COMMON QUESTION: isn’t there a check valve in the fuel pump to prevent gas from back flowing? YES there are 2 flaps that open and close to prevent the pump from pumping back into the gas tank, but my GUESS is those valves use pressure to open and close and when it’s not operating it doesn’t create a watertight seal because there is no pumping pressure. OR I’m simply losing prime somewhere else in the system.
Yamaha 6HP 4Stroke 2006 Model use a small primer bulb 6Y2-24360-60-00 between internal Tank and Fuel pump. And yes its a great running Motor without Part 8M0124744 .In 3 of 5 cases the Bold sheared. It*s pain in the A... to fix this. Best regards from Germany
Thank you so much for having the best small boat channel on TH-cam. All of us who watch really appreciate your hard work in making these and attention to detail!
I'm currently in the market for a new outboarder for my dinghy. I have a Merc 3.5. Was watching your videos all night last night. They tipped me over the point so I just picked up a 2016 Merc 6 Hp for a good price. Great videos, thanks!
Late to the video but I am considering a 6hp motor for my kayak, yes i said kayak haha. I love your quote "You don't need to spend 60K on a boat to have fun." LEGEND!
Ha ha yeah that sounds awesome. I have a Crescent 11’ yak and I’ve been debating putting it on there. It’s definitely not rated for it lol. I’ll do a video if I do!!
@@Skinnyriver I have an Old Tow 120 with a Motorguide Xi3 on the bow and works great for what it is. My issue is my fishing is limited to area around the boat ramp. I need an outboard to get to the spot faster then use the Motorguide Xi3 to troll or fish.
Just purchased one of these and a 14 foot aluminum boat. Have not used since I just purchased it yesterday. I am praying 🙏 that it moves it fast enough. I don’t need to plane. Just need to get the docks at night for some snook snatching.
Hi, how did the Mercury 6 horse 4 stroke work on your aluminum boat work? Was it enough horse power? I've got a 14 foot aluminum v-hull and am looking at this motor. Thanks.
Love your videos! Bought myself one of theese 2 years ago and its so great! Had a 5 hp 4 stroke yahama before and i like this better. Its more powerful in any way, makes a little more noise and shaking a little more. But all in all the greatest engine i owned so far! Greetings from Denmark! :D
Thanks for review. I run the carb dry if storing for any length of time to avoid evaporation leaving carb full of varnish, also good practice if transporting on its side to avoid spillage.
I have used this engine for 6 years on a sailboat, and I second everything you said. This puppy sips gas. I get 25 - 35 n miles on 3 gals of gas on a sailboat going 4.5 knots. That's at 1/4 throttle and it charges the battery the whole time. I did a little vid on maintenance. See Jim''s Little boat.
Great video. I need a need outboard for my dinghy. My old 5hp Honda is struggling due to an exhaust leak and rather than fix it I was considering a new motor. Your a good salesman, I am buying one.
I have a 4hp mercury and just put the 6hp carb on it. It was easy and pushes my 1436 jon boat about 14 mph loaded with trolling motor, battery, ect. I too had to figure out the cold start with the internal take, 4 or 5 slow pulls to get gas into carb, then hit the choke.
@@Skinnyriver Top speed was 10mph, now it's 14mph. Doesn't sound like much, but it made a big difference. Your videos are informative and the step by step maintenance is very helpful.
Nice review. I just bought a new 4hp merc for my little 10ft jon. Went out on the lake fishing two days and had fuel left over using just the built in tank. I have a three gal Honda tank I planned to use that will probably stay home most days to save room and weight in my dinky boat. These little motors get great gas mileage! I'll upgrade to the 6hp carb when the motor is broken in. Should be just right for a 10ft fishin boat. Jim
Sounds like you got a great setup. Yeah I get almost 25 mpg with my 6hp! It’s awesome gas mileage. Let me know if you do the carb upgrade, curious if you can tell a big difference
OMG… the perfect review I need and LOTS of great info! Thank You. I have in my hands… a low hours 5hp that I was given for free. I shall now find a small skiff or John Boat to mount I to as my first boat to take the kids out with me. I can’t bring them on the kayak.
@@Skinnyriver Currently staring hard at the Milha Lite Skiff hull... but shall be looking around for a good while. Do you have any recommendations??? I will be doing mostly skinny salt oyster flats and cypress swamp/river areas.
Unfortunately, the gear lever broke on my 23 foot yacht (Merc 4s 6hp) for no apparent reason. It broke where the steel rod connects to the plastic lever at the engine feedthru. A major flaw in my opinion.
I really appreciate all of your support and continued views. I Know this video is kinda redundant but it was on my list to give a 2year update. Thank you again for sticking around!!
Just took delivery of the 4 hp Mercury today. I had pre-ordered the 6 hp carburetor, so put that on immediately. It appears to me the only difference between the two carburetors is the jet size, and one small quarter-inch hole in the choke plate. Other than that they appear to be identical. With that said, a person could probably just order the larger jets, and than just not choke 100% or drill a hole in the plate. I tested the fuel pump as I was curious to see if there was a check valve in there. The answer is yes there is. There's always going to be fuel in the carburetor bowl, so I don't see any way possible for gasoline to backflow into the onboard tank. A separate check valve is not necessary. I believe there is a small check valve in the line if you're using an external tank, but would have to confirm with the parts list. It appears to me it's a check valve though. From what I saw it took about four pulls for fuel to appear in the fuel filter. It still took an additional four or five pulls after that to start the thing. The idle was a little bit too low on this aftermarket carburetor, but didn't seem to make any difference with subsequent starting. Overall, really disappointing startup performance. I just pulled my lawnmower out after sitting an entire year. Briggs & Stratton 5 hp. On the second, light pull, it fired right up. Never drained the carburetor bowl or anything. One heck of an engine there! And it appears to me the Mercury needs a very abrupt pull, whereas with my lawnmower and some other pull start engines you really don't even need to pull all that hard. This is the only outboard I've used that doesn't have an actual kill switch. You have to pull the lanyard off unless I missed something. No separate kill switch. With the throttle tension completely released, the carburetor doesn't spring back to an idle position. Rather dangerous. The spring on the carburetor works fine, but unless there's a spring or something missing, the throttle linkage doesn't spring back. I'm curious if yours operates the same way? Typically you have to increase the tension if you don't want the throttle the spring back on its own--not on this one! So far I'm not sure what to say. I'm a little bit underwhelmed here. I expected a bit more frankly for a brand-new motor. When it does start, it's extremely quiet. Very nice appearance, etc. No complaints there. Very little smoke if at all. I'll try starting it again tomorrow from a cold start. I filled the onboard tank full and turned off the gas valve. The cold starting issue may be a deal breaker for me. It's got to be the worst outboard to date for difficult cold starting. Ugh. My back is sore!
Man that’s frustrating I know. The good: the kill switch is also a push button, so you can press it even with the lanyard in place. Mine now starts in 2 pulls (was 6 or 7 pulls) if I use an external tank, or pre-prime the system. I do not see a check valve on mine and my fuel pump allows it to back flow. Even though there will always be gas in the carb bowl, I have found my lines are empty to the carb bowl after it sits for a little while. Not sure if that helps you or not. Also good which I bet you have also seen: once it starts it will start with 1 pull the rest of the day unless it sits for a while. I agree with the carb upgrade, I bet it’s just a different jet, that’s a good point. Also the 6hp has an higher pitch prop than the 4hp, you may want to look at changing prop with the new carb. Overall the most frustrating thing I have had with this motor is cold starting! But with an external tank (or pre-priming) before the trip has solved that for me at least. I wish you all the best of luck. Try and external tank, I really think you will get everything dialed in. Good luck!!!
I knew about the pitch on the prop, but thanks for mentioning. I've got the stock 8 inch from the 6 hp on the right now; I also purchased a 9" pitch prop to try. I was hoping to use the onboard tank, but dropped another hundred dollars up at Amazon yesterday on a new tank and line, so I'll see how that goes. And did your throttle mechanism return to Idle by itself? I was surprised even with all the tension removed it kind of stays wherever you put it, which seems a bit dangerous. Right now there is a bit of an air bubble in the line because I have not hooked up an external tank. I can confirm there is a check valve in the fuel pump, so nothing is back flowing from the carburetor beyond the fuel pump. There is essentially a T in the line between the external tank and the onboard tank. I can actually see a little bit of an airlock being formed there, but I'm also going to wager to bet once an external tank is hooked up and I can get all the air bled out, it will get better. It's just not exactly the best design in the world. I was pressing on that red button yesterday at the kill switch and it did nothing. I did read it's supposed to be a push button as well. Maybe I just have to press a lot harder! Anyway, I hope this gets better. I do love the way the thing runs, once you finally get it started--lol. I'll play around with it some more today.
