# New Dink, Looking at Tohatsu 3.5



## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

HAHA! The Sapper has made a steal this week. No, not literally. The marina chandlery (Tidewater Havre de Grace) here is downsizing the store. In doing so they are selling gear on the cheap like crazy. _Almost _everything is at a minimum 40% off. I'm in there all the time, mostly because i live there and like to shoot the breeze with the workers.

So there I am flipping through the Achilles brochure minding my own when one of the guys says, "In the market for a dink?' I ask if they are on sale too, and they are. Soooooo, it takes me all of about 20 seconds to decide that I'll take that brand spanking new Achilles LSI-88 off of their hands for $890 after taxes (normally $1800 before taxes). Not a hard decision to make.

Now I'm stuck with the task of getting some power behind this puppy. The manf. recommends a 4HP, but I can't justify that extra .5HP for an extra 12 pounds, particularly when it'll be yours truly lugging that thing up onto the stern rail all the time. I'm NOT rigging a crane either.

After scanning around a bit, I've decided that a Tohatsu 3.5 looks pretty good to me. I like the price, weight, and simplicity of the motor. I've downloaded the manual in pdf format and looked it over, looks good to me. Now what I need from you Sailnetters and AFOCs is REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE. Tell me what you like AND dislike about the Tohatsu 3.5. If you have a similar motor tell me about it too. PLEASE DON"T TELL ME ABOUT A 6 OR 8 HP MOTOR. I'm not looking to break any speed records and I'm not driving a hydrofoil. This is a grocery getter.

So please, let me know real world pluses and minuses about the engine or one very similar. Many thanks


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*Sapper*



Sapperwhite said:


> HAHA! The Sapper has made a steal this week. No, not literally. The marina chandlery (Tidewater Havre de Grace) here is downsizing the store. In doing so they are selling gear on the cheap like crazy. _Almost _everything is at a minimum 40% off. I'm in there all the time, mostly because i live there and like to shoot the breeze with the workers.
> 
> So there I am flipping through the Achilles brochure minding my own when one of the guys says, "In the market for a dink?' I ask if they are on sale too, and they are. Soooooo, it takes me all of about 20 seconds to decide that I'll take that brand spanking new Achilles LSI-88 off of their hands for $890 after taxes (normally $1800 before taxes). Not a hard decision to make.
> 
> ...


The Tohatsu, Nissan & Mercury's are all Tohautsu's. Part for part they are virtually identical.

That being said the Mercu-hautsu-sans weigh about 41-42 lbs. and the little Suzuki 2.5 weighs 29. The difference between a 2.5 and 3.5 will be hard to notice. If it were me I'd be buying the Suzuki, for the weight and the fact that it's still water cooled, but they are all very reliable motors and you can't go wrong with any of them! Don't pay the premium for the Merc as they all carry the same warranty.

The only small engine I don't really feel comfortable with is the 2hp Honda. My buddy Eric has had nothing but corrosion issues! The motor is three years old, used on a dinghy, and looks like it's been sitting in a bucket of salt for twenty years. He fought with Honda for a year and they gave him lip service only.. Honda is normally a great company but they wanted nothing to do with him?? I don't believe all Honda's suffer this and he believes it was a manufacturing / paint issue..


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## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

halekai36 said:


> The Tohatsu, Nissan & Mercury's are all Tohautsu's. Part for part they are virtually identical.
> 
> That being said the Mercu-hautsu-sans weigh about 41-42 lbs. and the little Suzuki 2.5 weighs 29. The difference between a 2.5 and 3.5 will be hard to notice. If it were me I'd be buying the Suzuki, for the weight and the fact that it's still water cooled, but they are all very reliable motors and you can't go wrong with any of them! Don't pay the premium for the Merc as they all carry the same warranty.


