Yamaha F9.9SMHB

Description

This listing is a new Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor, the short shaft, pull start, tiller version of Yamaha’s 9.9 horsepower four-stroke, and we ship it to customers worldwide. It has a 212 cc twin cylinder engine, forward, neutral and reverse gears, a 15 inch shaft and a weight of about 87 pounds, and it runs from a separate portable fuel tank.

We have another page for this model that covers the basics. This one is written as a buyer’s guide. If you are trying to decide whether a new 9.9 is the right move, whether to buy new or used, whether you need 9.9 or 15 HP, or what to check before you order, the sections below should help. And if you already know the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor is the one you want, the specs and ordering details are all here too.

Key Specifications

Yamaha publishes the full F9.9 spec sheet on its 9.9 and 8 HP portables page, and every Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor we sell matches it.

New or Used?

The second-hand market for 9.9 HP outboards like the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor is busy, and plenty of people wonder whether a used motor is a smarter buy. Sometimes it is. Often it is not. Here is an honest look at both sides.

A used outboard can be cheaper up front. If it has been looked after, it may run for many more years. The problem is that you rarely know how it has been looked after. Was it flushed after salt water? Was the oil changed? Was the carburettor run dry before winter, or did it sit full of stale fuel? Has the impeller been replaced? Was it ever dropped or run without cooling water? Small outboards can look tidy on the outside while being worn, corroded or gummed up inside.

A new Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor removes all of that uncertainty. You know it has never been run, never been in salt water and never been neglected. The seals, impeller, carburettor and wiring are all fresh. You get the full factory warranty that applies in your country. And you get the whole life of the motor rather than whatever is left of someone else’s.

When you add up the cost of a few likely repairs on a used motor, such as a carburettor clean, a new impeller, new seals and perhaps a gearcase repair, the price difference between used and new often shrinks a lot. For many buyers, the peace of mind of new is worth it.

9.9 HP or 15 HP?

If your boat is rated for 15 HP or more, you may be wondering whether to step up from the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor. Here is how the two compare in practice.

The 15 HP Yamaha is a bigger 362 cc engine and weighs roughly 25 pounds more than the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor. It will push a loaded boat faster, plane more easily with heavier loads and cope better in rough water. If you regularly carry three or more people, or your boat is on the heavy side, the 15 is worth a look.

The 9.9 wins on weight, price, fuel use and, in many places, rules. If you lift the motor on and off the boat, those 25 pounds matter. If local rules limit you to under 10 HP or change licensing above it, the 9.9 is the obvious choice. And for one or two people on a light boat, the 9.9 is usually plenty.

Compare the Yamaha F15SMHA if you are leaning towards more power.

Pull Start or Electric Start?

The Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor is pull start only. For many owners that is exactly what they want: no battery to buy, carry, charge or replace, nothing electrical to corrode and a lighter, simpler motor. The 212 cc twin is easy to pull over, and once you have the choke routine down, it starts reliably.

Electric start makes sense if you have a shoulder or back problem, if the motor is hard to reach, if you start and stop the motor a lot while fishing, or if you already have a battery on board for electronics. In those cases, look at the electric start 9.9 models in our range. For a simple tiller boat used by fit owners, pull start is perfectly fine and saves money.

Short Shaft or Long Shaft?

The Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor has a 15 inch shaft. That suits most inflatables, small RIBs, jon boats and dinghies. Measure your transom from the top, where the clamps sit, down to the bottom of the hull. Around 15 inches is a short shaft boat. Around 20 inches needs a long shaft, and for that the Yamaha F9.9LMHB is the right model. Getting this wrong is the most common mistake people make with outboards, so take a minute to measure.

Checklist Before You Order

Run through this list before you buy the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor. It takes five minutes and saves a lot of trouble.

1. Boat rating: is your boat rated for at least 9.9 HP and around 87 pounds of engine weight?
2. Transom height: is it about 15 inches?
3. Transom condition: is it solid, with no soft spots, cracks or rot?
4. Local rules: are there horsepower limits or licensing rules where you will use the boat?
5. Fuel tank: do you have a portable tank and hose, or do you need one?
6. Lifting: who will help you lift an 87 pound motor on and off the boat?
7. Import costs: if you are outside our home country, have you checked likely duties and taxes with a customs broker?

If you are unsure about any of these, send us a message and we will help.