Yeah my throttle stays in place. It’s never returned to idle if I let go, even with all tension removed. I tried a Yamaha last year and its throttle was the same way. Cruise Control lol 😂 let me know how it goes with the new tank. When you pull the choke, the choke lever actually opens the throttle on the carb. Some people will turn their tiller handle to a point where the throttle is open even slightly more. Then they use that tiller position for cold starting (basically increases the choke and gives more gas in cold starting) it increase the chance of flooding but some people have said that helped
Yeah good thought. I’ve tested this multiple times and am 100% sure gas flows back into the tank. It takes a while though, it only happens if it sits for a day or so
Nice to see this! Just got one with the long shaft for our 24' sailboat and so far is dead quiet compared to the old 2 stroke and 1/4 the vibration. We aren't currently using the internal tank but good to know!
And the same question. My sailing buddy has a 21-foot sailboat center board sail boat.[Myncompac 19 is fixed keel. Both boats are about the same weight and terminal hull speed] with an overly huge 9.5 hp,1988 Merc 2 stroke. The 9.5 is a beast~! I said deep six it in favor of a 6 hp Merc 4 stroke. Good choice, I think.
Those dingys are awesome. They carry a lot of weight. Just Check weight capacity. As for the motor, dingy’s are not really designed for speed so I think you should have realistic expectations with 2 people in it in regards to planing and speed. But I do know it will be a blast out on the water!!!
Great informative video! A question I have is if the small displacement Merc's are made by Tohatsu and they are basically the same engine, why not get the Tohatsu and save yourself a few bucks? I'm currently looking to make a purchase and Im considering different brands. Trying to exclude the China brands. Any advise for someone new to boating who bought a Tracker Topper 10 would be great
Yeah Tohatsu is a great option since it’s the same motor. I bought mine used but would have went Tohatsu if new. I think Mercury may have the edge on warranty and service (so I have heard). But Tohatsu, Merc, Suzuki, or Yamaha are all in the same class
Yeah I’m pretty nervous about that. I triple check the clamp is tight. But yeah that is a good video idea to show how to bolt it down. I have to take mine off after every trip so I’m thinking something with a quick release
What is your guess? This Mercury engine on the back of a 2,300 lb Com Pac 19-foot sailboat with a terminal design hull speed of 6.2 mph? Presently I have a Mercury 2 cycle 5 hp that pushes my Com Pac to about 5.3 mph with or without the sails up. She'll sail at about 5.2~6.4 mph on a good day with no motor. It's been a good running motor but it's getting long in the tooth. It's interesting the Com Pac achieves about the same speeds as motor or sail or both. So one could say the sails make about 5 hp.
This motor is probably 20lbs heavier than the 2-stroke so I don’t think you will see a huge difference compared to the 5hp, but being new vs old, you may get a little better top speed and acceleration performance (depending on the prop you choose). It’s been a great motor. I think definitely worth a look to get a bit more reliability, longevity and slightly better performance and gas mileage
@@Skinnyriver Thank you. Reliability, Longevity performance and gas mileage All Good. What about the carb changes for the bigger [but the same block] engines?
You can get a 4hp and upgrade to 6hp with new carb and prop. Someone said the carb is exactly the same, the only difference is the main carb jet. He was going to try to just change the carb jet on his 4hp to the 6hp carb jet for $20 to see if it made a difference (vs $200 for whole new 6hp carb).
The 9.9 Merc 4 cycles have an accelerator pump, and each twist of the throttle floods the engine with a shot of gasoline. Don't flood the engine, with or without the engine running.
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hello, my engine does not exceed 5 knots. What do you think could be the problem? Mercury 6 hp 4 stroke Thank you😊
Dude, you are the best! Thx for your response. Just what I needed. I'm under 400 lbs, so the 7.8x8 should do the trick. Bogged down on a heavier boat. Got the 7.8x7 but have not tried it. Thanks again.
@skinnyriver hey man. Need your help. Just bought this exact motor brand new. Starts up runs great… however. Only trouble I have with it is when I stop to fish and turn it off for 20-30 mins it floods every time. I’m NOT using the choke or anything, I’ll have it in restart position no choke and it won’t start. Then I have to go full throttle and it goes. It’s only when it’s warm it does this
I got mine used. If I was buying new I probably would go Tohatsu. However I have heard warranty is better with Mercury. But honestly its pretty low risk
Great Video! I have watched a couple from you and they really help me as I am not very mechanical! I do have a question. I am looking at a used boat that has a Mercury 6, 4stroke. It's older, but not sure how old??? It is on a 1436 tracker. I have a 12' Row style Jon boat and have considered getting a new 6hp. Is there an advantage to getting a newer one over one that is 10-13 years old? My Row boat needs some work where getting this used boat would be complete and ready for water.
IMO a new motor is always a safer option if price is not a major issue, you are certain it wasn’t abused and it has a warranty. But If the old one was taken care of and it runs well, it might be perfect for you. For me it would come down to the below: Price Does the older Mercury run well Does the older Mercury show any corrosion or abuse, does it start within a couple pulls? Are you willing on working on it if it needs something? New motor will be more worry free. There is nothing more frustrating than having a motor that doesn’t run great but many old motors run perfect. Bottom line: older motors have more risk but if they were taken care can be as reliable as a new motor. The main advantage of a new motor is certainty. Other than that I’m not aware of any major functionality differences between a 10yr old Merc and a new Merc.
Great review i have n traded in my mercury 3.5hp for the 6hp. Its heading into winter now here in the u.k and will be putting the boat and engine to bed for a few months. Have you done any videos on how to winterize the 6hp ? Many thanks keep up the good work
Thanks for the review. No but I was actually thinking about that yesterday as it’s almost winter here in TN as well. That is a great video idea. I’ll try to make one but the main 3 items are make sure all cooling water drained (it should all run out with gravity when motor is in upright position), either run all gas out or put a fuel stabilizer, change lower end unit oil (can get water in the oil over the year and if it freeze it could crack your lower end unit)
lol keep her warm and toasty. Pretty cool how people all over the world share in this little hobby. Good luck! Its kind of a sad day when the garage door is shut after winterizing😂
You have to use a bucket and water or there is a hose attachment that screws in right below the cowl. But that is to flush it with a hose with it NOT running. To flush the lower end unit/water impeller with it running you have to use a bucket
I have a Tohatsu 6HP motor and agree with everything you say. I swap it between my 12' and 14' boats and it does just fine. It's a little under powered for the 14 but is at the max for my 12' so it is a good compromise. The only difference that I see is the Tohatsu doesn't have the integral tank that the Merc has. It's a 2021 model and maybe earlier models had it, I don't know. I also bought the Tohatsu specifically because it's made in Japan and most of the others are made in China or Taiwan or, who knows where. Even though quality control on the Chinese manufacturers where they're building a lot of these outboards seems to be good, I still felt more confidence in a motor that is built in the country that my Toyota Tundra is built. I just hope it lasts as long as my damn truck!
Good pts, there are 2 6hp models, one has an internal tank and the other doesn’t. Does yours have a battery charging port? I think that model has an alternator to charge your boat battery while in operation. Because of the alternator they didn’t have room for an internal tank. The Tohatsu Japan plant is the largest small outboard manufacturing factory in the world. So I think they are absolutely the best (with Yamaha very close) :) but honestly I’ve heard good things about Suzuki as well. Stay away from everything else!
@@Skinnyriver Whats your opinion on the Honda outboards ? according whit a friend that work on outboards nothing beats them , I only have a old 2 stroke Johnson so i leaning towards the Yamaha for my next motor but when checking prices i see that Honda's are way more expensive and make me think maybe my friend is on to something here?
