Which 6 hp outboard to purchase?

[Wayne Roberts]

Anybody here have thoughts and or reviews on the best 6 hp motor to buy for my 12 ft Alumacraft? Considering between the Suzuki, the Mercury, or the Yamaha. Any of you have experience with any of these 6 hp makes and recommendations? Thanks for your thoughts...........

 

[airshot]

Most all brand name motors are well made today, very little difference between them. Look for a servicing dealer in your area if repairs might be needed. Otherwise, take your pick, if you have local service in your area, go for it.....

 

[sonny1]

Anybody here have thoughts and or reviews on the best 6 hp motor to buy for my 12 ft Alumacraft? Considering between the Suzuki, the Mercury, or the Yamaha. Any of you have experience with any of these 6 hp makes and recommendations? Thanks for your thoughts...........

Good luck.

 

[flatheadsteve]

In today's market I'd pick the dealer over the name on the outboard. Don't rule out tohatsu either they build the smaller mercury motors.

 

[jethro]

I highly suggest bumping to an 8hp if at all possible. Reason being, every single 4 stroke motor made that is smaller than 8hp is a single cylinder. I have a 6hp Merc longshaft that is my kicker motor for trolling. It runs for hundreds upon hundreds of hours a season. It's been great and is super reliable but it is very chunky. A twin is better balanced and does not vibrate the boat as much. To be fair, I am using this motor to slow troll at 1.8mph or less, and at higher speeds the motor balances out, but at 1100 rpms or less it's a big, chunky single cylinder and you can feel it. Had I known I would have got an 8 or a 9.9 simply to have a well balanced twin.

 

[sonny1]

Yes they vibrate but guess what you can fix that. In many different ways. Boat and engine can be set up to reduce the vibration. Have learned a lot after talking to 20 year plus outboard mechanic paid for his lunch a few times just to pick his knowledge. We have become friends overtime and a lot of conversations.

 

[airshot]

Yes they vibrate but guess what you can fix that. In many different ways. Boat and engine can be set up to reduce the vibration. Have learned a lot after talking to 20 year plus outboard mechanic paid for his lunch a few times just to pick his knowledge. We have become friends overtime and a lot of conversations.

Very true, one way is to lessen the pitch on the prop so the engine can be run at higher RPM for the needed trolling speed. On my boat, the trolling motor is quite small, a 2.2 hp single cylinder, so it runs about 3/4 throttle to reach trolling speed. No vibration at that speed and can run all day on a couple gallons of gas. Best part is I have a total of 225 dollars invested in it !!

 

[Sea Antsy]

I highly suggest bumping to an 8hp if at all possible. Reason being, every single 4 stroke motor made that is smaller than 8hp is a single cylinder. I have a 6hp Merc longshaft that is my kicker motor for trolling. It runs for hundreds upon hundreds of hours a season. It's been great and is super reliable but it is very chunky. A twin is better balanced and does not vibrate the boat as much. To be fair, I am using this motor to slow troll at 1.8mph or less, and at higher speeds the motor balances out, but at 1100 rpms or less it's a big, chunky single cylinder and you can feel it. Had I known I would have got an 8 or a 9.9 simply to have a well balanced twin.

Amen...I have had my new 6hp 4stroke Merc since 2017,,,,hate it every day I use it.. big mistake...
I use in salt water on a 12ft Duranautic, 200+ hrs per yr avg...Mobil 1 change every 100hrs
Very reliable, but.. (ya knew it was coming)...
Salt water is not very forgiving, the valve cover started rusting the first yr, paint job sucked.. Mfgr did not want to hear it...hoping it does not rust thru...
The manual tilt is ??? HUH... you have to be IN GEAR to tilt the engine.. I learned to live with it.. .
the fuel line routing due to the onboard tank is a joke, cheap crap tank/hoze valve is cheap pot metal..
I never use the infernal tank, should replace it and keep some tools-plug there...
I am on my 3rd carb, orig valves/pickup brass to alum/potmetal fused, cheap replacemnt plastic cam broke (good thing they are cheap)
END OF GOOD NEWS
being one of the largest displacement single cyl it vibrates significantly.. shakes the whole transom
Noisy,, if a fellow fisheperson is floating by I have to shut it off to hear,, and, ,AND I installed a sheet
of that noise blanket marine material under the cowl...
being a single cyl it does not idle low enough for me to troll slowly.

