Eberspacher D3LC vs Chinese brand vs Planar Russian ( Latvian)

[Nina Lucia]

Our Eberspacher D3LC finally died last weekend, made a lots of smoke in the cabin and stoped working on our 11m sailing boat. Good think we were on board to switch it off straight on, we could gone for a quick drink or two and left heating on...

It's time fo a new unit, parts are very expensive for this old unit. I guess lasted long enough in damp marine environment ( even our locker is very dry)

Eberspacher D4 £900.00 vs Chinese: 12V - Medium - 2 Outlet Kit £175.00 vs Planar: 12V - Medium - 2 Outlet Kit £730.00

Is it Eberspacher and Planer that much better?

We will be keeping all our existing fittings

 

[ash2020]

Short answer, no they're not better. They are identical inside.

 

[mrangry]

I have had a Chinese diesel heater for three years now and it has never missed a beat

 

[G@zza]

There are some good youtube available. This one shows a good comparison. There are a few things that will push me away from the chinese models. The chinese units might be ok for a caravan, but consider the environment on a boat.

 

[david_bagshaw]

Have a Planar 8Kw for 4 years now, excellent piece of kit.

 

[vyv_cox]

Short answer, no they're not better. They are identical inside.

Nonsense. The Chinese copied one of the Eberspachers but the quality is far inferior and not CE compliant. Autoterm (Planar) is totally different from any other. Every component is made in-house, nothing bought in, all to their own unique design.

 

[Sandy]

Really depends how many beer tokens you wish to spend.

There are lots and lots of YouTube channels dedicated to Chinese diesel heaters, so lots of information about them out there.

 

[Trident]

I have fitted dozens of Chinese now and had no problems and there is a 30,000 strong community of users on FB with no serious problems reported (ie fires etc that other brands like to talk about)

I have two chinese on my own boat in continuous winter use for 5 years now - to date one has needed a new temp sensor - DIY fit in 2 minutes with no tools (plug in and held by sting clip) and cost £4 and the other has needed two of the same and a new digital controller (again it just plugs in and was a £12 spare)

In the past they used to need glow plugs quite often but I've not had to do a replacement on those in 5 years and again they are a few pounds each unlike the name brands that are £60-75

So I'd say save hundreds of pounds and but Chinese. Maybe order a few spares - a couple of overheat sensors, a spare glow plug and that should do it - about £20 extra spend and you may never need them. I would also buy a genuine Webasto or Eber exhaust pipe from Butler Technic etc as these are rather batter built than the Chinese which can start to unravel over time.

Watch an online guide to fitting rather than try to look at the Chinese instructions, and sit in a warm boat with an extra £600 in your pocket and the knowledge that if anything goes seriously wrong you can simply replace the entire unit (leaving all the plumbing and exhaust etc in place) in about 15 minutes (4 bolts and 4 hose connections to swap from one to the other) for £100 whilst with the brand names you (especially Eber) you have to call in a man with a special device to read error codes and even with something simple like running out of fuel after a few attempts at start they lock out and you need the man in to unlock at £90 an hour.

I know Vyv Cox's son imports Planar to the UK so he is very fond of those but they have become almost as expensive as Webasto and don't have the same worldwide back up yet and are a little less user friendly in the controls so I can't see the advantage that they used to have when £400. On top of which if you buy Webasto from say LandRover as a spare (they are used to pre-heat in cold climes) then you can get them at around £500 but that is only for the wet radiator version not the blown air.

All in all the Chinese work well, are cheap (why not buy two to start with and you have spares) and safe and thousands of users in the UK have had good experiences over years and tens of thousands in the US where they were sold for the last 15 years in Walmart without problems (with a Walmart branding I think)

 

[ash2020]

Nonsense. The Chinese copied one of the Eberspachers but the quality is far inferior and not CE compliant. Autoterm (Planar) is totally different from any other. Every component is made in-house, nothing bought in, all to their own unique design.

I've had both and I've serviced both with complete stripdowns. The castings are the same, the glowplugs are the same. What isn't the same is the externals, the exhaust, the ducting the fuel lines, but the OP says he still has those.
Eberspacher and Webasto are taking the p*ss with their prices.

 

[vyv_cox]

I have fitted dozens of Chinese now and had no problems and there is a 30,000 strong community of users on FB with no serious problems reported (ie fires etc that other brands like to talk about)

I have two chinese on my own boat in continuous winter use for 5 years now - to date one has needed a new temp sensor - DIY fit in 2 minutes with no tools (plug in and held by sting clip) and cost £4 and the other has needed two of the same and a new digital controller (again it just plugs in and was a £12 spare)

In the past they used to need glow plugs quite often but I've not had to do a replacement on those in 5 years and again they are a few pounds each unlike the name brands that are £60-75

So I'd say save hundreds of pounds and but Chinese. Maybe order a few spares - a couple of overheat sensors, a spare glow plug and that should do it - about £20 extra spend and you may never need them. I would also buy a genuine Webasto or Eber exhaust pipe from Butler Technic etc as these are rather batter built than the Chinese which can start to unravel over time.

Watch an online guide to fitting rather than try to look at the Chinese instructions, and sit in a warm boat with an extra £600 in your pocket and the knowledge that if anything goes seriously wrong you can simply replace the entire unit (leaving all the plumbing and exhaust etc in place) in about 15 minutes (4 bolts and 4 hose connections to swap from one to the other) for £100 whilst with the brand names you (especially Eber) you have to call in a man with a special device to read error codes and even with something simple like running out of fuel after a few attempts at start they lock out and you need the man in to unlock at £90 an hour.

