Displacement power cat outboard choice

[Tad]

A lot goes into this, here in Silva Bay the Tohatsu is by far the most popular in this smaller size (what the makers call "portable"). Yamaha is the hands down favorite in larger sizes, (> 115). A lot of this is to do with the dealer/distributor. The local yard can't get Honda parts, but Tohatsu is quick and accurate. The big Yamaha's don't seem to have many issues. The smaller motors do because they are used as kickers on the sportfishing boats and may get neglected.

My impression of the smaller Yamaha's is they are noisy. I have 4 small outboards, the Yamaha 2-stroke is very dependable, but noisy and burns fuel like crazy. The Honda is unreliable, impossible to work on, and hard starting. The Tohatsu/Merc 4-stroke is very reliable, quiet, smooth, easy starting even in the dead of winter, and burns little fuel. I have hundreds of hours on it, replaced a fuel pump diaphragm and ignigition box once.

 

[Russell Brown]

Thanks for you thoughts, Tad.
I don't distrust Tohatsu's or other Japanese outboards, I just don't know them.
The Yamaha 20 is not loud and seems about as reliable as one could want. I have a good bit of experience with one and my buddy Josh has an unbelievable number of hours on his single-outrigger motorboat with a Yamaha 20.
I guess my question is if I'm missing something. Is there a 20 HP outboard that gets substantially better fuel economy and still has close to the same reliability. Or is there something I can do to a Yamaha 20 to improve fuel consumption?
Thanks again,
Russell