Why There Are No 10 HP Outboard Motors

Why are there no 10 hp outboard motors? There are no 10 horsepower small outboards because of some specific state laws and rules. If you want a little 10 hp outboard boat motor the closest options are buying a 9.9 hp outboard motor or a 9.8 hp outboard engine. There are reasons why you can not buy a new small 10 hp outboard engine for your boat and those reasons are quite odd and unusual. A 10 horsepower boat motor hasn't been made for many decades!
In this video I discuss how we often hear about ten horsepower outboard motors but in reality, they don't actually exist. We are forced to buy a 9.9 Mercury outboard motor, or a 9.9 Suzuki outboard engine but none of the brands offer a 10 hp version. Yamaha, Tohatsu, Honda, Suzuki, Mercury and even back when Johnson and Evinrude were still outboard brands - you couldn't get a 10 hp version of their outboard motors. Find out why in this video!
00:00 Introduction
02:48 Why we can not buy 10 hp outboard engines in the USA
05:05 Are 9.9 horsepower outboard engines more expensive than they were 40 years ago?
#smalloutboards #10hpoutboard #9.9hp
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Photo by Roland Chanson on Pexels
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Sound effects and additional music is copyright free from iMovie

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Several people have commented that Honda still makes a 10 hp, and from the overwhelming number of comments, I believe it to be true. However, in the USA (where I am located) the Honda website only shows a 9.9 and no 10 hp. Obviously, the 9.9 and a 10 are the same engine and it seems that outside of North America it is still labeled as a 10 hp. I apologise for my "blanket statement" that there are no 10 hp outboards because it seems like this phenomenon is primarily a US and Canada thing. Also I do realize that "once upon a time" there were 10 hp outboards in the US and Canada - but it seems that era ended in the 1970s - around 50 years ago. So to those of you who insist on telling me that Johnson or Mercury made one in the 1960s, - I know they did. This video is addressing the several reasons WHY our 10 hp outboard motors are currently (and have been for the last 50 years or so) labeled as 9.8 and 9.9.

[@odd-istenlyng6120]

Mercury still makes one... i litterally have a brand new mercury 10 hp viking on my boat

[@paulmoir4452]

Canada says "over 7.5KW" which is over 10hp (7.46KW) so this is simply an Americanism. My Johnson QD-19 does not require registration in Canada.

[@1971hayes]

I have a Honda 10 hp

[@tonyfleurys]

I have 2 of them!

[@1971hayes]

@@tonyfleurys I don't know much about them I just got mine 1981 model. I just built a motor stand for it. The motor looks like it's in good shape,but I haven't cranked it yet. I have to change all fluids,spark plugs don't look bad.

[@janhanchenmichelsen2627]

Outboards under 10 HP used to be exempt from the old HP-tax here in Norway. Back then, the shops sold 9,9 HP. These simple two-stroke motors could be retuned to 15 HP in minutes. If you needed some parts, the shops sold ready packed, cheap "service kits" for 15 HP. Even if there were no 15 HP engines for sale in the whole country! 🙂

[@TACOINSURANCE]

You used to only need a boating license for motors 10 and above in Ontario, Canada. Now it’s for all motors but you still need to register any boat with a motor 10 or above. It seems like 10 has always been a sort of a cutoff internationally for various reasons.

[@janhanchenmichelsen2627]

@@TACOINSURANCE True. There are several rules regarding age, licenses and so on, and engine power is often used as a "divider". But many of these rules are newer, most boating used to be quiet unregulated, and the HP tax (ca 1970 - ca 2015) was the main cause for all those "9.9".

[@alexjames1146]

The Johnson and Evinrude 9.9 was indeed as you describe when I was a lad in Australia. You could also buy the 15. Before that there was the Johnson 9 1/2. A more full rounder engine housing.

[@palco22]

..... and after this small modification you get 15hp but with a 9.9 motor cover !

[@thagingerninjer5391]

It takes more than minutes. You can change the carb and reeds, but if you’re not changing the exhaust ports, as well, then it won’t actually be a 15hp. You can get a little more power by changing the carb, but the exhaust ports are the greater point of restriction. I have a 1963 evinride 10hp, and it’s the same engine from 4hp all the way to 40hp. The only difference is the carb and exhaust ports.

[@em21701]

The answer to why something is an odd number is always "the government". 49cc mopeds and minibikes exist for the same reason. 50cc and greater require licensing and registration.

[@Tshizzle42o]

Depends on the state. In Ohio you can't have anything over 35cc on the road without registration

[@cordcd7]

Same reason that the GT-R R34 and several other high performance Japanese cars came from the factory with "223" HP (I forget the actual value), there was a gentleman's agreement between the government and manufacturers that engines couldn't have more than X horsepower.

