Electric outboard - my expensive mistake

[Jaramaz]

waterproof?

Hm, as I see it, "waterproof" doesn't mean anything whereas IPxy clearly states the specification the piece of equipment comply to.

Not only watches, but also a lot of marine electronic equipment has had various labels as "waterpoof", "splashproof" (which I think Standard Horizon used for a long time) and so on. As there is no way to completely isolate equipment from water - even the submerged pumps that was earlier dicussed will with time get water "inside", all these labels are worthless.

IP classification is the correct way to specify resistance against water and dust. Everybody can check what these specifications means.

/J

 

[mainsail1]

Hm, as I see it, "waterproof" doesn't mean anything whereas IPxy clearly states the specification the piece of equipment comply to.

Not only watches, but also a lot of marine electronic equipment has had various labels as "waterpoof", "splashproof" (which I think Standard Horizon used for a long time) and so on. As there is no way to completely isolate equipment from water - even the submerged pumps that was earlier dicussed will with time get water "inside", all these labels are worthless.

IP classification is the correct way to specify resistance against water and dust. Everybody can check what these specifications means.

/J

Hmmmm,
I do hope you never buy a new boat and expect it to continuously float. When it sinks the dealer may say "sorry sir, if you look at the small print this boat in only guaranteed to float in winds up to force 3 - on Mondays and Tuesdays!

 

[glashen]

Hmmmm,
I do hope you never buy a new boat and expect it to continuously float. When it sinks the dealer may say "sorry sir, if you look at the small print this boat in only guaranteed to float in winds up to force 3 - on Mondays and Tuesdays!

But isn't exactly why we have classifications for boats, you hardly expect to take a Wayfarer dinghy down to the Southern ocean and expect it to be ok in a force 12 or would you. Personally I'm inclined to think it is common sense to check what the item is suitable for and then rightly complain if it fails within those specifications. In the past it was difficult to know what manufactures actually meant by these terms, the ip classification does give a benchmark to work with, I actually think saying fully waterproof was pushing it a bit, certainly when I was selling things I would want a customer to know exactly what that meant. But I must say if it happened to me I would not not exactly be happy but would take it as a lesson learned.

 

[mainsail1]

But isn't exactly why we have classifications for boats, you hardly expect to take a Wayfarer dinghy down to the Southern ocean and expect it to be ok in a force 12 or would you. Personally I'm inclined to think it is common sense to check what the item is suitable for and then rightly complain if it fails within those specifications. In the past it was difficult to know what manufactures actually meant by these terms, the ip classification does give a benchmark to work with, I actually think saying fully waterproof was pushing it a bit, certainly when I was selling things I would want a customer to know exactly what that meant. But I must say if it happened to me I would not not exactly be happy but would take it as a lesson learned.

Yep, I did take it as a lesson learned, and paid £400 to Torqeedo agents for the repairs. My aim is to warn others of the pitfalls and.............I still don't have an outboard that works after the repairs!!!

 

[Piers]

Yep, I did take it as a lesson learned, and paid £400 to Torqeedo agents for the repairs. My aim is to warn others of the pitfalls and.............I still don't have an outboard that works after the repairs!!!

Yet Torqeedo is sending you the packaging to return it to them to correct the s/w fault. Then, provided your Dealer did the repairs to your submerging correctly, you should have your motor and working again?

 

[PurpleKate]

I have to add my experience with a Torqueedo has been mostly positive.
Its good to read and be aware of the fact dropping it in the drink is harmful. However for me one of the main advantages is it is much easier and lighter to install than a petrol outboard making it much less likely to drop. You can split the battery from the shaft making it lighter and easier to hold and its clean so you don't mind holding it close to you. I do hope by writing this it doesn't tempt fate and next trip I drop it in .
Yes it is more pricey but my justification was that it is much more secure so by the time I get one outboard nicked I'm even. It can be split apart and stored inside the boat, or on pub trips ashore we padlock the shaft to the dingy and pop the battery in a small rucksack and take it with us.... extra advantage of that is you can plug it in at the pub too for a quick top up.... if you remember the charger.
Only downside has been on longer river exploration trips eg: exploring the Beaulieu , Medina or River Dart, its not quite had enough juice for quite as long as we would have liked to explore for, but the battery clearly tells you the charge left and turning round at 60% is good advice, so we've never been stranded. Its also very quiet for creeping up on wildlife.
So overall a happy customer