I’ve never had one but have heard they are awesome. Honestly these little motors are all pretty similar. I really don’t think you can go wrong with a Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, or Mercury/Tohatsu. Johnson’s were awesome but unfortunately they don’t make them anymore
@@Skinnyriver Years ago, Johnson and Evinrude were the same motors and the parts would interchange. I don't know if they still are but that's how it used to be. I had a 20 horse Johnson and Evinrude parts were a direct match. Some lowlife stole that boat right out of my backyard! I eventually got a call from the Sheriff and they recovered the boat. It looked like it came off the trailer and they just drug it down the road and the bottom was totally trashed. I took a look at it and told the guy running the impound yard to just keep it. Sad. That was a great boat.
@@texasplumr I learned some history when I was looking for an outboard… evinrude bought Johnson and they were basically the same motor under the OMC (outboard Marin corp) parent company. OMC went bankrupt in 2000 but they continued to make Evinrude until 2020… now they are collectors items!!! It’s sad because they were really good motors.
This is an excellent review; thank you. I just have one question; have you ever loaded your boat 100 pounds or so more than you did in this test; and if so, how much speed did you lose? I just restored an old Feather Craft Penguin (11-foot v-hull) that is rated for up to 6hp, so I am looking for the best one I can get. Fully loaded, the boat and me and my wife and gear and this motor would be about 520 pounds. Our old 14x48 jon weighed 385 pounds; and fully loaded, it weighed 800 pounds; we once used a 4hp Mercury 4 stroke on it, and all we got was 7 mph. If I could get at least 10 mph I'd be happy; 12 would be ideal. Do you think this 6 could do it? Thank you.
Yeah I think you’ll get 10-12. May need to change your trim position to get a good plane. But I definitely think the 6hp will push 500 up to 12mph. I’ve had mine close to 500 and it didn’t have a huge impact, maybe 3 mph.
yeah it’s the same valve. there is a valve on the side below the internal tank. When you switch it, it stops flow from the internal tank but also allows you to use an external tank
Hello . I have an old Alweld 14/36 john boat.. Im going to be doing a lot of cruising around the Truman lake and sac/osage rivers.. Hows the vibration on the 6hp tiller ?? Dont want my hand going to sleep. Thanks 👍
@@Skinnyriver thanks 👍.. Trying to decide what to do. Also have a 16/52 polar craft.. Get a 25hp tiller with trim and tilt.. But that'll burn up the gas. Or ....??? Use the 6hp.. on a cocktail racer. With remote steer. Check out the cocktail racers. You'll probably build one..lol
Oh boy.. looking at the tohatsu 8hp.. It's 33# more than the 6hp.. (95#) Vs 60?) Give or take. I'm twice your size.. 6'2" and 290# I probably should go for the 8hp on my 14/36.... I think.....
Why is my 4-stroke 3.5hp Tohatsu motor not starting after running fine for an extended period of time? It starts up easily when cold, but once I'm in the water, I'm unable to restart it regardless of my attempts. Plz help (its brand new-used it 3times only)
That’s weird, are you using the internal gas tank? When you are restarting is the choke off (pushed in) and tiller at restart? Is the gas valve open, gas cap vent open, emergency lanyard still attached, It’s got to be either a gas flow issue or a setup issue.
Whats meant by "killing the gas valve"? I have an external tank but I will be using the internal tank for now just to break it in...I have had mine almost 2 weeks hadnt had time to even crank it yet. Lol
Yeah when you flip that to the external tank position it closes the flow from the internal tank. So if you are using the internal tank and flip that lever, it stops the flow of gas from the internal tank
@@Skinnyriver I started her up for the first time y'day and it was a breeze many thanks to you and your vids...the company I bought it from.made me feel like my questions were stupid even though I told them its the first ob I ever owned.
@@Skinnyriver Yamaha's have a good rep and easy to get parts for. That was the one you did a video on, getting it running after a friend brought it to you, correct?
...on a very light boat, the idle speed is a bit too fast for trolling the types of freshwater fish up here in Canada...I'll just drag a pail as a sea anchor off the stern, for now...
le mien ne chauffe pas anormalement. il fait chaud au toucher 160f degrés mais pas assez chaud pour fumer. s'il fait plus chaud que 200f, vous avez probablement un problème de pompe à eau ou un problème de thermostat
Merci de votre réponse cette question de ma part viens du fait qu'un concessionnaire m'a dit que tous les moteurs monocylindre sur des bateaux un peu lourds il iraient jusqu'à,,,, fondre,,,, bon voyez la chose que je ne crois pas du tout. D'autre part intéressé par ces moteur je remarque une grande similitude entre mercury susuki et même un autre moteur peut être pourriez vous me renseigner à ce sujet. Bien à vous amicalement Jean ernest
J'ai conduit le mien pendant 4 heures d'affilée et il n'a pas surchauffé. Je ne crois pas que les cylindres simples aient un problème de surchauffe. Je suis d'accord que tous les petits hors-bord sont très similaires. Yamaha, Suzuki, Mercury sont très similaires. Je prendrais n'importe lequel d'entre eux !
I love my Mercury 6hp. I’ve lost a good amount of power in the last couple months. Not getting to full throttle. I pulled the carb and jets and cleaned them really well. I also changes out the spark plug and replaced the hose to my external gas tank. Any suggestions?
It seems like a fuel issue, change fuel filter. If your gas line began to degrade then it could have built up in your filter. Pump the external tank priming bulb while running. If engine perks up you know it’s a fuel issue. Double check carb float to make sure it’s seat is clean and not flooding your motor, and the opposite, make sure float is not bent or rubbing preventing gas from filling carb bowl. Check fuel pump diaphragm, if it’s got a tear or is hard, it may not be pumping fuel effectively. Check engine oil after you run it. If the oil is yellow, frothy, or have water (condensation) your thermostat may be staying open and engine is not getting to proper operating temp. Or the opposite, thermostat is closed and engine is limiting RPMs in protection mode. Do a compression test to see if you are losing compression in the cylinder.
@@Skinnyriver forgot to mention is has a new fuel filter. There’s only one, right? But I’ll give the other tip a try. Me and my best friend both own the boat and he likes to take it salt water fishing. He always flushes it out on returning home. But what could that salt water effect?
I don’t think salt water will impact anything as long as you see the motor pissing cooling water. Is there specific time when you lose power or is it anytime you give it full throttle? I think best test is to pump the fuel bulb to force gas into the motor when you are at full throttle to see if the motor perks up or not. If it does, it’s definitely a fuel issue.
@@Skinnyriver thrOttle accelerates to about 70% but as I continue throttling to throttle up I don’t get any more acceleration. I really appreciate the advise! I’ll give that a try!
This may seem simple, but I just got my first 12ft boat with a Merc 6\4. Have you checked the trim setting? Raising mine up gave me quite a bit more from the engine
I’ll be honest the problem came back. I tried to bend the metal rod connector to center the interlock when in neutral and it worked for a while now it’s started to slip out of position again. I just know the exact spot my shifter needs to be in for the interlock to be centered and unlock the pull cord. I’m trying to find a video or thread now to see if anyone has solved this
I have the opportunity to buy a 2019 6hp OR a 2019 8hp Mercury. ($900 vs $1700) Is the quietness/less vibration of the 2 cylinder worth the extra cost?
To me the quietness it’s not worth $800. But The 8hp is a better motor but it’s a lot heavier. If you need the extra power and don’t mind it being heavier go with the 8hp with the low noise a bonus. If you don’t need the power or will be taking the motor on and off a lot, I would lean to the 6hp to save $. I would make the decision on power and weight (those are more important). It’s a motor, it’s still gonna make noise just not as much.
Is there a way to slow the lowest speed for trolling under 2mph? just got a 2024 model, but the lowest speed is higher than my 8hp was... thanks for any suggestions
That’s a good question. These have an idle speed screw on the carb, but honestly I wouldn’t mess with that bc it could impact starting etc. a couple things that came to mind 1) a lower pitch prop could slow down forward speed but would also impact top speed 2) have you tried trolling with the outboard in shallow water position? This theoretically should slow down forward speed 3) you could get a drift or trolling sock, they are pretty cheap Note I don’t have experience with these 3 things but are guesses that may work.
