Read this article first : Technical point
I will start by the easiest. On my dinghy I have an outboard mercury 6cv 4 stroke.
I am unfortunately very disappointed by this engine. I bought this engine new in 2014, I haven’t used it a lot, I take care of this engine like any others engines I have had (car, boat, scooter…) it spends the winter inside when not in use…. but it’s not working well. This is the first time for me that I have an engine that is not working correctly. That is why I can tell this is not a good engine. The reliability is bad and the power is not good.
I have to clean really often (each month or two) the carburetor because it stops working. I have done it so often now that I can do it by night. There is a fuel filter, it’s clean, changed regularly. So far I have taken fuel in Iceland, France, Spain and Portugal and I got problem in EACH of these countries. So fuel supply is not the problem. It does not start well most of the time and the idle is capricious. This is too sensitive.
The worst, a friend of mine knows the director of the mercury dealer in a place that I will keep unsaid. My friend brings him my mercury motor for a full maintenance check up service. In the workshop not less than 10 outboards 6ch mercury were waiting for « difficulties to start ».
Guess what told us the director : « use this motor as an anchor and buy a Yamaha… »
Back from this full maintenance with ultrasonic cleaning, it works fine for one month before having problem again. The carburetor is really too sensitive and in the real life out on sea, it makes this engine not good. Maybe with an engine cleaned with fresh water after every use in a garage it’s ok, but for a dinghy in a boat moored all year around, it’s not.
So I do not recommend Mercury 6cv outboard engine and I think I can add without difficulties, the mercury 6ch 4 strokes engine 2014 is a piece of shit.
I gave away this engine, I didn’t want to sell it used even cheap. Problem solved.
Now I have an old used Yamaha 4ch 4 stroke. And guess what, It always starts and works fine.