Carb vs. EFI kicker?

[serpa4]

I'll be hanging a 10hp kicker on the back of my Venture 26. It should move me at hull speed.
1) 82lb 9.8hp carbureted
2) 95lb 9.9hp EFI.

It will also serve as the engine for my dinghy. 13lbs is a lot more weight on the back of a dinghy and my wife (160?) and I (230) are heavy. No dingy I buy will be rated for 10hp. I don't want a big dinghy that would handle 10hp.
I used to have a small dinghy rated for 10hp and I had a 20hp on it. It served the same purpose. Boat kicker and dinghy motor. I just do not use full throttle on the dinghy. On my new Venture, I want it to fit inflated (port to starboard) the rear deck when I move from place to place. Towing the dinghy was a pain and so is inflating/deflating. We often dinghy around and change anchorages often, very often. I don't want a dinghy hassle inflating every time we want a pina colada or go to the sand bar. Then deflating to travel 20 miles to an anchorage.

I'm a pretty good mechanic. Rebuilding a carb is easy if you have issues. Not so much with EFI.
EFI: Clogged injectors, varnish, EFI computer, lots to go wrong.
Carb: Basic, primitive, likely harder to start. But easy to diagnose, easy to clean, easy to rebuild.

I'm not sure if saving 13 lbs is enough to do carburetor.
I"ve never had a carb on a boat before.
I'm leaning towards a carb since it's lighter, cheaper, and easier to maintain.

 

[T.R. Bauer]

Sounds like you're sold on a carb. It's a good thing you're comfortable working on carbs because if you have one you're going to being just that...at least eventually. With that said, I don't have issues with carbs and if stored properly and run without ethanol I think they provide good service. However, I would not buy one to save 13 pounds and bit of cash. The EFI engines just don't really have fuel issues. That doesn't mean they never do, but in comparison to carbs it's really pretty unusual.

 

[WCF]

I'm new here, but I agree, get what you like.

My experience: I have put three different Tohatsu 9.9 EFI and 20 EFI (Same motor different computer/RPMs) on three different boats in different configurations. I've also cleaned, rebuilt, and replaced dozens of carburetors on outboard and motorcycles over the years.

I will never go back to carbs. A half-hearted half-pull of the pull starter will start the 9.9/15/20hp Tohatsu EFI motors the first time, every time. They run perfectly smooth from the moment you hit the starter button. I've had no worries about fuel even after sitting for a long time; you can drain the filter easily for storage if it concerns you. The other maintenance is also really easy on them. The EFI motor also has an incredibly strong charging circuit that provides a lot of amps at low RPMs if you've got a lot of equipment or refrigeration on your boat.

The EFI models are heavier, and everyone's physical abilities are different. My experience is that 82lbs is not really that different than 95lbs. I have carried the EFI 20hp a pretty good distance for a portage, and also used to use it with dinghy-wheels on my RIB for even longer portages.

However, I personally don't think I'd want to lift even 80lbs off the back of my C-Dory and onto a dinghy while on the water on a regular basis without the use of a crane. Lifting a light single-cylinder outboard off the transom and onto a dinghy is sketchy enough for me.

 

[T.R. Bauer]

I'm new here, but I agree, get what you like.

However, I personally don't think I'd want to lift even 80lbs off the back of my C-Dory and onto a dinghy while on the water on a regular basis without the use of a crane. Lifting a light single-cylinder outboard off the transom and onto a dinghy is sketchy enough for me.

Best first post ever! That's really something to consider as well. I have a tough enough time with my 38 pound 3.5 hp that I will use the shrimp pot puller as a davit. I can't imagine twice as heavy and man handling it.