I knew that the Tohatsu, Nissan & Mercury's are all Tohautsu's. I wasn't sure of the noticeable difference (or lack of difference) in power between 2, 2.5, 3.5.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I have the Tohatsu 3.5 HP four-stroke as the dinghy motor on my boat. Think it's a great little engine. I'd highly recommend it. I use it on a 12' 6" porta-bote and a 8' 6" inflatable with a roll up floor.  BTW, my friend has the 2.5 HP. 

Any questions, PM me.


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## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> I have the Tohatsu 3.5 HP four-stroke as the dinghy motor on my boat. Think it's a great little engine. I'd highly recommend it. I use it on a 12' 6" porta-bote and a 8' 6" inflatable with a roll up floor.  BTW, my friend has the 2.5 HP.
> 
> Any questions, PM me.


Nothing that really justifies a PM. Plus I think it'd be good to know engine specific info for any future searchers.

I knew you had one from conducting my "before I start a new thread due diligence search". So.....

How many years have you had it?
Is it relatively quiet?
Power ok?
What do you NOT like about it, or would change? 
Would you get it again, or move up or down in size?
Have any contact with the manufacturer? If so are they good to work with, or do they give lip service?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Bought it last April at the Defender sale... it is relatively quiet with decent power. Gets the little inflatable with a wooden rollup floor up on plane with two people in the thing...that's about 350 lbs. of people, since neither my crew or I are lightweights. It'll get the portabote moving pretty well too, even with three people in it. 

The fuel tank on it is a bit small IMHO... gets about an hour's run time out of the 1/3 gallon tank. 

For me and what I need, the size and weight is almost perfect and I haven't had any problems with the engine, so no contact with the manufacturer.


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## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

halekai36 said:


> .......and the little Suzuki 2.5 weighs 29. The difference between a 2.5 and 3.5 will be hard to notice. If it were me I'd be buying the Suzuki, for the weight and the fact that it's still water cooled, but they are all very reliable motors and you can't go wrong with any of them! Don't pay the premium for the Merc as they all carry the same warranty...


I did initially think in the direction of the Honda 2, but went against it after reading some of the different viewpoints.

I did read a short review on YBW that said the Suzuki 2.5 was "A handy engine let down by its awkward stowing." How awkward could a tiny engine be? The Suzuki Marine website has some good info in the brochure. My only thing with this engine is, is it enough? Is there that much difference on the water between a 3.5 and a 2.5? Remember, I'm not looking to break speed records. However, if I'm moderately loaded with say, oh topless chicks and beer I guess, will the 2.5 be sluggish?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

We have the Nissan 3.5 2 stroke - very reliable and dependable so far(3 seasons), easy to lift up and down onto the dinghy.

I like the neutral gear on this motor. Still have to spin it around to back up, but being able to idle in neutral is a big advantage IMO. The dinghy won't plane, of course, but it's just a beach barge after all.


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## billangiep (Dec 10, 2003)

We also use the Nissan 3.5 two stroke. Very light, it's a one handed move from the rail to the dingy transom. Generally get around two or three hrs. per. tank full. running at 1/4 to 1/2 throttle.


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## TohatsuGuru (Oct 3, 2007)

We have sold around 60 of them in the last two years. We haven't had any problems with them except for freight damage(cracked engine cover(3) & tip broken of L.U(2). All damage courtesy of FedEx. Only 1 person has reported a problem to us and that was the result of his using bad fuel(water in gas). I have heard of some broken fuel tank nipples from other dealers(All freight damage again), but I don't think we have had any of our customer report that problem.

I think the engine is a little heavy at 41 lbs, but other than that it's been a good model so far.


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## petegingras (Mar 29, 2007)

i used the 2 stroke Mercury 3.3 from 2001-2005 in salt water. I flushed it once maybe twice a month regularly. In the 5th year of service the impeller failed, manufacturer did not recommend a "do it yourself" fix, but the local dealer couldn't get to if for 6 weeks. I bought the impeller and did it myself, 2- 3 hours pull the drive shaft, replace impeller and replace gasket. Not difficult but not what i'd call preventive maint.