[@ProlificInvention]

Believe it or not Michigan recently updated the moped law to allow for up to 100cc, and they allow all kinds of loopholes. It's allowed me to register a 2004 Motorhispania RX50 which has gears and goes 65mph as well as a Suzuki 100cc Enduro.

[@kennethnoisewater1502]

In the UK even for 50cc and under requires you to be 16, training (£200 for 2 years), insurance at least (£500/year), tax (£20/year) and inspection (£30/year). Only then can you ride around in the rain at 28mph

[@ProlificInvention]

@@kennethnoisewater1502 That's booty, Move to Michigan if you want completely legal cannabis and much relaxed road rules over the UK-also red light cameras are illegal and you're not under surveillance virtually everywhere you drive.

[@dale5898]

I had a 15hp mercy and found out that a merc 6hp hood fit the 15hp. All good.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

lol

[@jimmykulik3438]

😂 actually the mnr have been known to actually take the vin# number and with a app they have can verify hp directly from the vin# and yes they do sometimes make the effort to check!

[@jaydee5156]

This actually goes back decades. An uncle of mine had a late 60s vintage 9.8 Mercury. My grandfather had a 9.5 Evinrude Sportwin from around the same era. An interesting, extremely low profile powerhead. As to vintage outboard costs, I still have a 1975 model 20hp Mercury that we bought new for $775.

[@kypackerfan4-12-15]

Jay Dee your wrong, Evinrude never made a 9.5 hp motor; It was 9.9hp. I worked for Evinrude for 17 years. I started in 1974, my father worked there for 34 years, my FIL worked there 32 years. The last 18 years he assembled 9.9hp and 15hp powerheads. The one difference being the carburetor and reed plate under it. By replacing them your 9.9 becomes 15 hp. My older brother assembled the starters, reed plates and other parts for the 9.9, 15, 25, 33, 35 hp lines. Just so you know very many OMC Brand (Evinrude, Johnson, Gale) outboard parts are interchangeable; some are not. When my Grandfathers 1961 15hp Gale outboard finally quit running, my father and I simply put a new 25 hp Evinrude powerhead on the Gale lower unit. They did make a 7.5 hp for a while in the late 60’s to early 70’s, my Uncle Frank owed one.

[@calenanderson2859]

@@kypackerfan4-12-15 I’ve had one a 9.5 evinrude mid 60s look it up

[@tylermcdermott6730]

@@kypackerfan4-12-15I know Johnson made a 9.5 with a low profile power head I believe designed to fit in trunks of cars better. Alot of brands made an outboard just under 10hp so people could use them on waters with horsepower restrictions usually a 10, 20 or 25hp limitation hence 9.5,9.8,9.9,18 variations of popular brands. The 28 33 48 65 75 88 and other unusual horsepower variations usually signified some extra option like a charging system oil injection electric shift or some other definable difference. Evinrude history is quite extensive. The more ive learn the less i think i know.

[@larryh9525]

In many cases, the 9.9 hp motors are 15 hp motors detuned to meet the requirements you mentioned. What's interesting is many of the 9.8 hp motors are 8 hp motors tuned to make slightly more hp. On a small boat, a 9.8 would make more sense as it's lighter, thus easier to lug around.

[@simonilett998]

I worked for a Mercury/Mariner dealer here in Australia back in the mid 90's. Our sale price on a 9.9hp two stroke outboard was $990AU and a 15hp was $1500AU. The prices went up pretty much the same way as HP increased, so it was pretty straight forward when it came to estimating prices for a customer. Also, as others have mentioned, a fair few manufacturers 9.9hp engines were basically a restricted/tuned down 15hp engine. Effectively all that is needed to upgrade a 9.9hp to 15hp is to fit a 15hp carburetor and 15hp exhaust tube to the mid section, although installing the 15hp exhaust tube does require lifting the powerhead/engine off the mid section to install.

[@nixxonnor]

Many 9.9 HP outboard motors are actually 20 HP motors that have been purposely limited in performance to either 15 or 9.9 HP. I think this is the case for some Suzuki, Tohatsu, Mercury and Yamaha outboards. If you swap out the limiting part(s), you regain the designed HP of the outboard.

[@TIMEtoRIDE900]

Was going to comment the same - - they also tend to make 2 "ratings" for a "casting" size, I had a Johnson 18 that looked identical to a Johnson 25 (1973) A marine tech told me I could get it up to 23 HP with parts but I'd have to open the engine up to get the last 2 HP. I never modded it as I had an 11' fiberglass boat and it was already over-powered.

[@nixxonnor]

@@TIMEtoRIDE900 Yeah. It makes sense to use the same mold for casting similar performing outboards.

[@y2kxj]

Honda’s are good for that..9.9 is tuned into a 15 with bigger jets and throttle stop removal.

