is tohatsu worth it?

[airframer]

i was looking at purchasing one of their older 3.5hp and i was wondering if anyone would advise against it? its to push a 8' flat jon boat

 

[Yepblaze]

Re: is tohatsu worth it?

I don't know.

But they sometimes sell with the Nissan Label.

I've always considered them on par with other Japanese outboards.

But be forewarned that any of these motors when you get that small can have such small passageways throughout the carb that it doesn't take much to make one act up, and makes it even tougher to correct sometimes.

If it runs good and looks OK go for it. But make sure any fuel, or fuel oil mix you feed it is fresh and CLEAN from dust, dirt, crud, or water.

 

[airframer]

Re: is tohatsu worth it?

thanks for the reply, it was listed cheap and the boat i got for almost free. i figured why not try it out

 

[JB]

Re: is tohatsu worth it?

Tohatsus are good engines that require about the same amount of care and maintenance as other small outboards.

Is it worth what?

In that size range I would definitely prefer a JohnnyRude, even at a bit more money.

 

[rubinjames]

Re: is tohatsu worth it?

I believe Tohatsu makes the small Mercury outboards or use to.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: is tohatsu worth it?

I believe Tohatsu makes the small Mercury outboards or use to.

A Tohatsu 3.5 can "push" well, not cruise/plane a J-24 sail boat that weights with crew about 2 tons. Tohatsu still makes Mariner/Mercury/Nissan portable engines up to 50 HP in 2 strokes and 30 HP in 4 strokes engines with own colors and logos in Japan. If possible make a water test before buying, to take the nail out about it's performance, or better get a nice portable 5 HP, will perform much better.

Happy Boating

 

[rookieboater59]

Re: is tohatsu worth it?

I have a older(93') 3.5hp Nissan-Tohatsu that I just fixed up. Rebuilt the carb, changed the impeller and had it out on the water yesterday. Pumps water well pushed my 14' Livingston so good I will be using it as my kicker.
Starts 1-2pulls on a cold start. I'm in about $130 on this motor and this motor is not that hard to work on(carb rebuild about two hours, impeller replacement 20-30min.) Good luck with the motor if you buy it!!

 

[Wee Hooker]

Re: is tohatsu worth it?

Tohatsu actually made this same motor in 2.5 and 3.5 for mercury, Mariner, Nissan, OMC, (and likely others.) It was that good a design. i had the mariner flavor in 98'. STRONG 3.5 that weighed only 28# but pushed better than some 4 hps i owned. Started right up every time /all the time even after sitting a long while. Great little motors. only three negitives that I know of ( but all are indicitive of this motor size.)
Front vs tiller throttle is a PITA, lack of reverse gear is also a PITA. Last "not so great thing is that it's a single cylinder motor which makes it run rough/vibrate at slow/trolling speeds. beyond that though, near perfect little motors IMHO.

.

 

[pvanv]

Re: is tohatsu worth it?

The Tohatsu/Nissan 2-stroke 3.5 is prized for its light weight. Well under 30 pounds in any configuration. That makes them popular on 22-foot racing sailboats and small dinghies.

They're just about bulletproof. I recently repaired one that had been salvaged from the bottom of Lake Erie after it fell in (not running) and stayed there 4 days. Since it wasn't in saltwater, all that it needed was a thorough de-watering (fuel system cleaned out, etc.), and now it runs like it always did.

There is an early version that starts in gear (does not have a shifter), and has the impeller on the prop shaft, rather than the driveshaft. If you get that version, be aware that the thrust begins -- and the boat starts moving -- as soon as the motor starts.

 

[Tinman57]

Re: is tohatsu worth it?

I had a Tohatsu 3.5 that I used for trolling and emergency power on a 15 foot aluminum skiff. It was a good and reliable motor, though like any single-cylinder engine, the vibration was terrible. My only complaint was the paint, which flaked off at the slightest excuse.