Aside from that it's a dependable engine, if you shut the fuel delivery off and starve the engine when shutting it off. Otherwise even the shortest of period seem to clog the carb.

i use the 3.3 on three different dinks and its better than rowing.


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## Lion35 (Sep 28, 2007)

I've owned a Toha-ssan and now a Niss-su 5 hp for 15 years. I'm very happy and wouldn't hesitate to stick to one of the three Tohatsu brands the next time I purchase.


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## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

Thanks for the input so far.

Today I went to WM and put my mitts on a Merc 3.5. It seems nice, well built, and easy to maintain. Every thing under the cover looked like it was easy to get to. The cost seemed high, but I know thats the Merc name and the typical WM mark up.

Next, I went to the local Suzuki dealer and scoped out the 2.5. I was pretty impressed. It's smaller and lighter, which I like a lot. It looks just as easy to maintain as the others, if not easier. The cost is lower. And one factor that is making me lean towards it more, it has a bigger fuel tank than the others I'm looking at. A smaller engine with a larger fuel tank, that weighs alot less . It's now at the top of the list, but just barely. Of course when I mentioned that I was interested in Tohatsu to the Suzuki guy he started giving me the usual sales pitch trash talk, but I can see through some BS. He is a local guy trying to make the sale, which I kinda like too becuase I can put some cash in the local economy. Also, if the engine gives me problems, I can just walk over to his shop and work it out.

Anybody have first hand experience with a Suzuki 2.5?


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## TohatsuGuru (Oct 3, 2007)

Make him run it in front of you before you take delivery That model is not made in Japan and they are frequently in need of an initial carb tweek. After that they run ok, but they do vibrate a little more than the Tohatsu. Not a bad engine though and it does vibrate less than the Honda.


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## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

TohatsuGuru said:


> Make him run it in front of you before you take delivery That model is not made in Japan and they are frequently in need of an intial carb tweek. After that they run ok, but they do vibrate a little more than the Tohatsu. Not a bad engine though and it does vibrate less than the Honda.


Thanks for the carb tip.


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## mross (Jul 8, 2007)

*How about an update*

Sapperwhite,

It looked like you did a lot of research, I'm curious to know which motor you went with, and what your experience has been.

thanks, Mike


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## tweitz (Apr 5, 2007)

I'm sorry I missed this thread first time around. I bought a Tohatsu 3.5 for my dinghy last year, and have not been swept away. On the good side its quite reliable, and moderate weight for a 4 cycle. But on the down side, I don;t find it nearly as powerful as my old 4 hp 2 cycle, and it runs thorough the miniscule built in fuel tank in an awfully short time. Because of the nature of the feed, Tohatsu says there is no way to add an auxilliary tank. If anyone can solve this problem, I would love to hear it, but I find it very troubling. Its a pain in the butt to top off the empty fuel tank while bouncing around in rough water,


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

I have some experience with a suzuki 2hp 2stroke. Nice lightweight motor with plenty of power. One major annoying flaw though was that it chewed through spark plugs like crazy! After 10hrs or so it would fail to start. You could try ANYTHING to get it to start and the only thing that worked was to replace the plug. 

Not only that but the plug was a little exotic and rarely carried by the shops. It was an NGK B4H BTW (I have it memorized) and the equivalent plugs would either not work at all or would work for under 5 hrs. I was running 1/50 gas ratio and spent about 1/2 my time at 1/2 throttle and the other 1/2 at near full. Never figured out what the plug issue was but it drove me nuts. I wouldn't use this experience as a reason to discount suzuki entirely as the engine was a 1990 model and saw its use in 2001 after being stored properly. Hopefully the newer models are better.

A good friend of mine has bought several little motors in the past few years. Each one he would put over 1000hrs on in a year. (he was addicted to fishing) From his experience here are some things to look for:

If it's air cooled it will be less maintenance as there is no tiny cooling holes to salt up or impeller to fail. The air cooled ones are usually much louder though. 