What Owning One Is Like

Owners of the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor tend to describe it the same way: it just works. You connect the tank, squeeze the bulb, give it a pull and it starts. It idles smoothly, it pulls the boat onto the plane on a light inflatable or skiff, it trolls quietly and it does not use much fuel. Once a season it gets an oil change and a look over. Every few seasons it gets a new impeller. Otherwise, owners mostly forget about it, which is exactly what you want from an outboard.

The few problems people have usually come from old fuel left in the carburettor, skipped freshwater flushes after salt water, or running it in sand and mud. Avoid those and the motor will reward you with years of quiet, dependable service.

Getting It Running

Clamp the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor in the centre of the transom with the anti-cavitation plate at or just below the bottom of the hull. Tighten the clamps firmly and fit a safety line. Connect the fuel hose, open the tank vent and squeeze the primer bulb until it is firm. Check the engine oil. Put the motor in neutral, pull the choke if it is cold and give a firm, steady pull. When it starts, push the choke back in gradually and check for the stream of cooling water from the tell-tale. Then shift into gear and go.

During the first hours, follow the break-in procedure in the owner’s manual: varied low and medium throttle, no long full-throttle runs and regular oil checks, followed by an oil change. Yamaha keeps manuals online on its owner’s manual page.

Maintenance in Brief

Flush the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor with fresh water after every salt water trip. Each season, change the engine oil and gear oil, check the plugs, grease the moving parts, check the prop, anode and fuel filter. Every few seasons, replace the impeller. Before storage, run the carburettor dry, change the oil, flush and store upright somewhere dry. That simple routine keeps the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor in top shape.

Inflatables, RIBs and the 9.9

For inflatable and RIB owners, the jump from a single cylinder 6 HP to the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor is usually the jump from displacement speed to planing. With two adults on a 10 to 12 foot inflatable, a 6 HP pushes along at a steady pace, while a 9.9 typically lifts the boat up and skims across the water. That changes how you use the boat. Trips ashore take a fraction of the time. You can anchor further out. You can explore a stretch of coast in an afternoon rather than a day.

To get the best from it on an inflatable, sit forward to help the bow come down, keep the tubes properly inflated, trim the motor so the boat runs level and keep the hull clean. Small details make a big difference on light boats.

Jon Boats and Fishing Skiffs

On a 12 to 14 foot jon boat or a small aluminium skiff, the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor is a classic choice. It is light enough not to make the stern sit low, strong enough to get the boat moving at a good pace, and smooth at idle for trolling. Shallow water drive helps in rivers and on flats. A portable tank on the floor gives you all-day range.

Many anglers like to adjust the throttle friction so the grip holds its position while they fish, and the steering friction so the motor holds a straight course. Both adjustments are simple and make a long day on the water more relaxed.

Using It in Salt Water

Yamaha builds its portables with salt water in mind, using corrosion resistant alloys, protective paint and a sacrificial anode. Your part is to flush with fresh water after every trip, keep the anode in good condition, rinse the outside and spray the powerhead with a corrosion protection product now and then. Do that and the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor will handle years of coastal use.

How to Lift and Carry an 87 Pound Motor

The Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor is portable, but at around 87 pounds it deserves some respect when you lift it. Most back injuries around boats happen while lifting motors awkwardly from a dock into a moving boat. A few simple habits help.

Lift with two people whenever possible, one holding the carry handle at the top and one supporting the lower part of the motor. Keep the leg pointing down so oil stays where it belongs. Close the fuel connections and the vent first. When loading into a dinghy from a dock, have one person in the dinghy and one on the dock, and pass the motor across at a low height rather than lifting it high. On a yacht, use a small lifting tackle or davit from the boom or stern arch. Always clip a line onto the motor before it leaves solid ground.

In a car or truck, lay the motor on the side marked on the label, on something soft, and secure it so it cannot slide. A motor stand at home makes storage and maintenance much easier and keeps the motor off the floor.

Common Mistakes With a New 9.9

Over the years we have heard plenty of stories from owners, and the same handful of mistakes keep coming up. None of them are the motor’s fault, and all of them are easy to avoid.

The first is running the motor without checking the oil on day one. Some motors ship with little or no oil in the crankcase, and the tag on the cowling says so. Always check before the first start. The second is mixing oil into the fuel out of habit from an old two-stroke. The Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor is a four-stroke and needs plain unleaded. The third is shifting gear at high throttle. Always idle down first. The fourth is leaving fuel in the carburettor over winter. The fifth is skipping freshwater flushes after salt water. And the sixth is forgetting the safety line, which has cost more than one owner their brand new motor.