@@Skinnyriver thanks so much. So the shallow position did not really help , or at least not enough to get below the 2mph (so you know in our case it didn't) Prop socks DO work, but when catching fish they can tangle in the lines, cuz we have a 14ft jon. So thinking the prop size will be the ticket. Thanks so much for suggestions!
@@huntsters1 yeah it might be worth a shot. It’s effect is like gearing down. I’m just afraid it won’t be that big of a difference at idle. Read this thread www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/6683-how-can-i-slow-down-my-trolling-speed.html
There is a whole procedure. Main pts is to keep rpms low for 1 hr (I think?) and keeping load low for a certain amount of time. I idled mine for 30 mins in a bucket. Check your manual bc there is a specified process per type
@@MarkTwain-my3zt it’s honestly kind of hard to carry flat with only the handle because the handle isn’t at the center point. It naturally wants to stand up. I usually carry it with 2 hands, one on the handle and one on the other side.
v hulls are more harder to plane and hit top speed, they are generally heavier. My buddy had one that topped out at 7mph and he had to basically strip it down to get the weight down. You should trim different trim positions, try to reduce weight. If you are having a hard time planing you could remove weight in the back and add a little weight in the front or try a lower pitch prop
@@Skinnyriver A new maker of outboards, should start with single cylinder small ones, 2.5 to 6 hp imho. It was Italy Banning Japanese importing small engine Motorbikes, scooters, etc, that saved the Italian Motorbike Industry , and enabled them to build the bigger Motorbikes later. Could get a designer to draw up a beaut of a small outboard, then 3D Print/Metal Powder form all the main case components Crankshaft, rod and power train to prop should be an easy contract out, then Pistons, rings, Bearings, nuts, bolts, impeller and Prop, off the shelf? Could be a nice Criwd funded Startup ? If I was younger, I'd do it, but now I just want to use them. Best Wishes. Bob from Wales.👍🙂
Yeah that would be an awesome project. There are some new small US electric outboard makers, but I haven’t heard of anybody in US doing anything cool with smaller 4 strokes. Would be awesome
@@Skinnyriver tbh, I wouldn't touch anything electric drive in a Marine Environment, until something with a dramatically increased energy comes along. No Electric battery can match the energy Density, of Gasoline, let alone Diesel, because as of now, the best "Battery", by orders of magnitude, is Diesel Fuel. When things get rough out there in the Icean, do you want a full tank of diesel and a workhorse Diesel engine, or Bstteries and a Wimpy electric motor ? For me, no contest, plus for a yacht tender, with a 6hp Tohatsu or similar, you can easily get 26 miles to the gallon. I had a go with a 30 mile range disability scooter, guess how far it got ? Just over 2 miles. But it was, like most of them, Chinese. Pass. Best Wishes. Bob. 👍🙂
yeah I agree completely. I get 25 MPG with my 6hp. The energy density in batteries is no where near where it has to be to make small setups like this work. Way too big and heavy. And could you imagine recharging on the water :) now I have a 1 gallon emergency can that will get me 25 miles
According your video your outboard motor is too deep. You have to set it higher. See the motor manual. Also chenge 8 pitch propeller(stok) to 7 pitch. It gives you more power and higher speed.
Yeah I am about 2” too low. Looking to get a Jack plate or just a simple shim to raise 2”. Good point on 7” pitch however I really don’t want to lose any speed. I kind of feel the 8” pitch is a good match but agree 7 would plane faster with more power
@@Skinnyriver You have to check motor's RPM. Max power is with 6000 rpm. I have the Thohatsu 5 LPG(like yours but using propane) motor and 3 propellers 8,7,6 pitch. My favorite is 7". Max speed is 17 mph with 6000rpm. 8" with max 5400rpm has 17mph as well. I use 6" only with fully loaded boat -2 adults and all camping staff and I have 11 mph with 5400 rpm
Yeah good points and experimenting. I have a tach and plan to install in a couple wks. Where did you buy your props? I bet you are right and I am only running 5400 with the 8 pitch.
Are modern impellers realy of so inferior quality, that it is recommended to change them every 2 or 3 years? Unbelievable. I had a Mercury 6hp outbord motor from 1967, in which the impeller lasted for 50 years!! Not very flexible in the end, but the performance was sufficient to keep the motor from overheating..
I think it depends on how many hours per year you put on it. Maybe checking it every 2 years is excessive. I had an 82 Yamaha and it only had 2 impellers ever. But then the last one went out and it destroyed the motor because I didn’t notice it until it was too late… plus I was stranded. If you are puttering around a few times a month probably will last a decade. But if you put a few hundred hrs a year and take 30 mile trips, it’s probably good to check it 3 yrs
![Review on Tohatsu 6 Horse Power Outboard , Tips & Precautions [MFS6D]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sVSo9VRS79g/mqdefault.jpg)
COMMON QUESTION: isn’t there a check valve in the fuel pump to prevent gas from back flowing? YES there are 2 flaps that open and close to prevent the pump from pumping back into the gas tank, but my GUESS is those valves use pressure to open and close and when it’s not operating it doesn’t create a watertight seal because there is no pumping pressure. OR I’m simply losing prime somewhere else in the system.
Yamaha 6HP 4Stroke 2006 Model use a small primer bulb 6Y2-24360-60-00 between internal Tank and Fuel pump. And yes its a great running Motor without Part 8M0124744 .In 3 of 5 cases the Bold sheared. It*s pain in the A... to fix this. Best regards from Germany
Thank you so much for having the best small boat channel on TH-cam. All of us who watch really appreciate your hard work in making these and attention to detail!
I really appreciate it! Thank you for the views!
Awesome video! I bought my first boat today and am putting on this motor tomorrow! Thank you for all the information.
Nice! I think you will really enjoy it. Let me know how it goes and if you have any questions.
I'm currently in the market for a new outboarder for my dinghy. I have a Merc 3.5. Was watching your videos all night last night. They tipped me over the point so I just picked up a 2016 Merc 6 Hp for a good price. Great videos, thanks!
Awesome I think you will like it. Should get a big bump in speed going up to the 6
Late to the video but I am considering a 6hp motor for my kayak, yes i said kayak haha. I love your quote "You don't need to spend 60K on a boat to have fun." LEGEND!
Ha ha yeah that sounds awesome. I have a Crescent 11’ yak and I’ve been debating putting it on there. It’s definitely not rated for it lol. I’ll do a video if I do!!
@@Skinnyriver I have an Old Tow 120 with a Motorguide Xi3 on the bow and works great for what it is. My issue is my fishing is limited to area around the boat ramp. I need an outboard to get to the spot faster then use the Motorguide Xi3 to troll or fish.
"You dont need to spend 60,000 on a boat to have fun" is a very true statement. my dad and i have fun on our pond prowler with a merc 3.5
Awesome yeah I remember going out with my dad on a 10’ Jon boat with a trolling motor. It was really fun
Here is a guy that has a similar boat and a 6hp th-cam.com/video/OcQ55tTD8Ps/w-d-xo.html
This is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks for the great low down on this motor, as it's what I am aiming to get myself here in a couple days
Awesome, thanks for the view. Let me know what you get
Just purchased one of these and a 14 foot aluminum boat. Have not used since I just purchased it yesterday. I am praying 🙏 that it moves it fast enough. I don’t need to plane. Just need to get the docks at night for some snook snatching.
It’s going to be great!!!
@@Skinnyriver TU
Hi, how did the Mercury 6 horse 4 stroke work on your aluminum boat work? Was it enough horse power? I've got a 14 foot aluminum v-hull and am looking at this motor. Thanks.
Love your videos! Bought myself one of theese 2 years ago and its so great! Had a 5 hp 4 stroke yahama before and i like this better. Its more powerful in any way, makes a little more noise and shaking a little more. But all in all the greatest engine i owned so far!
Greetings from Denmark! :D
Thanks for review. I run the carb dry if storing for any length of time to avoid evaporation leaving carb full of varnish, also good practice if transporting on its side to avoid spillage.
Yeah great points. All the old timers swear by running it dry. I’m gonna start
I always shut the fuel flow to the carb at the end of the day and let it run till the carb is empty
I have used this engine for 6 years on a sailboat, and I second everything you said. This puppy sips gas. I get 25 - 35 n miles on 3 gals of gas on a sailboat going 4.5 knots. That's at 1/4 throttle and it charges the battery the whole time. I did a little vid on maintenance. See Jim''s Little boat.
