Yanmar diesel outboards [kickers]?

Eden Island

Eden Island

Well-Known Member
I've found a bit online about Yanmar diesel outboards in the 10 to 40 hp range but most of it seems to be British or Australian websites. Anybody know if they are still made and if they are available in North America?

I currently run a D3 diesel in my 23 Hourston with a Yamaha 9.9 kicker. Having both motors diesel would simplify life and make room for more house battery.
 
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zurk said:
if you have an on board diesel generator might be simpler just to run a direct drive electric motor as your kicker and drop in a few lifepo4 batteries to buffer it. e.g. slap one of these on for $3.5K - https://goldenmotorcz.en.made-in-ch...r-Boats-with-the-adjustable-shaft-length.html
6KW 48V. drop one of these in - https://dakotalithium.com/product/dakota-lithium-48v-96ah-deep-cycle-lifepo4-marine-battery/ for $3K and for 7K ish youre good.
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Is that what you are running on your kingfisher? Looks pretty impressive but I've never heard of that brand.

A Rhodan or a Minn Kota seem to be the "most" reliable trolling motors and would simplify things on the fuel front but would require significant electrical upgrades. For larger boats they recommend a 36v with over 100lb of thrust. If you aren't worried about weight Costco has some "affordable" AGM batteries or you can go premium with a 11 year warranty. https://dakotalithium.com/product/dakota-lithium-36v-100ah-deep-cycle-marine-trolling-motor-battery/

7k ish seems on the cheap side for a good electric trolling motor and lithium for a large boat but if it's a self install, I could see it coming in at close to that.
 
ive gone slightly more complicated on the KF with a dakota DL+, a DC outback genny, direct drive GPS bow trolling motor and a tohatsu 6HP kicker.
but its a smaller boat and i needed to play with the systems on it anyway.
 
zurk said:
if you have an on board diesel generator might be simpler just to run a direct drive electric motor as your kicker and drop in a few lifepo4 batteries to buffer it. e.g. slap one of these on for $3.5K - https://goldenmotorcz.en.made-in-ch...r-Boats-with-the-adjustable-shaft-length.html
6KW 48V. drop one of these in - https://dakotalithium.com/product/dakota-lithium-48v-96ah-deep-cycle-lifepo4-marine-battery/ for $3K and for 7K ish youre good.
Click to expand...
I have no generator onboard, and limited room for additional batteries. The first mate doesn't want to rely on an electric kicker so I had followed Andrew P's motor mounted electric kicker with interest - planning to mount the electric on the 9.9 [ie. 2 kickers]. Unfortunately Minn Kota and Navigator both stopped making a 160# thrust motor-mounted electric [or any motor-mounted electrics] -- MK says due to low demand; Navigator because of fatal salt-water sealing problems.

I was curious when I heard Yanmar had made diesel outboards in the 10-40 hp range - before their recent 50 hp offering. All the other diesel outboards seem to be large [eg. Mercury 175 and Oxe 300]. A diesel kicker would allow me to run kicker, main and stove all off the diesel tank. Seems desirable -- but it sounds like the small Yanmars aren't made any more and were mostly in non-North American markets.
 
I think diesels require too much emission equipment to meet North American standards for a small outboard to be viable. Looks like Yanmar has abandoned them, and this company that used to partner with Yanmar now seems to just sell fleet outboards at 50hp. https://www.neandermarine.com/outboards/

Battery size and density keep on coming down https://ca.redodopower.com/products/redodo-12v-100ah-mini-lifepo4-battery-1-28kwh-1-28kw
With the lithium, some people are reporting 2-3 days of fishing before needing to recharge, or those that troll/use spot lock for shorter periods their alternator keeps the batteries topped up. Not sure how long it would take a big alternator to top up 3x12v but if I'm putting in 3x12 hours of trolling I'm usually limited out and pulling the plug on fishing.
 
kaelc said:
I think diesels require too much emission equipment to meet North American standards for a small outboard to be viable. Looks like Yanmar has abandoned them, and this company that used to partner with Yanmar now seems to just sell fleet outboards at 50hp. https://www.neandermarine.com/outboards/

Battery size and density keep on coming down https://ca.redodopower.com/products/redodo-12v-100ah-mini-lifepo4-battery-1-28kwh-1-28kw
With the lithium, some people are reporting 2-3 days of fishing before needing to recharge, or those that troll/use spot lock for shorter periods their alternator keeps the batteries topped up. Not sure how long it would take a big alternator to top up 3x12v but if I'm putting in 3x12 hours of trolling I'm usually limited out and pulling the plug on fishing.
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North American emission standards makes sense as the reason why they didn't come here.
 
diesel gennys are pretty cost effective. $4.4K usd for one which can run the electric outboard full out for as long as you want.

8080P-40205 - Polar Power

polarpower.com polarpower.com
but 200 lbs weight so you need a 20+ ft boat.
the minn kota and others dont have the brushless/gearless design of the chinese motors. even though im reluctant to recommend chinese crap generally they seem to have taken the lead in electric motor designs efficiency wise. 6KW is basically 10HP ish.
 
zurk said:
diesel gennys are pretty cost effective. $4.4K usd for one which can run the electric outboard full out for as long as you want.

8080P-40205 - Polar Power

polarpower.com polarpower.com
but 200 lbs weight so you need a 20+ ft boat.
the minn kota and others dont have the brushless/gearless design of the chinese motors. even though im reluctant to recommend chinese crap generally they seem to have taken the lead in electric motor designs efficiency wise. 6KW is basically 10HP ish.
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Minn Kota is going Bushless, not sure if they are in the hands of customers yet.
 
And how about noise and diesel smell while trolling? Personally I hate when a diesel boat is trolling around in the pack on a calm windless day...stinks up the whole area. If they make something that runs on coffee, bacon, onions and hot dogs I'll buy one! lol
 
profisher said:
And how about noise and diesel smell while trolling? Personally I hate when a diesel boat is trolling around in the pack on a calm windless day...stinks up the whole area. If they make something that runs on coffee, bacon, onions and hot dogs I'll buy one! lol
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Fair question. How about biodiesel? - smells like french fries. My diesel main won't go slower than about 4 mph @ 700 rpm so that's not happening.

I'd actually like to do electric like Andrew P set up -- but that's not happening because they don't make the motor mounted units any more. A diesel generator to run the electric doesn't really serve for silent trolling -- sorry Zurk -- or odorless Profisher. 9.9 will have to do it for now.
 
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