Autoterm vs Eberbasto

[jakew009]

It is a chunk but not as much of a chunk as I was expecting… Autoterm aren’t as cheap as they used to be.

£894 vs £1,099 for the comparable Eber with 3 outlets from the Turkish place.

If it was only £200 difference from a legit seller I’d probably go for it but I’m pretty sure it’ll be a fair bit more than that.

(I’m working night shifts and have too much time to plot, plan and research )

I think in reality though the Autoterm is the same quality as the Eberspacher.

You also have presumably no warranty with the Turkish version and may get hit for VAT / import duty when it arrives.

You can buy the Autoterm cheaper in the EU as well…

 

[Phil_boat]

The heater itself is probably the same quality. I *think* the Eber controllers seem better but haven’t played with either enough to judge properly.

A quick look on Mellor and it’s about £150 more than from Turkey. I’ve emailed them for a quote to see if they can improve the price. Otherwise it’s going to be the Autoterm.

 

[Nick Vass]

Hello

I’m planning to fit a diesel heater to my boat over the winter, 2kW should be plenty.

The 3 choices are Eberspacher, Webasto or Autoterm (no I’m not going to fit a Chinese £150 one). Are there any others I missed?

I’m mostly likely to go Autoterm but I follow one of their fb groups and there are quite a lot of posts about the heaters sooting up and a requirement to run them flat out for 30mins(?) frequently to stop them sooting. This might just be a product of a group and no one going on there to shout how theirs isn’t broken.

I’ve had Ebers previously in camper vans and I have never done anything in the way of servicing / maintenance on them and they just kept going. The only failure I ever had was a jubilee on the fuel pump broke and the heater didn’t start as it was sucking in air. One of my old heaters has now been in my friend’s van for 4years and still going strong.

So are Autoterm worse than the big 2 or just a more active forum?

Cheers

We have an Autoterm 4D that I fitted myself. Very good quality

 

[Nick Vass]

Autoterm 4D. Very pleased with it

 

[UK-WOOZY]

I installed a 4kw autoterm heater with optional extra twin ducts and cabin vents. Comfort controller and marine silencer and exhaust. Since added the mobile remote adddon and inline fuel filter. Im using the separate fuel tank.. I found installation relatively straightforward and it's all working great still.

 

[fredrussell]

It is a chunk but not as much of a chunk as I was expecting… Autoterm aren’t as cheap as they used to be.

£894 vs £1,099 for the comparable Eber with 3 outlets…

Crikey! Is an Autoterm £900 these days? Doesn’t seem long since they were about half that.

 

[NormanS]

I ripped out a temperamental Eberspacher, and installed a £50 Chinese equivalent. Used the same ducting and same exhaust.
Excellent, toasty, and with the remote switch under my pillow, I can switch it on before getting up.
I actually bought two, so have a complete spare.

 

[Phil_boat]

Crikey! Is an Autoterm £900 these days? Doesn’t seem long since they were about half that.

By the time you've added a marine kit with ducting etc it is.

The basic kit it about £600 I think with a standard exhaust & the posh controller.

 

[fredrussell]

Honestly, I think you’re all bonkers. My £100 Chinaspacher has done thousands of hours of service (I’m on boat most of the winter) and not missed a beat. Only bit of kit I replaced to install was the silencer - bought a proper marine stainless one for £40 on eBay.

 

[Nudge]

Fitted a 4D Autoterm in 2022. It worked faultlessly - including 3 days running constantly in Port Ellen after a VERY wet crossing from the Clyde - however this season it would't play so ignored it for a few months then sent a video to Autoterm in Wales and it was solved in a few days!! Cost? £8 connectors.

That level of support is worth factoring into the purchasing decision. Am surprised at the latest costs being quoted for the units though; Ours was about 50% of those currently quoted.

