Outboard service prices - whats reasonable?

[RutlandMike]

My 30hp Yamaha needs a service/tune up and I've been quoted £200. Is that a bit rich? Based in Windsor - I don't know if prices vary much up and down the UK.

 

[PeterGibbs]

Looks like 4 hours labour - no doubt plus materials and VAT.
Enought for a complete rebuild I would say, rather than a service (?1 hour) Sensible? No.

PWG

 

[No Regrets]

The top end is simple enough, a pair of plugs, clean the float bowl, grease and adjust the cables/ linkages, bottom end not so easy other than draining and refilling the gearbox, as the legs don't always fall off....

I assume they are replacing the impellor at that price? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Sounds £50-70 too much in any case....

 

[narooma]

2.5 suzuki ,first service, 2 hours at 35 p/h plus parts plus vat.

 

[alan006]

Seems too expensive, always a good idea to ask what they are including. Nowadays the impellors will last longer than 1 year so often that is not included....best to check.
I agree with Shamby about what I would expect to be charged.

 

[macd]

Two hours? It probably doesn't take that long than to build them in the first place. Didn't you have a Mecano set as a lad?

 

[ghostlymoron]

I was charged £80 for a service on a Mariner 4 of unknown age a coupl of years ago. Since then I have done it myself using an article published in the PBO.

 

[paulburton44]

Had my Honda 6 serviced last year..new anode etc.. £170.00.....I was gob smacked....

 

[PeterGibbs]

This is why I now swim with those who take a new motor (bought mine last summer) keep it in good nick, no servicing charges, and run it til it runs no more. Time for a new one - not very ecoculturny, but servicing costs are disproportionate and have to be rsisted!

PWG

 

[davidwf]

Last year charged £150 for mariner 6 outboard service, as its now out of warranty did it myself this year.

 

[RutlandMike]

Thanks chaps - thought of doing it myself but my skills lie elsewhere and don't want to break down at inconvenient moment. I shall deffinately go back to them, ask what you get and haggle on the price. If anyone can recommend anyone near Windsor? Cheers!

 

[ColinR]

£45 inc vat for first sevice and winterise on Yamaha 2.5 in Kingswear (Dartmouth) from Yamaha dealer. I normally pay about £50 for service and winterise on old Merc 2.5 in Dartside Quay. Seems reasonable to me. I was quoted over £100 for service on same motor at inland waterways yard in Gloucester. Colin

 

[Babbers]

Was charged £37.50 by Seamark Nunn to service a Mariner 2.5 last year.

 

[Chris_G]

I used Walker Outboards in Caversham (Reading) a couple of years ago and they we very reasonable and friendly.

HTH
Chris

 

[tross]

Wouldn't it be nice in this day and age if they quoted you a price per hour and then videoed the service and presented it with the bill - You would know what was done and how long it took - no bad feeling of being ripped of and you know nothing was missed. The other upside from the service agent that if he spent a lot of time fixing something that was corroded he could justify the charge

 

[Jonny_H]

Ask what they actually do during the service.

Not directly related (I service my own outboard) but when I took my van to VW recently they charged me £200 and as I was paying they said "By the way, you know you need your brake fluid changing - £99 if you want us to do it, and you should really get the fuel filter done too!" - I am still bemused by what they actually did during the 3 hours work they claimed to do - surely plugging it into a computer, chaging the oil and filling up the screenwash is a 15 min job!!

On a boaty note - this may be why the charges vary so much, some may just change the spark plug check the filters and fire her up - others may strip it right down and clean it all out.

Jonny