Are outdrives really that bad

[SimonD]

I've had many outdrive boats and, just like everything else, you simply need to look after them properly.

True enough, but what is the comparative cost of "simply looking after them properly"? I clean the prop and grease the stern gland on my shaft drive every year and once in a blue moon change the gearbox oil and stern gland. Minimal cost and easy DIY. Changing the oil and bellows on a stern drive is not an easy DIY job and costs how much...?

Comparative potential for repairs? Gearbox and seals inside the boat on a shaft drive. Things can go wrong but not often surely. On a sterndrive: gearbox, more seals, universal joint, extra gears to turn the drive through ninety degrees, bellows and a big hole in the transom to fit it. A lot more to go wrong before even considering the whole lot is permanently immersed in sea water and below the hull in the way of grounding damage. Common sense dictates that a sterndrive is comparatively more expensive to run and more prone to unpredictable failure. They have their place for sure, but not on my boat!

 

[paradave]

Noise was never on my criteria list when boat buying over the last 40 years but if I was buying again it would be up there with space, performance and looks.
Modern outboards seem quite quiet these days but I don’t know how they compare noise wise.

Our outboard compared with our last I/B diesel on shafts is night and day. Tickover, the old boat used to rumble and shake and the OB is silent. Underway, way quieter with the OB, you can chat easily which was tiring with the diesel. I really would worry about buying anything other than OB for my next boat.

 

[julians]

Our outboard compared with our last I/B diesel on shafts is night and day. Tickover, the old boat used to rumble and shake and the OB is silent. Underway, way quieter with the OB, you can chat easily which was tiring with the diesel. I really would worry about buying anything other than OB for my next boat.

yes agree - we went from diesel outdrive on our last boat to petrol outboard on the current boat, and the outboard is so quiet and smooth , sometimes its hard to tell its running.

 

[ari]

True enough, but what is the comparative cost of "simply looking after them properly"? I clean the prop and grease the stern gland on my shaft drive every year and once in a blue moon change the gearbox oil and stern gland. Minimal cost and easy DIY. Changing the oil and bellows on a stern drive is not an easy DIY job and costs how much...?

Comparative potential for repairs? Gearbox and seals inside the boat on a shaft drive. Things can go wrong but not often surely. On a sterndrive: gearbox, more seals, universal joint, extra gears to turn the drive through ninety degrees, bellows and a big hole in the transom to fit it. A lot more to go wrong before even considering the whole lot is permanently immersed in sea water and below the hull in the way of grounding damage. Common sense dictates that a sterndrive is comparatively more expensive to run and more prone to unpredictable failure. They have their place for sure, but not on my boat!

You edited this bit out of my quote I see

All drive systems have pros and cons, you need to look at what works best for your circumstances.

You are absolutely correct in your statement, but you've ignored the upsides.

Outdrives are more fuel efficient, faster, have more direct and instantaneous handling, far greater manoeuvrability in a single installation, have the ability to 'kick up' if you strike a submerged object, offer the facility to reach and clear the propellor by tilting the drive, offer far superior packaging in a sportscruiser configuration, are quieter and produce less smoke (as the exhaust is underwater).

In fact, as a wise man once said - All drive systems have pros and cons, you need to look at what works best for your circumstances.

 

[Fishtigua]

Noise was never on my criteria list when boat buying over the last 40 years but if I was buying again it would be up there with space, performance and looks.
Modern outboards seem quite quiet these days but I don’t know how they compare noise wise.

I've worked for both Volvo and Mercruiser dealerships. I still hate outdrives, the only decent one was the DPG.

New outboards are so quiet we had one customer who wanted a light fitted on the top of the helm to tell him the engine was still running. While he was out fishing with friends, he kept on "re-starting" the engine while it was still on tick-over. It drove his mates mad.

 

[DavidJ]

Deleted

 

[paradave]

I've worked for both Volvo and Mercruiser dealerships. I still hate outdrives, the only decent one was the DPG.

New outboards are so quiet we had one customer who wanted a light fitted on the top of the helm to tell him the engine was still running. While he was out fishing with friends, he kept on "re-starting" the engine while it was still on tick-over. It drove his mates mad.

I’m genuinely not surprised , my wife thought I kept stalling ours the first time She came out. It makes pottering in marinas and harbours incredibly peaceful.

 

[SandyP]

Every outdrive i see on the southern uk canals is broken (excepting a few that never go anywhere )

So much rubbish gets caught up and wrecks them

 

[alt]

I've had out-drives since I was about 19 (few years ago now). I have honestly never had a days bother with any of them. The only nuisance is a bit of maintenance, but hey, it's maintenance... nothing has actually gone really 'wrong'.

I did have an actuator fail a few years back, but that's not really the outdrives fault.

 

[GrahamHR]

Haha. It was the other end of me that got wet, changing props on an old 290 years ago.

