# if you were to buy a new 25-40hp, what brand would YOU buy



## thegr8cody (Dec 27, 2012)

Well i think i might possibly sort of kinda maybe have the wife talked into letting me buy a new motor. Looking at a 25-40hp tiller. My dad swears by evinrude and johnson. As far back as i remember we've only had two,motors. A 25hp evinrude and then a 25hp johnson we've had for the past 10-12 years. Im really wanting to try a Tohatsu but im not too crazy about the no pullstart thing. Ive heard alot of good things about Yamaha. And i know nissan amd tohatsu are the same. Not crazy about mercurys but never had one, only heard stories from people. So what is your.brand of preference?


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Dec 27, 2012)

Yamaha is my preference. Evinrudes spend too much time with the mechanic from what I've seen.


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## Gotem (Dec 27, 2012)

4-strokes or 2-strokes. If you want a 4-stroke, it won't be evinrude since they only have e-tecs. Honda specs look nice until you see the price tag. I'd shop around and consider the price, weight, fuel economy, charge from the alternator, and everything else since all of the brands cost a pretty penny. Also consider who you will take it to to have it serviced.


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## thegr8cody (Dec 27, 2012)

Ive never owned a four stroke but am just looking at new outboards in general. I dont care whether 2 stroke or 4 stroke. I know the e tec is 2 stroke and the tohatsu is a 2 stroke as well. Im just curious as what evetyones preference is or what they would buy. My mind is pretty much made up on a tohatsu or a yammy.


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## tnriverluver (Dec 27, 2012)

Pretty much my standard reply these days is buy the brand where you have a nearby servicing dealer. All are very good reguardless of brand and most if not all have at least a 5 year warranty. The question is would you rather drive across town to get those warranty repairs done or drive 50, 100, 200 or more miles to do the same.


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Dec 27, 2012)

tnriverluver said:


> Pretty much my standard reply these days is buy the brand where you have a nearby servicing dealer. All are very good reguardless of brand and most if not all have at least a 5 year warranty. The question is would you rather drive across town to get those warranty repairs done or drive 50, 100, 200 or more miles to do the same.



Make's a good point....definitely something to think about.


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## cva34 (Dec 27, 2012)

If were talking 40hp Tohatsu aprox 205lbs;Yammy 40 aprox 220 lbs ;E-tec aprox 250 lbs.The people I know say Tohatsu are bullet proof,there lightest .But above Guys mentioned Dealer and its really great to have a dealer you can trust and one that takes care of business and takes care of you!!! I own a 93Johnson 40 ;a 2003 Merc 50hp and a 2003 150 VMax Yammy..They all have been Good to Me. But if I were in market for 40hp I would buy aTohatsu...cva34


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## thegr8cody (Dec 27, 2012)

Called earlier and a Tohatsu from the marine place by me is cheaper than online. Now just gotta keep sweet talking the wife......


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## thudpucker (Dec 27, 2012)

Where are you.
Johnson Evinrude are made by Bombardia now arent they?
I was in the Factory the day they sent everbody home.

My choice would be to buy the newest 'Used' you can find.
And I'd still stick by Evinrude Johnnson.


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## thegr8cody (Dec 27, 2012)

Southwest Louisiana. If i can find a decent used etec id be happy but everyone who has one is hanging on to them. If i can find a good used motor thats only a year or two old and price is right ill jump on it. But now that i have money to possibly buy new i want to. Its worth the peace of mind to me.


