"The big bonus of I/Os is longevity and rebuildability( I think I just made up a word!) For 99% of recreational boaters, they will never wear out an outboard. For commercial users, they just plan to buy a new OB every three years. The new Legs from Volvo are bullet proof and will go 3500 to 5000 hours without a rebuild as opposed to old VPs and mercs that you might get 1500 hours out of.
This is not exactly true from my expereince. An outboard is rebuidable, have done so myself and had it done other times. My dads boat has a 1973 gas sucking Johnson 135. It had over 2,000 hours on the Hobbs when it got it's first rebuild. The engine now has over 6,000 hours last I checked. It just got rebuilt again, my dad is cheap. We bought a Johnson in 1965, it was still running on my cousins ski boat, a restored Glastron, who knows how many hours it could have. Yes, it was a factory remanufacture when my dad, ever cheap, bought it.
My last outboard went 1,000 hours as I recall when I sold it when we left Houston. It never gave me a moments trouble. On the other hand, I have seen horror storys of course and many of these were I/Os as well as outboards. I have good engine karma I think. I would have said it is my belief that I/Os do not last as long as an outboards and are less rebuildable.
Here are their problems:
1)Heavy
2)Inefficient--due to weight and all the u-joints
3)outdrive requires all sorts of maintenance on the U joints, seals and all that
4)they require freshwater cooling in saltwater--more weight, more money, more maintenance, more complication
5)they don't like to be run hard (do you really run your car hard?--no)
6)they mount low in a bilge and will flood out if the boat gets water in it--which happens
7)the interior mounting results in all sorts of fire hazzards and need for ventalation
8)the interior mounting uses up deck space which is valuable in small boats
9)did I mention they are darn heavy
These are among the reasons most small offshore purpose boats are outboard--most--not all. If I ever where to get a "large" boat then I want an inboard.
"They are half the price because they are not the same caliber as a Grady, or some of the other more expensive brands. There is an absolute world of difference. "
Yep, a world of difference. I can run my little boat so hard into waves my teeth rattle and my knees buckle, it just don't care, I will yell chicken first. I would rather meet the sea in a little boat that is sturdy and capable than a larger boat that is suspect. N
This is not exactly true from my expereince. An outboard is rebuidable, have done so myself and had it done other times. My dads boat has a 1973 gas sucking Johnson 135. It had over 2,000 hours on the Hobbs when it got it's first rebuild. The engine now has over 6,000 hours last I checked. It just got rebuilt again, my dad is cheap. We bought a Johnson in 1965, it was still running on my cousins ski boat, a restored Glastron, who knows how many hours it could have. Yes, it was a factory remanufacture when my dad, ever cheap, bought it.
My last outboard went 1,000 hours as I recall when I sold it when we left Houston. It never gave me a moments trouble. On the other hand, I have seen horror storys of course and many of these were I/Os as well as outboards. I have good engine karma I think. I would have said it is my belief that I/Os do not last as long as an outboards and are less rebuildable.
Here are their problems:
1)Heavy
2)Inefficient--due to weight and all the u-joints
3)outdrive requires all sorts of maintenance on the U joints, seals and all that
4)they require freshwater cooling in saltwater--more weight, more money, more maintenance, more complication
5)they don't like to be run hard (do you really run your car hard?--no)
6)they mount low in a bilge and will flood out if the boat gets water in it--which happens
7)the interior mounting results in all sorts of fire hazzards and need for ventalation
8)the interior mounting uses up deck space which is valuable in small boats
9)did I mention they are darn heavy
These are among the reasons most small offshore purpose boats are outboard--most--not all. If I ever where to get a "large" boat then I want an inboard.
"They are half the price because they are not the same caliber as a Grady, or some of the other more expensive brands. There is an absolute world of difference. "
Yep, a world of difference. I can run my little boat so hard into waves my teeth rattle and my knees buckle, it just don't care, I will yell chicken first. I would rather meet the sea in a little boat that is sturdy and capable than a larger boat that is suspect. N