 

[melvynpatrick]

To be fair. A Chinese one isn’t a hundred pounds. Unless you want to kill youself. It’s a hundred quid for the unit. And even though I prefer my Autoterm. It’s hard to argue against a hundred quid. But decent exhaust and fittings and suchlike will add a few hundred quid on. Plus, I know it’s only a hundred quid. They are cheap. But they feel cheap too. I had one. It worked. But I never felt truly safe. And I have lifepo4 batteries which at any time might blow me up

 

[Phil_boat]

Am surprised at the latest costs being quoted for the units though; Ours was about 50% of those currently quoted.

Yeah I was surprised too which is why I went off looking at Ebers again.

The lagging and 6m of ducting do bump the price up a bit... Not being 100% sure where I'm going to mount it means I might get away with a bit less but it'll be a pain not to have it if I need it.

 

[NormanS]

Fitted a 4D Autoterm in 2022. It worked faultlessly - including 3 days running constantly in Port Ellen after a VERY wet crossing from the Clyde - however this season it would't play so ignored it for a few months then sent a video to Autoterm in Wales and it was solved in a few days!! Cost? £8 connectors.

That level of support is worth factoring into the purchasing decision. Am surprised at the latest costs being quoted for the units though; Ours was about 50% of those currently quoted.

If the unit works properly, you don't need any "level of support".

 

[fredrussell]

To be fair. A Chinese one isn’t a hundred pounds. Unless you want to kill youself.

A fair point. But the only part of the kit I replaced was the silencer. Heater kit was £80 at the time, silencer £40. £120 all in.

 

[PaulRainbow]

A fair point. But the only part of the kit I replaced was the silencer. Heater kit was £80 at the time, silencer £40. £120 all in.

So you used the cheap, plated mild steel fittings, brackets and hose clips ?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Folks being surprised at price increases must have been living under a stone for the last few years, considering that inflationary pressures have been well reported. It is not surprising that Autoterm heaters prices have increased. However, it is exactly this that makes consumers look at lower cost options offered to the market.

 

[vyv_cox]

If the unit works properly, you don't need any "level of support".

Owen tells me that the heater and accessories are very reliable, with faults running at less than 1%. Almost invariably it is the installation that causes the need for support. Despite well-written instructions and videos, people find ever more inventive ways to install them wrongly. That is where the remarkable level of support offered is so useful to many.

 

[PaulRainbow]

As is always the case in these heater threads, price comparisons are being grossly distorted.

Fir instance, when quoting the price of an Autoterm, including the costs of ducting lagging extra vents etc etc, against the cost of the cheapest Chinese heater that needs all of the mild steel fittings, brackets and hose clips binning, along with the exhaust and silencer and has no ducting, no lagging, no through hull fitting etc. No support, no warranty..............

 

[Graham376]

As is always the case in these heater threads, price comparisons are being grossly distorted.

Fir instance, when quoting the price of an Autoterm, including the costs of ducting lagging extra vents etc etc, against the cost of the cheapest Chinese heater that needs all of the mild steel fittings, brackets and hose clips binning, along with the exhaust and silencer and has no ducting, no lagging, no through hull fitting etc. No support, no warranty..............

No always the case. My first choice was Autoterm but unfortunately, it would have needed a ducting reducer to fit the existing Eber duct and this would have entailed relocating the heater and replacing some ducting. The Chinese one OTOH was a direct replacement, it fitted the same mounting bracket, ducting and exhaust as the Eber. The Chinese exhaust, fuel tank and bag of cheap clips were not needed. If doing a new installation from scratch, Autoterm would still be my choice.

 

[NormanS]

As is always the case in these heater threads, price comparisons are being grossly distorted.

Fir instance, when quoting the price of an Autoterm, including the costs of ducting lagging extra vents etc etc, against the cost of the cheapest Chinese heater that needs all of the mild steel fittings, brackets and hose clips binning, along with the exhaust and silencer and has no ducting, no lagging, no through hull fitting etc. No support, no warranty..............

Yes, of course, but if replacing a misbehaving Eberspacher or similarly overpriced heater, a Chinese heater will fit in perfectly, so none of the ancillary items are required.