Taliesin
Member
Another thumbs-up for Torqeedo from me too, admittedly the purchase price is high but they hold their value and next to nothing running and service costs to contend with. Regards, Rob
Outboard motor, lightest and quietest?
- Thread starter Molteni
- Start date
Bouba
Well-known member
Well, they are supposed to be serviced, but not yearly. The battery and the seals.
Also when they do breakdown it falls into two categories, very expensive or too expensive to repair. For example I’ve just spent over €300 on a new circuit board. Plus there maybe many points of sales for Torqeedoes but very few service centers, this means there is additional fees for carriage (if we didn’t drive the 100 miles there it would have been about fifty euros each way, which would hurt if you just spent fifty to be told that your fifteen hundred euros is scrap value).
All in all I do like Torqeedos, and prefer electric (I also want a Tesla) but I just need people to be aware that ownership is not free
Taliesin
Member
Yes point taken, up to now I haven’t incurred any additional costs, maybe it’s something I’ve got to look forward to, however there are always running costs with petrol outboards and just occasionally they do go bang and end up as scrap too. Let’s not mention E10 either.
grumpy_o_g
Well-known member
Nestaway seem to give good and honest advice regarding electric outboards. They sell Torqueedo and Epropulsion and petrol too though I get the impression it's a rapidly waning market. They're a local company and I've heard a few people say good things to say about them but never anything bad. Electric Outboard Motors – Nestaway Boats
Molteni
Member
Has anyone successfully used a NOCO (or other) flat battery starter pack for an electric outboard? Some of the larger ones appear to have a high Ah rating.
Primarily designed for a short very high current output, their Ah rating suggests they might double up as a power source for an electric outboard. Are they suitable for a relatively lower output for a longer period of time?
Primarily designed for a short very high current output, their Ah rating suggests they might double up as a power source for an electric outboard. Are they suitable for a relatively lower output for a longer period of time?
pvb
Well-known member
I doubt it very much. Their Ah rating is very low. The most powerful Noco Boost only has a 89 Wh battery - less than a tenth of the capacity of the standard battery in a Torqeedo 1103C.
Hambleite
Member
The Mercury/Mariner/Tohatsu 2.5-3.3hp 2 strokes are 13 kgs. Single cylinder, the later models have a fwd/neutral gear.
They are quite sought after on the secondhand market as they stopped making them in 2006.
They are quite sought after on the secondhand market as they stopped making them in 2006.
Rappey
Well-known member
They are still making them. It's the eu that banned 2t sales but you can buy one if it's for commercial use.
TiggerToo
Well-known member
massive thumbs up for the guys at NB....
oldmanofthehills
Well-known member
You can still buy 2strokes in Guernsey I believe, and no real shortage on the second hand market.
I did have honda 4 stroke outboard but it was heavier and for an old fella who needed to lug it 1km across the marshes that was a pain, and it was noisier. Happily it blew up due to oil supply issues so I replaced it with a virtually new Yamaha 2hp 2 stroke.
I guess if you only ever need to go short hop from shore to mooring, then electric might be ok but unless you have generator aboard its no use for a cruising boat needing outboard at many anchorages and ports, or needing to make long voyages in the dinghy. One can carry spare fuel for petrol engines and buy at any shoreside town, but recharging battery packs would a major issue. I suppose the marina crowd based racing crowd would manage but not us
Moodysailor
Well-known member
They are very different use cases, but you make a good point. There are (very broadly speaking) two camps - the ship-to-shore dinghy/OB requirement, and the cruiser/explorer/day trip requirement. I think (but am assuming) that the OP is in the former based on the question.
For the OP's case, I am also in agreement that (budget notwithstanding), electric is the way to go. Ticks all the boxes and then some. I personally wouldn't ever buy a 2.5/3.3 hp petrol motor ever again and hope that the technology keeps developing so there is a suitable alternative for a 4/5/6hp soon with a built in battery.
Full disclosure, we have a 3.1mtr air deck with Yam 6hp petrol, but use it (with external tank) for exploring up the Dart, so it fits our needs well. But we are very seriously looking at electric for basic ship-to-shore use and pottering.
Bouba
Well-known member
To me, electric is for those who don’t want cans of petrol on their boat. In a direct comparison between electric and petrol, petrol wins every category except noise.
I didn’t want to store petrol and was willing to pay the (huge) differential and accept the limitations.
I didn’t want to store petrol and was willing to pay the (huge) differential and accept the limitations.
miles from the sea
Member
I agree - I had a reliability issue that turned out to be a kink in the fuel line but that asside mine has been great but not quiet
TopBanana
Member
Pleased with my Suzuki DF2.5s
alahol2
Well-known member
Our Mariner 2M just keeps on going so no need to consider alternatives.
Taliesin
Member
A bit more to that, no smell of petrol in car from motor or can, no gearbox oil to leak, no annual servicing. I can’t be scientific about this but I suspect the latest generation of electric engines are more reliable, particularly if infrequently used. Ok you can keep pouring petrol into a motor long after a battery has gone flat but who runs small buzzy petrol outboards for hours. Finally although electric outboards cost more there is a demand for them and have a decent resale value whereas small petrol outboards are getting hard to shift. What should be understood is the different power characteristics, a small petrol outboard will shift a small boat quickly where an electric outboard shifts a larger boat slowly.
James_Calvert
Well-known member
Taliesin
Member
Well I’ve had a 4hp evinrude at a boatyard for the best part of a year now and not a sniff, it’s from the 80’s but sparingly used in fresh water only and runs a treat, not even a sniff at £200, also I have a Mercury 3.3hp in my garage, I admit I’ve not started it for over a year but it was running fine the last time I tried, if someone wants to take it away for £100 they’re welcome to.....
James_Calvert
Well-known member
Where's your garage?
Taliesin
Member
South Cambs