Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

[namor]

I'm thinking of getting either a Honda 5 hp 4stroke or a Nissan 5 Hp 4 stroke for my 12 ft Porta-a-boat.

What are the pros and cons of both engines please.
eg enigneering,performace,repair,parts availability,maintenance,durability

What is the overall rating of these engineson a scale of 0 to 10 please?

thanks

gus

toronto ontario canada

 

[tommays]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

I can not comment on those brands

BUT i have owned 2 single cylinder outboards and they just vibrate MUCH more than the 2 cylinder motors i have owned




Tommays

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

The Nissan is actually superior in every respect in this model range. But only because the Honda is a really old design and the guy that designed the Nissan was the original engineer that designed the Honda so many years before. When he went to work for Tohatsu he basically took his original engine (the Honda) and updated for Tohatsu.

 

[JB]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

I agree with Tom.

The JohnnyRude twin cylinder 2 strokes in that power range (3 to 8HP) from the 70s and 80s are SOOooooo much more pleasant to use than any single cylinder engine I have experienced.

Tohatsu has a superior reputation world wide but I don't see Tohatsu/Nissan service shops in my area. I think if I had one I would have to depend on getting parts, etc. online and doing the work myself.

The Honda may be technically inferior to the Tohatsu, but there are at least three places I could get a Honda worked on within 50 miles.

I would put a JohnnyRude 4hp deluxe from the 80s on that boat.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

Dealer availability is something to be considered...I wouldn't buy an outboard without having a dealer within a reasonable driving distance. But "reasonable" varies from one person to another. I wouldn't begin to consider any brand of anything if I had to drive an hour to get it serviced. But some people live in the boonies and are used to it. I had a guy last year out in one of those square states that wanted a new 9.8. I told him that the closest dealer was over a hundred miles away. It was 127 miles as I remember it. He laughed and said that was closer than three other brands. The closest dealer was a Mercury label and that one was 75 miles away. Using Whitt, Texas on a dealer search shows a Honda dealer 25 miles away while the Tohatsu dealer is 34 miles away. Some people would say that either one is to far.

 

[JB]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

My apologies, Guru. I must have missed the T'su dealer.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

Everyone misses their local Tohatsu dealer For some reason, that is beyond me, the average Tohatsu or Nissan dealer fails to put up even the smallest sign. I had a consumer contact me earlier this year and tell me that there was no dealer in his area....There were three within 5 miles. One of whom turned out to less than a 1/4 mile away. Tohatsu often tends to be the second or third engine line in a dealership and winds up being the "oh and we sell those too" line.

 

[jspringator]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

Look for a 70's or 80's used Johnson Evinrude 6 HP on e-bay. Cheaper, more powerful, lighter and much smoother. I have a 1975 Johnson 6hp for my 12' Portabote.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

I owned a 4 stroke Honda 5 hp for several years. I was happy to get rid of it.
It was bought brand new around 2004 I think.

It's not the motors fault though. I will never own a 1 cylinder outboard again.

Due to the 1 cylinder design the Honda's idle was very poor in my opinion. Too shaky for my tastes during low speed trolling. Was overly noisy for a 4 stroke too.

Power was OK, but starting was sometimes a pain. For a motor of this low hp should start on 1 or 2 pulls every time but it didn't.

Gas usage was great though, could go for days on it's 3 gallon tank.

Also at 57 lbs (short shaft model) was great to pop into trunk. I also have a 2006 9.9 4 stroke Merc that weighs 87 lbs. This long shaft model and it's few extra pounds makes a huge difference in portability. I'm selling this one on Ebay now because I can't really tote this one around at my age like I did the Honda 5 hp.

I'd try a few different brands out on your boat first by renting them for a few hours before you buy. Most rental places have newer models now.

Quality wise they are all the same to me. I'm just a stickler for a smooth idle and a quiet motor. These small models don't have through the prop exhaust and are pretty noisy from my experience in renting various brands. I bought the Honda because of it's name and resale value but I was really disappointed with it overall.

Only problem with Nissan and Tohatsu is going to be their resale value when you go to move up in size someday.

 

[namor]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

The Nissan is actually superior in every respect in this model range. But only because the Honda is a really old design and the guy that designed the Nissan was the original engineer that designed the Honda so many years before. When he went to work for Tohatsu he basically took his original engine (the Honda) and updated for Tohatsu.

Thanks Tohastu Guru for the research.

Noticed on the Nissan 5 HP that the gear shift is plastic and possibly prone to breakage;can this part be replaced easily since I don't see a screw or ? to take it off. I don't know if the Honda BF5 gear shift is plastic or metal

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

They are all plastic on every brand. It takes about 15 minutes to change a lever on one. Resale value of an outboard is based on local market conditions. For instance, in Tampa, it is a toss up between Mercury and Suzuki as to which is perceived as having the lowest value. Mercury...Because so many people hate them and Suzuki because they have so little market share here. Go 20 miles from here to Clearwater and Suzuki suddenly becomes a crowd favorite due to a them being represented by a really good dealer.

 

[namor]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

They are all plastic on every brand. It takes about 15 minutes to change a lever on one. Resale value of an outboard is based on local market conditions. For instance, in Tampa, it is a toss up between Mercury and Suzuki as to which is perceived as having the lowest value. Mercury...Because so many people hate them and Suzuki because they have so little market share here. Go 20 miles from here to Clearwater and Suzuki suddenly becomes a crowd favorite due to a them being represented by a really good dealer.

Thanks for the info on the F-N-R gear lever replacement TG.That lever looks flimsy I checked out the Tohatsu website and they built a massive manufacturing plant in mountainous mainland Japan. So i guess Tohatsu decided not to build on mainland China where the wages are lower.

I took your advice and bought this used Nissan 5 Hp 4 stroke yesterday here in Toronto canada;bought it for $800 CDN. They go for about $2000 CND new.its got 10 hours use and stamped 2004 MY . Its mint condition.The gentleman I got it from sold his 39 ft sailboatn and 9 ft dingy on bad price terms and left the operating manual with the sailboat.

Gotta find a manual on the internet in PFD form,thats my next quest.

 

[tarponman2]

Re: Honda 5hp 4 Stroke Vs Nissan 5 Hp 4 Stroke

Hello JB,
Does a "JohnnyRude 4hp deluxe from the 80's" have a gear shift? I need a small motor for my 11' fishing jon boat and may have to do a little manuevering.
Bill