[@Chris_at_Home]

Here in Alaska there is a river that they limit HP to 35. Many of these motors are just detuned 40-50HP motors. Some guys even fix what limits this but keep the 35HP cowling.

[@fungo6631]

This is similar to the Nissan Skyline GTR officially having 280 HP, but actually capable of quite a bit more with very minor modifications.

[@motorv8N]

Thanks for this informative video. These were the reasons I had always suspected for the not-quite-10hp-motor… There are some similar shenanigans at the upper end of the two digit range. For instance, Yamaha used to make a 100 hp motor. More recently, like in the last 10 to 15 years, they began making 90 hp motors instead, one of which sits on the back of my boat. A Yamaha tech told me while I was looking at used boats that the 90 hp motors are simply rebadged 100 hp motors because the insurance industry had started increasing rates significantly for engines above 100 hp. So Yamaha obliged and started “building” engines that were 10 hp less…

[@robkat8884]

This is why! A licence or registration is mandatory for all pleasure craft equipped with motors of 10 horsepower (7.5 kilowatts) or more, including personal watercraft, which are principally maintained or operated in Canada.

[@jeremiahbrumble3082]

I have several 10 horse power motors!! They are all 1950s and 1960s Johnson and Evinrude they run great!

[@jamesbutson6347]

Honda also has one, old but I still see them running around.

[@jeremiahbrumble3082]

@@jamesbutson6347 Oh Yeah 👍

[@hammer9856]

These were made before all the regulations were created.

[@jeremiahbrumble3082]

@@hammer9856 Yeah I wish they still made them!

[@garymcmullin2292]

yeah I had a green johnson 10, decal saying so on both sides of the cowl....explain that huh??

[@danpolo8829]

They do the same with 49 cc mopeds and scooters. That one cc makes it so that you don’t need a motorcycle license to use it here in Florida.

[@will7its]

Gubmint genius at work......

[@HGSolberg]

Here in Europe the cc limit for mopeds are up to and including 50cc. My understanding is that manufacturers make them 48 or 49 cc so that at least one cylinder bore is possible without making the moped into a motorcycle in a legal sense.

[@alandaters8547]

Different motors are "perfect" for different boats. Back in the day when my Dad got a 1.7 HP Neptune Mighty Mite, it was a huge improvement over either of us using oars to propel a 10-12 ft wooden boat with 2 people on board! The best part is that it would outrun the mosquitoes and other bugs on the sunset run on Peconic Lake back to the dock in August. Maintanance was easy, they thoughtfully built it with great access to everything. The only issue- the front passenger better duck during starting, the knot on the end of that non-recoil starter rope could really hurt!

[@supertramp6011]

Haha- I remember the exact same thing,having to duck as my dad attempted to start our old Seagull 4 hp outboard with the cord wrapped around the flywheel- often many times ,as it was incredibly unreliable!🤣🤣👌 great memories…..

[@bradcranford2264]

I just purchased a 20 HP Suzuki from that website you're looking at. Great experience and great service. They will ship any Outboard 30 HP and below directly to your home.

[@whiteouthamstra]

In Canada a pleasure craft with a motor under 10hp you don’t need to license or register your boat. So a 9.9 is a beautiful thing here.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

That's nice! In the US each state has different rules.

[@toddworkman4355]

Thanks for your honesty and enlightenment 👍👍👍☘️☘️☘️

[@andrewdouglas3091]

I had a Tohatsu 9.8 Hp that was nearly fifty years old and still ran perfectly. I only ever changed the spark plugs and the transmission oil. It started first time every time. What a great motor. 👍

[@hammer9856]

There are many older 2-cycle 9.9 outboards out there that can be had on the cheap that are still in great operating condition. And many others that can be easily repaired at little expense. Just make sure the lower unit and power head are in good operating condition (repairing those will run into money and are best handled by someone with some expertise). The other repairs on these outboards can be easily done by the average do-it-yourselfer and for minimal cost. You can find many of the parts you need on ebay on the cheap, with lots of vids online on how to do the repair. I love my little1985 Johnson 9.9! Still runs like a top, pushes my little 14 footer with ease and starts up on the first pull. And it allows me to fish on many bodies of water that have that 10hp restriction.

[@bobhunt3197]

I had a 10 hp. Honda from the 1982, no kidding. I painted the hood and put 9.9 decals on so I could fish smaller lakes.

[@alanploetz7100]

It's fun finding stuff like this, even if I'm coming to it a year later. I didn't know about the registration issue, but experienced both the age limit and motor size on certain bodies of water. In the 60s I started with a mid-50s 7.5hp Evinrude on a very heavy 16' cedar strip fishing boat. When I was 12 I took the Water Patrol's Boating Safety course so I could operate our family runabout with 60hp without a parent along. Later, when I finally got an aluminum 12ft fishing boat, I got a 9.8hp Merc. Of course by then I was dreaming of the Evinrude/Johnson low profile 15 horse. I remember when MSRP for small outboards was about $100/horsepower and larger engines came in well under that. Oh, the memories.