I know Vyv Cox's son imports Planar to the UK so he is very fond of those but they have become almost as expensive as Webasto and don't have the same worldwide back up yet and are a little less user friendly in the controls so I can't see the advantage that they used to have when £400. On top of which if you buy Webasto from say LandRover as a spare (they are used to pre-heat in cold climes) then you can get them at around £500 but that is only for the wet radiator version not the blown air.

All in all the Chinese work well, are cheap (why not buy two to start with and you have spares) and safe and thousands of users in the UK have had good experiences over years and tens of thousands in the US where they were sold for the last 15 years in Walmart without problems (with a Walmart branding I think)

I know a bit about Planar for obvious reasons but I have no particular axe to grind - my boat has an Eberspacher that has given excellent service for many years. I do know that Autoterm provide a well-subscribed service replacing unsatisfactory Chinese heaters with their own, in boats and motorhomes.

 

[peteK]

Had a 2kw Hcalory Chinese diesel heater in a boat for 5 years no problems.

 

[NormanS]

My Eberspacher is working well, but if it decides to die, I'll simply buy two Chinese heaters*, and fit to the existing pipework.
*One kept as a spare.

 

[Nina Lucia]

I have fitted dozens of Chinese now and had no problems and there is a 30,000 strong community of users on FB with no serious problems reported (ie fires etc that other brands like to talk about)

I have two chinese on my own boat in continuous winter use for 5 years now - to date one has needed a new temp sensor - DIY fit in 2 minutes with no tools (plug in and held by sting clip) and cost £4 and the other has needed two of the same and a new digital controller (again it just plugs in and was a £12 spare)

In the past they used to need glow plugs quite often but I've not had to do a replacement on those in 5 years and again they are a few pounds each unlike the name brands that are £60-75

So I'd say save hundreds of pounds and but Chinese. Maybe order a few spares - a couple of overheat sensors, a spare glow plug and that should do it - about £20 extra spend and you may never need them. I would also buy a genuine Webasto or Eber exhaust pipe from Butler Technic etc as these are rather batter built than the Chinese which can start to unravel over time.

Watch an online guide to fitting rather than try to look at the Chinese instructions, and sit in a warm boat with an extra £600 in your pocket and the knowledge that if anything goes seriously wrong you can simply replace the entire unit (leaving all the plumbing and exhaust etc in place) in about 15 minutes (4 bolts and 4 hose connections to swap from one to the other) for £100 whilst with the brand names you (especially Eber) you have to call in a man with a special device to read error codes and even with something simple like running out of fuel after a few attempts at start they lock out and you need the man in to unlock at £90 an hour.

I know Vyv Cox's son imports Planar to the UK so he is very fond of those but they have become almost as expensive as Webasto and don't have the same worldwide back up yet and are a little less user friendly in the controls so I can't see the advantage that they used to have when £400. On top of which if you buy Webasto from say LandRover as a spare (they are used to pre-heat in cold climes) then you can get them at around £500 but that is only for the wet radiator version not the blown air.

All in all the Chinese work well, are cheap (why not buy two to start with and you have spares) and safe and thousands of users in the UK have had good experiences over years and tens of thousands in the US where they were sold for the last 15 years in Walmart without problems (with a Walmart branding I think)

Thank you

 

[vyv_cox]

I've had both and I've serviced both with complete stripdowns. The castings are the same, the glowplugs are the same. What isn't the same is the externals, the exhaust, the ducting the fuel lines, but the OP says he still has those.

I suspect the 'Planar' you stripped is one of the Chinese ones that call themselves that. There is absolutely no similarity between a genuine Autoterm Planar and any Chinese one. Castings and glow plugs totally different.

 

[oldgit]

Have fitted both Planar and Chinaspacher kits.
You get what you pay for.
The bits that come with the Chinaspacher kit are s***, joke jubilee clips that strip on tightening and exhaust hose made out of recycled coke cans.
You will have buy decent clips and hose at some point.
Have never had any problems with a heater.


Fitted one of the 2K Planars when they first were sold in the UK.
A no brainer compared with the eyewatering EBA/WEB prices.
Worked perfectly for me for 4 years and still going strong for chap who bought my boat a year ago.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Short answer, no they're not better. They are identical inside.

Utter nonsense.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I suspect the 'Planar' you stripped is one of the Chinese ones that call themselves that. There is absolutely no similarity between a genuine Autoterm Planar and any Chinese one. Castings and glow plugs totally different.

I suspect the same Vyv. The genuine Planar/Autotern is nothing like the Chines Eber copies, or genuine Eber/Webasto.

By the time you've replaced all the Chinese fittings that are made of cheese, you're nearly up to the price of a Planar.

 

[Nauti Fox]

Unless you are replacing a malfunctioning Webasto/ Eberspacher as the fit is the same.
Also I really don't think the cost of decent fuel lines, exhaust, silencer and new wiring loom add up to many hundreds of pounds.
Hcalory now produce a unit that has a remote, Bluetooth, and is a larger size than the standard Chinese heater with a 90mm outlet.
To the OP don't go by the output of the Chinese heaters, they aren't what they say, the choice to buy is yours, do research and make up your own mind.
Have a look at David McLukie on YouTube for the good, the bad and the ugly of Chinese heaters.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Unless you are replacing a malfunctioning Webasto/ Eberspacher as the fit is the same.

That's correct, just replaced a 5.5kw Webasto with a 4kw Planar, which is quieter and puts more heat out, enough to heat a 45ft motor boat in the current weather.

 

[NormanS]

[Promotional content removed]

Is that an unbiased opinion, or are you simply advertising?