Boat motors are a pretty interesting and fun thing. But for an ordinary fisherman or a lover to cut through the waves, the question arises point-blank what to buy: a Chinese or Japanese motor? In this article, we will try to dispel many myths about outboard motors, compare Chinese brands, select an engine for different needs and answer the main question: is it worth overpaying?
Selection of the engine by power
Each outboard motor user buys this technique for certain tasks. They are different, ranging from moving along a small pond and ending with forced marches for many kilometers from home.
If you need your small inflatable boat to move around a small lake or pond, then an engine of 2-3.5 horsepower will suffice. Such a unit is economical, easy to maintain and leads the ranking of Chinese outboard motors in sales. If you like to move through the water over considerable distances, you need a completely different apparatus and an order of magnitude stronger in terms ofpower.
But a lot still depends on the specific vessel. Boat builders label the maximum power rating of an outboard motor that can be mounted on a transom. It is for this reason that experienced captains advise buying an engine first, and then choosing a boat for it.
Two and four stroke outboards
In addition to the above subtleties, there is one more: motors are divided into four-stroke and two-stroke. In brief, their features:
- four-stroke engines run quieter and much more economical, but their weight is not small;
- Two-stroke motors are easy to use, power hungry and much louder.
If the weight of your "iron horse" is important to you, then you should pay attention to the latter. If you need to save fuel, then the first option will be the best choice.
Producers
There are quite a few manufacturers of outboard motors in China. However, engines are often assembled at the same factory, but with different caps and stickers.
The very first and most successful outboard motors in China appeared under the Parsun brand. This company is still considered the best manufacturer of such products to this day. If you look at the outboard motor market, you can still see such brands as Hidea, Seanovo, Mikatsu. All these motors are assembled at the same factory and the difference between Hidea 3.5 and Seanovo 3.5 is only in caps and stickers. But it is worth noting that these units are quite reliable, and their price is slightly lower than that ofof the same Parsun.
If you look at even cheaper options, you should definitely remember the Chinese Hankai outboard motors. Only oars can be cheaper than Hangkai. The reliability of such technology is already an order of magnitude lower. The quality of the materials leaves much to be desired, and the assembly often fails. But it is worth noting that many people use motors of this brand and do not complain about anything.
2 hp outboard motors. s
Two-horsepower outboard motors are the most popular among owners of small PVC boats. This is due to the low cost of the kit and ease of use. A motor of such power does not need to be learned to operate, and even a child will cope with its maximum speed.
The Chinese market offers not so many models of two-horsepower outboard motors. The Sea-Pro T 2.5, Parsun T 2.6 and their 4-stroke brothers get good reviews. Hangkai T 2 is the cheapest Chinese outboard motor that is produced on the market. Reviews about him vary, but, as they say, to each his own. If we compare 2 forces and 2.6, then there will be no difference in them. The cubature of such engines is the same, so the power of 2.6 horsepower is just a marketing ploy of the company to lure people into buying a motor.
Outboard motors 3.5L. s
Three and a half horsepower is enough to slowly move around the pond if you have a three-meter (or more) PVC or metal boat. Such an engine is very popular because of its cost and reliability. break down therethere is nothing and if you don’t specifically kill the piece of iron, then it will last for a long time.
Choice of Chinese 3.5L outboard motors. with. small. If you want reliability, then you need to take Parsun or Hidea. There is practically no difference in these motors. The reliability of these two brands has been tested for years and is not discussed. In the cheaper segment are Yamabisi and Hangkai motors. If you are well versed in motorcycle technology, then you can take the device cheaper. The main condition is to carry out maintenance in a timely manner and pour the correct proportions of oil and gasoline if it is a two-stroke engine.
Differences in outboard motors 3.5 liters. with. can be in the cubic capacity of the unit and in various small things that do not affect the operation of the engine. Often our Chinese friends overestimate the power, and instead of a 3.5 liter engine. with. you may have a 3 liter engine. with. As a rule, this is a marketing ploy to attract buyers with additional power.
Outboard motors up to 5 HP. s
There are quite a few of these engines. As a rule, manufacturers do not produce Chinese outboard motors up to 5 hp. with. (4 and 4.5), and jump immediately to 5. There is nothing special to say about the five-horsepower engine. This is the golden mean, which is often chosen by fans to ride a small PVC boat at a decent speed.
These motors can lift small and light three-meter PVC boats onto the glider. An important nuance of planing on such a kit is the weight of the captain. The less the weight of the whole kit with a person on board, the more confident and faster the boat will bejump out on the glider.
It is worth noting that Chinese outboard motors are most often copied from Japanese counterparts. Most parts for Parsun 5 are suitable from Yamaha 5. In 2018, Chinese factories learned how to copy Japanese expensive motors with high quality and for this reason they became much more reliable than in 2010.
An example of a five-horsepower engine would be the two-stroke Parsun T 5.8 BMS or the four-stroke Hidea HDF 5. The power of these two engines is the same, but the weight of the two-stroke Parsun is a couple of kilograms lighter. Such engines can run all day if you pour the recommended gasoline and do not run them without water. If the budget has been cut a lot, and you want to move on water with a five-horsepower engine, then you can pay attention to the Hangkai 5.6. Such an assistant will not hit the pocket, and at the same time will please the owner for a long time. But it is not recommended to buy Hangkai motors for beginners who are not particularly versed in motorcycle technology.
6hp outboard motors
Six-horsepower motors are most often identical to 5-horsepower models. Many manufacturers producing such units cut power to 5 forces in various ways. Most often, this is the replacement of a jet with a smaller diameter and a throttle that does not open the damper to the end. Thus, a 6-strength motor becomes a five. For this reason, many captains refer to 6 forces as a strangled five and 5 forces as a strangled six. There is little difference in such motors, and it is quite difficult to feel 1 horsepower. Therefore, there is no point in buying six-horsepower engines, it is better to immediately jump to 9.8 liters. s.