[@killfloor3825]

I love my 1956 Johnson 10 HP. I found it in someone's garbage. Converted it into a single line with a pulse carb, threw in and impeller and it runs like new. Pushes my 12' just fine

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

That's awesome!

[@rdunbar7418]

Suzuki's 9.9 and 15 hp are the same except 2 parts. The 9.9 has a restrictor air plate that lets in less air. And the ECU module is different, A lot of people drill out the plate to a larger hole and swap the ECU and presto you have a cloaked 15 hp motor.

[@papabits5721]

Great video, I thought it came down to not having to register a boat under 10hp. Was like this in Canada .

[@williamjonas4013]

i had a johnson 10 and it lasted for many years sold it to a friend who used it for years after. it was a great motor . anything good is always discontinued.

[@chrisrobs]

Good things dont make money. Planned obsolescence is the future and it disgusts me

[@hjc5458]

Anyone remember the GREEN 10 HP Mercury from many years back? It was rumored to be close to 20HP. We all used them on our little Hydros.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I see them pop up on some antique outboard posts - I think they were from the 40s and 50s. Cool looking!

[@michaelervolina3227]

I had two 10 hp Mercury's in the 60s, one was a 10 HP hurricane, the other was a 10 HP lightning.

[@melrose9252]

They didn’t have a standardized rating system so the old Merc 10’s would have been a 20 using OMC’s testing.

[@robbob5318]

@@melrose9252...interesting,... how is outboard horse power determined,?

[@quickturn66]

@@melrose9252 in the 50sthe super 10 hurricane was 20 cubic inches putting out about 18 hp

[@davidwalker1763]

Still have my 1985 Yamaha 9.9 two stroke. It uses 100/1 gas/oil ratio. Runs like a charm.

[@karsconijn1876]

What i like about the 9.9s is that it is a small 2 cilinder and dus way quieter than a 2.5-6hp cingel cilinder. And even a little quieter than a big two cilinder. Also got les fibrition.

[@allaboutroofing2]

I've owned a bunch of boats, but my favorite was a 9.9 Johnson on a quality inflatable with wood floor. That thing would get on plane so fast and would skim along comfortably at about 1000 miles per hour. 😂 Okay, not that fast but at 16 it sure felt like it and was a bit of a sleeper in that its speed surprised everyone I took out. Huge smiles.

[@jaymahaffey4133]

There is another reason too. Many states Boating Under the Influence laws have engine qualifications in them. Ours is 20 hp in MS but others are less in surrounding states.

[@GregsWorkshopOregon]

I have a 9.8 Tohatsu on my 12' Livingston and it's the perfect motor for that boat in every way.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Nice!

[@timneuman9493]

I have a 10hp Chrysler on my fishing boat. Love this little motor on my 14” tinny. Sips gas and can really move the boat.

[@OldManMuskrat]

Do you know approximately how much your boat weighs? My 14 foot fiberglass weighs about 700 and I'm doing my research on what motor I need.

[@timneuman9493]

@@OldManMuskrat it’s a 14’ alumacraft from the 70s so very light, I’d guess 250 ish lbs so quite a bit less than yours. I’d suggest going with the max rated hp as noted on the capacity plate

[@artfisher1615]

I had a 10 HP motor as a kid in the early 70’s. A 1958 Johnson. Anybody else old enough to remember the maroon and white Johnson’s? Had it on a 12ft boat and it flew. Noticed they changed to 9-1/2’s in the 60’s.

[@bubba97h]

I used the same one on my boat up until a couple years ago

[@ktx._.fishing3049]

I have a 73, 9.5 Johnson seahorse

[@georgelewis7154]

Yes, and I also remember the green 10HP Johnsons.

[@treatmenice1564]

@@georgelewis7154 I have one and to this day it runs great.

[@pikehunter23750]

Still have the same motor and runs well still today. We ran it on our 12' jon boat growing up for both fishing and duck hunting. Solid unit.

[@jeffreyfwagner]

Keep in mind that the ratings on outboards have a tolerance of plus or minus 19% of the rating. So a 9.9 motor could be about 11 hp or only 9hp and still be legal. Think of ICOMMIA and NMMA as industry agents that regulate how the motors are rated. ( I worked in Outboard Engineering for over ten years for OMC.)

[@melrose9252]

It’s 10% plus or minus.

[@dang5553]

Nice video. Who forgot the Honda 100 white cowling blue mid section yellow prop

[@tundramanq]

I wondered years ago (95) when I bought mine. Merc had 6, 8, 9.9 and 15. All had the same parts with the only difference being the carburetors used.