Awesome channel I subbed!! Yeah I’m still loving this motor 3 yrs in now
Great video. I need a need outboard for my dinghy. My old 5hp Honda is struggling due to an exhaust leak and rather than fix it I was considering a new motor. Your a good salesman, I am buying one.
I’ve been really pleased with it. Let me know if you pull the trigger and how it goes.
I have a 4hp mercury and just put the 6hp carb on it. It was easy and pushes my 1436 jon boat about 14 mph loaded with trolling motor, battery, ect. I too had to figure out the cold start with the internal take, 4 or 5 slow pulls to get gas into carb, then hit the choke.
Awesome, so could you tell a big difference going up to the 6hp carb? What was the top speed of the 4hp carb?
@@Skinnyriver Top speed was 10mph, now it's 14mph. Doesn't sound like much, but it made a big difference. Your videos are informative and the step by step maintenance is very helpful.
Nice review. I just bought a new 4hp merc for my little 10ft jon. Went out on the lake fishing two days and had fuel left over using just the built in tank. I have a three gal Honda tank I planned to use that will probably stay home most days to save room and weight in my dinky boat. These little motors get great gas mileage! I'll upgrade to the 6hp carb when the motor is broken in. Should be just right for a 10ft fishin boat.
Jim
Sounds like you got a great setup. Yeah I get almost 25 mpg with my 6hp! It’s awesome gas mileage. Let me know if you do the carb upgrade, curious if you can tell a big difference
OMG… the perfect review I need and LOTS of great info! Thank You.
I have in my hands… a low hours 5hp that I was given for free.
I shall now find a small skiff or John Boat to mount I to as my first boat to take the kids out with me. I can’t bring them on the kayak.
Awesome!! Free is a great deal 😂 let me know what kind of boat you end up getting and how you like the setup
@@Skinnyriver
Currently staring hard at the Milha Lite Skiff hull... but shall be looking around for a good while.
Do you have any recommendations???
I will be doing mostly skinny salt oyster flats and cypress swamp/river areas.
@great0789 I don’t know much about the Milha Lite but it looks awesome. It would definitely be in my top list along with a California skiff or whaler.
@@Skinnyriver
I keep having folks mention Carolina skiff.
Can you buy just a hull from them? Which one do you like?
@great0789 I’ve never had one but the J12 looks awesome. I’m pretty sure you can get just the hull.
Unfortunately, the gear lever broke on my 23 foot yacht (Merc 4s 6hp) for no apparent reason. It broke where the steel rod connects to the plastic lever at the engine feedthru.
A major flaw in my opinion.
Dang dude, mercury auta send you your money back for all the kicker motors this video is gonna sell for them. Thanks for such a quality video
I appreciate it! Thanks
Much appreciated useful practical comments. Thx
Awesome, thanks for the view!
Love my 6 horse Mercury.
Another good video. Thanks.
I really appreciate all of your support and continued views. I Know this video is kinda redundant but it was on my list to give a 2year update. Thank you again for sticking around!!
Oh mines a new 5hp from Australia 🇦🇺 thx again top review!
Nice! I really appreciate the view from Australia!
Just took delivery of the 4 hp Mercury today. I had pre-ordered the 6 hp carburetor, so put that on immediately. It appears to me the only difference between the two carburetors is the jet size, and one small quarter-inch hole in the choke plate. Other than that they appear to be identical. With that said, a person could probably just order the larger jets, and than just not choke 100% or drill a hole in the plate.
I tested the fuel pump as I was curious to see if there was a check valve in there. The answer is yes there is. There's always going to be fuel in the carburetor bowl, so I don't see any way possible for gasoline to backflow into the onboard tank. A separate check valve is not necessary. I believe there is a small check valve in the line if you're using an external tank, but would have to confirm with the parts list. It appears to me it's a check valve though.
From what I saw it took about four pulls for fuel to appear in the fuel filter. It still took an additional four or five pulls after that to start the thing. The idle was a little bit too low on this aftermarket carburetor, but didn't seem to make any difference with subsequent starting.
Overall, really disappointing startup performance. I just pulled my lawnmower out after sitting an entire year. Briggs & Stratton 5 hp. On the second, light pull, it fired right up. Never drained the carburetor bowl or anything. One heck of an engine there!
And it appears to me the Mercury needs a very abrupt pull, whereas with my lawnmower and some other pull start engines you really don't even need to pull all that hard.
This is the only outboard I've used that doesn't have an actual kill switch. You have to pull the lanyard off unless I missed something. No separate kill switch.
With the throttle tension completely released, the carburetor doesn't spring back to an idle position. Rather dangerous. The spring on the carburetor works fine, but unless there's a spring or something missing, the throttle linkage doesn't spring back. I'm curious if yours operates the same way? Typically you have to increase the tension if you don't want the throttle the spring back on its own--not on this one!
So far I'm not sure what to say. I'm a little bit underwhelmed here. I expected a bit more frankly for a brand-new motor. When it does start, it's extremely quiet. Very nice appearance, etc. No complaints there. Very little smoke if at all.
I'll try starting it again tomorrow from a cold start. I filled the onboard tank full and turned off the gas valve. The cold starting issue may be a deal breaker for me. It's got to be the worst outboard to date for difficult cold starting. Ugh. My back is sore!
Man that’s frustrating I know. The good: the kill switch is also a push button, so you can press it even with the lanyard in place.
Mine now starts in 2 pulls (was 6 or 7 pulls) if I use an external tank, or pre-prime the system. I do not see a check valve on mine and my fuel pump allows it to back flow. Even though there will always be gas in the carb bowl, I have found my lines are empty to the carb bowl after it sits for a little while. Not sure if that helps you or not.
Also good which I bet you have also seen: once it starts it will start with 1 pull the rest of the day unless it sits for a while.
I agree with the carb upgrade, I bet it’s just a different jet, that’s a good point. Also the 6hp has an higher pitch prop than the 4hp, you may want to look at changing prop with the new carb.
Overall the most frustrating thing I have had with this motor is cold starting! But with an external tank (or pre-priming) before the trip has solved that for me at least. I wish you all the best of luck. Try and external tank, I really think you will get everything dialed in. Good luck!!!
I knew about the pitch on the prop, but thanks for mentioning. I've got the stock 8 inch from the 6 hp on the right now; I also purchased a 9" pitch prop to try. I was hoping to use the onboard tank, but dropped another hundred dollars up at Amazon yesterday on a new tank and line, so I'll see how that goes.
And did your throttle mechanism return to Idle by itself? I was surprised even with all the tension removed it kind of stays wherever you put it, which seems a bit dangerous.
Right now there is a bit of an air bubble in the line because I have not hooked up an external tank. I can confirm there is a check valve in the fuel pump, so nothing is back flowing from the carburetor beyond the fuel pump.
There is essentially a T in the line between the external tank and the onboard tank. I can actually see a little bit of an airlock being formed there, but I'm also going to wager to bet once an external tank is hooked up and I can get all the air bled out, it will get better. It's just not exactly the best design in the world.
I was pressing on that red button yesterday at the kill switch and it did nothing. I did read it's supposed to be a push button as well. Maybe I just have to press a lot harder!
Anyway, I hope this gets better. I do love the way the thing runs, once you finally get it started--lol. I'll play around with it some more today.
Yeah my throttle stays in place. It’s never returned to idle if I let go, even with all tension removed. I tried a Yamaha last year and its throttle was the same way. Cruise Control lol 😂 let me know how it goes with the new tank. When you pull the choke, the choke lever actually opens the throttle on the carb. Some people will turn their tiller handle to a point where the throttle is open even slightly more. Then they use that tiller position for cold starting (basically increases the choke and gives more gas in cold starting) it increase the chance of flooding but some people have said that helped
i think that the gas running back to the tank would eliminate the chance of gas flooding the cylinders if the bowl ever stuck open
Yeah good thought. I’ve tested this multiple times and am 100% sure gas flows back into the tank. It takes a while though, it only happens if it sits for a day or so
Nice to see this! Just got one with the long shaft for our 24' sailboat and so far is dead quiet compared to the old 2 stroke and 1/4 the vibration.
We aren't currently using the internal tank but good to know!
