YAMAHA 2.5 HP F2.5LMHB OUTBOARD MOTOR

Description

Looking for a light long shaft motor for a sailboat, a tall-sided tender or a small boat with a 20 inch transom? We have the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale, new in the box, and we ship it anywhere in the world. It is Yamaha’s 2.5 horsepower four-stroke on a 20 inch leg, with the fuel tank built in, a pull start and a weight of around 40 pounds.

The long shaft is what makes this one different. On a sailboat bracket or a high transom, a short shaft motor leaves the propeller too close to the surface, and the first bit of chop has it sucking air and screaming. The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale puts the prop five inches deeper, where it can bite. Below are the specs, the boats it fits, how to set it up and how to buy it from us.

Yamaha F2.5LMHB Specifications

These are the figures Yamaha publishes for the F2.5 line, and the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale on this page is the long shaft model from that line. You can see the full list on Yamaha’s small portable outboards page if you want to compare.

Reading the Model Code

Yamaha’s names are just a string of letters that each mean something. Here is the one on this motor.

• F for four-stroke.
• 2.5 for 2.5 horsepower.
• L for long shaft, which is 20 inches.
• M for manual start.
• H for tiller handle.
• B for the design generation.

Put together, the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale is the 20 inch, pull start, tiller version. If your transom is closer to 15 inches, the motor you want is the short shaft Yamaha F2.5SMHB. Same engine, same weight give or take a few pounds, shorter leg.

Do You Really Need the Long Shaft?

This is the question that matters most, so it gets its own section. Buying the wrong shaft length is the most common mistake people make with small outboards, and it is an annoying one because the motor will run, just badly.

Here is how to check. Take a tape measure. Start at the top of the transom where the motor clamps will sit and measure straight down to the bottom of the hull. If you are mounting on a bracket, measure from the top of the bracket pad down to the waterline, then think about where the bottom of a normal outboard leg would need to be to keep the prop under water when the boat pitches.

• Around 15 inches: short shaft.
• Around 20 inches: long shaft, which means the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale.
• Sailboat brackets: very often long shaft, because the bracket sits higher and the stern lifts in waves.

When in doubt on a sailboat, go long. A prop that is a little too deep costs you a tiny bit of efficiency. A prop that is too shallow costs you the ability to get home in a chop.

The Boats This Motor Is Made For

Small sailboats and day sailers

A lot of small keelboats and day sailers have an outboard bracket on the transom. They need a motor for getting out of the marina, through a narrow channel or home when the wind dies. They do not need much power, but they do need the propeller deep, because sailboat sterns lift as the boat pitches. The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale is a common pick for exactly this job. It is light enough to lift onto the bracket from the cockpit and it will push a small sailboat along at a decent pace in calm water.

Tenders with taller transoms

Some rigid dinghies and older wooden tenders have transoms that are taller than a typical inflatable. A short shaft motor sits too high on them. If yours is one of those, the long leg is the answer.

Canoes and kayaks with high side mounts

Side mount brackets on canoes sometimes sit a bit high. People with that setup often find the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale works better than the short version because the prop stays submerged when the canoe rolls a little.

Electric-to-petrol swaps

We hear from a fair number of people who have a small boat with a long shaft electric trolling motor and want something with more range for longer trips. A 20 inch petrol portable is the natural replacement. It weighs about the same as an electric motor plus its battery, and a tank of fuel goes a lot further than a battery charge.

How It Runs

Starting it up

Pull the choke, put it in neutral, give the cord a smooth pull. Cold, it might take two or three. Warm, usually one. The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale has a light pull because the engine is so small, so it is a motor anyone in the family can start.

Going forward and backward

There is no reverse gear. You twist the whole motor around on its swivel, all 360 degrees, so the prop points the other way. On a sailboat bracket you may not be able to swing it all the way round because of the backstay or the rudder, so most sailboat owners back out of a berth using the boat’s momentum and a bit of forward thrust pointed sideways. It is easier than it sounds and you get used to it fast.

Fuel use and range

A 2.5 HP four-stroke is extremely thrifty. The built-in tank is small, but the motor barely touches it at a gentle cruise. For anything longer than a short hop, carry a small fuel can. The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale also accepts fresh fuel topped up through the cap without any priming or pumping.

Noise

The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale is a four-stroke, and four-strokes are much quieter than the old two-stroke tender motors. You can hold a conversation over it at cruising speed. On a quiet evening coming back into an anchorage, your neighbours will thank you.