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## tnriverluver (Dec 27, 2012)

I will give an example of why I suggest buying what is serviced nearby. I bought a brand new 20hp Merc 4 stroke in Jan of this year. I had been looking at Tohatsu since the same motor was about $200 less. After a little thinking I went with the Merc since the only Tohatsu servicer was in Memphis which is 80 miles away where as we have a small local shop that now only does repair work and have been a Merc dealer for 40 plus years. They were once a boat dealer also. I also felt on down the road the Merc label may bring a few more $$$ if I ever decide to sell it. 2 weeks after I received the motor from the internet seller I got a factory recall on the motor concerning some crankcase bolts that may not have been torqued properly at the factory that could cause an oil leak. I contacted my dealer who had not received the notice on these yet, but he contacted Merc and said bring it in after I got the two hour initial break-in done. About a week later I left it with him and the next day I received a call to come pick it up since it was already done. This recall required pulling the powerhead to access the suspect bolts. I had not bought this engine from him and have only done business there a couple of times in the last forty years, but was given fantastic service at no charge. This shop is maybe 15 minutes from my home!!!


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## Rjennings (Dec 27, 2012)

If, and when i buy me a river jet, i will probably go with a mercury, or yamaha..havent heard of the Tohatsu motors???


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## thegr8cody (Dec 28, 2012)

Here's a picture of one. I think they look the best out of other brands. They have also proven to be reliable down here in SWLA. Theyre the same as Nissan, and to my.understanding all 25hp and under Mercurys are made in Tohatsu factorys by Mercury technicians. They're also fairly cheaper than the other brands as well


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## thudpucker (Dec 28, 2012)

Waaaay baaack in my Motorcycle racing days, Tohatsu and Hodaka were "NEW" kids on the Block.
It turns out they were new to America. They are very old Jap products.

The last time I was in Lake Charles there was a Boat and Motor shop just south of the East-West freeway.


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## thegr8cody (Dec 28, 2012)

Lake Area Marine?


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## thudpucker (Dec 28, 2012)

Can't recall the name but I liked the guys for their work ethic.
I bought some stuff for my Boat there. A flood on Bundick rolled my boat and I last all the loose stuff in it.
I sure did like Southern LA.


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## thegr8cody (Dec 28, 2012)

Its probably Lake Area Marine. Theyre well known for their customer service. I agree i like south LA as well. But i like south MS better


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## DanMC (Dec 28, 2012)

Honda =D> ...or Yamaha  
Dan


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## shawnfish (Dec 29, 2012)

dont have any experience with new motors but if the 25-40hp rudes are half as reliable as the pre 1990's johnny/rudes i would go evinrude. but im a DIE HARD OMC guy, id put a pre 90 OMC 25-40hp against any brand new tohatsu,merc,honda,yamaha etc.... in terms of reliability and toughness any day of the week. now they may not be as fuel efficient and quiet as the new motors on the market but mpg and noise dont bother me. now that being said my buddy has a 09 BF40 and when ive been in the boat its ran like a top. id buy a 20-25yr old OMC and spend the other 3 or so grand on a new TM,electronics,gear etc...if it were me.


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## thegr8cody (Jan 4, 2013)

If it was just me id probably buy used,my neighbor has an early 90's 40hp evinrude. I thought about trying to beat him out of it. He never uses his boat. But my three year old loves going with me amd my youngest is a year and a half and id like to get him out on it too. But if i can afford new i would like to have the reliability since my kids will be with me.


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## jackieblue (Jan 10, 2013)

Tohatsu/Nissan both are the same. Injected, more power than other of the same HP rating being as they are rated at the prop not the flywheel. Quiet, don't smoke, start easy in any weather conditions, trouble free. Only kicker is only made up to 90 Hp. I ran an '05 90 hp over 800 hours and had one air pump replaced, under warranty, no other problems and that was with daily hard use.
I do like the old OMC's, but they do smoke bad, pollute, and burn the heck out of oil/gas. Trouble free but very dated technology, was the best in there day 50's, 60's, 70's started down hill in the 80's and out of business in the 90's. Lots of people got burnt with warranties when they went belly up. New Etech are good motors, no smoke but you need expensive($40+ a gallon oil and that mounts up quick. if you need a light motor then a 2 stroke is the way to go, if you want a long life economical motor get a 4 stroke.