 

[mainsail1]

Update on the repairs to the Torqeedo. It has now arrived at the service centre who advise me that a fuse has blown. No mention of a software error. Surely fuses blow for a reason? Anyway, they say they have to ask Torqeedo if the fuse can be done under warranty. Hmmm I sent it on the understanding that it would be magically fixed and sent back free of charge.

 

[SpottyDog5]

I had problems with the Torqeedo I purchased,in the end I just gave up with it, and bought a 2.5hp Suzuki instead.
The thing that frustrated me the most was when it didn't go, apart from disassemble and remake there was nothing I could do to make it work !
least you know where you are with an engine, fuel,spark, compression.
BTW, sorry to hear your trouble.

 

[WestCoastSailor]

I have owned a Torqeedo Travel 801 for 6 years, its been great up until a couple of weeks ago. It just simply won’t run anymore. I feel ripped off because I think that a motor I paid $1800 for should last longer than 6 years. I only used it about once or twice a month for 15 minutes. The battery is fine but when I place it on the motor the indicator lights flash indicating a fault. I have tried contacting Torqeedo via email several times, they haven't been much help other than to say the motor is shorting out probably because of water ingress.

If I could get at the components to have a look inside at least then I might be able to fix it myself but I can’t do that without a special screw driver. I had high hopes for this motor but to break under such light use is unacceptable. I don’t think I will buy another Torqueedo. They’re too expensive and not very durable. Customer service is pretty bad too.

 

[mainsail1]

You mention customer service. How is this for customer service? My 2 year old Torqeedo went back to a Torqeedo authorised repairer in January and was returned to me in July. From what I heard the delay was with Torqeedo not the service agent.

 

[Greenheart]

I suppose Torqeedo benefit mainly from the reputation for being the only electric outboard which doesn't need a hefty conventional battery to be carried around with it.

But not all batteries have to be as awkward as the big car/yacht type, do they? How about those portable modern cells which slot into electric bicycle frames? They have plenty of power, and they wouldn't need careful connection with exposed crocodile clips...

...I wonder how long a relatively inexpensive Minn Kota electric outboard would run for, supplied by a decent bicycle battery? Together they'd be lighter & easier to carry than the traditional set-up and a fraction the price of a Torqeedo, as well as being free to run on any 12v supply, rather than requiring Torqeedo's own shaped cells.

 

[nigelmercier]

If I could get at the components to have a look inside at least then I might be able to fix it myself but I can’t do that without a special screw driver...

Then get one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000QB2XDK/dolcetto-21

 

[Greenheart]

Don't you love the cheap-as-chips screwdriver tips in a box from China? 40, 50, 60 pieces, rattling around loose in the box for 10 years when all you ever needed were 2 or 3...

 

[cliff]

Incidentally, yes, the outboard is going to be up for sale. Any offers now you know the full story?

£0.50p

 

[robertj]

Well done Piers! A very nice gesture to help someone.

 

[nigelmercier]

Then get one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000QB2XDK/dolcetto-21

Don't you love the cheap-as-chips screwdriver tips in a box from China? 40, 50, 60 pieces, rattling around loose in the box for 10 years when all you ever needed were 2 or 3...

I've got a set like this, I've used nearly all the bits, but then I do tend to take stuff apart. When I reassemble, I use normal screws.

 

[Baboon]

I’d like to share my negative experience of buying a Torqueedo.

I bought a travel 1003cs approximately 10 months ago. The ‘battery plug’ (picture attached) was broken from day 1 and it pulled out as soon as i connected the battery to it. Naively I didn’t realise that this was a fault, and that through this hole the battery is exposed to water. (Not what i consider waterproof). Because i couldn’t imagine a design being so bad that this is the last line of waterproofing for the battery, I didn’t take the battery back, because i needed it for transport, so i just glued the plug back in without much thought.

