Chinese outboard engines

perhaps the purchasing process could also consider the social and environmental aspects of buying a "cheap" engine from that source ?
 
No guarantees it happened in this case, but often companies sell old designs on for manufacture under licence in another country - Lada was old Fiat121, etc etc. Royal Enfield Bullet design bought by Indian company & still made there. Boat moulds go the rounds as the original builders go t*ts up.
 
My neighbour bought a chinese tractor. After just over 100 hours running it has had the steering collapse, the electrics fail and a major engine rebuild. The starter has now packed up and he has given up. £3500 down the pan.
 
Generally in life you get what you pay for - a really cheap engine is quite likely to be made from really cheap parts which probably means inferior quality and/or non-standard fittings.

If it turns out the engine rusts to bits in a few months, or you can't replace parts, then your cost-saving will have been negated. Personally I wouldn't risk it.
 
You may well be right in this case but I was told something similar in the 60's regarding cheap Japanese motorcycles and that they would never replace the well engineered British Bikes. I heard it again in the 80's regarding Japanese & Korean cars and that the British Cars will aways be better.

Logic & experience will never win - I back prejudice every time!
 
The same applies to film cameras.

I don't know about outboards but Chinese copies of Union Special sewing machines used to be just as reliable, just as robust, and they were working for 8 / 12 hours a day, bar weekends and holidays. They only used to cost 1/10 of the real things. Something goes wrong? Two hours of mechanic's time was more valuable -> hit with sledge hammer and throw away in skip; wheel in the next one!
 
If they're anything like Chinese Motor-bikes, they're cheap as chips and OK while they're running, but there's no aftersales service and parts are like hen's teeth.
 
Personally I would spend a similar amount on a secondhand Yamaha tohatsu or other reputable make.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You may also like to consider whether Yamaha has been paid anything for doing all the initial and ongoing R&D which allows the Chinese to rip off one of their motors.

[/ QUOTE ]

In a national sense, its the biter bit isnt it? I had more than enough experience of Jap companies (other than Yamaha) stealing Brit know how when we had any. Wasnt there a Jap company that tried it on with Dyson?
 
Prob with china is (imho) they are making copies of almost everything, and machined to quite good standards... BUT the quality of the metals used is VERY VERY poor.
Basicly they are importing all the metals they can.. diluting them drasticly and burning vast amouts of fossil fuels to do it
Hence the product runs very well for a short time.. and is then knackered.
You want it cheap.. China will supply it
 
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