Chinese boat motors reviews from owners

Countless diamonds in stone caves

I counted four dozen brands of Chinese outboard motors that, from 2004-2008 to this day, have been presented on the Russian market. A good two-thirds of them copy Yamaha and Tohatsu. Some “Chinese brands” are leaving the scene, others are appearing. And everyone produces about the same thing. Can you imagine 30 Chevrolet Niva clones under three dozen different names?

But there are a lot of Chinese PLM brands, and if we also start counting the brands that go to America and Europe, we will see names completely unfamiliar to the Russian buyer, which will significantly add to the list of the Chinese motor industry.

I probably won’t reveal the secret by saying that the quality of Chinese engines is much inferior to the “Japanese”. However, boat people take them. And here it determines everything

Which Chinese outboard motor should I buy?

Based on numerous reviews, we have compiled a rating of trusted brands from China. Let's take an example of a couple of manufacturers.

Chinese boat motor Sail

Chinese outboard motor Sail
Quite a well-known brand with a large assortment, the head and gearbox show excellent performance and reliability, but sometimes the reliability of the electronics is poor.

This is probably due to the fact that the Chinese have not achieved the knowledge that Japanese engineers possess.

There is no point in comparing with Japan and America, but in its price category it is one of the leaders.

The motors work out their cost 100%, reviews are mostly positive.

Chinese Hondex boat motor

Chinese outboard motor Hondex
An excellent, proven brand, one of the leaders in Europe and boasts international quality certificates.

Prices are quite affordable for residents of Russia; power can be selected from several models.

• The simplest and most interesting is the Hondex 2.5 BMS outboard motor, which has an engine capacity of 75 cm3, a 5-liter fuel tank, and is started manually.
• As standard, the budget model is controlled by a tiller.
• You can pay attention to the F5 BMS model, the working volume has increased to 112 cm3, the built-in tank is 3 liters.
• The quality and reliability of the motor is one of the best, it operates in 4-stroke mode and has a very average weight of 24.5 kg.

Chinese outboard motor Parsun

Chinese outboard motor Parsun
A relatively new brand on the Chinese market, but it has already presented itself quite well with interesting models with various characteristics.

An interesting fact is that the motor is sold in the USA and Canada.

Important! The Parsun brand is presented on the Russian market under a different name - Golfstream.

An interesting representative of the middle class is the T2 BMS model engine, which operates in 2-stroke mode and has 1 cylinder.

A more advanced and powerful model can be called F2.6 BMS.

Price

The most expensive Chinese engine will always be significantly cheaper than the cheapest Japanese equivalent. Let's look at an example.

The cost of Chinese design copies of the Yamaha 9.9 F engine

Once again, all these engines are copies of the 2nd Yamaha 9.9, all with a displacement of 246 cm3. You could add a dozen more twin brothers to this table, but I think that’s enough for a general idea.

It's amazing how smoothly these copies of the same engine occupied their price niche. There are engines here that are both cheaper and significantly cheaper than the Japanese “prototype”, but none come closer to the cost of the original than 20%. Which is understandable, because then it will already be the price tag of another slightly cheaper than the Yamaha 9.9, but no less eminent “Japanese” - the Suzuki DT 9.9 AS. And who then will buy such a “Chinese”?

You can take any Yamaha or Tohatsu model from the small to medium power range and build similar tables consisting of their Chinese copies. But we won’t see anything new in pricing there - the same difference of 20-50% from the Japanese prototypes.

Clearly, the key word here is “quality.” If everything were different, we would have long ago forgotten about Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, etc.

But do Chinese engines work? They are working. As good as Japanese ones? Well, maybe not the same, but they work.

It's all about the boundaries of what is acceptable, which each buyer draws independently, according to his ideas and requests.

The best companies of Chinese outboard motors

When assessing Chinese companies that produce outboard motors, some criteria were taken, namely:

• reviews of products from Russian users;
• opinions of world experts;
• range of products offered;
• price qualities of the product;
• place of engines in the domestic market;
• characteristics of reliability and long-term operation.

Note! A large number of manufacturers focus on middle-class consumers, which allows them to produce motors at affordable prices and high quality

SEA PRO

Budget option for boat engines. The power of the units is up to 9.9 l/s; the devices are aimed at using an enriched mixture for a faster start. Two-stroke devices require the purchase of appropriate modifications that will increase the service life of the motor.