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## lovedr79 (Jan 10, 2013)

johnson/evinrude! my old boss has a 25 on his jon, very very smooth motor! much smoother than my merc.


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## Country Dave (Jan 10, 2013)

You can’t beat a Yamaha fore stroke. First and foremost they are super reliable, quite; fuel efficient and the new four strokes are just about comparable in weight. And no two stroke oil to buy at $ 30.00 a gallon. 
Not knocking any other brands except to say some of the new comers don’t have the same internal corrosion protection as the Yameys. Just my two cents.


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## TxTightLiner (Jan 10, 2013)

I am a big fan of Johnson /Evinrude outboards, I have a 40hp Yamaha that I like too.
I have no experience with mercs but my understanding is you either love em or hate em.
I had a tohatsu 3.5 that I got from a buddy that left it laying in the boat and the drain got plugged with debris , rain water filled the boat and sized up the motor.
I soaked the cylinder in Marvals and a week later it was running like new..
It's still running strong to this day on my brothers 10' tin!


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## harleydoc (Jan 11, 2013)

I have an old 85 merc runs great has always fired up even on the coldest mornings with just one turn of the key. The only problem I have had is with the lower unit. But I think that the lower problem is from hit stuff out duck hunting.


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## MrSimon (Jan 14, 2013)

thegr8cody said:


> If it was just me id probably buy used,my neighbor has an early 90's 40hp evinrude. I thought about trying to beat him out of it. He never uses his boat. But my three year old loves going with me amd my youngest is a year and a half and id like to get him out on it too. But if i can afford new i would like to have the reliability since my kids will be with me.



Good thinking! When taking kids and the wife out in the boat, you don't want engine troubles. You want everyone in the boat to feel comfortable and confident with the equipment .... makes for a much more enjoyable experience.

Mercury, Evinrude, Tohatsu, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha .... all good motors. Get what you can find from a local marina that your trust. Break it in properly, keep it serviced and stored properly, and any of those motors will give you 30 years of good performance.

Couple things I personally look for are:

Electric start (wouldn't even consider a pull start over 20hp)
Does it have a gauge cluster that gets mounted somewhere (hour meter, rpms, etc)
Does it have a slow speed trolling option (like a troller plate etc)
Power tilt is a must with bigger motors for me - I don't wanna lug a 50hp up and down by hand
General ergonomics of the handle - it needs to by comfy
What kind of prop comes standard (am I gonna have to upgrade? how much will that cost)

With all that said, I had a rental boat recently with a newer 75 Tohatsu. It was an absolutely fantastic motor!


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## thegr8cody (Jan 14, 2013)

I personally cant justify spending an extra $500 for electric start. Personally i dont mind it and given how well the new four strokes start i dont see it being an issue. Power tilt and trim isn't a big deal to me either. I actually prefer my motor to be able to kick up if i hit something. I didnt ask about prop sizes when i called because im not sure what suze i want/need. Right now i have a 10x13 but dont have a tach to tell me my rpms but i know im happy with the performance of my two stroke.


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## shawnfish (Jan 14, 2013)

jackieblue said:


> Tohatsu/Nissan both are the same. Injected, more power than other of the same HP rating being as they are rated at the prop not the flywheel. Quiet, don't smoke, start easy in any weather conditions, trouble free. Only kicker is only made up to 90 Hp. I ran an '05 90 hp over 800 hours and had one air pump replaced, under warranty, no other problems and that was with daily hard use.
> I do like the old OMC's, but they do smoke bad, pollute, and burn the heck out of oil/gas. Trouble free but very dated technology, was the best in there day 50's, 60's, 70's started down hill in the 80's and out of business in the 90's. Lots of people got burnt with warranties when they went belly up. New Etech are good motors, no smoke but you need expensive($40+ a gallon oil and that mounts up quick. if you need a light motor then a 2 stroke is the way to go, if you want a long life economical motor get a 4 stroke.




