What Brand Small Outboard Motor?

[Bugalugs]

Hi folks,
my mate's 25 year old 15hp Johnson has finally gone to the boat motor graveyard and he's thinking of either buying a new motor or perhaps even a whole new boat/motor/trailer package.
The boat he currently has is a 12 foot Savage Snipe tinny and he's looking at getting a bigger motor - perhaps a 25hp with elec start and power tilt and trim. I've suggested perhaps an Evinrude E-Tec 4 stroke would be the go, or maybe a Honda or Yamaha.
Has anyone got any thoughts on what he should look at?
Are there pros and cons to 4 stroke engines? I've heard the Evinrude E-Tecs are very fuel efficient and very quiet as well.
I'm not sure of his budget, but knowing him, he wont be looking at the bottom end of the market - something mid-range I'd think.
Last question - if he was looking at a whole new boat, can anyone suggest anywhere that could be a good starting point (he lives in Pakenham) I think he'll check out JV Marine in Braeside as well as a few other local dealers. Who knows, he might even look at a 2nd hand model which I reckon is a good idea as most would have accessories already on the boat, such as covers, electronics, etc etc.
Cheers folks,
Neil.
P.S. I've also suggested boatsales.com.au to him.

[Redhunter]

I've got a savage snipe, and no way in hell would I put a 25 on it. I have a 20hp 2 stroke on it and it moves fast enough for me. On my own I can do 22 knots odd when it's flat enough, which is plenty. A 4-stroke would be awesome, but weight is an issue. I wouldn't go any more than a 15hp 4-stroke if I was to upgrade.
An etec is 2-stroke not 4-stroke, and would make a good anchor imo. Each to their own, but that's my 2 bobs worth. Ol' mate may be better off upgrading the whole package if he can afford it. I will be in another year or so I reckon...

[ducky]

Personally if you do stick with that hull I'd chuck a 15-20hp 2 stroke that has a regulator/alternator on it to charge up the batteries etc. wouldn't worry about 4 stroke for weight/price reasons.

I've been in a mates old 3.5m tinny with a 15hp Yamaha. It flew with the 2 of us in there. Agree that 25hp is too much.

As an etec owner I'd buy something else. Suzuki or Yamaha to start with. The etec I have is a good motor. It is quiet and blows minimal smoke. Just expensive to fix when something breaks. Real expensive.

[Boonanza]

If your mate is happy with the boat he has then I would be looking at a Tohatsu 18hp very reliable & you can get them for around $2200 brand new. :thumbsup:

[Bugalugs]

Thanks for all the replies - definitely very much appreciated. I'll pass on the info to him. I'd tell him to join Fishing-Victoria, but he has trouble even replying to an email so joining a website like this would be well out of his technical abilities - lol.
And also thanks for pointing out those things I obviously wasn't aware of. (4 stroke, 2 stroke, too much h/p etc)
There's usually 3 of us in the boat, so he was thinking of upgrading from the 15hp - but his motor, being pretty old, just didn't have the power to be up and moving along well with all of us in the boat.
I guess he has to assess his budget to see if he goes for a whole new package. He'd want something like the Snipe, where we can all fish both sides of the boat in relative comfort without having windscreens etc in the way.
Thanks again folks
Cheers,
Neil