[@LuciusKyrus]

New Yamaha F60 is also sold as the F50. The difference is that Yamaha puts a different ECU on the F50, adds a removable restrictor to the air intake and puts on a smaller prop. In all reality, they do not make a 50hp motor, they just remove the balls from the 60hp motor.

[@giveitaswingoutdoorswithsm2901]

Hello there Ive a 2.5 on My little 12 foot fishing dinghy and its a Nice boat to launch and the whole Thing i very well balanced 👍 PS. Interesting vlog

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thanks! - Yeah I like my 2.5 too but sometimes it would be nice to have some more speed.

[@MullockHeap]

I purchased a Mercury 6hp 2021 model 4 stroke and it’s the best purchase I’ve made. I don’t like to go offshore at all and mostly use my boat on freshwater lakes here in Australia. It’s so cheap to run even at today’s prices and the servicing costs are super low as well. It’s just “fashionable” to have big motors here in Australia but not at all necessary.

[@_onesimpleidea]

Took a long long time to say a little little bit, but it _was_ interesting. Don't pay too much attention to the "that's technically inaccurate if measured with a micrometer" crowd. Just keep doing your thing!

[@jimt1240]

My first boat was a sears 10' jon boat with a 10hp Evinrude. Bought it used for 150.00. This was in 1960 something.

[@michaelhauser603]

I have a 2005 mercury 9.9 2 stroke and it’s an excellent motor. It pushes a 14’ aluminum boat no problem.

[@snickersman81]

Tomos company which produced 2 stroke outboards ranging from 4 to 20HP, also had a 10HP and a 9.9HP variant. Bore and stroke were identical to the 18HP, but there were only 2 channels instead of 3 inside the head - so it wasn't just detuned, but a different block. The 20 was oversized 18 variant, and the company was in process of developing a 40HP when the SFRJ collapsed.

[@RussellHoughton]

I had a 10hp evinrude that worked great. Then I upgraded to a 10hp honda 4 stroke that worked even better but had carbon steel bolts that made servicing impossible. Now I'm running a 9.9 johnson but it's not as fast as the honda.

[@garbo8962]

Years ago rented boats at 4 or 5 different towns in New Jersey. All we're 9.9 HP . was told several explanations from insurance company , no boater training require red with them some kind of age limit ( maybe 14 or 16 ) . The boats for a little faster when they switched from heavy wood to lighter fiberglass. Ran the 9.9 HP in 16 mile wide Delaware bay over 6 hours and never used all of the little red maybe 5 gallon gasoline can .

[@chuckceccacci3]

The editing dramatic music and black and white filming, with "I know many people do that sort of thing......PERFECT! Who would do such a thing? Ha.

[@wilbill9]

I have a Johnson 9.9 . Dad bought new back in late 70's

[@markgigiel2722]

Most of the lakes in NJ where I live limit you to "UNDER" 10 HP. If they allow powered boats at all. So, 9.9 it is. But you can get engine covers labeled 9.9 for 15 HP motors which are essentially the same.

[@williamjonas4013]

AND THE JOHNSON 10 I BOUGHT WAS WELL USED WHEN I BOUGHT IT . I USED IT FOR MANY YEARS SOLD IT TO A FRIEND WHO THEN USED IT FOR MANY YEARS AFTER THAT. IT WAS WHITE IT HAD PLENTY ENOUGH POWER TO WATER SKI BEHIND A 14 FT. FIBERGLASS LONE STAR BOAT. I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT LITTLE JOHNSON 10 WHAT A GREAT OUTBOARD MOTOR . NOT TOO BIG OR HEAVY TO CARRY IF NEEDED. NEVER HAD TO HAVE ONE SINGLE REPAIR FOR SOME REASON . TRULY GREAT OUTBOARD MOTOR. MY FIRST SENTENCE EMPHASIZES MY POINT . THE ONE I HAD WAS FROM THE 60S IF YOU EVER HAVE THE CHANCE TO GET ONE , DO IT .

[@alandumitrescu6597]

In the 1960s omc made 10 hp outboards. I had one branded as a Johnson seahorse. It was a detuned 14hp motor.

[@OldManMuskrat]

I have a classic 60s 14 foot fiberglass runabout. The boat only weighs about 700 lbs. Will this 10 hp push my little boat up river against current? I'm not looking for speed. 5mp is enough for me.

[@lyfandeth]

Oh, keep it simple way. There was, and probably still is, a huge jump in tariff and taxation for engines 10hp and larger. So the manufacturers come as close as they can (9.9) without hitting ten. Same reason that a Japanese 1.6 liter auto engine is 1.597 liters, never 1.6.

[@pieterbarneveld9518]

I have a 1976 Chrysler 10hp outboard in my shed. Runs like a dream

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Nice - That was right near the end of days for Chrysler outboards and 10 hp cowl covers in the US!

