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True or false. Mercury and Evinrude 9.8 HP motors are made by Tohatsu? If so, is Nissan?

Thanks, Don.

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I don't believe Evinrude is made by Tahatsu, Evinrude is made by BRP a Cadanadian company ( some people say French company), Bombarier Recreational Products. Don't diss me for my spelling here. I don't know who makes what after that.

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Yes, Tohatsu makes the small portables for Evinrude including the 9.8 & 15 HP models. This is a pretty recent development, last year I think.

Tohatsu makes Mercury's outboards up to 30 HP and has done so for a long time.

All Nissan outboards have always been Tohatsu.

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Thank you Tom for confirming it.

Short of the long. Buy the one with theTohatsu label and save yourself $500.00.

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The 4-stroke engines 2.5-30HP are manufactured by a 50-50 Joint Venture equally owned by Tohatsu and Mercury, located in Japan. The Joint Venture also owns the plant and manufacturing equipment. Mercury and Tohatsu have a long history of building engines together, with this Joint Venture being formed, I believe, in 1988.

Some of the output taken by Tohatsu is sold to both Nissan and Evinrude (and now possibly Coleman). Mercury does not re-sell it's part of the plant output. They need all of their share of the production for their own brand.

My guess (that's all it is) is that Mercury was not real happy to see Tohatsu selling to competitor Evinrude, even though they probably get some of the profit from those sales..

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Uh, the joint venture between Tohatsu and Mercury is thus: Tohatsu manufactures their outboards with black paint and Mercury decals at their plant in Komegane, Japan and sells them to Mercury who sells them in the US and around the world.

As Larry correctly notes, this arrangement has been in place for a very long time. Mercury is by far Tohatsu's biggest customer. Evinrude is also a customer of Tohatsu, but a very small one.

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Sorry Tom, but you're wrong. I'm not going to argue with you here, but you should study up on Joint Ventures and Japanese business practices in general, and read Mercury's financials in specific. They clearly state they are Joint owners of the operation and produce there own engines, in their own plant, over there. Tohatsu is not selling anything to Mercury, and vice versa. They manufacture and sell as a Joint Venture Partners.

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Sorry Larry, yours is a very tired old argument, which you lost elsewhere and we will not repeat it here.

Mercury outboards up to 30 HP are made by Tohatsu, and fine outboards they may be; I have no personal experience with them. Perhaps you can share you personal experience with Tohatsu made Mercury outboards.

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In regards to Evinrude. I find their advertisement misleading. I assumed first, the 10 hp had the lastest E-Tec technology. I assumed it was a 2 stroke in general, because what’s on the net doesn’t say one way or the other. Furthermore it states special financing, which only pertains to Evinrude motors….

One would hope if it’s not theirs, they would state it.

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The smallest E-TEC is the 15 H.O.

The 3.5, 4, 6 9.8 and 15 HP, models are all four strokes made by Tohatsu. Evinrude clearly states they are four strokes, though they emphasize them as "portables". This began last year, 2012.

There is nothing odd about Evinrude selling motors made by Tohatsu. Mercury has been doing it for decades. In fact, many durable goods are made by one manufacturer and branded as another. Who makes your refrigerator? Your washer and dryer? Your stove? You might be surprised. There is nothing new under the sun here folks.

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Tom,

I did see the portables being 4 stroke. I was looking in the specs which doen't show it.

Nothing new under the sun, but It's still misleading.

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Yeah, you're right. The specifications for the 9.8 on Evinrude's web site does not even state they are four strokes.

I suppose if you are the world's leading manufacturer of two stroke outboards it's a little embarrassing to have to admit you are selling four strokes made by Tohatsu.

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i wonder if this means my Evinrude dealer will now service tohatsu

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On a positive side, I’ve learn a lot over the last couple of days, and hopefully others will as well. One thing in particular is the cost savings. Buying true labeled Tohatsu engines are about $500.00 cheaper.

One other question I do have is about the shift lever. Does anyone know if the different companies add their own method? Example. Merc has theirs incorporated in the twisting of the throttle.

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For the sake of accurate content, his article may help clear up some of the information on the Mercury/Tohatsu engine manufacturing Joint Venture, and it's relationship to the Evinrude branded engines.

http://blog.boats.com/2011/10/brpevin...outboards/

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Here are the Evinrude branded "Portable 4 Strokes". (made by Tohatsu)

http://www.evinrude.com/en-US/engines...le_engines

I remember OMC used to sell Suzuki 4 strokes branded with the Johnson or Evinrude name.
If I remember correctly, the basic difference was the fuel connectors. They used OMC fuel connectors instead of the Suzuki brand.

Here is the only E-Tec portable 2 stroke made by Evinrude at this time.
http://www.evinrude.com/en-US/engines...ETEC_15_HO