Awesome! glad its working for you! Thanks for the view
And the same question. My sailing buddy has a 21-foot sailboat center board sail boat.[Myncompac 19 is fixed keel. Both boats are about the same weight and terminal hull speed] with an overly huge 9.5 hp,1988 Merc 2 stroke. The 9.5 is a beast~! I said deep six it in favor of a 6 hp Merc 4 stroke. Good choice, I think.
@@craigweis6576 Wow there's a C&C 30 here that gets long with a 8HP, let alone a 9.5
Hade a 2010 6hp merk drove around bay of green bay and more plane on a nother
Great review!! Thinking about it, maybe used if I can find it.
Awesome let me know what you end up getting
hey great video again…I bought a 10 feet mercury dinghy and a mercury 6 hp 2022 … think will be ok for 2 in a dinghy
Those dingys are awesome. They carry a lot of weight. Just Check weight capacity. As for the motor, dingy’s are not really designed for speed so I think you should have realistic expectations with 2 people in it in regards to planing and speed. But I do know it will be a blast out on the water!!!
Great review and very informative! thank you!
Thanks I appreciate the view and support!
Great informative video! A question I have is if the small displacement Merc's
are made by Tohatsu and they are basically the same engine, why not get the
Tohatsu and save yourself a few bucks? I'm currently looking to make a purchase
and Im considering different brands. Trying to exclude the China brands. Any
advise for someone new to boating who bought a Tracker Topper 10 would be great
Yeah Tohatsu is a great option since it’s the same motor. I bought mine used but would have went Tohatsu if new. I think Mercury may have the edge on warranty and service (so I have heard). But Tohatsu, Merc, Suzuki, or Yamaha are all in the same class
You ever worry the motor might fly off going down the highway? it would be a cool idea to bolt one to the transom
Yeah I’m pretty nervous about that. I triple check the clamp is tight. But yeah that is a good video idea to show how to bolt it down. I have to take mine off after every trip so I’m thinking something with a quick release
@@Skinnyriver maybe you could modify a miniature aluminum Jack plate with quick release pins in it hmmm 🤔 also how is the impeller holding up now?
@tylerhurd9569 yeah try it’s a good idea, a little wear but everything is still great
What is your guess? This Mercury engine on the back of a 2,300 lb Com Pac 19-foot sailboat with a terminal design hull speed of 6.2 mph?
Presently I have a Mercury 2 cycle 5 hp that pushes my Com Pac to about 5.3 mph with or without the sails up. She'll sail at about 5.2~6.4 mph on a good day with no motor. It's been a good running motor but it's getting long in the tooth.
It's interesting the Com Pac achieves about the same speeds as motor or sail or both.
So one could say the sails make about 5 hp.
This motor is probably 20lbs heavier than the 2-stroke so I don’t think you will see a huge difference compared to the 5hp, but being new vs old, you may get a little better top speed and acceleration performance (depending on the prop you choose).
It’s been a great motor. I think definitely worth a look to get a bit more reliability, longevity and slightly better performance and gas mileage
@@Skinnyriver Thank you. Reliability, Longevity performance and gas mileage All Good.
What about the carb changes for the bigger [but the same block] engines?
You can get a 4hp and upgrade to 6hp with new carb and prop. Someone said the carb is exactly the same, the only difference is the main carb jet. He was going to try to just change the carb jet on his 4hp to the 6hp carb jet for $20 to see if it made a difference (vs $200 for whole new 6hp carb).
I don’t think there are any upgrades to the 6hp carb. Only other carb change I’m aware of for 6hp is high altitude jets (vs standard jets).
The 9.9 Merc 4 cycles have an accelerator pump, and each twist of the throttle floods the engine with a shot of gasoline. Don't flood the engine, with or without the engine running.
hello, my engine does not exceed 5 knots. What do you think could be the problem? Mercury 6 hp 4 stroke Thank you😊
What size boat is it pushing? It’s either too much weight, you are using wrong trim position or you have a gas supply or carb issue
@@Skinnyriver 2.70 pushing inflatable boats. I tried many trims, it didn't work.
Love your videos. Just getting a 6HP tohatsu. What is your preferred prop?
I think the standard is 7.8 x 8 pitch is a really good option if your boat is
www.kirschbaum.at/ki_prop/pdf/mercury_mariner.pdf
Dude, you are the best! Thx for your response. Just what I needed. I'm under 400 lbs, so the 7.8x8 should do the trick. Bogged down on a heavier boat. Got the 7.8x7 but have not tried it.
Thanks again.
@skinnyriver hey man. Need your help. Just bought this exact motor brand new. Starts up runs great… however. Only trouble I have with it is when I stop to fish and turn it off for 20-30 mins it floods every time.
I’m NOT using the choke or anything, I’ll have it in restart position no choke and it won’t start. Then I have to go full throttle and it goes. It’s only when it’s warm it does this
Are you using an external tank or the internal tank?
Thanks for the video
Thanks for the view!
@@Skinnyriver I just got one of these motors yesterday. Sure are fun.
Great video
Thank you!! I appreciate the view
Why did you choose the Mercury over the Tohatsu if they are the same, but the latter is less expensive? Service, dealer, preference ?
I got mine used. If I was buying new I probably would go Tohatsu. However I have heard warranty is better with Mercury. But honestly its pretty low risk
Great Video! I have watched a couple from you and they really help me as I am not very mechanical! I do have a question. I am looking at a used boat that has a Mercury 6, 4stroke. It's older, but not sure how old??? It is on a 1436 tracker. I have a 12' Row style Jon boat and have considered getting a new 6hp. Is there an advantage to getting a newer one over one that is 10-13 years old? My Row boat needs some work where getting this used boat would be complete and ready for water.
IMO a new motor is always a safer option if price is not a major issue, you are certain it wasn’t abused and it has a warranty. But If the old one was taken care of and it runs well, it might be perfect for you. For me it would come down to the below:
Price
Does the older Mercury run well
Does the older Mercury show any corrosion or abuse, does it start within a couple pulls?
Are you willing on working on it if it needs something?
New motor will be more worry free. There is nothing more frustrating than having a motor that doesn’t run great but many old motors run perfect.
Bottom line: older motors have more risk but if they were taken care can be as reliable as a new motor. The main advantage of a new motor is certainty. Other than that I’m not aware of any major functionality differences between a 10yr old Merc and a new Merc.
@@Skinnyriver Thanks for the quick response! I will be looking at it later today. I'm hoping it is in good shape! The motor is key to the package.
Great review i have n traded in my mercury 3.5hp for the 6hp. Its heading into winter now here in the u.k and will be putting the boat and engine to bed for a few months. Have you done any videos on how to winterize the 6hp ? Many thanks keep up the good work
Thanks for the review. No but I was actually thinking about that yesterday as it’s almost winter here in TN as well. That is a great video idea. I’ll try to make one but the main 3 items are make sure all cooling water drained (it should all run out with gravity when motor is in upright position), either run all gas out or put a fuel stabilizer, change lower end unit oil (can get water in the oil over the year and if it freeze it could crack your lower end unit)
@@Skinnyriver thank you for reply . Will get to work winterizing this weekend I may get the engine its own duvet aswell 😅.
lol keep her warm and toasty. Pretty cool how people all over the world share in this little hobby. Good luck! Its kind of a sad day when the garage door is shut after winterizing😂
Excellent video! I was wondering how you flush this motor since it doesn’t have traditional vents for ears so is there another way? Thank you!
You have to use a bucket and water or there is a hose attachment that screws in right below the cowl. But that is to flush it with a hose with it NOT running. To flush the lower end unit/water impeller with it running you have to use a bucket
I have a Tohatsu 6HP motor and agree with everything you say. I swap it between my 12' and 14' boats and it does just fine. It's a little under powered for the 14 but is at the max for my 12' so it is a good compromise. The only difference that I see is the Tohatsu doesn't have the integral tank that the Merc has. It's a 2021 model and maybe earlier models had it, I don't know. I also bought the Tohatsu specifically because it's made in Japan and most of the others are made in China or Taiwan or, who knows where. Even though quality control on the Chinese manufacturers where they're building a lot of these outboards seems to be good, I still felt more confidence in a motor that is built in the country that my Toyota Tundra is built. I just hope it lasts as long as my damn truck!
