Looking to replace an 8 HP Mercury kicker motor with something newer, more modern, more reliable, and efficient. In other words something better. I would have thought this subject would have been discussed a lot on this forum over the years but I didn't see anything or missed it in the search options.

After some quick comparisons, I see the Honda has longer warranty, is about 11 pounds heavier, has 4 blades instead of 3, same HP at lower RPMs while it seems like I see more Yamaha kickers in the field and that people seem to prefer them even though they probably have less dealers and certified technicians.

What would you get for your boat and why?