Recommendation on outboard for small dinghy

[Kumbaya31]

Oldersalt, I'm a private pilot. The non-ethanol gas you get at an airport is 100 octane LL (low lead). I think I paid about $3.95 a gallon for it. Had been much more expensive at one time. You could pay $7-8 per gallon at a big commercial airport.
I can get no ethanol gas for < $3/gallon at a station near me. That's what I use in my lawn mower.
Thanks for you comment. The 2.5 horse Suzuki is looking attractive to me.
Fairly light weight and less expensive than the others I've been looking at.
Just looked at Airnav.com. Current price at my airport for 100LL is $3.64 per gallon.

[GWilly]

I have a 4hp Yamaha for my 9.5’ Achilles inflatable. I’ve always had great luck with Yamaha, including this one. Tbh, it’s heavier than I’d like, and if I had to do it over again, I’d probably get the 2hp motor. So other than brand, I’d pay close attention to the outboard’s weight, as you’ll be taking it on and off more than you’d think.

[DanielI]

Originally Posted by oldersalt1944

I have had a Suzuki 2.5 4-stroke for a few years now and really like it. I picked it mostly for the light weight. It goes on a 9.5' inflatable and with one person aboard can easily hit 4 to 4.5 kts.

I’m also in the market for an outboard, in my case for an 8’ Sabot. I was debating whether a trolling motor, which it seems can be found for about half the price, would be enough. I was concerned it would be too slow, but many of them claim about 5kts, which is competitive with what you say above for a regular outboard.

Am I missing something?

[a64pilot]

I can’t stand the little Honda, you can hear them coming from across the anchorage, and you hear them for a long time cause they are dog slow.
If air cooled and a centrifugal clutch was a good idea, how come they make the only one, and it in only one size?
Now if it were really, really lightweight, then I could go for it, but it’s not even lightweight, just obnoxiously loud, and you can’t even idle and still make any forward progress.

I believe Portaboat sells the little Suzuki for roughly $850.
Suzuki used to be the motor you bought if you couldn’t afford a Mercury or Yamaha, but I’m not sure that’s true anymore.
Mercury meaning the bigger US made motors.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I can’t stand the little Honda, you can hear them coming from across the anchorage, and you hear them for a long time cause they are dog slow.
If air cooled and a centrifugal clutch was a good idea, how come they make the only one, and it in only one size?
Now if it were really, really lightweight, then I could go for it, but it’s not even lightweight, just obnoxiously loud, and you can’t even idle and still make any forward progress.

Can't disagree w/the noise of the air cooled motors, but they are reliable as all get out.
Tanaka previously made a light version (24 lbs) of the air cooled/centrifugal clutch combo in a 3hp. Great OB, but loud. The same motor was sold as a Sears Gamefisher 3.0. Very solid motors and if you can still find them (usually cheap), get it.
Biggest downside was don't lay the motor down so the lower end was higher than the rest of the motor. The gear lube gets into the cent. clutch and coats the pads, then it will not catch/go into gear. Otherwise great motors.

[AJA]

For a 8’ inflatable your going to need at least a 5hp.
Lower hps are fine when the harbor is flat, but if you have to motor thru any kind of chop I think you’ll need more that 2or 3 hp.
As for weight, there are plenty of 5hp that weigh 50lb or less.

[Jammer]

Good advice upthread.

These are different motors that serve different purposes and are not just variations in manufacturer.

Honda 2.3 hp

This is a high-rpm air-coold engine (think weed whip or chainsaw) with a centrifugal clutch. Not mentioned upthread is the fact that they have a fairly limited life, some have said around 500-800 hours, after which they are shot because it doesn't make economic sense to rebuild them. They're loud. The benefit is that there's no impeller and no water cooling system. That makes them useful for occasional or standby use as "limp along home" motor or for people that only want a motor for a short season, like duck hunters. It also makes them useful in shallow, weedy or silty areas where cooling systems tend to clog.

Suzuki 2.5

At 29 lbs., this is the lightest 4-stroke outboard on the market. It is water cooled.

Yamaha 2.5

This motor is considerably heavier at 37 lbs. Most people would choose the Suzuki for that reason alone.

Tohatsu 2.5

This is a derated 3.5 and is therefore much heavier (41 lbs) and somewhat more expensive than the Suzuki. Most people would purchase the 3.5 instead, because it weighs the same and doesn't cost much more.

Two stroke

Small 2-stroke motors have been available in the past in the USA and are still available in the Caribbean, and are lighter. The Yamaha Enduro 2-stroke 2 hp weighs 22 pounds.

Used 2-stroke motors in this size range do still come up for sale in the USA, and are often in good condition because they are typically more lightly used than larger planing-sized outboards. I presently have a 3 HP Johnson from the early 1960s that weighs 32 pounds and runs reliably. It is a two-cylinder design and runs at lower RPM.

[Shnookie]

One more vote for the Suzuki 2.5. We've had ours for 6 years now, and after the first start of the season it always starts on 1 pull. Going to do the tune up kit on it for the first time this year. Not because it needs it, but I feel guilty. It's light!! (I can pick it up 1 handed to load on the rail) and I love the fact that it doesn't have a centrifugal clutch. Quieter than the Honda and water cooled. Can't beat it. We have it on our 10.5' Newport Santa Cruz, and it pushes it along nicely. Won't put it up on plane, but we bought it for running around harbors and it works extremely well. If we were needing more power, I'd go right to the Suzuki 9.9 EFI.

