I didn't get to get out today. Still waiting for my first fish of the year.

Got out for a couple hours this afternoon and only had one bite. Descent 6#er though. Won't be long boys!

Good stuff Ponderfishin. I got out on Sunday and got no bites.

Well, after months of contemplating the options for an outboard, many hours spent reading reviews and watching youtube reviews, I finally made my decision.

I went back and forth between a used merc or evinrude, a new tohatsu (japanese), or a super cheap new hangkai (chinese). each option had good and bad points, and the decision was very difficult.

Today, I broke down and decided to take a chance on the hangkai. I ordered it on ebay for $324 with free shipping.

I know that many of you think that is a poor choice, but it was the best option FOR ME.

When it arrives, I will put it to the test, and offer my review if anyone is interested.

Mike

Im interested. keep us posted.

Me too. What size did you get for that price?

I got the 3.5

I will be using it to push my pelican bass raider 10E. My raider is a little heavy, as she got neglected last year, and soaked some water into the foam in the pontoons. But she still does good with my 45lb thrust Minn Kota trolling motor.

I just really wanted the outboard to get from cove to cove without burning up my trolling battery. And for more power when fighting current while going UP river.

I am hoping that it arrives this week, and I can check it out

Will keep y'all posted

Ive been seriously thinking about getting one for that very reason, but didnt wanna drop a grand on one. ive been watching craigslist for like a year, and no dice.
Im very interested in your review

Well, my HANGKAI outboard motor arrived Thursday evening, and here is the initial review I promised. I will be updating with more detailed reviews as I put this little motor to more and more strenuous tests. Please understand that this cannot even come close to comparing with a Johnson, evinrude, or merc, but it was only $324 with free shipping, and it is brand new.

OUT OF THE BOX:
When I picked up the box, I was very surprised by how light it was (aprox 25 lbs including packaging). Upon opening the box, I found a 1 liter fuel can with the little side compartment for mixing the fuel and oil. I also found a funnel, an extra spindle, an extra pull rope assembly, a useless little tool kit (that you wouldn�t pay a dollar for at the dollar store), a cotter pin, 2 spare shear keys, and the fully assembled motor. The motor is obviously made from cheap materials, but seems okay for the price. I noticed that the owners manual that came with it is written in terrible broken English, and very hard to understand� but how hard can it be? This ain�t my first rodeo with an outboard motor.
I also noticed that the recommended fuel/oil mix is 25:1� ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?... That seems very rich, but okay.

TRASH CAN TEST:
The day the motor arrived, it was way to windy to get on the lake. But I wanted to play with my new toy, so� I filled a Rubbermaid trash can with tap water, assembled a quick �support system� with old 2x4s, and put the motor thru a �trash can test�. It took me about 10 pulls to get it to start the first time. I think it would have been less if I had noticed that the choke on/off switch was labeled backwards earlier. That is correct, the choke on/off switch is labeled BACKWARDS� lol.
Once the motor started, it seemed to take it 3-4 minutes to warm up. After warming up, it idled nice, and throttled up nicely, other than being excessively loud. I held full throttle for about 30 seconds at a time, several times, and let it idle for about 30 minutes. I heard a hiccup or two, but for the most part� no problems. When I turned the motor off, I did notice a significant amount of oil floating on the surface of the water. I figure this is probably due to the 25:1 fuel/oil mix, and partially due to the small water source (35 gallon trash can) that it had been running in for 30-40 minutes.

ON THE LAKE:
I took the motor to the lake today for the real test. I filled up the tiny (1 liter) fuel tank, and put it on my Pelican Bass Raider 10E. I should note here that my pelican is a little heavier than she should be because some water soaked into the foam inside the pontoons last year� And I am a BIG man (aprox 280 lbs). I pushed the boat into the water, and the little Hangkai started on the 5th pull. I let it idle and warm up for about 4-5 minutes, then took off.
This little motor pushes my boat almost twice as fast as my 40# Minn Kota trolling motor on speed 5. I had actually hoped for a little more speed, but this is fine. I can definitely feel a HUGE difference in TORQUE. This baby has a [censored]-load more torque than the trolling motor. I ran it for about an hour, on full throttle the entire time (except during turns), and it ran out of fuel. One hour of full throttle on one liter of gas� that seems pretty good to me. Again, I heard several hiccups during this hour, but the motor never stalled. I also never noticed an �oil trail� behind me.
I filled the tank back up with another liter of the 25:1 mix, and it started on first pull. I ran the motor for a while, and killed it several times� Always started on first pull when warm.

OVER ALL:
This is definitely NO top of the line motor, but it seems great for the price, if it holds up for a few years. I read a review somewhere that said the guy switched to about 30:1 or 35:1 fuel mix, and he got more time out of a tank of gas, and eliminated the �hiccups�. I might try that, not sure. But overall, I am satisfied , so far, with my purchase. Stay tuned for future reviews as I break this little devil in.

Mike

very interesting review


thanks for taking the time to put that out there.

After 6 years of not fishing at all, I finally bought my second BassBaby, and the Versa trailer should be delivered Monday. I've almost finished rigging the 'boat,' installing turf carpet, wiring for TM and H'bird etc. Now I have a new contract, and will be working in Tacoma M-F every week for the next few months. Figures. LOL. I'll get out on the water one of these weekends, though. Tight lines, y'all.

Thanks for the review on the motor bud!

Choke labeled backward huh lol

That's rich

Are there any posts on put-ins and ramps in this thread?

My 2.5 Mercury came from the Tohatsu factory in a Tohatsu box with Tohatsu instructions.

has anyone been out to any of the LBJ grasslands lakes? I see on google maps they look DRY, but not sure how dated that view is.