Tohatsu Outboards

[boyzie]

I've heard nothing but fantastic reports about tohatsu outboards in all sizes, i know thay make both oil injected 2 strokes and fuel injected (TLDI) motors. does any one own one or could give me some feedback on these motors as im looking at putting either a 115 or 140 on a 5.5m plate alloy boat. just wondering about resale value and general reputation with boaties. thanks for your feedback

[Fishin_Dan]

I was looking at these a while ago. All response I got was fantastic!

Do a search through here for a post I put up about them a while ago... It will be quite a few pages back (Was about 4 moniths ago maybe)

[billfisher]

I own 2, an 18 hp and a 90 hp, just the basic carby 2 stroke models. They run very well with good power delivery for their rated hp and good fuel economy. They have a reputation for ruggedness and reliability. You can get them for quite a bit cheaper than other 2 stokes with some of the specials that go around.
The resale value might be a bit less as there is a certain section of buyers who will simply not look at a motor which is not one of the big name brands. But who cares if you pay less to purchase one and you have years of trouble free use.

[serene_lady]

I bought a mercury lite 40 hp four years ago and have not had any problems. This ia actualy a tohatsu motor that mercury puts their name on also you can get mariner lables on the same motor. I also had doubts about tohatsus but then i though if mercury are going to put there name to them pluss warranty they must think there ok. another thing is that usually cheaper. I am going to update to a 50 tldi myself in the near future. I do not think that resale will be a problem as more and more people are buying them and there reputation is increasing. I have nothing against any of the other motors as i have owned most of them at one time or another, but for now i am sticking with tohatsu. Bob.

[boyzie]

ive been doing alot of research on the net and so far i cant find a bad word about them!!!! if they are so good why dont we see more of them on the water??
i think there great!

[finga64]

#if they are so good why dont we see more of them on the water??
i think there great!

look at me I have one :D
And happy as Larry ;)
Strong as. I hit and broke an 8" log with my 25 Tohy. Didn't hurt the outboard at all :-?. Me, that's a different story::)

1 post 'til 500. What can I woffle about???

[krazyfisher]

I am on my 5th tohatsu and have never had any problems and will buy a 6th

[Roo]

and then one time......at band camp..... ;D ;D

[dnej]

Billfisher,
The 90 hp , trim tilt motor, is it actually on the outboard, or inside the boat itself.
Regards David

and then one time......at band camp..... Great movie by the way

[angler]

pro. guides at cape york use them they said they dont have any trouble.john has 3 90hp cant be to bad. they were made for the japanese pro .fisherman

[BigBadCr0c]

Howdy

yep bought a 40hp 3 cyl tohatsu which i converted to a 50 hp for the cost of $39 for the three bigger jets needed.
Turns out that a 40 is a detuned 50 and also a 60 is a detuned 70hp and so on.
All you have to do to bump them up is make sure the butterflies on all carbys open fully and not 75% like how they are factory set and upgrade the jets accordingly.
My motor is marketed as a mariner lightning but is the same motor as mercury and tohatsu branded.
Made in japan wooohoooo.

Bg00d
Andrew ;D

[subzero]

A large number of SLSC throughout Austraia use them and have done so for many years.
With them, it is guaranteed to be reliability as well as cost that makes them choose these outboards.
I think that has to be one of the best recomendations you can get when these guys have to trust them in some very demanding situations.
Contact your local SLSC for the full guff and any issues that they have had to overcome. (If any).

Kind Regards
Lloyd

[falcon01]

I have a Mercury Super 15(tohatsu 18) which is a pre mix two stroke and I have no problems with it starts first pull and has good power and ecconomy

[billfisher]

dnej,

The tilt motor is in the usual place, on the outside of the boat near where the motor is bolted to the boat.

As to the lifesaving clubs I think they like them because they have the best power to weight ratio (as well as there reliability).

[PG]

I bought my first new motor a few years ago. I was sold on Yamaha at first and looke d around. Guys that sold Tohatsu up here told me all the pro fishermen were trading in their Yamahas for Tohatsus. I figured the best way to figure out which motor has a good reputation was to go for a drive to the local wharf and see for myself. I found about 9 out of 10 outboards of the 20 to 40Hp range were Yamahas.
I have heard good and bad about Tohatsu but then again about all brands really. What I have heard a few times though is that they are a bit noisy and prone to corrosion more than other brands. They aren't as 'finished' off as some of the bigger brands either.
That's just what I've heard, never owned one so no experience myself.
Either way you go, if a manufacturer has been around for as many years as they have, they must be doing somethign right hey?

[billfisher]

They are noisy, but so are all 2 strokes. I have a 30 hp Suzuki 2 s and it makes quite a racket. The newer tohatsu's have a new cowel design which helps cut back noise. I don't think the Tohatsu's are worse than the others.
As to corrosion I haven't noticed any on my 1992 model 90 hp. Even when pulled apart all the cooling passages are pristine. I think that this is a bit of a myth. It goes back to the early 1980's when the Japanese makes used a poor grade of alloy with a high copper content. The reputation for corrosion still lingers even though the problem has been long fixed.
I don't know what "better finished off'" mean. All the components on the tohatsus are high quality, eg stainless steel water pump. I haven't heard of there oil injection sytems playing up, which is often the source of trouble with outboards. I know of a few people who have had problems with Yammaha's such as the alarm going off falsely or huge amounts of oil being injected.