couple things im gonna add......first all OB's are prop rated so tohatsu does not have more power than other OB's with the same rating. second how do old OMC's smoke bad? i dont see them smoking bad but i do see any outboard smoke bad thats running to rich of a fuel/oil mix. third, OMC in no way went downhill in any way in the 80's and johnson(OMC johnson/evinrude) did not go out of business in the 90's, bombardier bought them in 2001 and in 2007 stopped making motors under the johnson name in 2007. not because they were not reliable and sales dropped or whatever they did it because it was more economical for them to make them under one name and that name is evinrude. evinrude/johnson were the same motors just marketed under both names.
and this parts my 0.02 cents, if you want a motor that will last as long as you do buy an older OMC, they are proven to be the most dependable motors ever made and if you want new id go evinrude but dont know alot about the new ones but the brand has an excellent history. and as for economical, unless you have to worry about saving a few dollars every time you fill up they are just as economical. and this is not intended to offend anyone but if you have to worry about a few bucks when buying a new motor should you really be spending thousands of dollars on a new one or should you be saving thousands buying a used on that will last just as long if taken care of???


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## jackieblue (Jan 15, 2013)

This is how OMC scammed the customers, I had one of the motors without a warranty, I sold it as soon as I became aware of the deal. 
OMC Bankruptcy Sets Consumers Adrift

Like an outboard engine heaving its last gasp, the marine industry legend Outboard Marine Corp. (OMC) filed for bankruptcy in late December, leaving an oil slick of debt and a boatload of consumers choking on the fumes. Although the Waukegan, IL, conglomerate had been losing power financially since 1997, few in the boating community were prepared for just how abrupt and complete OMC’s breakdown would be.

Shortly after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago on December 22, OMC announced that it would no longer warranty any of its products. This left tens of thousands of consumers without protection if their boats or engines failed and thousands of OMC dealers with large inventories no longer backed by their manufacturers.

Customers Adrift

BoatUS has heard from plenty of boating consumers who are angry.

Gary Lee of Fort Myers, FL, is a good example. He describes as “nightmarish” his experience with the twin 150 hp Ficht outboards he purchased in 1998. Like many other Ficht engines, Lee’s haven’t run right since he took delivery. Neither his dealer, another OMC mechanic nor OMC factory technicians could find the remedy.

Lee wanted OMC to participate in BetterBOAT, a dispute resolution program established by BoatUS and the marine industry to resolve consumer disputes. Lee hoped that through BetterBOAT he could get the company to replace the engines. Late last year, OMC asked that the BetterBOAT panel allow them more time to get the engines running.

In December, Lee was finally promised complete repairs. The technician who inspected the engines was confident he could make the right fix. At the same time, OMC’s corporate attorney told BoatUS that OMC would provide replacement powerheads.

Two days later, however, OMC filed for bankruptcy. The technicians who worked with Lee over the years lost their jobs along with thousands of other OMC employees and the attorney hasn’t responded to phone calls or e-mails from BoatUS

OMC repair shops are also feeling the pinch, but are able to operate. Jeff Luten, owner of Jeff’s Outboards in Jacksonville, FL, said that although he can get parts from OMC’s warehouse, he must pay in advance by certified check. “We can’t get parts as fast as we normally did,” Luten said, “but they’re coming in.”

OMC dealers tell a grimmer tale. Just weeks before OMC filed for bankruptcy, dealers were encouraged to place large orders for 2001 inventory. They were promised significant rebates that will apparently no longer be honored.

not mywords and you can read the entire article at:
https://my.boatus.com/consumer/OMCBankruptcy.asp


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## Country Dave (Jan 15, 2013)

_Bro that was 13 years ago, yeh it sucks and if thats true that they encourage their dealers to place orders knowing they were going to file, well that’s reprehensible. [-X These things happen. Ficht motors were junk from the start. 

