50 HP Boat Motors ??

[Garandman]

My old mariner 40 hp boat motor is getting tired,time to replace it.I have been looking at 50 hp motors,Suzuki,yamaha,honda,mercury and evinrude.Thinking about going with 4 stroke motor.So many choices out there really don,t know which motors are more dependable than the other.Any input would be appreciated.

Only 2 dealers within 30-50 miles of me for the tohatsu.Looking for sales and service,Thanks.

Since Tohatsu makes that size motor for Nissan, and Mercury, you have a lot more choices to buy than you may realize. Take a look at the displacement and weight.

The large Tohatsus are Hondas. All Nissans are Tohatsus. Some early four strokes of several brands used their own lower unit but Yamaha power heads. Virtually all small Mercurys are Tohatsus.

I've been buying Tohatsus since the early 90's, although I've also owned or own Evinrudes, Johnsons, and Yamahas. They were developed as motors for Japanese fishermen and I subscribe to the "Large ocean, small boat" theory.

If you have a small, light boat, don't do much trolling or puttering, and want max performance, you might find a good two stroke. Evinrude last changed their 2 stroke designs in the mid 90's and sold the same design up until they went off the market around 2005. So the 1996 15hp Evinrude I have is nearly identical to a 2005, other than minor details.

Four strokes are quiet, fuel efficient, run well at low speeds, and are heavier. In a small boat, that weight can make a difference. Our 15hp Evinrude is 75 lbs: a four stroke NisMercSu is well over 100 lbs.

 

[alchemysa]

I like Suzuki's. They have a nice sound. Maybe I'm imagining it but they seem to have a warm, more relaxed sound. Maybe its the motorbike heritage.

 

[alchemysa]

All Nissans are Tohatsus.

Thats interesting. I had never heard of Nissan outboards until your post. Looks like they are not available in Australia. (We do have Tohatsu)

 

[Garandman]

yamaha is basically the fad thing now a days...like costa sunglasses or Iphones. its what others have and those that want what others will have will flock to it to be like the in crowd. That said i am not saying Yam does not make a good motor, but i have seen some problems with a few close to me. !

Maybe on ponds.

The Atlantic from Cape Cod north is the Gulf of Maine. The water is cold, and there are a number of banks that stir up waves. Many fishermen take small single-engine boats out 25 to 50 miles.

When you are out of sight of land (or any other boats), the waves are over your head, and there's a big black cloud between you and the harbor, that motor is the last thing you want to be worried about. And you will find Yamaha Saltwater series motors on more than half of those boats in any harbor in New England. Look at the resale values and you'll see it isn't a fad.

You don't see Tohatsus on those boats only because Tohatsu, who had a close relationship with Mercury for many years, didn't make motors much over 100 hp. A couple of years ago, they entered into an agreement with Honda so they will now be selling rebadged Hondas as Tohatsus for the larger motors.

All the brands mentioned are very good motors. What you see is that for a particular size motor, some manufacturers have a size/weight that is just right. Manufacturers use the same displacement power head for several outputs. A Tohatsu 50 has 53 cubic inches and weighs 209 lbs. A Yamaha 50 displaces 61 cu in and weighs 259 lbs. So if you have a lighter, high performance boat the Tohatsu might be a better fit, while if you have a big heavy pontoon boat that displacement is a plus and the weight matters less. The Suzuki the OP purchased splits the difference: 57 ci and 229 lbs.

If possible, buy in the fall or boat show season in February/March. The boat show specials are the best prices you will see. Many dealers will, reluctantly, honor those prices through May. Summertime? Lucky if you can get him on the phone, they're swamped.