Tohatsu pro/cons

[tom1tom]

I'm ready to purchase a motor for a 16' Lund that will be used primarily on the river here in Kenai. I was going for a 25hp Merc but the Sales person suggested a 20hp Tohatsu that is much lighter (#47). His feeling is more power will be obtained from the lighter motor.

I 'm wondering if this is good advise. Also, feelings any of you have on the Tohatsu motors will be appreciated.

Oh, I generally fish with 2 in the boat.

[jtm9]

25 merc

Buddy of mine has an 18' Lund with a 25hp Merc 4 strk and runs just fine. Boat fishes 3 with ease. I really don't think a few lbs is worth the downsize in hp. Most of the time the prices for outboards are much lower when you go with 25hp or less and prices jump at 30-35 hp. I have heard good things about the Tohatsu. Might want to take a look at Suzuki also. This is a great time to deal. The guys at the Soldotna Suzuki dealership are good to deal with. Let us know what you go with.

[Big Jim]

Imho

47 lbs. is not a "few". That's a huge difference for a 20-25 hp motor. I'm assuming you're thinking of the legal direct injection 2-stroke? I used to own a 18 hp Tohatsu years ago and never had a problem with it. I say go for the Tohatsu (you see more & more of them on the river as well as E-tecs) and while you're at it, why not get a little bigger motor?
I'd go for a 30 or 35 because we have a 25 Yamaha 4-stroke on a 16' Alumacraft Xtreme duckboat (jonboat) and while I love the economy, electric start, & quiet, I wish we had more hp. I know the boat is heavier than a 16' Lund (ours is all welded, has a raised floor, built in flotation & storage) and with 3 big guys, gas, fishing gear, we're definitely not winning any races.
The consensus is you NEVER hear anyone complaining about too much hp.
One more thing; what kind of fishing are you planning on doing on the Kenai? We like to drift for kings on occasion and here's another issue: our boat has an open/exposed transom cutout and when drifting for kings, mostly the stern is exposed to passing boats/wakes (bow towards shore cause we're drifting sideways with the current) and we're constantly getting water in the boat over the cutout. If your Lund has a splashwell, this will not be an issue, but having 47 lbs. LESS on the transom will make a difference in how low the transom sits in the water, including the guy back there running the boat.
In short, I think I'd go for more hp, Tohatsu. Mercs are not that numerous on the river and we're seeing more direct 2-strokes every year cause of the hole shot, weight, similar economy. I know someone will bring up the cost of oil, but I think in a small motor, the pros outweigh the cons by a wide margin for this scenario.
Good luck and see ya on the river!
Give a wave if you see a camo jonboat above Bing's!
Jim

[Garyak]

I'm probably going to hang a Tohatsu 70 tldi on my 20' Harvey Dory. I have a 6hp 4 stroke Tohatsu that I use on my 12' porta bote and its never missed a beat in five years. They are lighter and the larger units have strong alternators. Do a little research...more than one rep has told me that 30 hp and below Mercs are simply rebadged Tohatsus although I do not know this to be a fact. If that is true you stand to save several hundred bucks by choosing the T over the M.

[akspecialus]

Had a 25hp Tohatsu on a 15 ft zodiac, Motor was bullet proof, Never worried about getting back when in some big seas.

[Big Jim]

Well,

just got off both sites for Merc & Tohatsu; as said, they appear to be the same motors below 30 hp, same weight for 4-strokes. Also, it seems that the TLDI Tohatsu 2-strokes are not manufactured below 40 hp. Have you checked the E-tec's, maybe they make a small outboard in that range?
Jim

[Cliffhanger]

Tohatsu

I've had a 70 hp TLDI on my 17-ft Lowe (that boat is for sale in the Sell/Swap forum, btw) for the last 5 years and it has been bullet-proof. I've done the winter maintenance on it and it has never failed me.
It pushes my boat just fine and never fails to get it up on step even with a maxed out load.

The only time it's had trouble starting is when I've done something wrong (like loose battery connections).

I went with Tohatsu simply because of the pricing advantage but I'll look to use them on any new boat I may get in the future...jim

[IceKing02]

Tohatsu seems good so far...

I've got a 50 TLDI on my Mark III Zodiac Futura and like it a lot. Great economy and starts up well. I'd suspect that they'll last quite a long time, too.

As others have noted, Tohatsu makes small Merc and Nissan engines. The difference is in the features and pricing. The folks over at Marita have treated me well and have been very informative, even when they couldn't help me out.

Get ready to have fun!

IceKing02

[irishlord]

I think Tohatsu makes the 25 and 30 hp motors for mercury. Their the same thing, just different bells and whistles. Both motors are dependable.


You really ought to look at an evinrude etec in either 25 or 30 hp. Etec is cheaper and far superior to both the mercury and Tohatsu, and lighter than the four strokes.

Start reading about the etec's and you'll be sold.

[AK2AZ]

e-tecs start at 40hp.

[spoiled one]

e-tecs start at 40hp.

Actually, they have a 25hp and 30 hp model now. Check out their website: http://www.evinrude.com/en-US/Flash/...skipIntro=true

IT is not a very user friendly wesite. Both the 25 HP & the 30 HP start at 146 pounds.

[akshadow]

ETEC Lower HP engines

I think the ETEC is now available in 25 P at least I have seen discussions of them on the Evinrude owners discussion area

[grizz106]

I've a 24' 48" flat bottom with a 25hp Honda and for the shallows it is tough to beat, not like my 40hp Yam. though but......the Honda is very fuel effecient and too me at 6.50 a gallon that is a big plus. The T motors are around here too and they seem to be a very reliable motor. The E-Tech 25's and 30's would be an ideal candidate, a couple of E 40's here and seem to be quite reliable....lots of thrust! Built a lifter for one and tested it out.....too fast for me, I like to see the bend in front of me and whats in the bushes thoroughly.

4 strokes are very quiet and generally altogether fuel effecient....to stay on step with a load instead of "pushing" is key....perhaps a 30hp.

regards,

[AK2AZ]

Actually, they have a 25hp and 30 hp model now. Check out their website: http://www.evinrude.com/en-US/Flash/...skipIntro=true

IT is not a very user friendly wesite. Both the 25 HP & the 30 HP start at 146 pounds.

Surprise! I was just on their site a while back shopping for a 40hp but it was heavier than most. Glad to see they made some smaller stuff, now we just need to watch for the weight to be reduced.

Thanks for the heads-up.

[Articfox]

Yeah, the Etec is looking like it is leading the way, glad they have some smaller hp engines availble.