Had outdrives from 1

I've had out-drives since I was about 19 (few years ago now). I have honestly never had a days bother with any of them. The only nuisance is a bit of maintenance, but hey, it's maintenance... nothing has actually gone really 'wrong'.

I did have an actuator fail a few years back, but that's not really the outdrives fault.

I ran DPS outdrives with 5.7 litre V8s for 14 years. I did my own maintenance.

The first, a second hand boat, for 3 years. Oil change every year, anodes every year, no other costs apart from O rings for the drain plug and a one routine bellows replacement

The second, new, exactly the same. I did ( easily) change the shift cable after 7 years ( about £35 at the time). I had to realign the engine to make the outdrive easy to refit as the factory did not do it properly in the first place ( they were laying off many workers at the time, so morale/ motivation was low).

Never a failure.

 

[GrahamHR]

Had outdrives from 1

I ran DPS outdrives with 5.7 litre V8s for 14 years. I did my own maintenance.

The first, a second hand boat, for 3 years. Oil change every year, anodes every year, no other costs apart from O rings for the drain plug and a one routine bellows replacement

The second, new, exactly the same. I did ( easily) change the shift cable after 7 years ( about £35 at the time). I had to realign the engine to make the outdrive easy to refit as the factory did not do it properly in the first place ( they were laying off many workers at the time, so morale/ motivation was low).

Never a failure.

The DPH/ DPR with a D4 (Swedish, not American like the DPS) I had on my last boat seem to be much less DIY friendly and to be honest, less well designed in regard to water inlet, steering. Typical "not invented here syndrome". Shift cable routing and replacement is a nightmare ! Inlet water elbow that fracturd on earlier ones needs a special tool to change it ( a well ground down Torx bit with a ratchet spanner does the job!)

 

[Little yogi]

Some interesting points there, I think to some up whilst outdrives aren't out and out bad, it's an additional expense which to be budgeted for.

My preference would be as follows
Diesel on shafts
Petrol outboard
Diesel sterndrive
V8 petrol on sterndrive, that'll drain the bank account

 

[Fire99]

This is a tricky one. I've had one Outdrive boat with a V8 petrol and the outdrive was entirely problem free. This a boat that was about 20 years old when I bought it. However, the boat had the appearance of something that had been cosseted and had spent a fair amount of time on fresh water so that helped. Also when I bought the boat I had an engine survey done and I had a full leg service done with a couple of bearings and bellows (if my memory serves me right). For the size boat, (23ft) outdrive was fine. It was a) a single and b) due to length and location, lifting wasn't a fortune and to be honest the boat was lifted each year anyway and servicing was done at the same time.
Twin outdrives on a larger boat with less than exceptional history might put me off a bit. (Just personal preference).

 

[AndieMac]

While I agree outdrives do need to be serviced shaft drives are not immune from issues .

Ive seen some horrible examples of crevice corrosion under the newer PSS style shaft seals, as well of course as the traditional packing gland versions. It doesn’t take much corrosion depth to require a new shaft.

 

[ss2016]

I am new to outdrives but just had a first service on a VP DPI. My reactions are these:
- due to the weight I could not replace the bellows myself. Special tools needed also.
- expensive to service
- lots of nooks and crannies for flora/fauna

On the positive side:
- it moves the engine back so provides for better utilisation of space in the boat
- good for maneuverability
- good for access to prop in event of a caught rope

 

[ontheplane]

But as said previously, choice (if buying used) is not always ours.

Find a small 28’ sports cruiser with shafts for example. You have plodders but no sports cruisers in the Sealine s28 style for example - they are all outdrives until the last few years where the outboard has gained popularity.

Buy the right boat first - then maintain what engine and drive it has properly and you will be fine, don’t choose the wrong boat just cos it has the “right” drive... trying to ski behind a 30hp Nanni shaft drive 30’ boat (for example) is never gonna happen!

 

[simonfraser]

any older mobo with an OD , especially left in salt water is likely to have issues
cost of fixing that can quickly get out of hand and take up significant time

same older boat with an OB will at the most cost a new OB, replaced in a day

 

[SC35]

If you neglect the maintenance, bad things happen:

 

[ari]

But as said previously, choice (if buying used) is not always ours.

Find a small 28’ sports cruiser with shafts for example. You have plodders but no sports cruisers in the Sealine s28 style for example - they are all outdrives until the last few years where the outboard has gained popularity.

Buy the right boat first - then maintain what engine and drive it has properly and you will be fine, don’t choose the wrong boat just cos it has the “right” drive... trying to ski behind a 30hp Nanni shaft drive 30’ boat (for example) is never gonna happen!

Exactly this. It's all very well saying shaft drive is 'better', but if getting it means buying a boat that is fundamentally unsuitable or just doesn't work as well for you as one typically fitted with outdrives then it is very poor advice indeed.

It's often trotted out by bar room experts unfortunately.

 

[simonfraser]

so what's the cost of a new OD vs the cost of a new shaft ?