Dinghy Motor 9.9 - Honda vs Yamaha

YYZRC

Any reason to choose one over the other?  Considering new 2019/2020 model.

I have a Yammy 6hp now and it's fine but maybe I don't know what I'm missing!

PickleRick

My 1986 yamaha 9.9 4 stroke has been bullet proof.

Go with whichever has best local parts support.

If you ever need part numbers for Honda, being that im a Honda dealer, i can send you dealer parts look up breakdowns and part numbers. Im pretty sure msrp on parts is also on those break downs.  So long as the part is also used on outdoor power equipment i can or any Honda dealer lawn mower shop can order them without the marine part price mark up.  

Asking if yamaha or Honda are best is, to me, like asking which kid of yours is better.  I only have one kid but if I had another I'm sure id think that way. 

YYZRC

Thanks Rick.  That's what I figured.  I'm happy with my 6hp Yamaha, although I'm not sure it starts particularly well and sometimes has bad recoil.

Yammy is more appealing as it's 6lb lighter, but the Honda is about $200 cheaper.  Your parts look-up offer is appealing as well.

I only have one kid and he's more of a Tohatsu 

Joking!!

Michael T

Honda are a bit quieter but Yamaha are (along with maybe Tohatsu) the most bulletproof motors available. When you get out into small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, South America - in areas where toughness/strength, difficulty to service and reliability are matters of life and death that's where you see the Yamahas as well as 90% of the jet ski rental worldwide. The reason: if you change the oil they will outlive you.

Black_Diamond

Those 9.9’s are great for most dinghy applications. The added weight of the 4-stroke vs 2-stroke is a bugger if you have to remove the engine to get the dinghy on a davit. My 9.9 2-stroke is 65#, the 4-strokes are in the ~100# range. At 65# still too much to be removing from the dinghy while in the water for me. I will say that 3.3hp merc I had was ideal for taking on/off at 35#. For just putzing around it was perfectly fine. It got me from the beach to boat in 8+ footers! (Another story). 

My 9.9 Al Special is a rocket now. 

Dream_Inn

@Black_Diamond the 3.3 is 28lbs. I'm quite sure.  I'd love to have a rocket 9.9!!  My son, would probably wax someone's boat for it!!😁

YYZRC

I can’t do motor removal anymore. Aside from the endurance test, storing it just sucks. My 330 will have Hurley style davits and the motor stays on!!

Black_Diamond

Get the Hurley H3o. Love mine. 

Black_Diamond

@Dream_Inn: 28# is right. Memory fading. lol. That is a great motor though. 

YYZRC

The H3O is overkill for a soft bottom dinghy IMO.  I picked up the H2O today.

Black_Diamond

Possibly overkill. I have an AB 9.5 rib. Dinghy and motor ~165#. I started off with the Weaver davits, near impossible to pull the dinghy up (less motor). Then went to a slide up type...same issues plus did not at all fit the RIB hull (I had asked the davit company beforehand too). Wasted $900. 

My 342 swim platform is fairly high off the water. Add in launching/retrieving in Lake Michigan too..easily 1-2’ waves or more at times. The H3o is awesome. Just my .02. 

YYZRC

Which slide-up davits did you have?

I have no doubt the H3O is awesome.  I previously had davits similar to Weaver and even with my small and relatively light dinghy and no motor it sucked hoisting it.  But worse than that was storing the motor.

I'll give the H2O a go and if they don't work well, I will go back to the drawing board!

Black_Diamond

I had the Trick Davits. Probably for a soft bottom or a Mercury type RIB, probably a good system. It would not adjust to fit my AB RIB hull. The arms would not adjust properly to fit and would slip out of adjustment allowing the dinghy to potentially slip back/off. 

I agree taking the motor on/off is a pain!  I had nowhere to store a 9.9.  The 342 had a nice molded in spot in under the rear seating to fit the 3.3hp. I het a pretty good backwash coming off plane too, so storing an outboard on the swim platform like some do was just trouble waiting to happen. 

Hope the H2o works for you!  Nothing but good stuff to say about Hurley. I chatted with them a few times about the H3o for my 342. Super helpful. Plus they are Yoopers!  😁. (UP of Michigan for those not in the know). 

Share some pics when you get it installed.