Having a neutral is a big plus in my book as I hated starting it and having the dinghy immediately try and race away. Makes graceful docking easier too.

If you intend to do any extended exploration in the dinghy having a connection to an external fuel tank is a huge bonus. I personally hated filling the little tank in 2ft chop while balancing over the back and trying not to get gas all over myself. (I ended up using quart oil containers with pre-mixed gas for easy refueling) Also if you have an external tank you can put in a small inline filter if you suspect bad gas or water in gas. 

Hope this helps some.

MedSailor


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*at what speed can a tohatsu 3.5 go?*

Hi guys
i want to buy a small portable engine to be used on a 500lbs polyster boat. we usually go for fishing with 2 other freinds. So the total load would roughly be 1000 lbs. At what speed can the tohatsu 3.5hp (or equivalent) push us?
thanks for the answer
Amine


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

It depends on what conditions you're going to use a 1000 lb. boat in... if the boat is a displacement design, and you're using it in rough conditions, you're probably going to need something with a bit more horsepower.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hi thanks for the fast answer. Any idea on speed range in normal conditions (Freshwater) ?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Hard to say without knowing more about the boat in question. 500 lbs. is a pretty heavy boat.


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## Joesaila (May 19, 2007)

I have a Tuhatsu 3.5, 2 stroke and put an extension on the lower end so I could use it on a Portland Pudgy. It works fine and starts quickly.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I know 4-strokes are the big thing in outboards right now, but when someone is searching for a good dependable 2-3hp outboard, no one brings up the Johnson/Evinrude motors? I've got a major preference to these motors since they deliver alot of power for the size. The big advantage they have over any other 3hp motor is they are 2cyl. I run mine on a 75:1 oil mix and its just happy. I use mine on a 14' jonboat and even with 2 people in it, it will still plane off and move. For the most part, they can be had for under $500 in good shape.


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## Derrek (Nov 6, 2008)

*Merc/Tohsu 3.5 + portabote 12ft*



sailingdog said:


> I have the Tohatsu 3.5 HP four-stroke as the dinghy motor on my boat. Think it's a great little engine. I'd highly recommend it. I use it on a 12' 6" porta-bote and a 8' 6" inflatable with a roll up floor.  BTW, my friend has the 2.5 HP.
> 
> Any questions, PM me.


Sailingdog,
I joined this site to ask you a very specific question, but i have to post numerous times before i can PM you. So i have posted this question for you instead.

Anybody else, please feel free to drop in your 2 cents worth if you own a Porta-Bote as well.

"Mr, Dog 

I have owned the 12 foot Porta Bote for a year now. I used to use it on a small pond and my 30lb thrust trolling motor was fine. Recently i have been fishing for stripers in the SF delta a lot and am traveling a lot further to my favorite fishing hole (about 7 miles from the launch). I am interested in the 3.5hp merc/tohatsu as a new primary. If you dont mind, I have a couple of questions for you.

1. I fish either by myself or with one other guy. I weigh 230Lbs and my buddy does as well. How well do you feel the 3.5 would handle the load of just me and me and my buddy?

2. What kind of top speed do you think i would be able to get out of it with just me and what do you think me and my buddy would be able to pull?

In all questions i am assuming no wind and less than 12" of chop. The boat with just me will pull about 3mph using the 30lbs of thrust trolling motor.

Any info would be soooo greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Derrek C. Westbie


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Should handle you and your buddy just fine. Don't know what the top speed would be since I haven't measured it using the GPS. You'll probably get five knots out of it, since it can probably put the porta-bote up on plane with just you in it... haven't tried it much since porta-botes row pretty well.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

Maine Sail said:


> Honda is normally a great company but they wanted nothing to do with him?? I don't believe all Honda's suffer this and he believes it was a manufacturing / paint issue..


