Your newer mercury outboard is really a Tohatsu

[taxid]

At least that is what my research shows me if it's 30 hp or lower. Same motor but different paint job and decals. Then why would you want to pay about 20 percent extra or more for a Mercury?

Additionally I found Tohatsu also makes the Nissan outboards, and guess who owns Tohatsu as of 2014? Honda.

A local dealer told me to buy a merc over a Tohatsu. Says harder to find service. Why would that be when they are the same motor? I think he's full of sheet. Probably has a higher profit margin with a Merc.

Thoughts? Disagreements?

These may explain why the prices are so high. Not really much competition when one manufacturer pretty much owns 4 out of 5 of the big name brands.

[lowaccord66]

Tohatsu is great...buddy has a 4 stroke 25hp that we have put through he paces...even in the cold and snow.  He had a 25hp merc that was nearly identical.  The dealer is full of sheet, they have one goal, to seperate you from your money...consider the Merc to be the Acura to a Honda....but when you stack the features they are pretty much the same (assuming were talking 4 stroke 25hp)

[taxid]

Tohatsu is great...buddy has a 4 stroke 25hp that we have put through he paces...even in the cold and snow.  He had a 25hp merc that was nearly identical.  The dealer is full of sheet, they have one goal, to seperate you from your money...consider the Merc to be the Acura to a Honda....but when you stack the features they are pretty much the same (assuming were talking 4 stroke 25hp)

Yep talking 4 stroke.

Even found an online outboard motor sales site that has very competitive prices and shipping is free.

http://onlineoutboards.com/tohatsu-outboard-motors.html

[appleye]

I have a 8HP 4 stroke Tohatsu for now 7 years on an 18' Lund. It is a work horse. I have 1000's of hours on it and it still runs strong. When I purchased it was 1/2 the price on a Mercury. I'm not saying I would not buy a Mercury pro kicker but I will have to think long and hard if the day comes!

[lowaccord66]

I like that the tohatsu's are rated for saltwater too.  When we put his together on his boat we noticed it had a good number of sacraficial zincs.  I need an 8hp 4 badly myself! 

[taxid]

I like that the tohatsu's are rated for saltwater too.  When we put his together on his boat we noticed it had a good number of sacraficial zincs.  I need an 8hp 4 badly myself!  

There's one for sell on Craig's list in Cicero, Illinois for $1500 with only 20 hours on it. Too far from you though. Hell it's in the Chicago area which is deal killer for me. Nightmare driving experience for a country boy. And if you get screwed up and end up in the bad part of town -- oh sheet!

I'm going to hold out for a new Tohatsu 4 stroke  9.8. Going to buy it online with free shipping. You never know what you get used.

[taxid]

There's one for sell on Craig's list in Cicero, Illinois for $1500 with only 20 hours on it. Too far from you though. Hell it's in the Chicago area which is deal killer for me. Nightmare driving experience for a country boy. And if you get screwed up and end up in the bad part of town -- oh sheet!

I'm going to hold out for a new Tohatsu 4 stroke  9.8. Going to buy it online with free shipping. You never know what you get used.

Turns out the 8 horse four stroke Yamaha outboard is in Cicero, Indiana not Cicero, Illinois and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. Going to take a chance on a used motor to save a few hundred dollars. Wish me luck.

[rivereddy]

I went through this about 5 years ago.  My rotator cuff began taking issue with the starter spring on my 30 year old Evinrude 9.9.
I began doing research and leaned that Tohatsu made all Mercs and OMCs under 40 HP.  The Johnson line of OMC was discontinued.
Since a new Evinrude cost a chunk more, and was built by the same people, I bought a 9.8 Tohatsu 4 stroke with electric start.  Sweet.
I hunt ducks under some gnarly conditions and my little  Tohatsu has never missed a start.  The only issue with it is that when a run it
a hair above trolling speed, it sometimes puts out a harmonic whine.  My dealer spent hours trying to find out what it is and when he checked
with the factory they found the sound was some sort of weird resonance.  Guess what.... Merc 8s and 9.8s do it too.  Great motor and a great
dealer in north Indy.  Indy Sailboats Inc, up by the old Rock Island Refinery is that dealer.  Charlie and Eilene are great people.

fish on,

rivereddy

[Lundin-loading]

Ive had the 20hp tohatsu for 3 years now, LOVE IT!

[bigredfishing]

I'd rather have a tohatsu anyway.    Not sure whats happened to Merc since my dad had his 115 towerofpower on our old bass boat, but everyone I know that runs one has had serious issues.

[taxid]

My dad bought a brand-new Bass tracker years ago and had nothing but problems with the new Mercury on it. He had it worked on twice but to no avail. That said the place he went to I would never go to. They failed to fix a 15 horse Johnson I had and told me there was nothing wrong with it. When I took it to another place they knew what it was right away and fixed it.

Picked up my 8 horse 4 stroke Yamaha today. Man that thing is heavy! I only have to pick up a Humminbird Helix 7 LCD that is mostly paid for and I will have all the toys I will need for this year! Oh wait I'm still going to order a Wave Wacker for back trolling. Got a taste of back trolling a few years ago and it's deadly!

I'll be posting fishing reports!  

[kevs]

 I waited for the year end clearance and purchased the 15HP Merc I have for less than the Tohatsu (equivalent) 8 yrs past. Don't know how the cost of extended warranties are with the Toh, was very cheap with the Merc.  I run the rivers with mine and figured it best to have the extended coverage.

[Houligan]

As far as one manufacturer selling another "brand" motor under their color and decals, this has been practiced for years in many industries including the marine industry. For example the first four stroke motors produced by mercury were actually yamaha four stroke engines with merc paint and decals. 100% a yamaha, manufactured by yamaha, sold by and as a mercury. There is a whole history on this. It was always funny to hear people who preferred the two different brands argue over which was "the best" when in fact they both were using the exact same motor.

Marine engine manufacturers for the most part no longer have or use model year. They use manufactured year and the year is coded in the serial number so it is difficult for the consumer to get the year. This is done because of , lets call it "shelf life". Now a days you could possibly purchase a brand new boat (which they do use model years in boat manufacturing) and have a five plus year old motor installed on it and sold to you as new. When buying from dealers that sell the hull and install the brand/size motor of your choice it could very well be an older motor. This is because of left over motors. They, in a sense are still new motors but after a few years that same make model may have had bug fixes, service bulletin updates or even recalls for replacement parts. Many times when getting that great deal on a motor its because they have been sitting around for a while.

When buying motors that are "on sale" get the serial and model number and research to find what manufacturer year it actually is. These identification numbers are in different places on different models. They make it hard to find unless you know what you are looking for.

Please keep in mind that just because one manufacturer builds for multiple brands does NOT necessarily mean they are the exact same motor even if in the same horsepower range. 

Cheers!
Houligan