15 hp outboard which one

I'm looking at buying a new 15hp 2 stroke outboard and wondering peoples opinions on what would be best was pretty much sold on the Yamaha but have now started to wonder if I should save afew hundred dollars and get tohatsu or mercury. Currently have had a mariner and it is great just under powered for what I want to do with my tinny now.

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Faulkner Family's picture

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Date Joined: 11/03/08

 its like asking everyone

Thu, 2017-07-13 15:58

 its like asking everyone which is their fave car . neverending saga. go with your gut feeling .

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Krusty's picture

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Date Joined: 27/11/15

 Any of the big manufacturers

Thu, 2017-07-13 18:18

 Any of the big manufacturers will be a good engine that size, suzuki, yamaha, merc, honda (4 stroke though) etc.

I personally wouldn't get a Tohatsu.

I have not owned a Tohatsu but my gut doesn't like them.

 

 

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My fishing spots are so secret........... even the fish don't know where they are !!

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 Suprised you would choose

Thu, 2017-07-13 18:42

 Suprised you would choose merc but not tohatsu?

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Krusty's picture

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Date Joined: 27/11/15

 Well I have owned a couple

Thu, 2017-07-13 19:07

 Well I have owned a couple of small mercs and have never had a problem with them so from my previous experience with them I would buy another one.

That being said though, they were the older mercs. I think my last small merc was a 18hp blue band, 85mod I think ?? Was the a Tohatsu made engine ?

I am not sure when Tohatsu started supplying small outboards for merc nor when they stopped so It could just be the name I don't like 

 

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My fishing spots are so secret........... even the fish don't know where they are !!

Vinesh87's picture

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 +1 love my tohatsu. So

Thu, 2017-07-13 19:09

 +1 love my tohatsu. So light!

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Date Joined: 24/04/11

Merc

Thu, 2017-07-13 19:09

i have the merc and love it. The gear selection on the tiller is awesome. Not sure if all the new ones have it. 

Darren253's picture

Posts: 570

Date Joined: 23/07/16

I had a 15hp 4stroke Suzuki.

Thu, 2017-07-13 20:23

I had a 15hp 4stroke Suzuki. Awesome motor, so quiet and literally ran on vapours. A little on the heavy side but I could manage it single handed.

gruntre69's picture

Posts: 533

Date Joined: 15/10/16

 I second the Merc but is

Thu, 2017-07-13 21:44

 I second the Merc but is must be the American one with the gear selection on the tiller. I had one for a year which I bought new. Great little donk. Call the Boat Business, they did a really good deal for me. Tohatsu still sell the rebadged 18 to merc as a 15 but it is a totally different motor to the American one, heavier and a bit cheaper.

Second choice was the Yamaha. I got my advise from a mate who is a vetran in the marine industry on the Cold Coast and he steered me well on the Merc 2 stroke.

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brown364's picture

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Date Joined: 25/08/15

Travelled Oz with Suzuki

Thu, 2017-07-13 21:44

Used on the 3.8 stacer. Never missed a beat and plenty of power behind it. A Suzuki dealer matched the price of Yamaha 15 at the time as they were the best price which saved us a trip to Mandurah. Weight wise was fine on my own . 

still trying's picture

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Date Joined: 27/06/17

 I have come across a second

Fri, 2017-07-14 06:30

 I have come across a second hand merc 2 years old that is the American model but it's only 6 hundred dollars cheaper than brand new Yamaha also found a dealer selling the Yamaha for only 10 dollars more than the tohatsu. I don't know if I like the gear change on the tiller it is the main thing that turned me away from the American merc as I'm not used to it, just seems weird I'm thinking I will probably go with the Yamaha it's only $2005 I will look around some more as I haven't even had a quote on a Suzuki yet but am pretty happy with latest Yamaha quote. Thanks for everybody's input.

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Date Joined: 16/05/09

I've got the 15 yankie Merc,

Fri, 2017-07-14 07:53

I've got the 15 yankie Merc, it took a bit to get used to the gear change on the throttle but is the best feature about the motor, especially while trolling lures. It's a pity Yamaha don't do this as the 100:1 fuel/oil mix on Yamaha shits all over the 50:1 of the Merc. I have been looking at the 4 stroke Suzuki as its only about 6 kg heavier than the merc.

gruntre69's picture

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 Tiller shift is great!

