Buying a new 9.9 hp?

[Ranger690]

y father in law is ready to buy a new 9.9 hp motor. He is a Mercury man at heart and is a little shy about 4-strokes but is open to something different if need be. I am trying to gather some info to help with his decision. My questions are:

I know the 4 strokes are heavier (as much as 30 pounds) but I also hear about them not having the "get-up-and-go" of the 2 strokes. Does anyone have experience with both 2 and 4 strokes in the small motors? If so, how do they compare? Is the difference noticable?

Second, are other companies still making the 4 strokes for Mercury and Bombardier? If so, who makes what?

These are my options.

Mercury 2 stroke (last years) or 4 stroke
Johnson 2 or 4 stroke
Yamaha 2 or 4 stroke
Honda 4 stroke
Suzuki 4 stroke
Evinrude has no 9.9 (wish there was a new Etec)

Any helpful opinions?

Thanks.

[Bluejay]

I have a Merc 9.9 4 stroke on my 16' Lund for a kicker motor for trolling and to get on the HP rated lakes. It will move the boat along OK but not the fastest in the world. I have never checked my GPS to check the speed. This motor will idle around all day. Very quite. No smell from the motor like the 2 strokes. Have no complaints about it yet. Bought it Mar. 2005.

[J White]

Just curious, is it for main power on a small boat, or as a kicker?

[skiptomylu]

I like either as long as it's a Yamaha. However with that said I don't know how much difference in a 2 & 4 stroke 9.9, but the larger motors there is quite a big difference and even though I have a 75 HP 4 stroke, I know it will take a lot of running (saving gas) to make up the difference in cost.

I do like my 75 HP 4 stroke for sure and can actually have a conversation running down the lake.

[Ranger690]

This one will be the main power on an older (narrow) 14' jon boat. It has a 7.5 on it now that is from about 1970.

Dayton

[SteveJ]

I think I read somewhere that Tahotsu(sp) made the small Mercs and Nissans, don't know for sure but in Cabela's the 9.9 nissan's run from $1749 to $2059. Know nothing about them. Seems like a lot of every thing is made by only 2 or 3 manufactors now days.

[TampaJim]

Mercury 9.9 four stroke = Tohatsu/Nissan
Johnson 9.9 four stroke = Suzuki
Yamaha 9.9 four stroke and two stroke = Celestial in China
Honda = Honda
Evinrude = Evinrude (BRP)

FYI - Mercury 2-30 = Tohatsu, 40-60 = Celestial, 75+ = Yamaha except Verado

Evinrude (BRP) is the only US made outboard in production. Most outboards are made in China with most of the balance made in Japan.

BRP plans to discontinue the Johnson line and make E-Tec outboards all the way down to the smallest sizes. Although, the Suzuki design (Johnson 9.9 four stroke) is the best - I wouldn't want to own a discontinued name brand. So ... for the money, the Mercury is the better motor - it really is almost impossible to beat those Tohatsu outboards and you will have the benefit of the largest dealer network available - Mercury. I would recommend staying with four-stroke ... quieter, cleaner, better smelling, no oil mixing, lower maintenance, lower operational costs, smoother starting (no fouled plugs) and the big one - not to be banned from enclosed bodies of water due to pollution.

Hope this helps!

[stickum]

A friend and I bought a new 25hp Yamaha 4 stroke to go on our 15 ft. river boat last fall and ran it about 10 times and traded it back in for a 25hp Yamaha 2 stroke. JMHO...I will not have another 4 stroke as long as I can buy a 2 stroke motor. Different strokes for different folks...and the 2 strokes are mine.......

[unknown 5]

My older Evinrude 9.9 pushs my 16' jon boat about 8-9 MPH according to my GPS unit. I can troll at 1.5 very easily. I reccomend an electric start. I have no problem with my unit being 2 strokes but it will put out some fumes when I troll at slow speeds. I could probably adjust it.
I bought my rig to catfish on small rivers but I crappie fish lakes with it also.

[willsjwills]

i have a 2006 merc. 15 hp. 4 stroke made by tohatsu that does everything i want in a 15 hp. it's the same engine as 9.9, different fuel system. runs quiet, runs all day on 3 gal. of fuel, is peppy as all get out. no 4 stroke engine will have the low end torque of a 2 stroke. certainly it takes longer to get rpms up, but let's face it. that's the future. who cares if it takes 10 seconds to get to max. rpm. we're not racing the things, we're just getting to the fishing hole.