Yamaha four strokes can’t beat um._


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## thegr8cody (Jan 15, 2013)

Well the wife gave me the go ahead on a new motor. I think instead of 25 im gonna hold off and save for 40-50hp as im wanting to upgrade from a 1648 to an 1860. So i might just buy a newer like 06+ four stroke


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## Country Dave (Jan 15, 2013)

thegr8cody said:


> Well the wife gave me the go ahead on a new motor. I think instead of 25 im gonna hold off and save for 40-50hp as im wanting to upgrade from a 1648 to an 1860. So i might just buy a newer like 06+ four stroke



_If you’re going to go to upgrade to an 1860 I would strongly suggest you go 50hp or higher. If you buy used and it has a motor, sell it. Take that money and the money you but away and get you a new Yamaha F 70. I really want one but its just not in the budget right now. I’m happy with my motor. 

Just my 2 cents.  _


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## thegr8cody (Jan 16, 2013)

Well i want to keep it a tiller so im leaning towards a 50. Ive seen alot.of duck hunters with this setup and they seem.to love it. As long as it will plane and run around 30 ill be happy


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## JoshKeller (Jan 18, 2013)

not that it really matters, but the ficht technology didnt bankrupt omc - they were buying up boat builders left and right, and basically none of them panned out.

I've had 7 OMC motors from a 6hp to a 140 hp and not one has been problematic, which is exactly the same as the merc 25 and 8 hp that I had. The 8 hp ran 4 miles back to the ramp with a busted up piston from me mistakingly using year and a half old gas. 

Overall, if you are any bit mechanically inclinded, the older carbureted two strokes are amazingly easy to work on or even rebuild. I open the cowling to a fuel inject two or four stroke, and I'm lost. Not just because everything is electronically controlled, but because most need special tools to work on.


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## mpknls (Jan 20, 2013)

tnriverluver said:


> Pretty much my standard reply these days is buy the brand where you have a nearby servicing dealer. All are very good reguardless of brand and most if not all have at least a 5 year warranty. The question is would you rather drive across town to get those warranty repairs done or drive 50, 100, 200 or more miles to do the same.



this is a by far the smartes thing to do. all i have in my area are johnson dealers. so i went out and replaced my mercury with another mercury LOL. should have read this post before i made that perchase and i would be able to pick up parts the day i want them


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## thegr8cody (Jan 20, 2013)

I have a good variety of service dealers, tohatsu,etec,yamaha,suzuki and merc. Rverything but honda is within a reasonable driving distance. I was at the bayou yesterday and was talking to a man about his boat. And he told me.to make an offer on his etec. Its almost three years old still two years left on warranty. Rope start. Nice little motor. Thinking about taking him up on the offer if it wil save me a good.chunk from buying brand new


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## turbotodd (Feb 20, 2013)

Just look at the forums and see which motors are commonly posted questions about.

The ones that have very few questions are either (1) uncommon (2) they don't break nearly as often


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## walleyejoe (Feb 21, 2013)

thegr8cody said:


> Well i think i might possibly sort of kinda maybe have the wife talked into letting me buy a new motor. Looking at a 25-40hp tiller. My dad swears by evinrude and johnson. As far back as i remember we've only had two,motors. A 25hp evinrude and then a 25hp johnson we've had for the past 10-12 years. Im really wanting to try a Tohatsu but im not too crazy about the no pullstart thing. Ive heard alot of good things about Yamaha. And i know nissan amd tohatsu are the same. Not crazy about mercurys but never had one, only heard stories from people. So what is your.brand of preference?


I had a Nissan had nothing but trouble with it . every dealer I talked to want nothing to do with it. I've had three Mercs over the year never any issues . I have a Yamaha now Like it very well .


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## Jim (Feb 21, 2013)

I prefer Yamaha and will stick with them if i can for my next boat. As a self proclaimed lazy sob when it comes to maintenance and taking care of things, i can say my yamaha stood the test of time.


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