Accessories Worth Considering

A 12 or 24 litre portable fuel tank with a hose and primer bulb is essential if one is not included with your shipment. A breathable cover protects the cowling from sun and spray. A flushing attachment makes salt water care quick and painless. A spare propeller is handy if you run in shallow or rocky water. And a cable lock deters thieves in busy harbours and boat ramps. None of these change how the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor runs, but each one makes ownership easier.

Warranty Notes

Yamaha’s factory warranty terms vary by country and by type of use, such as private, government or commercial. Before buying, ask your local Yamaha marine dealer what they honour and what registration they need. Keep your invoice and the motor’s serial number somewhere safe. If you need help with documents, contact us.

Running Costs

The Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor is cheap to run. Fuel use is modest at a sensible cruise, oil changes need under a litre, and the parts that wear out are inexpensive and stocked by Yamaha dealers almost everywhere. No battery and no electronics keep costs down further.

Hot and Cold Climates

We send the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor to customers in tropical islands, desert coasts, temperate lakes and cold northern waters. It copes with all of them, but each climate asks for slightly different habits. In hot and humid places, fuel goes stale faster and ethanol blends attract water, so buy small amounts, keep cans shaded and sealed, and use a stabiliser. Marine growth builds quickly in warm water, so tilt the motor out of the water when the boat is moored. Strong sun fades and dries plastic and paint, so cover the cowling when you can.

In cold places, the main concerns are starting and freezing. On a cold morning the motor needs a bit more choke, but do not overdo it or the plugs will get wet. At the end of the season, stand the motor upright for a while so every drop of water drains out of the cooling passages, and change the gear oil before storage so no water is sitting in the gearcase when it freezes. A motor that is put away properly in autumn starts happily in spring.

Whatever the weather, the basics stay the same: fresh fuel, regular oil changes, a freshwater flush after salt water and a dry place to store the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor when it is not in use.

Why Buy From Us

We sell new outboard motors online and ship worldwide. We keep the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor in regular stock, answer questions from real people who know outboards and pack every motor carefully in its factory crate with extra protection. You can read our customer reviews and learn more about us on the site, and our blog has more buying and maintenance advice.

Other Models to Compare

• Yamaha F9.9SMHB: our other listing of this model.
• Yamaha F8SMHB: same weight, 8 HP, for boats rated lower.
• Yamaha F9.9LEB: electric start, remote control, 20 inch shaft.
• Yamaha T9.9LPHB: high thrust tiller with power tilt.

See also our 9.9 HP Yamaha section and the full Yamaha range.

A Quick Word on Propellers

The standard propeller that comes with the motor suits most light boats well. If your boat is unusually heavy, or you always run with a big load, a different pitch can help the engine reach its proper full throttle range of 5,000 to 6,000 rpm. If the engine cannot get into that range at full throttle, the pitch is too high. If it easily hits the top and keeps wanting more, the pitch may be too low. A Yamaha dealer or we can help you choose. Yamaha also offers an online prop selector that is worth a look.

Ordering

Add the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor to your cart and check out, or contact us first. We confirm stock and delivery, pack the motor and send tracking once it ships. International buyers pay their own import duty and taxes, and we provide all the paperwork customs needs. Please read our refund and return policy and terms and conditions before ordering.

FAQ

Is the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor new?

Yes, new in its factory crate.

Is the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor pull start?

Yes. No battery needed.

Does the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor have reverse?

Yes, forward, neutral and reverse.

What transom height does the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor fit?

About 15 inches.

Will it plane my inflatable?

With one or two people on most 10 to 12 foot inflatables, yes.

Is a fuel tank included?

That depends on the shipment. Ask us when you order.

Is the propeller included?

Yes.

Can I use the Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor in salt water?

Yes, with a freshwater flush after use.

Summing Up

If you are still deciding, try this test: picture the next three seasons of using the boat. If you see yourself lifting the motor on and off, running it on a light inflatable or skiff, and wanting something that starts with a simple pull and never makes a fuss, the 9.9 fits that picture very well. If you see heavy loads, rough water and long fast runs, look at the bigger models instead.

A new 9.9 takes the guesswork out of owning an outboard. The Yamaha F9.9SMHB outboard motor gives you smooth twin cylinder power, simple pull start operation, light weight for its output and Yamaha’s worldwide support, with none of the hidden problems a used motor can bring. Add it to your cart when you are ready, or ask us anything first. Everything else we stock is in the shop.