[Pegu Club]

We use a Honda 2.3 hp on our 8 foot Walker bay dinghy, air cooled, light weight, and sips gas. It has hauled two people with a load of two water or diesel Gerry cans, lots of groceries, etc, have not had a problem doing so. The Honda is very reliable. I will say that the Honda 2.3 pushes the rigid dinghy noticeably quicker that our previous 8 foot inflatable.

Fair winds,

[blazing928]

EPropulsion electric seems better than Torqueedo. A bit cheaper and quieter from You tube vids I’ve seen. To me the ease of storage is a big plus if not used much, where petrol is very dangerous to store. Obviously not comparable on price! Grrr

[and4ew]

I've had issues with the old Honda 2 HP. Honda mechanic told me the carb orifices are too small and get gummed up easily. Also the racket is pretty bad. I'm going to replace it with electric. Reliable, cost effective. Doesn't scare away sea creatures.

[armand.seguin]

Originally Posted by jfischgrund

The 2.5 Suzuki, primarily because it is the lightest motor. The Yamaha is probably a little better quality, but more expensive and 10 lbs heavier.

Have the 2.5 Suzuki and love it. Had the 2.5 Tohatsu 2 stroke before but without neutral or reverse it is a harder to dock and difficult to pick up a mooring buoy.

I leave the engine on the dinghy and tip it up on the swim platform, so lightweight is a plus. But, note of caution. The Suzuki can be turned "up" and onto its starboard side...but not over 90 degrees or oil will get into the cylinder. Found out the hard way as my dinghy tilted a bit over 90 degrees and I had to "clean it out" several times before I read of a fix. Now, if my dinghy had the stern facing the other direction, think no issue. But, my simple fix is that I loosen one clamp and tilt the engine a few degrees before I pull the dinghy up. Bingo.

Sure, everybody likes to go fast, but on a small dinghy that can't happen often and slow, but steady and lightweight have a lot going for it.

Armand

[Xanthe]

In the USA, Aviation fuel is 100LL or 100 Octane Low Lead.
Actually contains a lot of lead. Make sure your engine can handle it.

Originally Posted by oldersalt1944

I have had a Suzuki 2.5 4-stroke for a few years now and really like it. I picked it mostly for the light weight. It goes on a 9.5' inflatable and with one person aboard can easily hit 4 to 4.5 kts. Reverse by spinning the whole motor around is fine once you get used to it.
I ONLY use non-ethanol fuel. It uses so little gas that I don't mind paying $20/gal at home depot, but you can also get non-ethanol fuel at any small civilian air field. It's av-gas. No -ethanol fuel lasts forever and doesn't damage the rubber hoses and cause tiny rubber particles to clog the carb.

All in all, I'd buy one again.

Oldersalt

[Xanthe]

Tohatsu 4 stroke 2.5HP is identical mechanically to Nissan, Mercury, Mariner. All made in the same factory.
The 2.5HP and 3.5Hp versions are the same except for carburetor jets which can be replaced.
I've owned a Tohatsu 3.5 for nearly five years.
Biggest problem is throttle response but can be fixed by drilling out the cap over the mixture screw and turning out 1/4 turn.
If I knew what I know now, I would find a pre-owned 2 stroke.
More power for the same weight or less back ache and same power.

Originally Posted by Jammer

Good advice upthread.

These are different motors that serve different purposes and are not just variations in manufacturer.

Honda 2.3 hp

This is a high-rpm air-coold engine (think weed whip or chainsaw) with a centrifugal clutch. Not mentioned upthread is the fact that they have a fairly limited life, some have said around 500-800 hours, after which they are shot because it doesn't make economic sense to rebuild them. They're loud. The benefit is that there's no impeller and no water cooling system. That makes them useful for occasional or standby use as "limp along home" motor or for people that only want a motor for a short season, like duck hunters. It also makes them useful in shallow, weedy or silty areas where cooling systems tend to clog.

Suzuki 2.5

At 29 lbs., this is the lightest 4-stroke outboard on the market. It is water cooled.

Yamaha 2.5

This motor is considerably heavier at 37 lbs. Most people would choose the Suzuki for that reason alone.

Tohatsu 2.5

This is a derated 3.5 and is therefore much heavier (41 lbs) and somewhat more expensive than the Suzuki. Most people would purchase the 3.5 instead, because it weighs the same and doesn't cost much more.

Two stroke

Small 2-stroke motors have been available in the past in the USA and are still available in the Caribbean, and are lighter. The Yamaha Enduro 2-stroke 2 hp weighs 22 pounds.

Used 2-stroke motors in this size range do still come up for sale in the USA, and are often in good condition because they are typically more lightly used than larger planing-sized outboards. I presently have a 3 HP Johnson from the early 1960s that weighs 32 pounds and runs reliably. It is a two-cylinder design and runs at lower RPM.

[JohnMurray10]

Originally Posted by 406Columbia

We had a small honda in the family for honestly about 33 years, ran like a top. Noisy but was a four stroke, we replaced with a Tohatsu. We now have two Tohatsu, one Yamaha and one Evinrude. My vote is for the tohatsu, but I tend to go a little higher on the power also.

Yep I agree with this; subject to exactly what you want to do with your dinghy, I would go a little higher in power