Ruling out Tohatsu as motor choice,...lack of dealer network in our area!

You all may have seen my post about Tohatsu vs. Mercury by now. I have ruled out the Tohatsu brand due to lack of dealer network in our area. I have
decided to go with Honda as a second choice(could end up being a first choice)on that new 2010 Lund A-14 I HOPE to be able to purchase this next spring or early summer and trade in the old 1973 Sea Nymph 14R for. Based on
past experience with Mercury,I am not sure I want to trust their motors anymore,even if their four stroke powerheads from 2.5 hp to 30 hp are made
by Tohatsu. There are far more Honda dealers in my area than there are Tohatsu dealers. So,having said all that,have any of you had experience with
Honda outboards and if so,would you recommend them? I hear they are very quiet and smooth running motors,...and have been very dependable,but I would just like to know what you all think of them. (So far,at this point and based on photos they have seen of my current boat,Tippecanoe Boat Company in Leesburg,In. has offered me $600.00 trade on my boat as it is!
Considering the age of the boat/motor/trailer,that seems a pretty fair amount,
but that is still 'up in the air' as to whether I go forward with it or not,...which
at this point,...looks very promising. My choice to go with Honda also looks very promising.)

I would not rule out the Tohatsu. They are made by the same people who make Nissan (which I own). Parts are easy to find online, and any mechanic who can work on a Mercury can work on a Nissan, pretty much the same motor. You can save a ton of money going with the Tohatsu or Nissan. I ordered on about two years ago online, had it shipped for free, and save 1000 dollars or more versus a Mercury. I have had to repace the lower unit (after hitting a stump) and had no problems finding someone to do it. I was skeptical about buying the motor, hadn't heard, nor seen a lot of them on the water. But, took a chance, and could not be happier, and would recommend them to anyone.

Locator79 is exactly right....

I ran a 40 HP Tohatsu for years. It was dang near bullet proof. I loved it.. I would not hesitate to buy one again if I needed it.. They are strong, durable and dependable..

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Originally Posted by Quicksilver1958

Locator79 is exactly right....

I ran a 40 HP Tohatsu for years. It was dang near bullet proof. I loved it.. I would not hesitate to buy one again if I needed it.. They are strong, durable and dependable..

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I am hearing that Honda is very expensive,...more so than Mercury. Well,then,..maybe I should reconsider Tohatsu. I am just wondering
how my Lund dealer is going to react when I tell him I may be looking
at Tohatsu for power. But I just can't see buying the boat from one dealer
and the motor from another dealer. Since the 15 HP Mercury is actually a
Tohatsu with Mercury badging,I should be able to depend on Mercury for
a change. Ahhh,the heck with it,...stick with the Mercury and be done with
it,or save even more money by going with Tohatsu,anyway. Who knows,...
I may end up liking Tohatsu even though I have not had any experience with the
brand.

Be careful here with buying a motor for your boat, dealers will change motor company's ofter, leaving there customers out in the cold.

crappie cowboy

www.johnwoodsguideservice.com

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lundman A-14

I am hearing that Honda is very expensive,...more so than Mercury. Well,then,..maybe I should reconsider Tohatsu. I am just wondering
how my Lund dealer is going to react when I tell him I may be looking
at Tohatsu for power. But I just can't see buying the boat from one dealer
and the motor from another dealer. Since the 15 HP Mercury is actually a
Tohatsu with Mercury badging,I should be able to depend on Mercury for
a change. Ahhh,the heck with it,...stick with the Mercury and be done with
it,or save even more money by going with Tohatsu,anyway. Who knows,...
I may end up liking Tohatsu even though I have not had any experience with the
brand.

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Who cares what your dealer will think, its your boat, and your money. You will pay double for the Mercury, if money is no option, then by all means go with the Mercury that is already on it. You have an easier time finding parts and you should be able to take it back to the dealer you bought it from to have work done. But if you want to save money, forget Honda, and the Mercury and go with the Tohatsu.

Well,...Tohatsu it will be then. The only Tohatsu dealer that is closest to me is R&S Boats up in Rome City,In. They are also Crestliner dealers,and as an
alternate choice boat,I have chosen a Crestliner XCR1467,...priced about $1,500 less than the Lund A-14/trailer/Mercury outboard package. The Crestliner would have the Tohatsu motor. I have never had Crestliner before,...only Sea Nymph and Lund. To save money on purchase price,I
just may choose the Crestliner/Tohatsu package,then. You guys talked
me into the Tohatsu.

I worked in the Mississippi delta for five years in the 90's, lots of catfish farmers, guess what motor most of them had on their pond boats - Tohatsu's I have never owned one but never heard anything bad about them!

Stay away from Honda, probably the worst outboards ever made

Merc. mechanics can and DO work on Tohatsu motors, or at least on mine. And if you have a Nissan dealer, then you can get teh Tohatsu parts, as they are interchangeable, they are the same motor.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by woody123

Stay away from Honda, probably the worst outboards ever made

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Why do you say that? Just curious as to why,because I have heard nothing but good things about Honda. In fact,my Lund dealer is a Honda dealer and
he has not had any complaints about Honda's outboards. Though Tohatsu is on my list(Mercury is off due to past experience)at the top,my Lund dealer
has a 2007 Honda 9.9 still in the crate that has yet to be sold and from the
price quotes he has given me so far,the 9.9 Honda he has is going to be the
way for me to go because the price with a Tohatsu motor of 9.8 HP is going
to run about same price by the time you total everything up,...$5,735.00 boat/motor/trailer along with a tongue jack. You go to the lakes up in northern Indiana and the two motors you see most,it seems,are Honda
and Yamaha followed by Mercury(yuck,...I don't like their motors,too cold
natured and not as reliable from my experience with the brand. Why I even had them on my list is beyond me). You must be talking about the older Honda
outboards,...the newer ones from what I read about on iboats.com are very
dependable motors,...quiet and smooth running. Should I go with the Honda
that my Lund dealer is offering me the best deal on,I will still get the 5 year non-declining warranty. I know,...I am probably worse than a woman when it
comes to changing my mind alot:confused::confused:,but this may be a deal I can't possibly turn down by my Lund dealer.

woody obviously never had a force engine if he is making that statement

I bought a 50HP Nissan in 92, just sold it (and boat). Never ever had a problem. I changed spark plugs anually, water pump once (2 yrs ago) just cause I thought it was time, it wasn't.
Was absolutely the best OB I ever owned and I've owned every make (except a Chrysler/Force). It never failed to start, never quit me, always ran great.