I am kind of restricted to what weight I can manage, davit-tidal range ect so the ~? 57# is a bit easier than the 8hp @ ? 20# more...
and finding a decent 2 stroke 6hp ( which are 2 cyll) and about the same 60# is impossible...

 

[jethro]

Yes they vibrate but guess what you can fix that. In many different ways. Boat and engine can be set up to reduce the vibration. Have learned a lot after talking to 20 year plus outboard mechanic paid for his lunch a few times just to pick his knowledge. We have become friends overtime and a lot of conversations

I believe I've done all that, but my ears are open, so let me in your secrets. It's a 3800 lb boat so not sure what I can do about boat setup. Not really any way around it being a big cc, one lung 4 stroke. Don't get me wrong, I love the motor, it runs flawless, but after what is likely a few thousand hours of using it I would certainly get a twin if I did it again, that's all.

 

[sonny1]

As I make improvements on the outboard I will post.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

My camp neighbor has a Merc/Tohatsu 5HP on a 12' alum semi-V. He uses a tiller extension and is able to plane out very well for such a small motor, sitting at center bench. As others have mentioned, it does shake like heck on start up and low rpms. I'm about 150yds away and hear that transom shake every time he starts it.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Maybe go a little bigger? If she won't plane, you won't like it. I'm thinking 9.9-15.

 

[Wayne Roberts]

Was considering a 8 hp or 9.9 but the weight at the transom worries me..........I am a BIG guy and weight in at 255 lbs so was concerned about my weight plus an almost 90 lb motor on the back..........don't think I'd have too much free board left.......)

 

[Sea Antsy]

As I make improvements on the outboard I will post.

oh yea... in the improvements dept... I use a running hour meter on my engines, outboard, power washer ect... they are waterproof,self powerd, simple to wrap a wire around a sparkplug lead an cheap like 10bucks...

 

[sonny1]

Was considering a 8 hp or 9.9 but the weight at the transom worries me..........I am a BIG guy and weight in at 255 lbs so was concerned about my weight plus an almost 90 lb motor on the back..........don't think I'd have too much free board left.......)

After two hip replacements I got up to 301 LBS. Now down to 265 LBS. Sticking to diet until I hit 200 LBS. I took the metal tag off the transom and attached it to the refrigerator door. It is a big motivating factor to read the weight limit on the boat and just walk away.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Was considering a 8 hp or 9.9 but the weight at the transom worries me..........I am a BIG guy and weight in at 255 lbs so was concerned about my weight plus an almost 90 lb motor on the back..........don't think I'd have too much free board left.......)

Even more reason to bet a bigger motor. I got OMC motors ranging in HP from 6-25 and none are all that much heavier than the other. If you'll be sitting in the back with the tank, motor, troller, and battery, like me, your bow will be pointed towards the sky. To get it down it'll take some oomph. I'm smaller than you are and it takes almost full throttle on the 18 HP to stay on plane. There are other remedies for the situation, but yeah, get plenty of HP. The slight bit of extra weight is well worth the benefits.

 

[airshot]

Stay with a good 2 stroke and save the weight!! More punch and less weight !! If a couple gallons of gas means that much, you shouldn't own a boat....

 

[sonny1]

You guys talk like two strokes are a dime a dozen. Well guess what they are not. They quit selling them years ago. Wake up and smell the coffee. You're all acting like you got one over on everybody. Oh yea am the man with my 20 year old two stroke. Your not. Granted it was a good motor during its time but its time has past. Horse power big men. Bull a simple six will get you around just fine. Tired of the macho man bull. I think your all full of crap.

 

[Lost But Happy]

 

[sonny1]

View attachment 117838

Yes it did.