. I use a 10hp "extra long" shaft with
large "sail drive" prop 2 stroke Suzuki, transom mounted on our 7.65m boat:
http://commondatastorage.googleapis....l/17900980.jpg

In good conditions, it's overkill - easy cruise at near hull speed at
about 1/3 throttle and about 3-4 litres/hour, but in a heavy conditions
I need it - ie pushing in to 2-3+ metre short seas and 30+ knots without
any sail up (yes - it's got sails, but sometimes...). It's not that I
mind going slow, it's just that I like to know that I can keep good
tiller steerage when it all starts to turn to custard. Transom on my
boat is quite high, so far (10 years) we haven't been pooped or afaik
buried the outboard.
The motor's getting old - no significant corrosion problems. I just
revamped the oil injection system (after temporarily removing it because
I lost faith that it would be reliable) and had the head off for a good
clean out, and it's fine, but at some stage I want to replace it.
Problem is that for 10hp, long shaft, large prop preferably with reverse
exhaust flange, decent charging circuit, and 4 stroke for better
economy, it all starts getting very heavy and expensive.
Was looking at Chinese outboards "Parsun" Yamaha knock-offs. They
/seem/ to be well made. In 10 years I suppose we'll have some idea if
they /are/ well made. I'm not buying one to find out.

Not trying to be a jerk, Wilbur, but you were pretty ugly to me for suggesting
that back when you wanted to fix the old motor...

But I'm glad you found one that fills your needs.

Richard

Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
My new Tohatsu 6HP SailPro arrived last week and I'm very pleased with it.

I junked the old 9.9 Honda, the block of which corroded through in the water
jacket and a chunk of the casting broke away and it hairline-cracked on the
opposite side in an oil passage causing it to mist oil there. I'm afraid the
Honda is no salt water engine (ten years old and little used). Stay away
from them as they have a bad reputation for corrosion around here.

The SailPro 6HP Tohatsu

--

cavelamb wrote:

Not trying to be a jerk, Wilbur, but you were pretty ugly to me for suggesting
that back when you wanted to fix the old motor...

He's also been scathing about Tohatsus in general in the past. It's just
one of the signs that he's a mindless troll, nothing to see, move on
now.

On Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:34:24 -0400, wrote:

I used a metal cutoof wheel in my rotary tool to cut and shape one
from the shank of a stainless steel bolt. Fortunately I knew basically
what it was supposed to look like.

Good trick. I recently had to do something similar to replace a
broken shaft key in our anchor windlass. I call my Dremel tool the
"machine shop in a box".

wrote in message
...

The gigantic difference between Yamaha, Honda and Tohatsu is when you
need parts. Apparently, unlike Honda and Yamaha, Tohatsu does not
require it's dealers to carry a minimum assortment of repair ands
maintenence parts. If you need something more exotic than a water pump
impeller, be prepared for a long wait.


Who needs a brick and mortar dealer?

http://www.tohatsuoutboardparts.com/


Wilbur Hubbard

"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
Not trying to be a jerk, Wilbur, but you were pretty ugly to me for
suggesting
that back when you wanted to fix the old motor...

But I'm glad you found one that fills your needs.

Richard



I don't recall being nasty to you on the topic of Tohatsu. Are you sure it
was me? It was probably something to do with your unrealistic liberal views
that I criticized.


Wilbur Hubbard

" Sir Gregory Hall, Esq." wrote in message
...
"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
Not trying to be a jerk, Wilbur, but you were pretty ugly to me for
suggesting
that back when you wanted to fix the old motor...

But I'm glad you found one that fills your needs.

Richard



I don't recall being nasty to you on the topic of Tohatsu. Are you sure it
was me? It was probably something to do with your unrealistic liberal
views that I criticized.


Wilbur Hubbard





Yah, right!

Just stop it, Gregory! You're just trying to start an argument with your
troll.


Wilbur Hubbard

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 Jul 2010 08:16:37 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

wrote in message
. ..

The gigantic difference between Yamaha, Honda and Tohatsu is when you
need parts. Apparently, unlike Honda and Yamaha, Tohatsu does not
require it's dealers to carry a minimum assortment of repair ands
maintenence parts. If you need something more exotic than a water pump
impeller, be prepared for a long wait.


Who needs a brick and mortar dealer?

http://www.tohatsuoutboardparts.com/


Wilbur Hubbard


Yeah, why don't you see what it would cost and how much time it would
take to get a water impeller key from them! Then tell 'em where you
are anchored so they can deliver it to you in a few weeks... or
months. LOL

If I am in a strange port, and need a part for my Yamaha, I can always
find what I need that day at any place that services outboards. With a
part number in hand, I have even ordered a part from a Yamaha
Motorcycle dealer. Say Tohatsu, and they all roll their eyes and tell
you they don't even know where to send you. Just went through this in
a very large and busy port with a dozen outboard servicers within a
mile radius. I otherwise think my Tohatsu is a great motor, and well
made, but someday, when it dies, I will be replacing with a Yamaha for
that reason alone.





