I'm looking for an outboard motor around 40 pounds to power a 9' Zodiac soft floor dinghy. So far, I've come up with the following list. Which one would be your favorite?
The Merc engines are made by Tohatsu. The Merc 3.5 has a reverse gear, the 2.5 doesn't.
I always prefer to have more hp in case of heavier load. I love Yamahas, but in this case I'd go for a Mer or Tohatsu 3.5. I would also look for a new 2020 or 2019 Merc or Tohatsu 3.5, they are around and will be discounted a wee bit. I bought a new Merc 9.9 in 2019 that was a 2018 and it saved me a bit of money.