Help me choose one of these 3 motors to buy!

[mpmurray]

Help me decide! I have a Venture 17 and really desire a motor. I know virtually nothing about outboards, other than I need a long-shaft and desire an integrated gas tank.

These three used motors are currently for sale in my area.

Please help me make an informed decision! Anything I should ask owners? Two vs. Four stroke. etc.

1993 2 hp 4-stroke long shaft Honda outboard motor $375
2002 3.5 hp 2-stroke long shaft Tohatsu outboard motor $250
1996 5 hp 2-stroke long shaft Tohatsu outboard motor. $450

Thanks, michael

[Lloyd Franks]

Need more info: Type of sailing waters?
Transom mount?
Any restrictions on 2/stroke motors in your area?

More power usually equals more weight.

[mpmurray]

Large narrow inland lake (20 miles long, 1 mile wide) in canadian rockies. It'll get some windy days, but shore is usually close.

There's no transom mount on it. I'll have to get my own.

No 2-stroke restrictions. Could change in distant future, possibly.

Thanks, michael

[Ivan Awfulitch]

I own a 17 and I bought a Mercury 6hp 2 stroke short shaft. I had used a borrowed 4hp and have to tell you that in a moderate wind couldn't maneuver it safely as the bow would push around. With the 6, I was able to move comfortably even in 20-30 mile winds. That said, something in the 5+ hp range would be preferred. Plus, you'll probably want one that uses a separate tank, not a built-in. I used a swing-up bracket mounted on the port side of the rudder, and tightened the motor pointing straight and used the tiller to steer. If you have a long shaft you can mount the bracket somewhat higher on the transom than I did. Worked well for me, and the previous owner used a Sea King 6hp short shaft and sailed Lake Erie.

Haven't had the boat in the water in years, and now own a 26x. Maybe I'll get rid of it someday.

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Prior to my "X", I had a 26S with an 8 HP. I wouldnt have been happy with anything smaller. Personally, I'd go with the 5 HP with the choices you listed.
You want something that will at least move the boat--docking, going out, returning, and just being able to manuever.

[walt]

For a few years, I used a 4 HP 4 stroke Tohatsu on a Catalina 16 (wing keel - 1300 pound total weight) for lake sailing at 8600 feet elevation where you lose some % of HP and thought the motor was adequate. I almost never ran it wide open and used the motor in some big wind. The 2 hp might be getting a bit small unless you really want to focus on sailing ability where the weight tradeoff might be worth it.

I think more important is that when you need to manuever, you should be able to turn the motor with the tiller. If your moving slow, there isnt flow on the rudder so no "lift" but you can still angle the thrust of the outboard. Having a reverse and nuetral on the outboard is useful also.

I would also completely agree that getting a motor with at least the option to go to an external tank is a very good idea. You would soon find out that the tiny internal fuel tank on these small outboards runs out too soon and you will need to re-fill out on the water and it could be at a bad time (I know from personal experience..fortanetly my little Tohatsu had the option to go to an external tank which I immediatly did).

[johnnyonspot]

I vote for the 5 horse, if nothing bigger is available, and also the external tank. I use a 9.9 Mariner on my Mac 25 and it seems to do the job just fine, easily pushing the boat to hull speed.

[ronacarme]

Had a Venture 17 1980-1988. Mighty Mite 2 was grossly inadequate.Would not push the bow across a 15-20 mph wind. Evinrude 4 (2 cyl) worked fine tho i doubt I was out in winds >20 mph.
The 17 would squat unless weight in the cockpit or near the stern was minimized, so i tried to keep as much gear weight forward as possible.....so, assuming the 3.5 is significantly lighter than the 5, I'd be tempted to go with the 3.5. However, ignoring extra weight on the stern, or finding a way to keep other weight near the bow to compensate, I'd go with the 5. If the 3.5 is a one cylinder and the 5 is two cylinder, I'd like the 5 even more.
Ron

[26S Captain]

Get an external fuel tank since you will probably need to carry extra fuel anyway.

There are three shaft sizes I've seen for outboards. They may not all apply to motors this small. 15", 20" and 25" The 15 is called regular the 20 is called long shaft and the 25 is called extra long and is more rare. For my Mac 26S I use a 25 inch shaft and I have seen it come out of the water so consdier that you may need the extra long.

You could ask the owners if you could do a compression test. This will tell you the condition of the cyl's and the rings. Someone selling items this small may look at you like you have two heads but without a sea trial (even harder) There not much way to know what condition they are in.

Four stroke is better and I think worth alot of extra money. They get better gas mileage. ( I get 18 in canal water and 12-14 in regular conditions with my 9.8 Nissan four stroke) Two stoke is cheaper and easier to rebuild but few people do that. I also like not having to measure 2 stroke oil at the gas dock.

Look carefully at new engines. Condiser the risk you are taking buying used (especially with no compression test or sea trial). Sailors are notorious for not keeping their engines up. (i'm assuming these were used for sailing.

I'd also put on the most horse power that boat was designed for. The extra cost won't be more that a few hundered and if you need extra HP later your stuck.

[Bawgy]

I would get a tohatsu 8 hp 4 stroke with electric start . Oh wait I did that for my V-24. Plenty of power for hull speed and 25 knot winds also charges the battery for overnight stays

[technicalman]

I went with a tohatsu 6 with a ultra long shaft. figured i'd take it with me when i upsized to a larger MAC. It was more than adequate. The tohatsu has been great. There are other good outboards out there, but this has been my experience.