For what it's worth, I've been using my Honda 2 all summer and it still looks brand new. It never stays lowered in the water, however, and in fact is stowed aboard in a dry forepeak on its own mount.

I mean, that's sort of the point: it's easy to stow, so you might as well.

To the OP: Tohatsu/Nissan was my second choice after the Honda, which I chose because I like the idea of air-cooling and because I have had a Honda BF100 (23 years old, still works perfectly) and a Honda 2000EU genset. I am familiar with their little ways.


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## Derrek (Nov 6, 2008)

sailingdog said:


> Should handle you and your buddy just fine. Don't know what the top speed would be since I haven't measured it using the GPS. You'll probably get five knots out of it, since it can probably put the porta-bote up on plane with just you in it... haven't tried it much since porta-botes row pretty well.


Thanks for the info i really appreciate it!
I have noticed that i can row the boat with myself only to almost a plane...I love my tough little porta-bote. Did you get the sail kit with yours?

Sincerely,
Derrek


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

We bought the tohatsu 4 hp for our new walker bay 8 air floor tender. I like the advantage of having the external tank on it and never worry about running low on fuel when we take our 1r or 11/2 hour dinghy rides up rivers and creeks when we anchor. For a few more lbs and 1/2 hp you have both and internal tank and a hookup for an external one which we primarily use. 

Dave


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

*reviving the old Tohatsu thread*

Didn't want to start a new thread for this...

I've been researching outboards for a couple months now and have pretty much decided on the Tohatsu 3.5 but before i take the final plunge i wanted to get a little more feedback from current owners. Are you still happy with it? Anything happend that has made you wish you chose differently?

I'd prefer not to buy new and have also been looking at 2 stroke 2-3.3 HP models such as Johnsons and Evinrudes. I really want the 3.3 Johnson but can't seem to find one available. The main concerns are the usual: weight, reliablilty, cost, etc.

Any thoughts before we go out and buy a new Tohatsu?

Thank you!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

yup....still happy.


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## eolon (Feb 5, 2008)

My 8' dinghy came with a pair of long pole things with flat ends. I stick them in the water and pull on the skinny ends, and the dinghy goes through the water at a pretty good clip. The only problem is they are stuck in reverse - to go forward I have to sit backwards. That's annoying. I'm checking to see if they are still under warranty.

Best Regards,


e

.::.


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> yup....still happy.


Thanks Sailingdog... i appreciate that. Do you know what the deal is with laying the (4 cycle) motor on one particular side? What is the reason for that?



eolon said:


> My 8' dinghy came with a pair of long pole things with flat ends. I stick them in the water and pull on the skinny ends, and the dinghy goes through the water at a pretty good clip. The only problem is they are stuck in reverse - to go forward I have to sit backwards. That's annoying. I'm checking to see if they are still under warranty.
> 
> Best Regards,
> e
> ...


eolon... i think you have to put the long pole things in the water and hold the flat part in your hands. That is the only way to get the motor thingy started while keeping the boat inflated. As for the stuck in reverse part... man... i thought everyone knew you have to turn the dinghy upside down and climb underneath for it to go backwards. Seriously.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Has to do with the sump and not spilling the oil out of it.


Joel73 said:


> Thanks Sailingdog... i appreciate that. Do you know what the deal is with laying the (4 cycle) motor on one particular side? What is the reason for that?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Perhaps retry a search and buy the Johnson 2 cylinder beyond reliable!!


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Spilling the oil out is why it has to be laid on the particular side.

An update: we have had great luck and really like our Tahatsu 4 hp. It has definitely been a great addition. Has plenty of power through strong currents we experience in Long Island on our last trip. We especially love that it has both external and internal tanks. The external tank has been what we use most of the time with a 3 gallon low profile Muller tanks strapped down in the dingy. Its great when we want to take a long ride, like a few eeks ago we went about 2 hours up and back down the Stillpond Creek.

