[SamSteele]

I have run a Yamaha 25 four stroke for about 15 years, and Mercury outboards for the past 5. Both brands have ran well for me and had standard maintenance like any other brand. Small Mercs are made by Tohatsu (who also make the smaller Evinrude and Suzuki outboards) and their weight is in line with any other brands of the same size. I think the 9.9 is around 88 lbs.

The factors I would look at are your price point and servicing dealer. You need to be comfortable with both of those.