Fri, 2017-07-14 13:09

 Tiller shift is great!

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Tohatsu

Fri, 2017-07-14 07:22

Tohatsu - last for ages. Watched the surf lifesaving rubber ducky comp down at Mullaloo the other week - most of the outboards were Tohatsu.

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 I've got a 2013 Yamaha 2

Fri, 2017-07-14 07:59

 I've got a 2013 Yamaha 2 stroke in my shed only done about 30 hours with two fuel tanks for sale. I haven't advertised it as I keep thinking I'll get around to using it. Send me a pm you're interested. 

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Paj man's picture

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Date Joined: 16/09/12

Yammy

Fri, 2017-07-14 08:36

Owned a 15hp Merc (merican model) on my old dinghy which was a good motor - didn't like changing 2 stroke oil brands but that was probably my fault. Never missed a beat otherwise.

Had a 2 stoke Tohatsu on my big boat - one of the oil injectors stopped working halfway to rotto and the piston burnt out. Before that it was efficient but bloody noisy. Never again for me.

Mate has a 2 stoke Yammy and it's a brilliant little motor - that would be my pick if I were to get another dinghy.

Another mate has an old Johnson he keeps down south. Quite literally feeds a bit of wire in through the impeller hole at the start of each summer and it always starts first or second pull - pretty impressive really.

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Bradmac73's picture

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Date Joined: 22/03/17

Tohatsu are a great motor

Fri, 2017-07-14 13:00

My old man has a 40HP Tohatsu on his little runabout which has been on there since new (1986) and it still goes like it did the day it first cranked over. It's unbreakable. I'd definitely recommend them.

duncan61's picture

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parson

Sat, 2017-07-15 15:04

 I bought a brand new 15HP parson from BCF and ran it in by the book and it is a very good power plant

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Redfinman's picture

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Date Joined: 18/10/09

 I run a 18 hp Tohatsu 2

Sat, 2017-07-15 17:34

 I run a 18 hp Tohatsu 2 stroke on my 12 foot dinghy which has never let me down from when I purchased it new 14 years ago. Weighs the same as the 15 hp unit but well serviced  

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Date Joined: 02/06/11

Tohatsu 18 two stroke

Sun, 2017-07-16 00:41

Have one on a Stacer 375 car topper for the last 5 years and hasn't missed a beat. They run under water as long as they have fuel to them but that's another story. Would recommend them to anyone.

grantarctic1's picture

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had a Tohatsu

Mon, 2017-07-17 15:29

 On my old boat , I repowered it with a second hand 30 Tohatsu. It only had a few hours on it and paid $ 2000 for it.

I ran that motor on an average of 3 times per week for 11 years without even one service. All i did was change the plugs once per year. 

After 11 years i had it serviced and a week later the coil shit itself, price a coil pack and decided it wasnt worth trying to fix it as more issues would probally arise.

Bought a new Tohatsu 30 for $ 3200 and fitted it myself before selling the boat to my mate ( who still lets me use it ) 

I know not servicing a motor is frowned apon but money wise it worked out in the end. The motor never failed and pumped water until the end. On average a service was around $450, times that by 11 years  = $ 4500 + the purchase price $ 2000 = $ 6500 for an 11 year old motor at the end. 

Replacing it for $ 3200 after 11 years made perfect sense to me . Tohastu have to be one of the most underated motors on the market, everone i know that has ever owned one ( 2 strokes, dont know anthing about the 4s ) has had no complaints and continue to use them . 

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I put a brand new 6ph Tohatsu

Mon, 2017-07-17 15:46

I put a brand new 6ph Tohatsu banger on my dinghy 3 years ago. Have not had a single drama with it and she fires up first time even if I don't take it out for a couple of months

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still trying's picture

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Date Joined: 27/06/17

Thanks heaps guys although

Mon, 2017-07-17 20:58

Thanks heaps guys although just when I think I have made my decision final I think again. I have been pretty much sold on Yamaha but I must admit most info and votes on here have been for tohatsu. I think either way I will be well treated with which ever I decide on in the end over the motors life.

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 rather be fishing