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Suzuki or Tohatsu??

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/03/2012 : 19:12:10

I am looking for a small dink motor. Both Suzuki and Tohatsu/Nissan make units and they appear identical to me. So, I figured that ehy might be re-badged models by the same manufacturer. But the more expensive Tohatsu weighs 41lbs while the Suzuki is 30lbs. So, they appear not to be re-badged copies of one another. I am leaning to the Suzuki because of the lower weight. Any experience or feedback on these units?? Are they really the same??

We cannot direct the winds but we can adjust our sails.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2012 : 19:34:36

We have the Suzuki 2.5hp ding outboard. Great motor, easily handled even full of gas.

It currently hangs off the port side catbird seat when not on the dink or garage

Need to make a rail mount plate for it, but it's pretty secure on the catbird seat without a plate, just would look more shipshape.

Paul

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2012 : 19:53:22

Thanks Paul. It is on sale through tomorrow so I'm about to pull the trigger. Could you post a photo of the motor on the catbird seat? I had planned to build a simple bracket to hang on the catbird.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2012 : 20:47:40

A friend has the Suzuki--a nice motor. It wasn't available when I bought my Honda 2 (27#), which is air-cooled (noisier) and has a centrifugal clutch instead of a shift. I might have chosen the Suzi if it had been an option. (Then again, I don't have to worry about changing the impeller and thermostat, and having salt water in the engine block.)

Every 10-or-so pounds makes a big difference to me for horsing a dink motor around... although I'm 67.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 07/03/2012 20:49:24

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 04:35:54

I suspect that the 41 lb Tohatsu you were looking at is a 3.5 hp. Suzuki and Tohatsu units are both good motors, but I would not want to be transferring a 41 lb motor from the sailboat to a dink. Stay in the 2 - 2.5 hp category, 27 lbs sounds more manageable.

Edited by - on

putzmeister
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100 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 06:23:00

Have the Suzuki 2.5. Now that we've found non-ethanol gas again it starts on the first pull. It is a bit cold blooded so we let it warm up before departing. Light and compact so it is very easy to transport between the car trunk and the dinghy. Would purchase again without hesitation.

FWIW, after screwing around 10+ minutes trying to get gas to come out of a generic gas can (finally removed filler neck and poured through the throat) we purchased one of these. My son smiles everytime he uses it. Huge improvement.

http://www.amazon.com/No-Spill-1415-4-Gallon-Poly-Compliant/dp/B001PCRFYG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1341408153&sr=8-3&keywords=no+spill+gas+can

Edited by - putzmeister on 07/04/2012 06:24:08

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 07:01:44

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dmpilc
 I suspect that the 41 lb Tohatsu you were looking at is a 3.5 hp...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">The Tohatsu 2.5 and 3.5 are the exact same size, shape, displacement, and weight. Only the price is different.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 08:02:37

Thanks everyone. Here is what the folks from onlineoutboards.com say about the two motors:

The Tohatsu is a slightly larger displacement and produces more power
than the Suzuki. Suzuki is lighter, in part due to the smaller
displacement powerhead.

Suzuki models are made in Thailand while Tohatsu models are made in
Japan. Tohatsu shares its frame with Mercury, Nissan and now Evenrude
and thus parts and service availability would be greater with the Tohatsu.

I'm 61 and weight is making more of a difference for me these days. Sounds like people are happy with their Suzuki's so we're going with that.

By the way, we are getting it from www.newsuzukioutboards.com which happens to have the exact same mailing address at www.onlineoutboards.com.

On sale for $679.99. I'm asking them if they'll do the Association discount like they do for the Tohatsu/Nissan site.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 07/04/2012 08:27:59

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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3758 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 08:23:31

Let us know about the discount. I may buy a dink motor this year.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 08:23:43

Good sleuthing! ...and good luck!

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 08:42:15

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

And yet another web site with the same mailing address: www.newoutboards.com. What a hoot! They are all Cumberland Water Sports.

newsuzukioutboards.com has the motor for $680 plus $50 shipping for a total of $730.

newoutboards has the motor for $709 with free shipping.

I ordered the motor from newoutboards. No further discounts are available.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 07/04/2012 10:14:45

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 11:14:49

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Let us know about the discount. I may buy a dink motor this year.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I half regret picking up the 5hp Coleman 4-stroke last year. I've never used it, and part of the reason is it's weight. So it's sat in the bottom of our dock box since we got it, and I've long since sold our 4hp two-stroke. I like the idea of a small, light weight dink outboard that I could hang on the cat bird seat and easily attach to the Avon.

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 14:40:12

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Honda BF2 (2hp). We bought a used one (they are easy to find used since they've been available for well over 20 years) and so far it works great. I did all of the service on it when I bought it and that was easy. It weighs around 25lbs, I don't think there is anything lighter. I like that it is 4 stroke so I don't need to mix fuel. People complain that Honda 2hp engines are loud, but I don't find ours to be very loud at all. I like that it is air cooled so that I don't need to worry about flushing it with fresh water after a trip out on the sound.

My dinghy is small (7' and change Zodiac Zoom), but I've also tried it on a friend's over 10' Achillies and it worked pretty well on both of them. It won't get either up to a plane, but I don't think that anything will.

The Tohatsu 2.5 is so heavy because it is the same engine as the 3.5, just with a different carb.

I didn't look too closely at the Suzuki, it is newer and so they don't show up on the used market very often.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 14:56:22

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">It won't get either up to a plane, but I don't think that anything will.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I don't think there's much that would until you started getting more horses into the race or are using a RIB/RHIB. Certainly my 4hp wouldn't even think of pushing our Avon up on plane (of course I'm not the smallest guy either), and I'd be pretty surprised if the new 5hp would either. If that's the case, I see no reason for the extra weight of a larger engine if all I need to do is putt around between the boat, shore & back.

