Re: New Guy-first outboard?

[safj]

quote FrankR:

3hp Evinrude or Johnson from the mid to late ’50’s or early ’60’s Or a 5.5hp. The motors that defined reliability and great running. And there are plenty of them available.

’50s works, plenty of other stuff from then and earlier.

Would the 3hp be able to push a larger boat should that come down the road?

quote ddwilson:

I would say Johnson or Evinrude either 5.5 or 10 up easy to work on parts are easy to find if needed. Once they are cleaned up and adjusted very little trouble and generally start on 1st or 2nd pull. The two motors I fish with most often are a 58 10hp or 59 5.5 would trust either of them any day of the week and in any weather. The 6hp and 9.8hp mercury from late 60s are just as good but parts are a little higher.

By parts do you mean used parts, or just new plugs? Are new carb parts like gaskets, floats, needles and seats available?

Ah yes the pull start. One or two would be good, but a bunch of pulling would be out for me. When did electric starts come about and how do those work? Is that a lawn mower battery kind of thing?