Chinese outboards...

[GMac]

I have a mate who recently imported some chinese made outboards. They are an exact copy of a Yamaha but I'd almost go as far as saying even slightly better. Some of the Yammy parts are plastic where the chinese are metal. We got one of my older 15hp Yammys and actually swapped parts between them, the fit was identical. So I'm thinking 'some' may not be that bad. I obviously haven't had the Yammy dramas it appears some here have, if fact I love all of 6 yammys due to ease of start and reliability. No I don't sell them

The chinese price is 1/2 a genuine Yammy.

The problem my mate has is they are also painted in the exact same Yammy colour so he's told the factory to change that next shipment. We have very tight laws which Yammy could use to screw him locally I understand. If anyone put a Yamaha sticker on a chinese made one I doubt very much 99% of people could tell them apart.

[marc2012]

I have a mercury which I thought was made in usa but after reading might be from china.Will definitly ck when it comes back from the shop.Maybe my mechanic sweet talks it in ch because it seems to perfer his company to mine.

[Stranded Mariner]

Originally Posted by David M

Another question to ask is how easy would be to get parts for Chinese engines. There is also the question of reliability. I would rather see an established track record before purchasing one.

At work we have Yamaha's, Suzuki's and a Johnson. They all seem to work fine. We send them in once a year for professional maintenance, so that might make a difference.

Parsun is a 99% copy of Yamaha, the only thing which looks different is the cover. In most countries where they sell, they also have service agents so spare parts should not be a problem. And in locations where spare parts are not available from Parsun, you can get the equivalent Yamaha spare part.

Having said that, I rather pay a bit more money and buy a real Yamaha, or other original engine. In the US I would probably buy a Johnson. Here in Asia the Japanese manufacturers have better spare parts availability, so I would buy Japanese.

[GordMay]

Parsun Outboards: http://www.parsunoutboards.cn/
Sail Outboards: sailoutboards.cn - domain parked at cnnames.net

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Stranded Mariner

In the US I would probably buy a Johnson. Here in Asia the Japanese manufacturers have better spare parts availability, so I would buy Japanese.

Absolutely. Also, the Tohatsu/Nissan is an *excellent* buy for the $$. I loved my old Tohatsu. Worked perfect and never fell apart (like the Yamaha does). Better build quality than my 2005 Yamaha.

[Robertcateran]

Have to agree about the tohatsu. I have had good experience with cheap Chinese electric tools. I have given them a hiding in conditions (Facing a wall with stone work) that I didn't want to expose my Makitas to, and a couple of years later, still not a problem and my Makita drill has given up with half the work. The Chinese tools were less sophisticated but were tough enough and included such things as spare rushes and thrust bearings,
Robert

[bstreep]

Thanks for all of the input. I'm thinking that for a few hundred bucks, the Tohatsu/Nissan it probably a better deal.

BTW, the Mercury outboards I looked at yesterday say "Made in Japan".

[Maddog]

I just bought a Tohatsu 4hp 4 stroke for $999. Couldn't be happier. Works great. traded in a johnson 4 hp 2 stroke. The guy looked at it and said,"That's the one made in Belgium. I'll give you $50."

[s/v 'Faith']

BTW, the Mercury outboards I looked at yesterday say "Made in Japan".

If you are buying a lower hp Merc, you are paying for a Merc but getting a Tohatsu/Nissan anyway. All 3 come off of the Tohatsu line.

[Nauticatarcher]

Gotta late model Johnson 15, hate it!, noisy thirsty, clip that holds cover on keeps coming open, you'd think that company that has made outboards for so long could design something better, wish I'd bought a Yamaha

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

If you are buying a lower hp Merc, you are paying for a Merc but getting a Tohatsu/Nissan anyway. All 3 come off of the Tohatsu line.

But did they have the same build ticket?

I worked for a very well known North American (international) manufacturing firm who produced a lot of "stencil line" products, very similar to, but not exact copies of, our "name brand" products.
"Branding" played absolutely no part in the higher cost of products we labeled with our name, over those we produced and labeled for others. We made the same (exorbitant) mark-up/profit on both.

The cheaper cost of our stencil line(s) was entirely due to the cheaper cost of manufacturing a cheaper (inferior) product.

This may not represent a "universal" truth, hence the opening question (not to be misread as a statement).

[sailabout]

1986 I purchased a Yamaha 8 hp and grew to love that outboard. I told friends I thought this was the best engine ever made. While in St. Thomas I was offered a great price for my 12 year old outboard. Without a second thought I purchased a new one just like my old one and within a year things started breaking and I realized this engine was a lemon. I was replacing parts so often that I became friends with the parts guy in St. Thomas. One day after owning this beauty for three years I was complaining to the parts manager about this engine and it’s breaking and leaving me stuck often. He told me ever since Yamaha started building there engines in France he has had to double his inventory of spare parts. When the engine was almost six years old it left me stranded for the last time. I offered it to a Venezuelan kid for a tow back to my boat. My very old Yamaha 2 has never failed me. I now have a Tohatsu six 4 stroke that seems well made but I have only had it for a couple of years. The Tahatsu is only one cylinder so runs rougher than the two stroke two cylinder Yahama and the Yahmaha was much quieter.

[Chief Engineer]

Every Man and woman wish that?

Originally Posted by ssullivan

He he he... I wish. Wish I had a nice Johnson.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

Every Man and woman wish that?

That's a good one! ha ha ha

I take it back though... the Tohatsu actually was better than the Johnson.

Sincerely,

John Thomas

[svHyLyte]

When we got a new--larger-inflatable dinghy with our new (to us) boat, I foolishly traded in a 1962 Evenrude Angler 6hp outboard that had started virtually every time for over 40 years despite being dunked in the ocean--spending a winter at the bottom of gully that had gobbled up the barn it had been stored in after a flash flood and suffering verious other indignities over the years. It was heavy as hell and I reasoned that if I was going to drag that much iron around, I might as well have enough horsepower to make the dinghy plane. So I traded it in for a 15hp Mercury--which has virtually never worked properly. In fact, the Merc has spent more time at the repair shop than it has on our boat. The shop owner calls it a "Welfare Motor". Fortunately, we bought a 5 year warranty. Unfortunately, its about to run out!

The only people we know that are happy with their outboards are those that own older units made in the US; or, the Japanese units that are actually made in Japan.

Cheers,

s/v HyLyte