Advantages:

• high motor power;
• the design is used from previously tested analogues.

Flaws:

• the need to purchase additional parts.

Note! The purchase of this type of parts will allow users to use the motor for a long time, subject to all operating recommendations. Average cost from 62,000 rubles.

MARLIN

The company for the production of engines for boats has an individual design of devices and produces high-quality motors at affordable prices. Currently, the company is in great demand in motorized equipment not only among domestic but also foreign users.

The most popular models of the company are:

• MARLIN MP 5 AMHS;
• MARLIN MP 9.8 AMHS.

Note! The manufacturer produces two-stroke motors with manual start of varying power from 5 to 9.8 l/s.

Advantages:

• high quality;
• no possible overheating.

Flaws:

• excessive fuel consumption.

Good to know! The units have compact dimensions, low noise levels and a guarantee for long-term operation. Average prices from 80,000 rubles.

ZONGSHENG

According to the results of the rating, the company was recognized as one of the best in 2018 in the production of high-power devices for boat equipment. The line of the most popular units includes two-stroke units with power from 9.9 to 40 l/s. The devices can be manually started or by remote control.

The most popular models are the following:

• ZONGSHEN T 40 FW;
• ZONGSHEN T 9.9 BMS.

Boat engines have the following advantages:

• presence of overheating protection;
• no noise.

Flaws:

• presence of vibration when idling.

The average cost of motors varies from 90,000 rubles.

PARSUN

The company focuses on the production of high-quality products that are not inferior in their characteristics to such well-known models as Yamaha and others.

Consumers can purchase models of four-stroke and two-stroke engines at affordable price categories. Models can have a power of 5.5 to 15 l/s. A guarantee is provided upon purchase.

Among the most popular models it should be noted:

• Parsun F5BMS;
• Parsun T15BMS PRO.

Advantages of the devices:

• light weight;
• manual start;
• rapid development of speed.

Flaws:

• high fuel consumption.

Good to know! The cost of such outboard motors varies from 55,000 depending on power.

HDX (HONDEX)

The line of products produced by the Chinese company HDX (HONDEX) meets all international standards. Therefore, it has a high level of demand among owners of boat equipment. A large number of boat motors have functions that are suitable for the climatic conditions of Russia.

Among the popular ones are:

• HDX 2.5 BMS;
• HDX F5 BMS;
• HDX T9 BMS.

Advantages:

• can start in any weather conditions;
• compact;
• have a power from 5 to 10 l/s;
• The fuel tank capacity reaches 3 liters;
• suitable for shallow waters

Flaws:

• Some parts are made of plastic, which reduces the wear resistance of the device.

Good to know! The average cost of devices varies from 20,000 rubles.

Sources

• https://vyborok.com/rejting-luchshih-kitajskih-lodochnyh-motorov/
• https://yanashla.com/luchshie-kitajskie-lodochnye-motory/
• https://dns-magazin.ru/v-sadu/luchshie-kitajskie-lodochnye-motory.html
• https://its-city.ru/sadovaya/top-kitajskih-lodochnyh-motorov.html
• https://KitayGid.ru/avto/lodochnye-motory
• https://instrument33.ru/reytingi/6-luchshih-lodochnyh-motorov-reyting-2019-top/
• https://motorlodki.ru/motory/rejting-motorov-dlja-lodok-pvh
• https://bagorik.ru/transport/motory/kitajskie-lodochnye-motory-otzyvy.html

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Everything is under control or check the oil level in the gearbox

There are many reports and messages on the Internet with examples of the assembly “miracles” of some representatives of the Chinese industry. You can, of course, say that these are separate “jambs”.

The general state of affairs is (to some extent) illustrated by this sticker on the deadwoods of outboard motors from one, not so unknown, Chinese manufacturer:

Check the oil in the gearbox

If anyone doesn’t know, the oil should be filled into the gearbox by the manufacturer . This is the same mandatory procedure as inserting a cotter pin into the nut when installing a propeller.

So how can you not trust your assembly production in order to require the buyer to check the oil level in the gearbox of a newly purchased motor?

The funny thing is that some owners save this sticker and drive with it without removing it.