Hanging9.8 hp outboard motors
Engines of 9.8 horsepower are quite a serious technique that gives decent speed on a PVC boat (30–40 km per hour with one captain and 25–35 km per hour with a skipper). Such motors must be securely fastened to the transom of the boat, since hitting an underwater obstacle at high speeds is fraught with loss of the motor and, in the worst case, injury to passengers.
Chinese 9.8L outboard motors. with. a great many and they are all copied from Japanese models. Sea-Pro T9.8, Parsun 9.8 engines receive good reviews. It is worth mentioning that two-stroke engines of this power will simply devour oil. Since oil dissolves in gasoline in proportions of 50 parts of fuel to 1 part of oil, it is possible to calculate how much and for what amount the engine will gobble up the gasoline-oil mixture per hour. If you are going to travel a lot on the water surface, then you should think about a four-stroke engine.
9.9 hp outboard motors
Chinese-made outboard motors of 9.9 forces are almost always installed permanently on a boat or boat. For this reason, many captains are ditching the two-stroke technique and opting for the four-stroke. Since no one will carry motors of such power on the hump, the meaning of two cycles disappears. Such engines are always exact, exactly an exact copy of Japanese motors. There are no problems with them. Such equipment, with proper operation, can please for many years.
Chinese high power motors
In China, the market for equipment of this capacity is not large. Many companies finish the lines of their models just on Chinese 9.9 liter outboard motors. with. Wider opportunities are laid in Japanese technology. Its power can reach up to 100 or more horsepower. In China, only large companies - Parsun and Hidea - are engaged in the production of such models. They make outboard motors up to 50 horsepower.
There is practically no point in buying such big motors made in China. No matter what they say, Japanese technology is head and shoulders above the Chinese in terms of reliability. No one wants to get stuck somewhere dozens of miles from the coast because of a broken engine. Even a small risk of engine breakdown in such cases is unacceptable.
Yes, and the wear of the same piston engine installation, which threshes water without interruption for hours, will be greater than that of a low-power unit, which is needed only to deliver the captain and skipper to the fishing point. For these reasons, Chinese outboard motors end at around 9.9.
It's time to get acquainted with the rating of manufacturers.
Which Chinese outboard motor is better? Manufacturer Ranking
For a long time now, two companies, Parsun and Hidea, cannot share the first place. The engines of these two companies are deservedly in the first place in the rating of Chinese water equipment. Customers are satisfied with both the reliability of low power motors and the price at which they are sold. In addition, these two companies are alwaysare ready to provide you with spare parts and offer service in qualified service centers.
On the step below are Chinese-made outboard motors Sea-Pro, Hangkai and Yamabisi. The performance of these engines is at a decent level, and they are worth every penny spent on them. With spare parts and service, things are not as good as we would like. Most often, it is unrealistic to find parts, and you have to buy Japanese spare parts (fortunately, all these motors are copied from Japanese).
Problems of Chinese outboard motors
Most often, Chinese motors are criticized by the owners of Japanese models. However, this criticism is not always justified. People, for example, say that Chinese motors are unreliable, but even Japanese models, despite the quality of workmanship, can break down.
What are the myths about replicas? First of all, we talk about materials. On the World Wide Web, you can often see opinions that Chinese outboard motors are made of raw metal. You should not believe in such stories, because in fact the metal is not raw. It may be slightly worse quality than big-name brands.
In Chinese technology, brittle plastic breaks most often. Poor assembly of the motor (for example, not fully tightened nuts) can also lead to breakdowns. Some of our Chinese friends might forget to connect the security check wires. A person, having bought such an engine and having arrived at a reservoir, will rather pump up his biceps,what will start this motor from a manual starter. Such cases are not frequent, but they do happen. For this reason, it is worth checking equipment at home in a barrel of water before leaving.
The difference between "Chinese" and "Japanese"
If you put 2 motors side by side (Chinese and Japanese of the same power), even an experienced minder will not see the difference in them. First of all, brand differences. Nowadays, a beautiful name in itself is worth a lot of money. For example, Yamaha, Tohatsu, Honda are Japanese brands. By purchasing such motors, we pay first of all for the name. And now pay attention to Parsun. The technique of this brand tops the rating of Chinese outboard motors. Every year, Parsun models become more expensive due to the improvement in the quality of their production.
It is also worth considering that the Chinese often sin by copying outboard motors. If, for example, the motor is copied from the legendary Yamaha, then how can it be bad? With proper care and maintenance, any equipment will serve for many years and it does not matter whether the purchased Chinese outboard motor belongs to the best models.
Rules for operating outboard motors
Having bought a boat motor, first of all you need to read the instructions. After studying this entertaining book, you can begin to check the engine. First you need to stretch all the nuts, check that nothing is hanging. Next, you need to fill the tank with fuel, lower the engine into the water and start the outboard motor.
When starting the engine, often people forget to insert the key (safety insurance check). Without this check, the engine cannot be started.
It is strongly not recommended to start the engine on land without water. Almost all motors (except for swamps) are water-cooled. In the boot of the unit there is an impeller that drives water through the tube into the engine block. If you start the outboard motor without water, nothing will happen to the engine itself in a couple of minutes, and it will not overheat, but the impeller, which itself is cooled by water, will burn out, melt and start to smell something bad. And finally: it is worth filling in exactly the fuel and oil that are indicated by the manufacturer in the service book or instructions.
