Tohatsu V Yamaha 6HP

[hoppy]

I'm looking at upgrading my inflatables motor from a 3.5hp Tohatsu 2 stroke to a 6hp 4-stroke. With the motor, I want both an internal tank and the possibility to use an external tank.

From looking at various motors at boat shows, I narrowed my choice down to Tohatsu & Yamaha

Tohatsu MFS 6 hp

F6 // F5 // F4 2015 Features & techspecs - Outboard Engines - Yamaha Motor UK

If anyone have any thoughts or opinions about either motor I'd like to hear them.

Right now I'm in coin toss territory as I can get both for the same money. In Jan when I looked at the boat show">London boat show, the Yamaha was much more expensive, so at the Stockholm boat show they are the same.

The weight of both is within 1kg of each other.

The Yamaha is a larger capacity 139cc v Tohatsu 123cc with the max revs higher on the Tohatsu. I guess that means that the Yamaha will have more torque. This will probably affect the prop size/pitch but I have no idea what's better to have

[Eumelia]

Bought a brandnew Tohatsu 6 a year ago. It gets run a couple of times every week. Only problem is it's been a pita to start it from the day I got it. Have to give it as many as 10 pulls-HARD pulls and it likes to kick back too

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[cofc]

We use a 6hp Tohatsu. We got the one with an external tank. No problems starting it. It does kick back occasionally when when trying to start, but nothing that I worry about. We have used it daily since May. It will plane our inflatable dinghy with one person on board, but anything more and it won't plane. I think if we had a solid dinghy or a RIB, it would be able to plane with more weight.

If I could do it all again I would get something a bit larger that has 2 cylinders instead of the single on the 6. We're in the Bahamas now and would like to be able to venture out farther on the dinghy instead of just putt putting along. The inflatable dinghy came with the boat though, and I wasn't about to spend another few thousand on a RIB when we already had something that will work.


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[a64pilot]

They are both excellent motors, but for the same money, I'd buy the Yamaha, why? Because I think it would sell easier one day if I chose to go bigger. Seems the name brings a premium


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[hoppy]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

They are both excellent motors, but for the same money, I'd buy the Yamaha, why? Because I think it would sell easier one day if I chose to go bigger. Seems the name brings a premium

Good point

[darylat8750]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

They are both excellent motors, but for the same money, I'd buy the Yamaha, why? Because I think it would sell easier one day if I chose to go bigger. Seems the name brings a premium


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Exactly my position.

[onestepcsy37]

I have both yamaha and tohatsu. FWIW, it's my humble opinion that the yamaha is better built.

[Ex-Calif]

Ford vs. Chevy - I'm a Yamaha man...

Just another opinion but Yamaha has so much more to protect from outboards to motorbikes to snowmobiles to ATVs to generators. IMHO they are the big dog...

[hoppy]

And the winner was........... Yamaha

Just ordered it

At the current exchange rate, it is £100 cheaper than the London Boat Show price I was quoted in Jan.

Right now Sweden is a cheap place to buy things because the pricing does not yet reflect the drop in the exchange rate. As new stock is ordered by the importers for many items, the prices will jump dramatically.

[Jim Cate]

[QUOTE=a64pilot;1763495] Seems the name brings a premium

/QUOTE]

And there is a good reason for that!

Jim

[Sailor Doug]

I have a Yamaha 4HP and it is poorly designed. Needs special spark plug wrench oil leeks into cylinder, I am not happy at all. Was hard to start until I started using a lot of gas stabilizer
Best to get a two cylinder..




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[MarkSF]

Oil leaking into the cylinder is normal on a 4 stroke, when you store it on its side. Although they say it's OK on one particular side, my experience is that it isn't. My Tohatsu 3.5 would fill the cylinder.

The fact that stabilizer fixes it rather suggests that the outboard isn't the problem, doesn't it?

Do you run the carb dry after use?

[hoppy]

The Yamaha can be stored on 3 of 4 sides. I wonder when this model was introduced.