There's a wealth of boating experience in this group and I'd like to tap into
it to keep from making a costly mistake.

I'm getting ready to purchase an outboard in the 50-70 hp range. I want to get
a four stroke. It will be run in salt water. I'd like to get opinions and
experiences from anyone with OBs in this range.

Thanks for your help

Dennis

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the 4-strokes, but I don't have
one myself. You may get more feedback at www.thehulltruth.com. (no
affiliation, just something to try)

"Den73740" wrote in message
...
There's a wealth of boating experience in this group and I'd like to tap
into
it to keep from making a costly mistake.

I'm getting ready to purchase an outboard in the 50-70 hp range. I want
to get
a four stroke. It will be run in salt water. I'd like to get opinions and
experiences from anyone with OBs in this range.

Thanks for your help

Dennis

A fellow cruiser just dumped his almost new (30 hours) Mercury 4 hp, 4
stroke ob in in the ocean while running. Merc dealer says is a zero.
$1100 in parts and labor because the piston, crank, rod all fractured
and Merc doesn't sell a replacement powerhead for this - it's made by
Tohatsu for them. New unit is $1150. So I asked the Svce Mgr - what
happened - I've dumped my Suzuki 4 hp and Evinrude 15 hp (both 2
stroke) in the ocean, rinsed them out, started them and still use
them. Answer - the 4 stroke ob's have valves and higher compression
and lighter (thinner) parts to save weight - so a hydraulic lock in
them fractures them unlike the 2 strokes.



On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 19:01:03 -0500, "DaveH"
wrote:

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the 4-strokes, but I don't have
one myself. You may get more feedback at www.thehulltruth.com. (no
affiliation, just something to try)

"Den73740" wrote in message
...
There's a wealth of boating experience in this group and I'd like to tap
into
it to keep from making a costly mistake.

I'm getting ready to purchase an outboard in the 50-70 hp range. I want
to get
a four stroke. It will be run in salt water. I'd like to get opinions and
experiences from anyone with OBs in this range.

Thanks for your help

Dennis

I had one of those imitation Mercury's in 3.3HP. The local Mercury dealer
wouldn't touch the thing. This must be the four stroke version. The only
brand to buy is Yamaha. Honda doesn't even run a close second. Go across
the S.Pacific and you see Honda's junked. They break more than Yamaha's and
you have to send them back to the factory for repair. Try that from Niue.
The worst is the Sears Gamefisher series.

MST

So try to buy a new Yamaha 2 stroke small outboard - they don't make
'em anymore - 8 hp is the smallest.


On Sat, 8 Nov 2003 23:27:33 -0500, "Schoonertrash"
wrote:

I had one of those imitation Mercury's in 3.3HP. The local Mercury dealer
wouldn't touch the thing. This must be the four stroke version. The only
brand to buy is Yamaha. Honda doesn't even run a close second. Go across
the S.Pacific and you see Honda's junked. They break more than Yamaha's and
you have to send them back to the factory for repair. Try that from Niue.
The worst is the Sears Gamefisher series.

MST

Are you saying the new Yamaha 2.5 hp 4 stroke is a more reliable engine
than the Honda 2 hp 4 stroke air cooled engine?
In this area they cost close to the same and I was wondering which to buy.


Schoonertrash wrote in message
...
I had one of those imitation Mercury's in 3.3HP. The local Mercury dealer
wouldn't touch the thing. This must be the four stroke version. The only
brand to buy is Yamaha. Honda doesn't even run a close second. Go
across
the S.Pacific and you see Honda's junked. They break more than Yamaha's
and
you have to send them back to the factory for repair. Try that from Niue.
The worst is the Sears Gamefisher series.

MST

I'd vote for Yamaha from experience. Also from seeing the number of Honda
outboards piled up across the Pacific in many places. Most were said to be
under warranty and most were fixable but they all had to be sent back to the
factory. Yamaha allowed the repairs, if needed, to be done at the local
dealers. The cost of sending them in (you pay one way they pay return) from
out there was prohibitive. Easier to spend a few dollars more to begin with
and buy something that lasted better and could be warranty repaired locally.
Also Honda did not have the equivalent of the T-Series or work engines as
does Yamaha. They advertise a wide range of speed for all needs. What that
means to the guy in the commercial fishing small boat or with a sailboat is
a huge waste of power band at the upper speeds. Honda tried to be
everything to everybody in one engine. Yamaha just provided something that
worked. As for two strokes .. .the biggest market in the world is slowly
but surely banning them. Yamaha saw the writing on the wall.

MST

I'd vote for Yamaha from experience. Also from seeing the number of Honda
outboards piled up across the Pacific in many places. Most were said to be
under warranty and most were fixable but they all had to be sent back to the
factory. Yamaha allowed the repairs, if needed, to be done at the local
dealers. The cost of sending them in (you pay one way they pay return) from
out there was prohibitive. Easier to spend a few dollars more to begin with
and buy something that lasted better and could be warranty repaired locally.
Also Honda did not have the equivalent of the T-Series or work engines as
does Yamaha. They advertise a wide range of speed for all needs. What that
means to the guy in the commercial fishing small boat or with a sailboat is
a huge waste of power band at the upper speeds. Honda tried to be
everything to everybody in one engine. Yamaha just provided something that
worked. As for two strokes .. .the biggest market in the world is slowly
but surely banning them. Yamaha saw the writing on the wall.

MST

So try to buy a new Yamaha 2 stroke small outboard - they don't make
'em anymore - 8 hp is the smallest.


On Sat, 8 Nov 2003 23:27:33 -0500, "Schoonertrash"
wrote:

I had one of those imitation Mercury's in 3.3HP. The local Mercury dealer
wouldn't touch the thing. This must be the four stroke version. The only
brand to buy is Yamaha. Honda doesn't even run a close second. Go across
the S.Pacific and you see Honda's junked. They break more than Yamaha's and
you have to send them back to the factory for repair. Try that from Niue.
The worst is the Sears Gamefisher series.

MST

Are you saying the new Yamaha 2.5 hp 4 stroke is a more reliable engine
than the Honda 2 hp 4 stroke air cooled engine?
In this area they cost close to the same and I was wondering which to buy.


Schoonertrash wrote in message
...
I had one of those imitation Mercury's in 3.3HP. The local Mercury dealer
wouldn't touch the thing. This must be the four stroke version. The only
brand to buy is Yamaha. Honda doesn't even run a close second. Go
across
the S.Pacific and you see Honda's junked. They break more than Yamaha's
and
you have to send them back to the factory for repair. Try that from Niue.
The worst is the Sears Gamefisher series.

MST