Kicker Motor

[Two Fingers]

I'm interested in buying a new or slightly used 4 stroke kicker motor. At present I have a 1996 Yamaha 4 stroke and have never liked it. It takes forever to get started, fouls spark plugs, etc. What brand do you use, how dependable is it, etc? Does anyone have a Tohatsu? Are they dependable? Trying to do some research before I make a decision. 

[H20chrome]

i own a 3.5 hp Tohatsu four stroke and absolutely love it. I use it as the main engine on a 12 foot boat, constantly on/off the boat, lay it on the ground, run it extended lengths of time at 80% throttle with two guys plus gear in the boat running out to the main basin after launching off the beach, this thing has never let me down. Be sure to use ethanol free gas only

[JustFishin.....]

Have you tried rebuilding the carburetor? They have some extraordinarily small passages in them you have to use a single strand of copper wire to clean some of them. Also the fuel pumps are prone to going. I had a 1992, that trolled like a champ until I sold my boat in the fall. Wish I had kept it.


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[JustFishin.....]

Have you tried rebuilding the carburetor? They have some extraordinarily small passages in them you have to use a single strand of copper wire to clean some of them. Also the fuel pumps are prone to going. I had a 1992, that trolled like a champ until I sold my boat in the fall. Wish I had kept it.


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Also if you decide to part with yours I may be interested.


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[jimski2]

Tohatsu makes almost all the 10 hp motors . From Mercury to any other make, Tohatsu is the manufacturer.


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[Down Deep]

Had a 1997 Yamaha Hi Thrust  9.9 four stroke , best kicker  I ever had .  sounded like a sewing machine , hardly any noise .  low rpm's trolling . got another  boat with a 9.9 Merc Pro kicker . great reliable  motor but very load in comparison . Your motor cold have had a defective part  from new , it happens .

[mr 580]

I have a 2003 Yamaha 9.9 kicker that starts hard.  I found that my putting it in forward gear and cycling the throttle fully open and closed about 4 times then putting it back in neutral that it starts right up.  I’ve never had a plug fouling issue, only on my second set of plugs.  I also disconnect fuel line and run carb dry when I winterize.  That also helped starting issue.  I run an 8 hp Yamaha kicker and both of them have been bulletproof.

[garrymny]

I bought a 2016 tohatsu 9.8. runs beautiful. It Is a pull start. It does take some pulls to get it get going sometimes, first start of the day. But it runs great and quiet. I would get electric start next time. I always run pure gas, no ethanol.

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[mostlymuskies]

We use Tohatsu 30 hp & 18 hp 2 strokes in Guyana South America, they are bullet proof.We chug the river bottom sand all day long,never a lowerunit seal or pump impeller issue at all.

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