2 1/2hp Suzuki for dingy

[Big Mac]

Anyone out there have a 2 1/2hp 4 stroke Suzuki for their dingy? I have been considering Honda but am not sure about the clutch versus forward and neutral on the Suzuki.
I found a company on the internet that will deliver to your door, new in the factory crate, for $719.00 anywhere in the US. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Any thoughts? Thanks Big Mac.

[matt_unique]

That sounds like a good deal. I think you will find neutral a handy feature. Also, when you're home and want to flush the engine you can just put her in a 5g bucket. With the prop spinning you are likely to shear the prop pin.

[bshillam]

Check the weight on the Suzuki vs the Honda. I'd guess w/o the clutch the engine would weigh more. If your having to lower the motor from the boat out in the water it could be challenging if much heavier than the Honda. Just a thought.
If it's close enough I'd go for it. Great price. Also is the Suzuki water cooled? If so this would also be a benefit as it's probably quieter.

[Captains Cat]

Looks like all three (Suzuki (2.5hp), Honda (2hp) and Tohatsu/Merc/Nissan (Same MFR) (2.5hp)) are water cooled, have F-N gear shift, rotate 360 degrees for reverse.

The Suzi and Honda both are lighter, 29/28 lbs respectively, while the Tohatsu is 41 lbs.

Charlie

[localboy]

[Dreamer]

The Honda 2 HP is air cooled. The prop doesn't spin at idle due to the centrifugal clutch. There is no shifting, just advance the throttle and you're off. Our only complaint is that it is noisier then a water cooled engine. Sure like the light weight however.

[marvin4239]

I don't have a Suzuki 2 1/2 but I met a guy at a dingy dock in Indiantown with one and asked him how he liked it. He went on for at least 30 minutes telling me how good a motor it was compared to others he had. He said the only complaint he had was that even though it was water cooled it didn't have the traditional pee hole but some sort of a sight glass arrangement. He also said he had bought it new for $575 from a large dealer somewhere around Orlando. Wish I had paid closer attention to the name of the dealer.

[Jazzmanic]

We have the Suzuki 2.5 and it works great for us. I think Marvin is correct, it is air cooled. And it's very light and easy to transport to the dinghy and back. Definite

[Matt Gurnsey]

The 2009 Suzuki 2.5 has the pee hole now, as opposed to the water mist in the exhaust for telltale. Weight is a bit more than the Honda, but not much.

The Honda is air cooled, and loud. We had three late model Hondas come in trade at one time. All the owners complained of noise, and it was one of the biggest reasons for trading in. One went bigger (4 horse), one went 2.5 Suzuki, the third I don't recall.

Some people like the centrifical clutch, other didn't like the inability to be in gear at idle.

All I know is that we have sold 6 2.5 Suzuki's in the last two weeks, and have more on order.

One note- I'm not sure how the Suzuki warranty treats motors that have not been Pre Delivered by a dealer. Without that Pre Delivery Inspection form and information turned into Suzuki, there may not be a warranty.

Besides, you local dealer can probably sell that motor for about the same price (although Suzuki did raise their prices April 1, 2009).

[mark&diana]

We also have the Suzuki 2.5 for our dinghy. Has worked great and has not been that difficult to take off and on.

The only issue is that we kept it on its side strapped to the roof under the dinghy and when last tried to use found that oil had leaked and fouled the spark plug. We are going to come up with a way to store it up-right when not in use.

[Matt Gurnsey]

Be sure to store it with the handle down to prevent oil from entering the carb or cylinder.

[breausaw]

The owner’s manual for the 2hp Honda says flush after use, but why? I hose it off on the boat, really don’t see any reason to flush; its air cooled. I suppose a little water gets in the exhaust port, but that would be all.
I find the clutch easy to use, and it doesn’t spin the prop unless you goose it. No reason to put in a bucket to bench test, just hook over anything and start it up.
The 27lb weight makes it easy to handle; can toss on the back of the dink single hand no problem.

[thataway]

I currently own the Suzuki 2.5 hp with F/N (reverse is 360 degree rotation, which means that it is more effecient than a reverse gear). This also allows pushing a boat's stern sideways. The Suzuki is water cooled and weight is 30 lbs. The Honda is listed at 27 lbs.

I owned a Honda, and did not like it. It was considerably louder than the Suzuki. My main complaint was the centrifical clutch--you had to have considerable RPM to get the prop spinning. There are many times I like to idle along side another boat, and the Suzuki can either idle at a low speed or go in and out of gear. With the Honda, I had to stop the conversation rev up the Honda, and then end up further than I wanted. It was not as "social" a motor as the Suzuki (and I generally like Honda products), but I sold the Honda after one year.

[Doryman]

Just a reminder that I have a never-used Tohatsu 3.5 hp long shaft for sale, and I'm willing to give a fellow Brat a good deal on it. PM me for particulars.

Thanks,
Warren