Absolutely don't buy a Briggs and Stratton. They are junk!!! I bought the 5hp motor once and it almost ruined my vacation. They are air cooled lawn mower motors and are incredibly noisy. Mine would stall in the worst circumstances. The forward/neutral switch constantly need adjusting. I was on an island 30 miles from the mainland when the drive shaft went out. Briggs agreed to refund most of my money for that piece of crap.Sarge1572 wrote:Thanks very much for your reply. I am looking at the Briggs and Stratton air cooled 5HP 4 cycle. In the ads they recommend them for fresh water so I have to find out why. Perhaps a marketing ploy. I believe I want a 4 cycle because of the restrictions many marinas and fresh water facilities are placing on the 2 stroke engines because of pollution and I understand they are quieter.
Thank you very much for your input. Now all I have to do is start saving for a motor. My wife will be SO surprised when she gets it for her birthday. I should have the boat done by then so I'll have a place to sleep!!
Jeff
For that size motor, Invest a little more and get a 4 stroke 6hp Tohatsu or Suzuki. The Tohatsu is the same as a Nissan but a little cheaper. I bought a Tohatsu to replace my Briggs and Stratton. The Tohatsu is engineered like rocket science compared to the Briggs.
The Tohatsu is nice but it has a separate tank. You might consider a Suzuki. The Suzuki has a build in tank.
Look at this picture with the Briggs on the back of my dinghy. The motor is tied in the up position. The motor is built so cheaply that it doesn't even have a latch to keep it in the up position. You'll also have to tie it so it goes straight when mounted. There is no control to keep it in one position so it goes straight as you steer with your boat's rudder.
The Tohatsu will cost $1185.00 and the Briggs and Stratton outboard will cost $699.95. The difference is $485.05. That is a significant difference but very worth it! The Briggs will end up as scrap anyway.