Good pts, there are 2 6hp models, one has an internal tank and the other doesn’t. Does yours have a battery charging port? I think that model has an alternator to charge your boat battery while in operation. Because of the alternator they didn’t have room for an internal tank. The Tohatsu Japan plant is the largest small outboard manufacturing factory in the world. So I think they are absolutely the best (with Yamaha very close) :) but honestly I’ve heard good things about Suzuki as well. Stay away from everything else!
@@Skinnyriver Whats your opinion on the Honda outboards ? according whit a friend that work on outboards nothing beats them , I only have a old 2 stroke Johnson so i leaning towards the Yamaha for my next motor but when checking prices i see that Honda's are way more expensive and make me think maybe my friend is on to something here?
I’ve never had one but have heard they are awesome. Honestly these little motors are all pretty similar. I really don’t think you can go wrong with a Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, or Mercury/Tohatsu.
Johnson’s were awesome but unfortunately they don’t make them anymore
@@Skinnyriver Years ago, Johnson and Evinrude were the same motors and the parts would interchange. I don't know if they still are but that's how it used to be. I had a 20 horse Johnson and Evinrude parts were a direct match. Some lowlife stole that boat right out of my backyard! I eventually got a call from the Sheriff and they recovered the boat. It looked like it came off the trailer and they just drug it down the road and the bottom was totally trashed. I took a look at it and told the guy running the impound yard to just keep it. Sad. That was a great boat.
@@texasplumr I learned some history when I was looking for an outboard… evinrude bought Johnson and they were basically the same motor under the OMC (outboard Marin corp) parent company. OMC went bankrupt in 2000 but they continued to make Evinrude until 2020… now they are collectors items!!! It’s sad because they were really good motors.
This is an excellent review; thank you. I just have one question; have you ever loaded your boat 100 pounds or so more than you did in this test; and if so, how much speed did you lose? I just restored an old Feather Craft Penguin (11-foot v-hull) that is rated for up to 6hp, so I am looking for the best one I can get. Fully loaded, the boat and me and my wife and gear and this motor would be about 520 pounds. Our old 14x48 jon weighed 385 pounds; and fully loaded, it weighed 800 pounds; we once used a 4hp Mercury 4 stroke on it, and all we got was 7 mph. If I could get at least 10 mph I'd be happy; 12 would be ideal. Do you think this 6 could do it? Thank you.
Yeah I think you’ll get 10-12. May need to change your trim position to get a good plane. But I definitely think the 6hp will push 500 up to 12mph. I’ve had mine close to 500 and it didn’t have a huge impact, maybe 3 mph.
Excellent! Thank you. 😊
How do you kill gas valve? Does it mean switching it to external tank?
yeah it’s the same valve. there is a valve on the side below the internal tank. When you switch it, it stops flow from the internal tank but also allows you to use an external tank
@@Skinnyriver got it, thank you!
Hello . I have an old Alweld 14/36 john boat..
Im going to be doing a lot of cruising around the Truman lake and sac/osage rivers..
Hows the vibration on the 6hp tiller ?? Dont want my hand going to sleep.
Thanks 👍
It’s really not that bad. But the 8hp is a lot smoother bc of the 2 cylinders. But it’s more weight.
@@Skinnyriver thanks 👍..
Trying to decide what to do.
Also have a 16/52 polar craft..
Get a 25hp tiller with trim and tilt..
But that'll burn up the gas.
Or ....???
Use the 6hp.. on a cocktail racer.
With remote steer.
Check out the cocktail racers.
You'll probably build one..lol
Oh boy.. looking at the tohatsu 8hp..
It's 33# more than the 6hp..
(95#) Vs 60?)
Give or take.
I'm twice your size.. 6'2" and 290#
I probably should go for the 8hp on my 14/36.... I think.....
@timhudson1846 if you are not having to carry the motor and it will stay on the boat, I would go 8hp or 9.9hp (they are about the same weight)
Ha ha those look like a blast!
Thank you
Thanks for info... 👍
Why is my 4-stroke 3.5hp Tohatsu motor not starting after running fine for an extended period of time? It starts up easily when cold, but once I'm in the water, I'm unable to restart it regardless of my attempts. Plz help (its brand new-used it 3times only)
That’s weird, are you using the internal gas tank?
When you are restarting is the choke off (pushed in) and tiller at restart? Is the gas valve open, gas cap vent open, emergency lanyard still attached,
It’s got to be either a gas flow issue or a setup issue.
@@Skinnyriver Thank you, I feel its setup issue as you suggested, bcs its brand new motor n I'm very new to boats.... I'll keep trying.
Whats meant by "killing the gas valve"? I have an external tank but I will be using the internal tank for now just to break it in...I have had mine almost 2 weeks hadnt had time to even crank it yet. Lol
Just turning the gas valve off so gas can’t flow out of or back into the internal tank.
@@Skinnyriver Is that the switch to flip between internal and external tank?
Yeah when you flip that to the external tank position it closes the flow from the internal tank. So if you are using the internal tank and flip that lever, it stops the flow of gas from the internal tank
@@Skinnyriver I started her up for the first time y'day and it was a breeze many thanks to you and your vids...the company I bought it from.made me feel like my questions were stupid even though I told them its the first ob I ever owned.
Awesome! I am glad it worked out for you! Hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you run into any issues.
Do I have to leave vent open on gas cap when running internal tank
If you are using the internal tank the vent must be open when the motor is running
Thank you
What about using the external tank leave the vent on gas cap closed and the valve on side of engine turned off?
@@jamespollard4570 with external tank, close internal tank vent and valve
@jamespollard4570 yeah external you want internal vent and valve closed
Did you just have a trolling motor before?
Had a 4hp Yamaha 2-stroke, awesome motor
@@Skinnyriver Yamaha's have a good rep and easy to get parts for. That was the one you did a video on, getting it running after a friend brought it to you, correct?
...on a very light boat, the idle speed is a bit too fast for trolling the types of freshwater fish up here in Canada...I'll just drag a pail as a sea anchor off the stern, for now...
Yeah I tried trolling as well and it’s too fast. Lol good idea with the pail. Never heard of that! I may give that a shot
Bonjour dites moi svp si ce moteur chauffe anormalement dans certaines conditions merci à vous amicalement Jean ernest
le mien ne chauffe pas anormalement. il fait chaud au toucher 160f degrés mais pas assez chaud pour fumer. s'il fait plus chaud que 200f, vous avez probablement un problème de pompe à eau ou un problème de thermostat
Merci de votre réponse cette question de ma part viens du fait qu'un concessionnaire m'a dit que tous les moteurs monocylindre sur des bateaux un peu lourds il iraient jusqu'à,,,, fondre,,,, bon voyez la chose que je ne crois pas du tout. D'autre part intéressé par ces moteur je remarque une grande similitude entre mercury susuki et même un autre moteur peut être pourriez vous me renseigner à ce sujet. Bien à vous amicalement Jean ernest
J'ai conduit le mien pendant 4 heures d'affilée et il n'a pas surchauffé. Je ne crois pas que les cylindres simples aient un problème de surchauffe. Je suis d'accord que tous les petits hors-bord sont très similaires. Yamaha, Suzuki, Mercury sont très similaires. Je prendrais n'importe lequel d'entre eux !
I love my Mercury 6hp. I’ve lost a good amount of power in the last couple months. Not getting to full throttle. I pulled the carb and jets and cleaned them really well. I also changes out the spark plug and replaced the hose to my external gas tank. Any suggestions?
It seems like a fuel issue, change fuel filter. If your gas line began to degrade then it could have built up in your filter. Pump the external tank priming bulb while running. If engine perks up you know it’s a fuel issue. Double check carb float to make sure it’s seat is clean and not flooding your motor, and the opposite, make sure float is not bent or rubbing preventing gas from filling carb bowl. Check fuel pump diaphragm, if it’s got a tear or is hard, it may not be pumping fuel effectively. Check engine oil after you run it. If the oil is yellow, frothy, or have water (condensation) your thermostat may be staying open and engine is not getting to proper operating temp. Or the opposite, thermostat is closed and engine is limiting RPMs in protection mode. Do a compression test to see if you are losing compression in the cylinder.