What to Expect for Speed

Two and a half horsepower, which is what the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale makes, is enough to move a light boat at displacement speed, not to plane it. On a small sailboat in calm water, expect a few knots. On a tender with one or two people, expect a steady 4 knots or so depending on load and hull shape. That is plenty for getting around a harbour and it is much faster than rowing against a breeze.

If you need more speed or are pushing something heavier, look at the Yamaha F4LMHA or the Yamaha F6LMHA. Both come with a 20 inch shaft and a real reverse gear. They are heavier, though, about 60 pounds, so lifting them onto a bracket takes more effort than the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale does.

Why This Yamaha and Not Something Cheaper

You will find cheaper 2.5 HP motors online. Some are fine. Some are not. Here is what you get with a Yamaha.

• Dealer support worldwide. Yamaha marine dealers are everywhere boats are. Parts for the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale are easy to find.
• Resale value. Second-hand Yamaha portables hold their price very well.
• Proven design. This is not a first attempt. Yamaha has been building small four-strokes for decades.
• Light weight. At around 40 pounds on the long shaft, it is one of the lighter long shaft motors you can buy.

That combination is why boat owners keep asking for the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale even when cheaper options are sitting next to it.

Fitting the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for Sale to Your Boat

No wiring, no cables, no controls. You can fit the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale yourself in a few minutes.

1. Check the horsepower rating on your boat or bracket. Do not go over it.
2. Clamp it on square to the transom or bracket.
3. Check the depth. The flat anti-cavitation plate above the prop should sit around the bottom of the hull or just below the waterline when the boat is loaded. On a sailboat bracket, lower the bracket to its running position and look.
4. Snug the clamp screws and check them again after the first run.
5. Add a safety line between the motor and the boat. It is cheap and it saves motors.
6. Set the tilt so the leg is about vertical when you are underway.

That is the whole installation for the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale. Fill it with fresh fuel, check the oil, open the tank vent and start it in neutral.

The First Few Hours

New motors like the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale need a gentle break-in. Yamaha’s manual for the F2.5 sets out the exact procedure, and you can download a copy from the Yamaha owner’s manuals page. The basic idea is simple:

• Run at low and medium throttle for the first stretch.
• Keep changing the speed. Do not hold one rpm for ages.
• No long full-throttle runs until the break-in is done.
• Check the oil before every outing.

Then change the oil. The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale only holds a small amount, so this is a five-minute job with very little mess.

Keeping It Healthy

After each use

• Flush with fresh water if you have been in salt or brackish water.
• Look for a steady stream from the cooling tell-tale while running.
• Rinse salt off the clamps and the outside of the leg.

Once a season

• Engine oil change.
• Gearcase oil change.
• New spark plug if the old one looks worn.
• Grease on the swivel and the clamp threads.
• Check the prop for damage.

Before storing it

Run the carburettor dry or drain it. Stale fuel in a small carburettor is the single biggest cause of hard starting after winter. Store the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale upright on a stand or laid down on the side Yamaha marks as correct, somewhere dry.

Tips for Sailboat Owners

Since so many of these motors go on sailboats, here are a few things that sailors learn the hard way. You might as well learn them the easy way.

Lift the motor when you sail

A propeller hanging in the water while you sail creates drag and slows the boat down. Most outboard brackets let you raise the whole motor clear of the water. Do it every time you shut the engine off and hoist the sails. The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale is light enough that this is a one-hand job on a decent bracket.

Mind the fuel tank vent

When the motor is tilted up or the boat is heeled over, a vent left open can let fuel weep out. Close the vent on the tank cap when you are not running. Open it again before you start, or the engine will starve after a few minutes and stall.

Steer with the rudder, not just the motor

On most sailboats it works best to lock the motor straight ahead and steer with the boat’s rudder. That keeps your hands free and gives you much better control at slow speed in a marina. If your bracket allows it, use the motor’s swivel only when you need tight manoeuvres.

Keep a spare spark plug and shear parts aboard

A spare plug, a plug spanner and the right size of the small parts your propeller uses weigh almost nothing. If something goes wrong far from a dealer, having them aboard means you can usually fix the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale yourself in a few minutes.

Mistakes We See People Make

After selling a lot of small outboards, the same few problems keep coming back. None of them are the motor’s fault.

