Tohatsu 3.4 4 stroke

Wood Spinner

Well Known Member
I just purchased one fo my Sacdden Skykomish pontoon. I will need to modify my sturn deck to handle the 40lbs. But no battery needed. I anticipate about 10 miles per hour. Will be in Playa De Oro Nov 1 and should have the modification done in a few days. So ready to go fishing and eat some real Mexican food. Xocillas
 

audsley

Well Known Member
Can I ask where you got your Tohatsu? I'm assuming it's new.

The hardest part of fishing is the boat motor headaches. I run in a crowd that likes to keep buying used boat motors and suffering the consequences. And everyone tells me that reliable outboard mechanics in Arizona are rare to non-existent.

Lately I've been looking at new motors and found reasonable prices at Cumberlandwatersports.com and Westmarine.com. Both sell only small motors up to 20 HP. Our boats are heavy fiberglass pangas. We know a 20 won't shoot us across quickly to Angel Island, but I figure it ought to be good enough for going 5 to 10 miles out. The problem is that I don't feel confident dealing with an out-of-state vendor. Cumberland had mixed reviews with reviewers having the most complaints about Tohatsus. (But on the bright side, some satisfied Tohatsu buyers weighed in as well.) And the problem with online reviews is you never know who's posting them and why. Competitors maybe?

Both these places also sell Hondas, Mercurys and other brands.

I've also concluded that there is no place in Arizona where you can buy a brand new Yamaha outboard over the counter. I believe you have to go to California or farther.
 

dirtsurfer

Well Known Member
Forum Supporter
Can I ask where you got your Tohatsu? I'm assuming it's new.

The hardest part of fishing is the boat motor headaches. I run in a crowd that likes to keep buying used boat motors and suffering the consequences. And everyone tells me that reliable outboard mechanics in Arizona are rare to non-existent.

Lately I've been looking at new motors and found reasonable prices at Cumberlandwatersports.com and Westmarine.com. Both sell only small motors up to 20 HP. Our boats are heavy fiberglass pangas. We know a 20 won't shoot us across quickly to Angel Island, but I figure it ought to be good enough for going 5 to 10 miles out. The problem is that I don't feel confident dealing with an out-of-state vendor. Cumberland had mixed reviews with reviewers having the most complaints about Tohatsus. (But on the bright side, some satisfied Tohatsu buyers weighed in as well.) And the problem with online reviews is you never know who's posting them and why. Competitors maybe?

Both these places also sell Hondas, Mercurys and other brands.

I've also concluded that there is no place in Arizona where you can buy a brand new Yamaha outboard over the counter. I believe you have to go to California or farther.
Spend some money and purchase a “real” motor. You will be much happier in the long run. Buy from a local servicing dealer. Honda, Yamaha, or any of the other big manufacturers with servicing dealers is what you want for peace of mind and good service.
 

Wood Spinner

Well Known Member
I did a lot of searching on the web and decided to use Cumberland. The Tohatsu is covered with 5 yrs warranty and the warranty service id done in Mesa. Part of the reason I decided on Cumberland is that I spoke with a salesperson at Martain Marine, close to Bass Pro. He gave me more info that I wanted than any other dealer. He also directed me to Cumberland and said he does that as they do not have to stock outboards but do warranty service for several manufacturers.
How long are the Pongas? 20 hp seems a little low but they are a flat bottom and you never know. Considering the price difference I believe I would consider no less than a 50 hp merc. The 50 merc has a plastic air limiter that when removed will provide 60 hp. A dealer showed it to me and it is easily removed. No warranty issues.
Again as you said about your friends buying cheap you need to get what you need to provide long-term satisfaction. Next time you are in RP go into Equipesca and talk to the manager. He speaks English and can lead you to a decision that should make you a happy fisherman
 

audsley

Well Known Member
Yes, we could really go places with a Honda 50 or 60 HP on a panga. But we often leave our motor on the boat overnight, and lots of other people would like a 60 HP Honda too. If we want to leave a motor that big and expensive on the boat overnight, one of us will need to sleep on the boat. Otherwise, nobody in the group will get a good night's sleep.

Let's look at the small boat options.

Aluminum boats are lighter on fuel/power requirements and easier to beach launch, but also easier to flip if running too fast in a rough sea. The heavier fiberglass pangas, especially the flat-bottomed ones, are more stable. Safety is big in our group.

Our "fleet" consists of two pangas. One is a long, narrow coastal panga that's easily pushed along by a small motor. We plan to put a used 9.9 Yamaha on it in the near future. The boat has a lot of foam in the ribs, and we believe it's nearly unsinkable.

The other panga is a shorter deep V hull that requires more HP to get to the same speed as the coastal panga. We like a bigger motor like 30-40 HP on that one.

Getting back to motors, weight is another consideration. The four-stroke 20 HP Honda I've been looking at is 114 lbs, which approaches the max we'd want to wrestle on and off the boat. With all new motors being four strokes and four strokes being heavier, we're being pushed toward lower HP.

Finally, gas is an issue because it's expensive in Mexico and we're limited in how much we can take down. You get better MPG with smaller motors. And we like to reef-hop and troll.

Such is life at the level we've chosen to play the ocean fishing game. A 27-foot boat with a couple of 90 HP Yamahas and a garage to park it in would eliminate a lot of these concerns, but so far none of us has been inclined to step it up to that level.
 

Wood Spinner

Well Known Member
All of your comments are correct and I agree. Considering gas I believe the Suzuki is the best. I was told this by an R.P. fisherman. The MAJOR issue here is the warranty. The closest warranty services are in Havasu City. Too far for me considering you may have to leave it for repair and then go back and get it.
 

Wood Spinner

Well Known Member
I used to want a bigger boat also, but The bigger the more the initial cost, more cost to run, Insurance a must. Then there is the Boat storage fee and the launching fee. Need I go on and on! I have a 16 ft aluminum flat bottom Jon boat with a 15 hp. 4 stroke Yami. I am going to try it this year on good days. I also have an inflatable pontoon boat 10 ft with a new Tohatsu 3.5 4 stroke. The motor is only 40 lbs and I don't need a battery. We will be in Playa De Oro Nov 1 and hope to go fishing soon thereafter. I also fish Puorto Lobos and if you are interested, let me know. We drive down early, fish all day and return close to dark. Trips have to be scheduled and are not high dollar
Bill Hale [email protected].
 
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