[wheezer]

Been a merc man all my boating life and was going to fit the new tinny up with a merc 40 lite, but when I found out it was a rebadged tohy and the merc version only has 1 carb whereas the tohy has 3, I ended up ordering the tohatsu. Got a 50 as they'd sold out of 40's and its been great, very smooth and quiet at cruise speeds, can carry out a conversation without raising your voice. Can't kill it, did my best by hitting a shallow rockbar twice at full noise coming out of a creek at hinchinbrook, was expecting to see my gearbox gone but the only think missing was a bit of paint! Only gripe is jetting is way out, no.3 cyl runs super rich, fouling regularly especially after a full throttle run. but that's relatively easy to fix compared to if it was delivered running lean and the motor went bang.....

[dnej]

Andrew, what about upgrading the fuel injection 70 hp to a 90 hp, what would be needed. Who is the best dealer in se Qld.

Billfisher, thanks. My Mariner has the motor and storage on board, out of the water.
Regrads David

[BigBadCr0c]

Howdy

Havent got the foggiest idea on upgrading the fuel injected versions mate 8-)
If its anything like a diesel then just up the fuelboost on the pump i guess
Same for best dealer in se Qld we got no idea.

bg00d

[Mad_Barry]

This is a bit like an introduction session at an AA meeting.

Hi, I'm Dicko and I too own a tohatsu. ;D

I had a 40 tiller steer for about 5yrs. (when I bought it 2nd hand it was about 3 year old). I couldn't kill it. Started first or 2nd pull and it survived well when bouncing over numerous logs and rocks in our shallow creeks, it also ploughed it's way through countless sand bars.

I strayed from the flock for a couple of years and bought a boat already fitted with another motor. Since replaced that motor with a 90 TLDi. 8 mths old and happy with it so far. Fuel economy is beyond what I expected.

There's a few comments here,

http://www.ausfish.com.au/cgi-ausfish/yabb2/YaBB.cgi?num=1124110137/1#1

They don't have the Marketing or Image Branding of the others, which some see as a negative, but if you just want a fair priced, reliable motor then that's what they are. I haven't noticed re sale values to be better or worse that any of the others.

Besides that, the dealer up this way is an upfront no bullshit type. Quite rare in this industry lately so that weighed heavily in his favour when I last shopped around.

[serene_lady]

In reply to Paul.G. and corrosion in tohatsus i do think they had problems earler on. But when i bought my 4o hp tohatsu with the merc lablels on i ask the dealer why merc were doing this and he told me that tohatsu gave merc the naming rights to a number of there range for information to a beter alloy mix in there motors. As i said in my earler letter i do not think merc would put there name to a motor if they though there would problems with them. Bob.

[BenDover]

TOHATSU IS THE SH*T, so basic, so easy and so reliable. mine starts first time everytime! and has awsome fuel economy. a day out to the reefs and joyriding only uses 25 litres (if that). i have a 40 on a 4.5 even at idol or full steam just purs with tones of power.

[wayne_cook]

no frills honest motors had 2...25hp&40hp from new no regrets ::)

[polydriverjr]

Hey guys,

We have a tohatsu 40hp at work in hervey bay (Aquavue Watersports). It usualy goes to fraser island and back every day at full throttle and the tows a Banana around the bay for about an hour a day. It is a great motor, not too good on fuel economy but hardyly ever misses a beat. It's a few years old and has done hundreds of hours and is still going strong, (more than i can say about my honda 4st)

Cheers Ben

[boyzie]

i spoke to a block who owned a 25hp tohatsu and he said his motor had been sitting on the back of his boat out in the weather for 2 and a half years while he had a few unfortunate health problems and it started second pull. i guess results speak for themselves

[Rod_Bender]

BOY Z

I've got a mate where i live who is buying a kit boat and is welding it up himself to save some dollars. Typical tight ass. :P Anyway, he has looked into buying a Tohatsu too. His tossing up between the 4 stroke's or 2's. I think with reef trips with long runs in mind, 4's would have to be the better option. Possibly a Suzi. Tohatsu's have a great name for reliablity though. I know of a bloke who plays footy who use to fix them at a local dealer in Tville, who rates them highly. Stay away from Honda, my mate use to sell them and lost count on the endless warranty jobs....

[dnej]

What would you expect to pay for a a 90 hp TLDI. ?
David

[boyzie]

thanks for the tip rod_bender sounds like you know what your on about
PS: dont worry about that other ######## sooking that you have the same username
keep up the good work

[dnej]

Cant see how they can justify $ 12440 , fitted for a 90 hp TLDI, that sure is rich, and I asked six dealers, and they were all within cooee, of one another.
I thought they would be cheaper than Yamaha, but not so.

David

[boyzie]

TLDI's are fuel injected for a 90 yamaha which is oil injected your looking around the 10K mark

[billfisher]

Yes, the TLDI's must be compared to the other high tech motors such as the Etechs or any of the 4 strokes. If you compare the carby two strokes you will find that the Tohatsu's are quite a bit cheaper than the Yamahas or any of the other big brands.

[poss]

I have a 140 carby 2005 model had no troubles with it starts first go a bit heavy on juice i think, but only done about 37 hours so far, had the 90 hp and was great on juice pushing a 5.5m plate boat.will go for the tldi maybe next time, expect to get trouble free boating out of the 140 for a few years yet.

[Lager]

I just recently bought a 30hp Tohatsu and am very pleased it. It pushes along my 4.2m aquamaster tinnie very nicely. It is definately good value for money as it was a fair bit cheaper than its competitors