New two small outboard motors

[Benjir]

I recently was given a 12 foot johnboat by my parents neighbor. I'm trying to get it up to where me and my wife can take it fishing and am currently looking for a small outboard motor. I'm finding a lot of different manufacturers and prices out there. Can you guys give me some brand names maybe even models to look for?

Of course I'm like everyone else and I am on a budget but I am willing to pay a little bit more for quality ease of parts and things like that currently I'm considering a Firestone 3 1/2 hp only because it's cheap and runs Thoughts?

 

[ezmobee]

You'll likely want something between 3 and 10 HP. Stick with Johnson/Evinrude/Mercury/Yamaha for best parts support. Honda's might be good also but I'm not as familiar with them. Weight starts to get kinda up there a bit when you get closer to 10 HP. I have an Evinrude 4HP Deluxe about a 1989 that's a real gem. It doesn't plane it of course but it pushes our little 14' real nice with 3 people.

 

[Benjir]

What about that firestone motor? The guy wants $80 for it vs 300-400 for a similar aged evinrude or Johnson. I can't find a lot on the firestone motors. Any one know much about them?

 

[ezmobee]

It's super old and parts are prolly pretty tough to find. It's basically an antique.

 

[Scott Danforth]

firestone never made motors. they were re-badged someone else motors.

I believe that they were either Scott or McColloch or West Bend.

parts are hard to find.

I would get a motor made after 1985

 

[robert graham]

Depending on how far and how fast you want to go, Honda makes a darn nice 2.3 HP motor, air cooled, 4 stroke, weighs 28lbs, centrifugal clutch(no gears), quiet and dependable, might find a used one for $800 to $1000, new is about $1100.....just an idea for you..

 

[flyingscott]

What about that firestone motor? The guy wants $80 for it vs 300-400 for a similar aged evinrude or Johnson. I can't find a lot on the firestone motors. Any one know much about them?

That is a scott/McCulloch motor the parts are available for them but you really need to search. I would look for an evinrude 6 hp 1970 or newer parts are very available and can be found cheap. They are a sweet little motor that also have a gearshift. The firestone is probably no newer than 1960.

 

[82rude]

Have to agree with flyingscott.I picked up a 6hp johnson (1974?) as a kicker.What a sweet little kicker motor.Great for a small boat ,plentiful parts ,easy to work on,realiable and only about a million or so made so readily available.

 

[alanfox55]

I would strongly agree with flyingscott and 82rude. I bought a 1972 Johnson 6hp in 2010 and had it for three years. During that time I did almost nothing to it yet it always started right up and ran great. It moved a small lightweight jon boat along nicely. I paid $300 for that motor.