[@alistairshanks5099]

As said by others most of the 9.9 2 stroke outboards are derated 15 HP units. This is also the case with the other HP ratings as well until you get to the really big stuff. it stands to reason you are not going to make radically different motors just to get 5 HP more. All the 9.9 units I owned just required the fuel jets in the carburetor to be upgraded to the 15 HP spec and a limiting screw on the ignition advance removed then the motor would also have increased RPM that gave more HP and speed.

[@justinsane7128]

Honda?

[@alistairshanks5099]

@@justinsane7128 Sorry I have never owned a Honda outboard only two strokes

[@chrisbiggers4017]

I have a 2021 Mercury 20 HP. I think it is the same motor as the Mercury 9.9 and 15. The cowlings are even interchangeable. I was told the only difference in them is the computer. I was also told they can flash the computer in a 9.9 to make it a 20, but I think it might void the warranty.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

That’s interesting!

[@melrose9252]

The 9.9 has 12.8 cubes and the 15/20 has 21.4.

[@NTfoolhardy]

I was actually wondering that when I bought my 9.9. Why make a 10 hp rated boat when you can't buy a 10 hp. Lol.. Good info thanks.

[@Mattiasfuru]

Same here. 😅👍

[@johnw1506]

I have a Johnson 9.9 hp outboard 1994 use on my 26 foot canoe. Maintenance was very low. Switched the prop to a stainless steel and had it refurbished for 80.00$. Reasons for the purchase are exactly what was said in the video clip. I don’t think Johnson manufacture the 2 cycle outboard as many have gone to 4 stroke.

[@unavailableusername9694]

I know my local reservoir only allows fishing boats with "less than 10hp" engines. After researching a bit, a lot of reservoirs throughout the country have the same restriction, could this be part of it?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

It is one of the reasons!

[@brianperkins6121]

Many 9.9 hp outboards are accualy "detuned" 15's. you would be suprised how many 9.9's are suprisingly quick on our lake

[@jaydee5156]

My old 40 hp Johnson was actually a detuned 60. During that model run, the 40, 48, 50 and 60 were essentially the same engine. Same bore and stroke for all four.

[@johnvanlindingham9490]

I've had outboard motors since the mid 60s Evenrude and Johnson made a 9.9 and a 15 that phisacley where the same.I had a 10ft heavy duty aluminum John boat beeft up the transom and put a 20 HP Johnson on it and and it literally flew had aprox 1 ft of bottom touching the water when I punched it from idle it jumped out of the water.

[@mikesmith-wk7vy]

in 2014 i was looking at 15-20hp motors and a good 15hp was 2300-2800$ and a 20 was about 3000-3300$. the prices have gone up a lot lately

[@vf12497439]

My state says under 10hp and you don’t need a special boating license. Motors that actually make 15hp are packaged as 9.9 hp for our market here. The state made the 10hp rule but never checked the manufacturers claim. The mercury 2 stroke 9.9 makes about 13 propeller hp

[@hawkenman.549]

My Daddy had a Wizard outboard which was sold in the South by a company called, “Western Auto”. I believe it was sold as a 10hp outboard.

[@thomasolsen5543]

in norway it was the same no age restriction up to 9.9hp and max speed 10 knots now from 2021 its 10 hp no speed restrictions you now get motors like new mercury with 10 hp stikers

[@Adiscretefirm]

Truck manufacturers do the same thing, sometimes de-rating the exact same frame and drivetrain GVWR to one pound under the threshold for commercial license requirements.

[@valentinosupiterjr.-dx3iw]

sir wayne im from philippines i want to ask you what motor horsepower perfect for my inflatable boat stryker 250?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Does it say the max hp on the sticker?

[@stephenmartini5890]

I have a 1985 Sylvan Back-troller, 16.2, 9.9 Lid/15 hp. The boat is rated for a 40 hp. But, the 9.9/15 hp is better for my needs. Weight is 87.30 lb.

[@torod213]

Used to have a mid 200's Mercury that had - drumroll - 10hp... Not 9.9. Said 10 on the back. Although was tuned to 15 :)

[@bunnykiller]

really... back in 1973 I got a birthday present of a 10'MFG fiberglass boat with a 9.9 Johnson for around 800$ new. I found out the 9.9 and the 15 had a mechanical difference... the carb, the 15hp motor had a higher fuel flow. By buying a 15 hp carb rebuild kit, all one had to do was change the jets and readjust the air for idle and full throttle. If you shaved the top of the intake port a bit to allow an earlier timing of fresh fuel input and advance the spark about 3 degrees, you would get more hp out of the motor... I ended up with approx 17hp at full throttle. I miss that boat...

[@Mark_317]

My dad bought a brand new 9.9 mercury extra long shaft for his sailboat. In 2001 it was around 1100$.