@@Skinnyriver forgot to mention is has a new fuel filter. There’s only one, right? But I’ll give the other tip a try. Me and my best friend both own the boat and he likes to take it salt water fishing. He always flushes it out on returning home. But what could that salt water effect?
I don’t think salt water will impact anything as long as you see the motor pissing cooling water. Is there specific time when you lose power or is it anytime you give it full throttle? I think best test is to pump the fuel bulb to force gas into the motor when you are at full throttle to see if the motor perks up or not. If it does, it’s definitely a fuel issue.
@@Skinnyriver thrOttle accelerates to about 70% but as I continue throttling to throttle up I don’t get any more acceleration. I really appreciate the advise! I’ll give that a try!
This may seem simple, but I just got my first 12ft boat with a Merc 6\4. Have you checked the trim setting? Raising mine up gave me quite a bit more from the engine
having the same issue with the start lockout in neutral. How did you tune/fix it?
I’ll be honest the problem came back. I tried to bend the metal rod connector to center the interlock when in neutral and it worked for a while now it’s started to slip out of position again. I just know the exact spot my shifter needs to be in for the interlock to be centered and unlock the pull cord. I’m trying to find a video or thread now to see if anyone has solved this
@@Skinnyriver Thank you! tempted to remove it...
I have the opportunity to buy a 2019 6hp OR a 2019 8hp Mercury. ($900 vs $1700)
Is the quietness/less vibration of the 2 cylinder worth the extra cost?
To me the quietness it’s not worth $800. But The 8hp is a better motor but it’s a lot heavier. If you need the extra power and don’t mind it being heavier go with the 8hp with the low noise a bonus. If you don’t need the power or will be taking the motor on and off a lot, I would lean to the 6hp to save $. I would make the decision on power and weight (those are more important). It’s a motor, it’s still gonna make noise just not as much.
Is there a way to slow the lowest speed for trolling under 2mph? just got a 2024 model, but the lowest speed is higher than my 8hp was... thanks for any suggestions
That’s a good question. These have an idle speed screw on the carb, but honestly I wouldn’t mess with that bc it could impact starting etc. a couple things that came to mind
1) a lower pitch prop could slow down forward speed but would also impact top speed
2) have you tried trolling with the outboard in shallow water position? This theoretically should slow down forward speed
3) you could get a drift or trolling sock, they are pretty cheap
Note I don’t have experience with these 3 things but are guesses that may work.
@@Skinnyriver thanks so much. So the shallow position did not really help , or at least not enough to get below the 2mph (so you know in our case it didn't) Prop socks DO work, but when catching fish they can tangle in the lines, cuz we have a 14ft jon. So thinking the prop size will be the ticket. Thanks so much for suggestions!
@@huntsters1 yeah it might be worth a shot. It’s effect is like gearing down. I’m just afraid it won’t be that big of a difference at idle. Read this thread www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/6683-how-can-i-slow-down-my-trolling-speed.html
So how did you choose the shaft lenth??
Measure the top of your transom to the bottom of your hull. That will tell you how long your shaft needs to be
How hard is it to winterize. ?
Really simple, check out this quick video th-cam.com/video/h_sdsBTwAgQ/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/h_sdsBTwAgQ/w-d-xo.html
@@Skinnyriver thank you for getting back to me
how do you break it in?
There is a whole procedure. Main pts is to keep rpms low for 1 hr (I think?) and keeping load low for a certain amount of time. I idled mine for 30 mins in a bucket. Check your manual bc there is a specified process per type
@@Skinnyriver thank you . i just ordered the tohatsu 5hp. Might be delivered this weekend !
@@Skinnyriver Can you carry it by the handle or does it have to be upright like the manual says ?
@@MarkTwain-my3zt it’s honestly kind of hard to carry flat with only the handle because the handle isn’t at the center point. It naturally wants to stand up. I usually carry it with 2 hands, one on the handle and one on the other side.
@@Skinnyriver thanks !
hi guys, my motor is only getting 6mph on a 12 v hall aluminuim ,, you guys thing is anything wrong with it ?
What HP is your motor?
6hp ..
v hulls are more harder to plane and hit top speed, they are generally heavier. My buddy had one that topped out at 7mph and he had to basically strip it down to get the weight down. You should trim different trim positions, try to reduce weight. If you are having a hard time planing you could remove weight in the back and add a little weight in the front or try a lower pitch prop
@@Skinnyriver thanks . I will try that.
I tryed and still only gets to 9mph .
Very good engine, but carburador issues constantly 🤔
What kind of problems? Just hard starting?
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Sounds almost as temperamental as a Honda … we really need an American made outboard !!!
Yeah I agree! I’m not aware of any American made small outboards. It would be top on my list if there was one.
@@Skinnyriver
A new maker of outboards, should start with single cylinder small ones, 2.5 to 6 hp imho. It was Italy Banning Japanese importing small engine Motorbikes, scooters, etc, that saved the Italian Motorbike Industry , and enabled them to build the bigger Motorbikes later. Could get a designer to draw up a beaut of a small outboard, then 3D Print/Metal Powder form all the main case components Crankshaft, rod and power train to prop should be an easy contract out, then Pistons, rings, Bearings, nuts, bolts, impeller and Prop, off the shelf? Could be a nice Criwd funded Startup ? If I was younger, I'd do it, but now I just want to use them. Best Wishes. Bob from Wales.👍🙂
Yeah that would be an awesome project. There are some new small US electric outboard makers, but I haven’t heard of anybody in US doing anything cool with smaller 4 strokes. Would be awesome
@@Skinnyriver
tbh, I wouldn't touch anything electric drive in a Marine Environment, until something with a dramatically increased energy comes along. No Electric battery can match the energy Density, of Gasoline, let alone Diesel, because as of now, the best "Battery", by orders of magnitude, is Diesel Fuel. When things get rough out there in the Icean, do you want a full tank of diesel and a workhorse Diesel engine, or Bstteries and a Wimpy electric motor ? For me, no contest, plus for a yacht tender, with a 6hp Tohatsu or similar, you can easily get 26 miles to the gallon. I had a go with a 30 mile range disability scooter, guess how far it got ? Just over 2 miles. But it was, like most of them, Chinese. Pass. Best Wishes. Bob. 👍🙂
yeah I agree completely. I get 25 MPG with my 6hp. The energy density in batteries is no where near where it has to be to make small setups like this work. Way too big and heavy. And could you imagine recharging on the water :) now I have a 1 gallon emergency can that will get me 25 miles
Yep, change the oll guys....engines need oll.....
You're boy is awesome !! LOL
According your video your outboard motor is too deep. You have to set it higher. See the motor manual. Also chenge 8 pitch propeller(stok) to 7 pitch. It gives you more power and higher speed.
Yeah I am about 2” too low. Looking to get a Jack plate or just a simple shim to raise 2”. Good point on 7” pitch however I really don’t want to lose any speed. I kind of feel the 8” pitch is a good match but agree 7 would plane faster with more power
@@Skinnyriver You have to check motor's RPM. Max power is with 6000 rpm. I have the Thohatsu 5 LPG(like yours but using propane) motor and 3 propellers 8,7,6 pitch. My favorite is 7". Max speed is 17 mph with 6000rpm. 8" with max 5400rpm has 17mph as well. I use 6" only with fully loaded boat -2 adults and all camping staff and I have 11 mph with 5400 rpm
Yeah good points and experimenting. I have a tach and plan to install in a couple wks. Where did you buy your props? I bet you are right and I am only running 5400 with the 8 pitch.
Have a a cheer 4.0 will not start
Are modern impellers realy of so inferior quality, that it is recommended to change them every 2 or 3 years? Unbelievable.
I had a Mercury 6hp outbord motor from 1967, in which the impeller lasted for 50 years!! Not very flexible in the end, but the performance was sufficient to keep the motor from overheating..
I think it depends on how many hours per year you put on it. Maybe checking it every 2 years is excessive. I had an 82 Yamaha and it only had 2 impellers ever. But then the last one went out and it destroyed the motor because I didn’t notice it until it was too late… plus I was stranded. If you are puttering around a few times a month probably will last a decade. But if you put a few hundred hrs a year and take 30 mile trips, it’s probably good to check it 3 yrs
👎🙈
🤔 hmm guessing you didn’t like the review