I'm looking for a new dinghy engine to replace my formerly faithful 15
hp Merc 2 stroke.

I'd prefer another 2 stroke for weight reasons but it's not an
absolute requirement.

What I'd like is a 20 hp short shaft, with electric start and tiller
steered.

Any recommendations? The primary considerations, other than the
above, are longevity and reliability. The engine is going to be used
in salt water and receive minimal maintenance.

Wayne, what's the matter with what you have?


Wayne.B wrote:
I'm looking for a new dinghy engine to replace my formerly faithful 15
hp Merc 2 stroke.

I'd prefer another 2 stroke for weight reasons but it's not an
absolute requirement.

What I'd like is a 20 hp short shaft, with electric start and tiller
steered.

Any recommendations? The primary considerations, other than the
above, are longevity and reliability. The engine is going to be used
in salt water and receive minimal maintenance.

On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:46:53 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

I'm looking for a new dinghy engine to replace my formerly faithful 15
hp Merc 2 stroke.

I'd prefer another 2 stroke for weight reasons but it's not an
absolute requirement.

What I'd like is a 20 hp short shaft, with electric start and tiller
steered.

Any recommendations? The primary considerations, other than the
above, are longevity and reliability. The engine is going to be used
in salt water and receive minimal maintenance.

Answering my own post, it looks like it's going to be a Honda BF20.

Pricey, and a 4 stroke, but it looks like a nice little motor with
everything I was looking for plus Power Tilt as a bonus. The weight
is not that much more than my old Merc 2 stroke. The local dealer has
agreed to knock about $800 off of the list price after a bit of
comparison shopping and negotiation.

On Tue, 23 Jan '07, Wayne.B wrote:
looks like it's going to be a Honda BF20.

I've had one of those for a couple of years. Fwiw, I haven't been
impressed and wish I'd bought a Merc 2 stroke 20-25hp.

Rick

On Wed, 24 Jan 2007 07:26:42 -0600, lid wrote:

I've had one of those for a couple of years. Fwiw, I haven't been
impressed and wish I'd bought a Merc 2 stroke 20-25hp.

===========

What kind of issues have you had with it?

PhantMan wrote:
I haven't been
impressed and wish I'd bought a Merc 2 stroke 20-25hp.

Wayne.B wrote:
What kind of issues have you had with it?

Nothing major. I just haven't been impressed. Fuel consumption is good
but, with an engine that small, the $ savings are also small. It's a
little quieter but not enough to matter. It vibrates at low speed, I
hadn't expected that. Maybe I'm just getting old but, damn, it sure
seems a lot heavier than a 20hp should. With 2-3 hours on it, the
impeller disintegrated. Honda guy says I must have run it in sand.
Nope, I'd done nothing but baby the thing in clean deep water.
Personally, I think it had dried out (gone k-put) new in its crate so
I wanted the warranty to cover it. But to install a new impeller, they
charged me $140..... WTF?? Last replacement on my little Evinrude was
half that amount. In addition to expensive parts, they also take
forever to get here. Time in the shop has been spent mostly waiting on
a part (we're talking a couple of MONTHs in one case... fortunately
they were cold weather months).
As far as the 2/4 stroke difference, I don't think this motor has the
oomph of a 20hp 2 stroke. For one thing, weight matters... a LOT. I
bought a second prop (lower pitch) to use when I carry more than usual
(i.e. extra passenger). I've never had to do that with a 2 stroke.
Anyhow, I'm not going to junk it or sell it or anything. But for the
price I paid and the raves I hear about Honda, I was expecting more.

Rick