Wonder if I can find someone on CL to trade? My Coleman is basically brand new, so maybe not an out of the question trade.

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 15:21:06

A trade might be hard, but I bet you could sell your Coleman and buy one of these other options. The Honda BF2 turns up on Seattle Craigslist for around $350-$400 all the time. I just waited until there was one at that price in my neighborhood so that I didn't need to travel very far. Since your Coleman is almost new it shouldn't be hard to sell for quite a bit more (it looks like they run over $900 new). In the two or three weeks that I watched Craigslist I didn't see any of the little Suzuki's go by though.

I meant to say "I don't think anything that light will". The Evinrude 9.8 that my friend bought for his Achilles does get it up on plane nicely (but of course it weighs 3x as much as my Honda). I agree that 2hp is plenty, it gets my dinghy up to hull speed just fine.

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Nautiduck
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Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 15:24:02

Alex, the Honda and Suzuki both get great reviews from their owners. In our case we opted for the water-cooled Suzuki because it is said to be quieter and Pat wanted that. Do you folks in salt water flush your outboards every time you use them? What about when you are out on a cruise at anchor, mooring, etc??

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 15:39:35

I keep my boat on fresh water, but do trips out into the salt water. Since I have to motor back from the locks to my slip (only a short section is safely done via sail) the motor gets a fresh water rinse there. I haven't looked up the recommendations and assume that a week or so of motoring in salt is unlikely to do any real damage to my motor.

My dinghy is never used on the lake though, and my dinghy is normally packed away, so doing a fresh water rinse after a trip would be more difficult.

I'd be curious to hear the Suzuki and Honda side by side at some point. A boat with a Suzuki 2.5 passed me last night while I was sailing and it didn't seem that much quieter. I see the gearbox as the bigger advantage of the Suzuki, my Honda is always in gear and that can make handling a little bit interesting sometimes.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 18:27:28

We're in brackish tidal water. If the tide's out, the river will be running pretty well with "fresh" water (we're in a superfund site, so "fresh" is an iffy qualification). If the tide's in or coming in, we'll be in brackish water at only about a mile or so from Puget Sound, the river can be running upstream easily. I pretty much run my engine every time I'm at the boat, whether I go out or not (don't completely trust it yet after last year's rust water in the carb debacle). I try to run it when the tide is running out so it gets "fresh" water up into the works.

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GaryB
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4303 Posts

Response Posted - 07/04/2012 : 19:12:44

I've got an '89 Suzuki 8hp 2-stroke that was on my boat when I bought it and it starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull when it hasn't been run for awhile and on the 1st pull after it's been run.

I sail in salt and dock in light to heavy brackish water (depending on how long it's been since it rained) and I've never flushed it since I've owned it. Only issue I've ever had was the thermostat sticking shut due to salt build up over time. The water stays pretty warm all year long so I just removed the thermostat a year or so ago and I've never had another problem.

My only other concern is finding parts for it. There's only one place that I know of around here that sells Suzuki parts and they are 30 miles from the boat.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/05/2012 : 09:27:27

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 ...I see the gearbox as the bigger advantage of the Suzuki, my Honda is always in gear and that can make handling a little bit interesting sometimes.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Yours must predate the centrifugal clutch that my Honda 2 has. It's better than always-on, but takes some getting used to--I have to be careful not to have the throttle too high when I pull the starter, or I get a surprise!

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/06/2012 : 08:06:31

Yes, my motor is from 1997 and predates the neutral/forward clutch. I didn't find it hard to get used to, but we'll see if I still feel that way at the end of the summer.

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roxannedetierro
Deckhand

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Response Posted - 11/10/2012 : 03:27:57

Suzuki announced Monday that it is discontinuing its car sales in the U.S.. Some specialists have speculated that Mitsubishi might be the next Japanese automaker to follow in its footsteps. However, Mitsubishi claims nothing could possibly be further from the truth.

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britinusa
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Response Posted - 11/10/2012 : 07:13:22

See my article on my Suzuki 2.5hp outboard. Really have not used it enough to comment on it's suitability, however the use I had so far (very little) it has proven to do what it is designed for. DO NOT LEAVE FUEL IN THE CARB BOWL BETWEEN LONGISH USES! Our carb fuel bowl seal was destroyed by ethanol fuel. Thanks to input here, I'm now going to run it dry after every use. It already get stabil!

Paul

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 11/10/2012 : 07:42:18

Update: My friends who have the Suzuki 3.5 (30-pounder) had trouble with it and borrowed my Honda 2 for a cruise. They now plan to get a new Honda. She has difficulty starting the Suzuki, but can start my Honda easily. He likes that there's no water cooling system. ("Simpler is better.")

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hinmo
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Response Posted - 11/10/2012 : 15:48:08

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 Update: My friends who have the Suzuki 3.5 (30-pounder) had trouble with it and borrowed my Honda 2 for a cruise. They now plan to get a new Honda. She has difficulty starting the Suzuki, but can start my Honda easily. He likes that there's no water cooling system. ("Simpler is better.")
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Well my Tohatsu kicker for the Cat was a PIA this year, hopefully all issues solved. My Suzuki 2.5 has worked nice, just winterized it today. I will say the Suke is tough to pull start if you are sitting in the inflatable awkward (facing 90 or 180 degrees from stern/motor) and you just miss TDC. It will pull the recoil out of your hands.....(insert wimp joke here!)...seriously

Edited by - hinmo on 11/10/2012 15:51:39

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