You know what grinds my gears?

[timebandit]

Yeah, a load of crap. The Honda 225 has the same engine that's in my van, a van that cost $28,000 new (Mine's an EX, LX's cost about $25,000 IIRC in 2002). I bet the outboard costs at least $20,000. I can't seem to find a price online.

Have you tried running your van at 3/4 throttle for one hour pulling a 20,000 trailer up hill in high gear??

[sailaway21]

Rather irrelevant unless one is buying a new one, I'd say. why would you buy either a new snowblower or a new outboard when there are so many good used ones around. It's hardly uncommon to see an outboard of advanced age out on the water putting along just fine. Go down to your local repair shop and buy an outboard with a pedigree. Get something with a proven track record versus one of these new and unproven types.

And, for what it's worth, I just re-built the carb on my wife's roto-tiller which is an old Troy-bilt with a 4 HP Tecumseh engine on it. Rebuild kit cost-$11.63. Try that on your shiny new Honda.

If we looked for used half as hard as we research new we all might be a tad bit happier. Who are you going to trust more, the salesman selling you a brand new outboard that he actually knows nothing about or that guy that's had his on the back of a boat for the last 15-20 years? Let somebody else be the test dummy!

[eMKay]

Originally Posted by sailaway21

Rather irrelevant unless one is buying a new one, I'd say. why would you buy either a new snowblower or a new outboard when there are so many good used ones around. It's hardly uncommon to see an outboard of advanced age out on the water putting along just fine. Go down to your local repair shop and buy an outboard with a pedigree. Get something with a proven track record versus one of these new and unproven types.

And, for what it's worth, I just re-built the carb on my wife's roto-tiller which is an old Troy-bilt with a 4 HP Tecumseh engine on it. Rebuild kit cost-$11.63. Try that on your shiny new Honda.

If we looked for used half as hard as we research new we all might be a tad bit happier. Who are you going to trust more, the salesman selling you a brand new outboard that he actually knows nothing about or that guy that's had his on the back of a boat for the last 15-20 years? Let somebody else be the test dummy!

That's true. I could probably even get several hundred for my 2 stroke, it runs perfect, and I just rebuilt the water pump. Or maybe I want to go with a nice 100lb thrust 36v electric. I had an electric on the Siren and it worked beautifully.

[Stillraining]

Age and cunning..wins over youth and exuberance...once again..

[Omatako]

I had a 2.5 hp Mercury that we bought brand new and used for about 2 years. Then we had to replace the pull cord and had to remove the top part of the motor.

Guess what I found? Three bolts made of mild steel, rusted to a point that when I tried to loosen them they snapped off. Marine grade my a$$.

I spent three hours drilling and tapping to get the motor to a state where I could re-assemble it - for the new owner!! I won't have another one of them!!

Oh, and another thing, the petrol shut-off tap (plastic) broke the end off where a circlip tries to hold it together. Shocking design but that's not the worst - the replacement cost me NZ$77 for something that could not have cost more than a dollar to make. Damn piracy, nothing less.

Andre

[chucklesR]

Oar's.
I hear Oar's can be had for less.
Most of them are marine grade, sort of. Takes a marine to work 'em.