I would highly recommend it and go the extra 1/2 HP to get the external tank option.

Dave


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

However, the 4 HP is significantly heavier than the 3.5 HP... which can be a problem if a weaker person has to carry it or move it from the boat to the dinghy or back. The 3.5 hp is 41 lbs., where the 4 hp 57 lbs., almost 50% heavier...


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> However, the 4 HP is significantly heavier than the 3.5 HP... which can be a problem if a weaker person has to carry it or move it from the boat to the dinghy or back. The 3.5 hp is 41 lbs., where the 4 hp 57 lbs., almost 50% heavier...


Thanks for the input Blue & Chef!!

Weight is a big concern too because i want my wife to be comfortable with it. The 3.5 Tohatsu at 41 pounds is at the high end of what she could handle. I'm actually considering a 1998 2.5 HP Mariner 2 cycle because it's 13 lbs lighter. the cost is $400. of course we loose 1 HP of thrust but i'm not sure it would really matter. We would not have a three year warranty either so that is certainly a trade off.

I'm trying to decide in time to get an engine by next Thursday which means ordering tomorrow or Friday at the latest. What would you do? Maybe i should just wait and see what's down the line. We could just row the inflatable for our upcoming trip but i had hoped to have a engine.

Thanks for the input everyone... we appreciate it!


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## billangiep (Dec 10, 2003)

Joel, One downside of the 2.5 Mariner is there is no neutral, you pull and go.

(copied from an earlier post)

Having both a Nissan 3.5 two stroke and a Suzuki 2.5 four stroke it's a toss?
They both weigh with in a pound of each other, the four stroke is defiantly quieter, vibration is less than half of the two stroke but is not as fuel efficient. Another nice feature is the 2.5 has the throttle on the tiller handle.
On the other hand the 3.5 is just more ergonomically friendly moving from mother boat to dingy and back. Seems better balanced, the weight of the 2.5 is mostly in the power head. The 3.5 lower end looks to be a bit more robust.
I've used both to push my 17' daysailer the 2.5 being just .5 a knot slower than the 3.5 (GPS). At 1/2-3/4 throttle the 3.5 will run almost a 1/2 hr. longer than the 2.5 on a full tank.
Bill,


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Joel-

four stroke engines are far more efficient, and far quieter...also, not having to mix fuel and oil for the engine makes your life a lot simpler and reduces the "consumable" you have to keep track of and inventory by one.... Finally, getting parts for the Tohatsu and service for it is usually very simple, as most Nissan and Mercury dealers will have the parts, since the small Tohatsu, Nissan and Mercury engines are all made by Tohatsu and essentially identical.


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## Mipcar (Nov 8, 2008)

I've got a Mariner 3.3 2 stroke. It would be 3 yrs old now and been brilliant.
It's got a neutral, always easy to start, light to carry.

Fitted to my Walker Bay 10 I once towed my 26ft keel boat a half a mile in flat water.

Mychael


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

*THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE GREAT INFO AND REPLIES!!!* 

We decided on the Tohatsu 3.5 4 stroke after all... should arrive sometime today. I will report back with my experiences with this engine once we get a chance to put it to use over the summer.

Thanks again!


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

*First Impression*

UPS showed up right on time with my Defender order....

Well... let me say first that the Tohatsu 3.5 4 stroke is a solid engine and we're excited about it. I should also say that 41 lbs is heavier than one might expect.  I'm fine with lifting it over my head but it is not something to look forward to in a fair chop while aboard the dink. Jayme is already hesitant but "thinks she can do it." We always think in worst case scenarios and "If i were the only one capable" situations. We talked about a simple block system from the boom being relatively easy if she had to. I think it will be fine but the real first test will be this weekend on the way to Cape Lookout. :thewave:


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

If you're going to use a block and tackle for lifting it...get or make a webbing strap harness for the engine's head.


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