• Wrong shaft length. Covered above, but it is worth repeating. Measure before you buy. If your boat needs 20 inches, the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale is right. If it needs 15, it is not.
• Old fuel. Petrol goes stale. A tank left half full over winter turns to varnish in the carburettor. Drain it or run it dry.
• Laying it down on the wrong side. Oil runs where it should not and the motor smokes or will not start. Check the label.
• Skipping the freshwater flush. Salt crystals build up in the cooling passages over time. A few minutes of flushing after each salt water trip prevents it.
• Running without a safety line. Clamps loosen. Motors fall in. A two-dollar bit of rope saves the day.
• Over-propping the boat. Putting a heavy boat behind a tiny motor and expecting miracles. The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale is for light boats. Heavier boats need more power.

Hot Climates, Cold Climates

We ship this motor to buyers in tropical harbours and to people on cold northern lakes. It handles both, but each needs a little attention.

In the heat

Fuel goes stale faster when it is hot, and ethanol blends attract water quicker in humid air. Buy fuel in small amounts and use it up. Keep the motor covered or in shade when you are not using it, because constant sun on the cowling ages the plastic and the paint. Make sure cooling water is flowing well. Warm water and weed growth can clog the intake, so check it often. A Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale kept in a hot marina will run happily for years if you keep the fuel fresh and the water flowing.

In the cold

Cold engines need a bit more choke and a couple more pulls. Do not over-choke or you will flood it. Once it fires, push the choke in gradually. At the end of the season, drain the water out of the motor by standing it upright so nothing can freeze and crack the casing. Change the gear oil before storage too, because any water that has worked its way into the gearcase can freeze and do damage.

Who We Are and Why We Stock It

We are an online outboard dealer that ships worldwide. Small Yamaha portables are some of our steadiest sellers, mostly because they work and people keep recommending them to each other. We keep the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale as a regular item so you are not waiting on special orders. If you want to know more about us, the about us page has the details, and our blog has more on choosing and caring for an outboard.

What Is in the Box

The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale arrives assembled, with the standard propeller fitted, an owner’s manual and the factory paperwork. Check the oil level before first use, because motors sometimes ship with little or no oil in the crankcase. The tag on the motor tells you. Everything else is ready.

There is nothing else you have to buy to use it. No battery, no remote, no fuel line. That simplicity is a big part of why people choose a small Yamaha portable.

Long Shaft Portables Compared

For most small sailboats the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale is enough. If you are pushing a heavier keelboat into a headwind, think about the 4 or the 6. If you want to see everything we carry in this size, the 2.5 HP Yamaha section and the full Yamaha outboard range are a click away.

How Ordering Works

We sell new outboards online and we ship worldwide. Ordering the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale goes like this.

1. Add it to your cart, or contact us first if you want to check anything.
2. We confirm stock, your address and the shipping route.
3. We pack the motor in its factory box with extra padding.
4. You get tracking once it ships.
5. It arrives as a normal parcel. No pallet, no forklift.

Buyers outside our home country pay their own import duty and local taxes. We supply the invoice and paperwork customs needs. If you want to know the charges in advance, a local customs broker can tell you before you place the order.

Our refund and return policy and terms and conditions are on the site, and you can read reviews from other customers.

Questions People Ask About the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for Sale

Is this a new motor?

Yes. The Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale is new, boxed and never run.

Will it fit my sailboat bracket?

Most likely, if the bracket is rated for a motor this size. Check the weight and horsepower rating on the bracket, and check the depth the prop will sit at once the bracket is lowered.

Does it come with a propeller?

Yes, a standard propeller is included.

Can I run it in salt water?

Yes. Flush the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale with fresh water after salt water use and it will last.

Does the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale need mixed fuel?

No. It is a four-stroke with oil in its own sump. Use plain unleaded.

Can it be used with an external fuel tank?

The F2.5 is designed to run from its built-in tank. For longer trips, carry a small can and refill when you stop.

What if I need reverse?

Swing the motor around on its swivel. If that is awkward on your boat, the 4 and 6 HP models have a proper reverse gear.

Bottom Line

If your boat needs a 20 inch shaft and you want something light, simple and dependable, the Yamaha F2.5LMHB for sale is hard to beat. It is easy to lift, easy to start and it uses very little fuel. Parts and service are available almost everywhere in the world.

Add it to your cart when you are ready, or ask us anything first. You can also browse the shop for the rest of our Yamaha portables.