[@user-jn9gv9ve6e]

i don't know about any other country but in ontario if your motor is 10 horse or above you have to license the boat. so they call it a 9.9 for this reason. i have fished in ontario for 50 years and was always given this reason. in michigan any boat that has a motor has to be licensed.

[@Sergejoncas]

same here in new brunswick canada

[@bigjay6743]

I have a 25 Mercury on my 12 foot tin tippy man dose it move.

[@Valco458]

For me it’s not so much about the horsepower , it’s the power to weigh ratio. I recently swapped my trusty 2 stroke 15 horse Evinrude for a 15 Yamaha four stroke & am kinda regretting it . The Yamaha weighs more & trolls too fast on the little 12’ Valco. The difference in weight between a 9.9 & 15 Yamaha was just under 25 lbs & I’m thinking the trolling speed would be about the same as the 15 four stroke.

[@hankschrader149]

Valco is a great boat!

[@sail4life]

You could get a lower pitch prop, but you'd have to take care not to overrev it at WOT.

[@familiekruit6068]

Interesting. Here in The Netherlands it isn't about horse power but about the length of the boat and how fast it can go. If a boat is shorter than 15 meters and can't go over 20 km/h you don't need a boating license and even your kids can use it. So these can be boats that are simply too heavy to go fast but it can even be a because there's a temporary speed restriction installed. Here you often see 12 year olds in boats with hundreds of horse powers but with a lock on the remote that limits the amount of throttle that can be applied. And like any 12 year old, they will eventually find out where dad hides the key to that lock…

[@sklai1907]

In Canada, both the boater and the boat have to be licensed, you need a boat training to show the competency to operate a motor over 10 hp and register your boat with Transport Canada.

[@terjeygard7328]

One thing he forgot to mention, is that these 9,9 HP outboards (2-stroke versions) actually all are dowmtrimmed 15 HP engines. In Norway, when 2-strike outboards were prohibited some years ago, you could get good money for a 9,9 HP 2-stroke. And within some minues of work, you had a 15 HP 😁

[@williamoorejr]

Jahjan is right Many 2 strokes were upgraded with a reed plate change and carbs. some could get a tuned exhaust. With Old Mercurys it didn't matter as they were under plated and when you bought a 15 hp it was a 20 from the factory, which made many evinrude guys complain they were beat by a 15 merc.

[@pjimmbojimmbo1990]

In the 60s thru late 70s Mercury used to take the HP of the engine and add a Zero to it, a 50hp became the Merc 500, a 7.5 was the Merc 75. however the 9.8hp was called the Merc 110.... a crafty way of outright thumbing the nose at the Regulators

[@74nova36]

Wait I thought I was called at 110 because it’s an 11 cubic inch motor. Correct me if I’m wrong but my 1968 Mercury 110 is clear as day labeled 9.8 HP Twin on the lower cowling.

[@pjimmbojimmbo1990]

@@74nova36 You need to reread my comment, and comprehend it. Your logic doesn't hold up very well, cause the inline 6s were 99.8 cubic inches, but they were called 900, 1150, 1250, 1350, 1400, and 1500, respectively 90hp, 115hp, 125 hp, 135hp, 140hp, and 150hp. There were higher HP racing engine of that displacement too.

[@74nova36]

@@pjimmbojimmbo1990 dang you’re a coot. You can displace the same amount while making different amounts of horsepower per given cubic inch. ✋🏿 All 9.8's used Merc's 10.9 cubic inch block, and throughout it's life the block was never modernized. It was a "headless" split block with the reeds located in a (donut) around the lower portion of the crank - a real pain if you had a reed problem - had to crack the block to get at them. The 9.8 started it's model run in 1962 as the model 110 with Merc's Phelon ignition system. In 1970 it got the first "thunderbolt" ignition system - the "thunderbolt 2 - Phase Maker". In 1974, while still called the Model 110 it got Merc's Thunderbolt 4 ignition which stayed in production as Merc's near perfect ignition until 2005 when most 2 strokes were discontinued. In 1979 it simply became the 9.8. In 1985 both the block (which was shared with the 7.5 horse) and the 9.8 model were discontinued. 1986 saw the launch of the 6/8/9.9 horse models with a new 12.8 cubic inch block (designed and built by Yamaha exclusively for Merc) which combined with the T4 ignition became the best and most reliable 2 stroke portables ever to hit the market. *Be open to being wrong* I am, and still could be wrong

[@melrose9252]

@@74nova36 < The Old 9.8’s (110) were 10.9 cubes.

[@74nova36]

@@melrose9252 thanks for verifying that my original claim was correct. Just got my 1968 9.8hp up and running! It makes a ton of power for 11 cubic inches!!

[@walterkersting6238]

Is there a hydrodynamometer or do they just calculate the hp?