Now 10 months later, there is water ingress in the battery which has damaged it’s cells, and the battery doesn’t function properly if at all.

I took it for a warranty claim which was rejected and i got this response which personally i find rude;
“If the plug was damaged from day one you should have made that warranty claim from day one and the issue would have been fixed quickly without any discussions. We are very lenient when it comes to repairs within the warranty period.

If you would have brought your battery to Torqeedo service after the plug was broken instead of trying to fix it yourself with glue, a professional fix by replacing the entire connector including a leakage test afterwards would have prevented your battery from becoming water logged and therefore become a total loss.

To now claim a warranty case after your attempt to fix something that looks like damage caused by misuse is not compliant with any warranty terms and conditions.

If we find any false information in social media channels we will make according statements correcting the accusations. There is no design fault in the product. All our batteries are 100% leakage tested. It was your attempt of gluing the plug back into place which caused the battery to leak and has therefore rendered it damaged beyond repair.”


So that is my experience. I hope that might help inform someone before they buy one.

Regardless of the battery issue: The whole unit is plastic (the propeller, the fin, the orange insert that connects the battery to the shaft). None of these things feel built to endure any inevitable bashing. And considering the cost, I’m dissatisfied with the quality.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I’d like to share my negative experience of buying a Torqueedo.

I bought a travel 1003cs approximately 10 months ago. The ‘battery plug’ (picture attached) was broken from day 1 and it pulled out as soon as i connected the battery to it. Naively I didn’t realise that this was a fault, and that through this hole the battery is exposed to water. (Not what i consider waterproof). Because i couldn’t imagine a design being so bad that this is the last line of waterproofing for the battery, I didn’t take the battery back, because i needed it for transport, so i just glued the plug back in without much thought.

Now 10 months later, there is water ingress in the battery which has damaged it’s cells, and the battery doesn’t function properly if at all.

I took it for a warranty claim which was rejected and i got this response which personally i find rude;
“If the plug was damaged from day one you should have made that warranty claim from day one and the issue would have been fixed quickly without any discussions. We are very lenient when it comes to repairs within the warranty period.

If you would have brought your battery to Torqeedo service after the plug was broken instead of trying to fix it yourself with glue, a professional fix by replacing the entire connector including a leakage test afterwards would have prevented your battery from becoming water logged and therefore become a total loss.

To now claim a warranty case after your attempt to fix something that looks like damage caused by misuse is not compliant with any warranty terms and conditions.

If we find any false information in social media channels we will make according statements correcting the accusations. There is no design fault in the product. All our batteries are 100% leakage tested. It was your attempt of gluing the plug back into place which caused the battery to leak and has therefore rendered it damaged beyond repair.”


So that is my experience. I hope that might help inform someone before they buy one.

Regardless of the battery issue: The whole unit is plastic (the propeller, the fin, the orange insert that connects the battery to the shaft). None of these things feel built to endure any inevitable bashing. And considering the cost, I’m dissatisfied with the quality.

Seems that the manufacturer is being entirely reasonable to me. You notice a problem. You bodge the repair and make matters worse and then expect them to fix it under warranty.

Regarding the quality of the item overall. I presume you saw one before you bought one and made a judgement….

 

[Baboon]

Seems that the manufacturer is being entirely reasonable to me. You notice a problem. You bodge the repair and make matters worse and then expect them to fix it under warranty.

Regarding the quality of the item overall. I presume you saw one before you bought one and made a judgement….

- i didn’t realise it was a problem.
- my ‘repair’ didn’t make matters worse
- they were rude

I’m surprised anyone could think they have been reasonable. But I won’t argue in this forum about it. I made my case for anyone considering buying one.
Ultimately that plug is weak and a design flaw in my opinion. So much so that I’m not interested in buying a replacement battery.

 

[[2574]]

Seems that the manufacturer is being entirely reasonable to me. You notice a problem. You bodge the repair and make matters worse and then expect them to fix it under warranty.

Regarding the quality of the item overall. I presume you saw one before you bought one and made a judgement….

John, maybe so, but I really don’t like the tone of the response from the manufacturer, not nice.