Any make, Any age

Requirements

Rock solid
Easy maintenance/repair anywhere with basic tools on hand
Man portable

If it helps I'm a two stroke fan and have spent years with Johnson seahorses and can tear them down and put them back together and get them running.

I have an 1984 Evinrude that is about as easy to fix as it gets IF it needs it, which it rarely does. If something ever happens to it I imagine it'll be replaced with another one.

Yamaha

Yamaha

This

×3

Yamaha. You won't have to fix it but the older 2 strokes are had to find because nobody gets rid of them

As you already know Johnson's, which are the same basics in all of the older outboards, I would go with a Johnson. I have 3 and have never had a problem with any of them.
Honestly you can not go wrong with Evinrudes, Johnsons or Yamahas. The only make I was not fond of was Mercury, not because it did not run, but because a neighbor had one, and you could hear that thing miles away on the lake. To my aer the Yamahas are a quieter like the Johnsons than the Evinrudes. Then I might be tone deaf on that pitch too.
I would stick with what you know.

Evinrude 9.5 shortshaft from the 70's or 80's will serve you well.

Chris

This should say it all..

I got a johnson 15(same s the 9.9) over seas in 1977. /still runs strong, I used to carry it to lot of small lakes in Canada but I am way to old to do that now. It still runs good but I am a bit shy of high speeds iwth it now......jk

I've got a Mercury 9.9 built in 1976. Replaced the water pump once.

That video is why you dont buy used stuff.

Nice video Gut !

Yamaha Boy is an idiot.

Love my yami with the tr1 gold.

My thoughts too. He probably put it on Craigslist right after making his stupid video.
The guy who bought it is probably cursing all Yamahas right now.

But in regards to the OP's question; either Yamaha or Honda will rarely let you down.

My understanding is that the 9.9 hp motors are really 15 hp with restricted plates on the intake.

I think most of the older two stokers were like that... However my newer Merc (tohatsu) 9.9 four stroker is the same as the 8HP. ... and the 15s are a carbed down 20HP.

I should probably add... I like all the controls on the tiller handle that (I think) only Mercury offers....

The omc 9.9 and 15 were the same all but the carbs, get one 77 or later and no points, fairly bullet proof