We find the seven main 10hp outboard engines on the marine market and review them all
In this feature, the MBM team test seven petrol-powered 10hp outboard engines that are ideal for powering a small RIB or inflatable dinghy.
To read our updated 2015 test of 10hp outboards, click here.
Honda 10hp
Price: £2219
For many years Honda was the only company making four-stroke outboards, and it has remained at the forefront of the technology ever since.
The Honda has mouldings on the side for laying it down, which also makes it easy to tell which side to lay it. At the front is an easy to grip gear lever.
Mariner 9.9hp
Price: £2049
Under the cowling this is the same engine as the Tohatsu, but it has several important differences. The gear shift and throttle are in a single twist-grip throttle.
Twist it clockwise and you shift it into gear, twist further and you acceletrate, back anticlockwise and you go through neutral for starting.
The spray kicked up from the Mariner’s leg was terrible, but the little touches, such as easy-to-use throttle and gear shift, make this a great engine.
Tohatsu 9.8hp
Price: £1,841
Basically the same as the Mariner, but with fewer features. This can also come with electric-start and power tilt.
To adjust the steering tension on the Tohatsu a spanner is needed, but no tilt release catch is a plus for us, as we find them normally difficult to reach.
Parsun 9.8hp
Price: £1,344
The Parsun was the first of several Chinese brands to hit the UK. They offer similar engines at extremely low prices, but we’re not sold on the quality.
The handhold is the same as with the Yamaha, but where the plastic was removed from the mold, the edges have been left sharp, making it painful to lift this engine.
Suzuki 9.9hp
Price: £2,375
The Suzuki has the best acceleration of the bunch and the equal best top speed. A freshwater flushing system adds to the outboard’s appeal, but it needs plenty of features to demand its high price.
The unique twist throttle on the Suzuki has two separate rotary grips: one changes gear, while the other changes acceleration. A great system that takes a little getting used to, but will keep you happy.
Vector 9.9hp
Price: £1,389
Another of the Chinese makes, this shares many components of the Yamaha, but to show it is even-handed in its borrowing, it has the cowling of the Honda.
When we first saw the catch on this engine we thought it looked cheap. That said, we later realised that it was copied straight from the Honda outboard.
Yamaha 9.9hp
Price: £2,679
Yamaha has, as always, produced an engine bristling with features. A long arm allows you to sit further forward in the boat, the gear shift is mounted half way up the tiller and a freshwater flushing system allows it to be flushed without being run again.
The gear shift is mounted just below the throttle, which makes putting it in and out of gear easy to do without looking back.
Read the full feature in the October 2013 issue of Motor Boats Monthly.
