Tohatsu Outboards

[r.mccabe]

Tohatsu has a new 115 TLDI . Its a 2-stroke. I know its new but has anyone experienced this make or there outboards in general.

[Duke925]

I belive they are made by Nissan? I had a 40hp (Nissan) on my tin boat a few years back and loved it.

[ehiney]

I 2nd nissan ( datsun for us old fogies)

[transient]

Actually, Tohatsu is the mfg and Nissans are rebadged. You can check out the info under the Nissan cowl/hood. I had a 9.9 Tohatsu on an Avon dinghy. It was a hot little motor and very light for the hp rating. Kind of noisy tho. They are used on a lot of work boats.

[John P]

I've never seen one in thr NE, but in Fl the guides use them all the time and love them. That should tell you something. These guys use their boat twice as much as the guides in NE and they have to be reliable. JP

[redcar]

I had a new 140hp Nissan on an old boat for a few years. A very reliable engine- never a problem at all. It even went slightly under water (salt) when my bilge failed overnight and still ran like a top after having my mechanic clean if out. I loved that motor.

The only negative was that most people have not heard of them, so I think my resale value suffered when I sold it.

[shoes]

Tohatsu's TLDI direct injection system uses the same Orbital injection technology as the Opti-max. Tohatsu's system differs from every other direct fiul injection out there (Optimax, e-tec, Yamaha HDPI) in that Tohatsu was not in a rush to beat the other guy to the market. They've been making outboards in Japan longer than anybody (Yam, Suzi or Honda), but until recently, they were mainly a commercial engine for fishermen who let their engines run all day. This is why they are (in my opinion) the most reliable outboard made, and why I bought a new 90HP TLDI back in 2003. In researching them, I could not find a single bad word ever spoken about them except for the spotty dealer network. Meanwhile, the early Optimax, Ficht, e-tec and HDPI all had problems requiring updates, upgrades, software changes & etc from what I hear. Tohatsu took their time and got their dfi system right before going public with it. They make all Merc outboards 30hp and under, and I've also heard that counting the Mercs, they make more outboards than anyone else worldwide right now.

If you buy that 115TLDI, you'll love it. In a 90HP comparison by Bass and Walleye Magazine a few years ago, the Tohatsu 90TLDI proved to be the most fuel efficient 90HP out there, better than e-tec, Optimax, Honda and Suzuki. Yamaha declined to take part in the testing. Although I've only gone back to the dealer for water pumps, you should make sure you have a TLDI qualified dealer nearby. There are 5 dealers within 50 miles of my house in Maine, so do a dealer search in their website. You'll need a dealer who is TLDI qualified.

[wrenchhead]

Motorboating magazine (this months issue) rated the lower horsepower #2 only beat by the honda. They say its the best bang for your buck.

[kenet]

i have been using mine since july, 2007. pushing a 21' carolina skiff. great motor, plenty powerful enough for this boat. good fuel milage, and oil milage. you can't go wrong with this brand, just make sure you have a tohatsu-nissan dealer close by ( who can service the tldi type motor) for use when and if you need him. chances are you will not need him for several years. recommend that you follow the instructions in the manual for routine service, and get your air filter replaced atleast each 3 years. also, change your foot oil yearly i am using pennzoil semi synthetic oil which i buy from walmart, prox $11.00 per gal. get also a 10 micron fuel filter (the water separator type), mine is the racor brand. you will need this with the advance use of ethenol gas now (e-10). if you buy this motor and need any special advise, shoot me an e-mail, will be happy to help. ken neese.

[fishface]

I have a 40hp Nissan (old technology) 2 stroke on my tin boat. I bought the motor used and it runs great. As kenet pointed out, make sure that there's a service center, with a good reputation, within driving distance.
John

[engine pro]

Originally Posted by r.mccabe

Tohatsu has a new 115 TLDI . Its a 2-stroke. I know its new but has anyone experienced this make or there outboards in general.

The nissan is a tohatsu, the tohatsu is a tohatsu. They are great motors. Although-The metal is more porous than other brands and is more suseptable to salt water corossion and technicians run into difficulty when servicing said units after a few years of service in the salt. The metalurgy is very close to that of yamaha, which is using recycled cast aluminum for the engine blocks, exhaust legs and transom brackets. Very good price. great fresh water motor.

[kayak99]

Friend of mine has a Tohatsu 5 hp as a kicker we use as a trolling motor. Great little unit, always starts and runs well. He likes their dealers as well if that helps. He said if his bigger motor ever went, he'd replace it with a Tohatsu.