We pit six of the best 10hp outboard engines on the market against each other for our latest group test
Yamaha F9.9JMHL outboard
- Price: £2,699
- Top speed: 16.7 knots
- 0-top speed: 16.06 seconds
- Noise (idle/cruise/top): 59/77/91dB(A)
- Weight: 39kg
- Warranty: 5 years
- Contact: www.yamaha-motor.eu
Yamaha has a fine reputation for building reliable outboard engines used by many police and rescue services the world over but this reliability tends to come at a premium price.
At 212cc it has joint second largest capacity along with the Lehr engine, producing 7.3kW (9.79hp) of power.
Build quality: 4/5
We know Yamahas are robustly built using high-quality materials and this one is no different. The engine block is also well designed, being the only one you can lay on three sides without the oil draining into the cylinders.
Performance: 4/5
Its top speed of 16.7 knots was within a whisker of being the quickest on test, as was its acceleration speed of 15.8 seconds to reach that speed.
It certainly felt like it had power behind it, finding it easy to get on to the plane, perhaps due to the extra torque of its larger capacity 212cc engine.
Refinement: 4/5
At idle it was just as quiet as the Honda, barely troubling our sound meter at 59dB. At cruise it was just behind at 77dB but rejoined the chasing pack at its maximum speed, recording at 91dB. The quality of the sound was very good though, and wouldn’t begin to grate over time.
Ease of use: 4/5
Being able to lay it on three sides is a real bonus, and the large tiller-mounted gear shift was the best on test.
The only let down was a forward facing grab handle that is so cluttered with cables that you can’t actually use it to carry the engine.
Verdict: 5/5
As expected, the Yamaha is a first-rate engine with strong performance and a number of features that give it an edge over its rivals. It is more expensive than some of the others, but we feel it justifies that premium.
Words: Greg Goulding. Pictures: Hugo Andreae and Neil Singleton. Originally published in the February 2016 issue of Motor Boat & Yachting.