[@motodad525]

Honda 4-Stroke 10-hp Outboard Motor, Model 100 in the USA..My father owned one!!..model 100!!!!

[@whiskeybuilder6335]

There are several lakes we fish that are 35 hp and below. Presumably to regulate speed and emissions. That being said, I saw several larger craft with what had to be some very damn powerful 35's. 🤔

[@krisrooney2283]

There is lots of 10 hp outboard motor johnson and Evinrude both used to make them

[@richardl6751]

Can you run two motors? Currently the Suzuki 6 HP DF6AS5 is on sale for $1,450 so two will give you 12 HP for $2.900. You will need to link them together somehow but it could work.

[@alanstrong55]

A 7hp Eska motor seemingly worked well for small boats and of course trolling. I miss the Gamefisher boat from Sears. It worked for small lakes.

[@frankdavidson9675]

my first out board mtr. was a 5hp elgin my dad traded for it back then hardly any body had a boat you could rent a wooden boat at the lakes about $1.00 a day bring your small mtr or row we did have cousions and life jackets a can of worms and 2-3 cane poles we were happy back then

[@Handcarvedbyrandy]

I had a 1940 Johnson 10 HP on my boat so they did make them at one time.

[@allanweseman5433]

I have been told that FLORIDA was the first state to put restrictions on the horsepower of motors used on certain lakes and that limit was 10 horsepower creating the first 9.9 horsepower motors This then spread around the world.

[@thagingerninjer5391]

I have a 1963 evinrude 10hp, and it’s an absolute freakin monster.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I'm sure! Those old motors were rippers!

[@martinadelaide3385]

I have just downsized boats and now have a Heron dinghy. Unfortunately, anything over a 35lb thrust trolling motor requires it to be registered.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Downsizing isn't a bad thing - less to worry about! Around me, any propulsion (even the weakest trolling motor) requires registration.

[@jokomane1433]

I‘d agree if the video was called „Why there are no 10HP outboards in the USA and Canada“. There are plenty 10HP outboards available outside those two countries

[@pieterscheffer407]

Honda made in the old days 10 hp engines. On de outboard casing was the number 100 printed.

[@sylviaisgod6947]

@@pieterscheffer407 "de" isn't a word.

[@pieterscheffer407]

@@sylviaisgod6947 that's right. My autocorrect turned it in to a dutch word

[@DarthLungs]

25hp on my 14 foot tin can is the sweetest spot imo

[@dicksonnfriendsoutdoors2715]

I have a 16' aluminum runabout rated for up to 80 hp, the 25 tohatsu I got pushes it 30, so I'd be nervous with 80

[@ilyasvos3490]

How about the mercury 10hp EFI?

[@jhoncho4x4]

HP restricted lakes, is the original reason why they was marketed as less than 10 hp. 9.9 is usually 15hp with smaller carb. Makes same low end torque as 15hp, to get boat on plane, hp and speed restricted by rpm and prop choice. Needs the same low end torque as 15hp for pontoon boats to maintain control and propulsion in windy conditions. On old Johnson / Evinrude outboards, 9.9hp engine cover fits 15hp engines.... Smaller engines don't need a title or registration in many states too.

[@alnbaba]

My old Chrysler 15hp weighs about 50 pounds they are the lightest 15 ever made thirsty and loud too.

[@tahcogunworks]

I put a 45 hp outboard on my boat rated to 10 hp. Most fun I've ever had.

[@Antsa15]

for example i have a suzuki's df9,9brs efi motor and it is the same engine as 15 and 20 the 20hp variant is just restricted whit ecu software and intake restrictor to be 9,9 or 15hp

[@Puffalupagus360]

I know this holds true. The funny thing is in Georgia on the Savannah River they have a 10 horsepower limit in a lot of the sections where you can take a small to medium size boat. The reality the situation is that the boat shops will tell someone to buy a 9.9 horsepower motor and then have them install a 15 horsepower carb on it making it essentially a 15 horsepower motor. This is not legal but it's also not expressly illegal. Gray zone boating at its best.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

My assumption is that by having these rules and laws, they aren't focused on keeping someone from having a 15 hp out there as much as they are making sure no 50 hp engines are on that body of water. Kind of like how our speed limits are usually broken by 8 mph without penalty.

[@JUNBUG692000]

1954 Johnson seahorse 10 Hp antique outboard motor Posted by getting it done north of 7 10 months ago

[@leversforever9748]

Some states require you to register a boat with a motor 10 hp and above so motor manufacture's put out the 9.9 hp to skirt that requirement.

[@washguy5982]

Back in the day of my youth (1960’s) boats under 10 hp did not require registration, thus the 9.9.

[@youdonthavetoreadthispost.5850]

In Oregon 10hp is just the under/over for license requirements. 9.8 Tohatsu here. Never had a ten.