Hey, silly, a REAL sailor orders and stocks spare parts BEFORE they are
needed. You know, things like filters, spare prop, woodruff keys, gaskets,
spark plugs, water pump impellers, etc. should all be in the spare parts bin
BEFORE a breakdown or normal wear part failure.

Anybody who has to go schlepping around some strange port looking for an
obscure part for his motor is no sailor. Only lubberly schlubs engage in
that sort of stupid activity.

Myself, rather than deal with some callous, brick and mortar dealer who is
only interested in selling high-dollar motors and not at all interested in
selling a few dollars worth of small parts for a small motor, I'd rather
place my order, before I need the parts, on line.

What do you think the dealer does these days? Yes, he orders them on-line as
all the majors have computerized parts warehouses these days. Why should I
wait around for two weeks so he can get a large enough order compiled to
make it worth his while on shipping, etc.? Stupid! Why should I pay sales
taxes? Stupid! Why should I pay his exorbitant mark-up? Stupid. Why should I
waste time and gasoline going to and fro? Stupid! Why should I be stuck
somewhere waiting for parts I should be intelligent enough to keep in stock
myself? Insane!

You are no sailor and you've just proven it. You go ahead and chase your
parts all over God's creation, wasting valuable time and money. I'll sit
here anchored, sipping a cold beer while I grill a burger and listen to
Jimmy Buffet on the stereo and let them be delivered to me. I'll weigh
anchor any time I damn well please because I'm no slave to stupidity and
brick and mortar of any sort. Get a clue, mon!


Wilbur Hubbard

wrote in message
news
On Fri, 9 Jul 2010 10:21:40 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

wrote in message
. ..
On Fri, 9 Jul 2010 08:16:37 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

wrote in message
m...

The gigantic difference between Yamaha, Honda and Tohatsu is when you
need parts. Apparently, unlike Honda and Yamaha, Tohatsu does not
require it's dealers to carry a minimum assortment of repair ands
maintenence parts. If you need something more exotic than a water pump
impeller, be prepared for a long wait.


Who needs a brick and mortar dealer?

http://www.tohatsuoutboardparts.com/


Wilbur Hubbard


Yeah, why don't you see what it would cost and how much time it would
take to get a water impeller key from them! Then tell 'em where you
are anchored so they can deliver it to you in a few weeks... or
months. LOL

If I am in a strange port, and need a part for my Yamaha, I can always
find what I need that day at any place that services outboards. With a
part number in hand, I have even ordered a part from a Yamaha
Motorcycle dealer. Say Tohatsu, and they all roll their eyes and tell
you they don't even know where to send you. Just went through this in
a very large and busy port with a dozen outboard servicers within a
mile radius. I otherwise think my Tohatsu is a great motor, and well
made, but someday, when it dies, I will be replacing with a Yamaha for
that reason alone.





Hey, silly, a REAL sailor orders and stocks spare parts BEFORE they are
needed. You know, things like filters, spare prop, woodruff keys, gaskets,
spark plugs, water pump impellers, etc. should all be in the spare parts
bin
BEFORE a breakdown or normal wear part failure.

Anybody who has to go schlepping around some strange port looking for an
obscure part for his motor is no sailor. Only lubberly schlubs engage in
that sort of stupid activity.

Myself, rather than deal with some callous, brick and mortar dealer who is
only interested in selling high-dollar motors and not at all interested in
selling a few dollars worth of small parts for a small motor, I'd rather
place my order, before I need the parts, on line.

What do you think the dealer does these days? Yes, he orders them on-line
as
all the majors have computerized parts warehouses these days. Why should I
wait around for two weeks so he can get a large enough order compiled to
make it worth his while on shipping, etc.? Stupid! Why should I pay sales
taxes? Stupid! Why should I pay his exorbitant mark-up? Stupid. Why should
I
waste time and gasoline going to and fro? Stupid! Why should I be stuck
somewhere waiting for parts I should be intelligent enough to keep in
stock
myself? Insane!

You are no sailor and you've just proven it. You go ahead and chase your
parts all over God's creation, wasting valuable time and money. I'll sit
here anchored, sipping a cold beer while I grill a burger and listen to
Jimmy Buffet on the stereo and let them be delivered to me. I'll weigh
anchor any time I damn well please because I'm no slave to stupidity and
brick and mortar of any sort. Get a clue, mon!


Wilbur Hubbard


Best of luck, Schmuck!




Ha ha! Rendered him speechless with my meaty, seamanlike riposte.

Wilbur Hubbard