dylanwinter
Well-Known Member
that is £120
for what is little more than an oil change
Seems a bit pricey to me
Dylan
for what is little more than an oil change
Seems a bit pricey to me
Dylan
Tohatsu first service - £99 plus vat
- Thread starter dylanwinter
- Start date
cliff
Well-Known Member
Seems VERY pricey to me (for little more than an oil and sparkplug and impellor and anode and fuel filter change and checking all bolts etc are still there and tight etc and oiling / greasing linkages and swivel pins etc and cleaning out carburettor and checking float level on reassembly etc, etc, etc)
Yes you could change the oil in the g'box (and engine if 4t) for a lot less.
Piers
Well-Known Member
In talking with those who sell outboards, they almost all say that there's no money in the sale, but it's all in the ongoing servicing. That's why I bought an electric outboard. No ongoing costs, no fumes, no fuel storage, no trying to get ot started....but the initial cost was greater.
Zagato
Well-Known Member
It's the same with new cars, they make their money out of servicing at £90+ an hour E.G £400 for an oil and filter change!
For cars go to an independent, as long as they use correct OE parts it won't affect your warranty.
For engines, do it yourself, it's not hard you will rarely have to clean out the carb etc. Same goes with new lawnmowers, new plug and oil change takes 20mins job done once a year and check the blade
The money you save can buy you a new outboard or mower every few years...
Having been part of a reseacrch group and seen stats not many people spend crazy sums on servicing. Spending £120 each year on a £500 product doesn't make sense just to keep your warranty when little can go wrong and you can do it yourself, not so sure about a 250HP engine though but dread to think the cost of doing one of those!
Do it yourself, you know it's been done properly then!!
E.G £400 for an oil and filter change! For cars go to an independent, as long as they use correct OE parts it won't affect your warranty.
For engines, do it yourself, it's not hard you will rarely have to clean out the carb etc. Same goes with new lawnmowers, new plug and oil change takes 20mins job done once a year and check the blade
The money you save can buy you a new outboard or mower every few years...Having been part of a reseacrch group and seen stats not many people spend crazy sums on servicing. Spending £120 each year on a £500 product doesn't make sense just to keep your warranty when little can go wrong and you can do it yourself, not so sure about a 250HP engine though but dread to think the cost of doing one of those!
Do it yourself, you know it's been done properly then!!
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sailorman
Well-Known Member
when i re-engined myself, the Nanni silverline warranty offered covered sweet fa.
i could not service myself even though i managed to installed it.
due to the very restrictive warranty ( covering very little) i serviced the engine from the first service onward.
just service your simple little Tohatsu 4 stroke outboard yourself
i could not service myself even though i managed to installed it.
due to the very restrictive warranty ( covering very little) i serviced the engine from the first service onward.
just service your simple little Tohatsu 4 stroke outboard yourself
Skylark
Well-Known Member
With a product like a Tohatsu, proven, well established and well engineered, you would be extremely unlucky to encounter a warranty problem. Most issues would probably be put down to misuse and warranty denied.
Presumably, the handbook will tell you the routine maintenance schedule and if it doesn't a Google search almost certainly would.
I can't imagine that there's much to do in a first service.
Dealers work hard to maintain their bad reputation on cost, you know
The other, big advantage in doing it yourself is that you'll gain familiarity with the engine. One day, when the bug-gar refuses to start or something, you'll already know your way around it and doubtless you'll fix it pronto.
It's not like a car where dealer stamped service history carries a degree of value. You're not planning to sell the engine any time soon, I guess.
Do it yourself!
Presumably, the handbook will tell you the routine maintenance schedule and if it doesn't a Google search almost certainly would.
I can't imagine that there's much to do in a first service.
Dealers work hard to maintain their bad reputation on cost, you know
The other, big advantage in doing it yourself is that you'll gain familiarity with the engine. One day, when the bug-gar refuses to start or something, you'll already know your way around it and doubtless you'll fix it pronto.
It's not like a car where dealer stamped service history carries a degree of value. You're not planning to sell the engine any time soon, I guess.
Do it yourself!
Spyro
Well-Known Member
Why bother, these engines probably do very little hours. Change the plug and clean the carb if you need to. Keep your money Buy a new one every 4 or 5 years and sell the old one. Quids in
ProDave
Well-Known Member
+1 DO IT YOURSELF
When I bought our boat, the broker serviced the outboard and had the cheek to charge me.
On launching the boat, the OB would start and just about idle, but died if you demanded power.
It turned out the little filter bowl on the petrol tap was clogged with crud. Some service that turned out to be.
I complained and got my service fee refunded and now service it myself.
When I bought our boat, the broker serviced the outboard and had the cheek to charge me.
On launching the boat, the OB would start and just about idle, but died if you demanded power.
It turned out the little filter bowl on the petrol tap was clogged with crud. Some service that turned out to be.
I complained and got my service fee refunded and now service it myself.
ditchcrawler
Well-Known Member
If you think the first service is expensive wait for the second.When I had a Minstrel I bought a new Honda5.Part of the 5 year warranty is that it has to be serviced annually by a Honda or approved agent.The first years service was about £70.The second year was double that.When I queried the pricing I was told that the first service was checking it over but the second required more work etc.Bear in mind this was 1997 and I paid about £600 for the new engine.Needless to say I did my own servicing after that.
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
All I've ever done on my now 12 year old Yamahaha 9.9 is change the oils and filters every year, change the spark plugs and impellor every few years, and squirt grease in the nipples. Anode is good as new as it lives out of the water when not used. Nothing gone wrang yet.
lw395
Well-Known Member
Do it yourself.
The dealer is not going to come out to the middle of the harbour when it won't start, so it's best to take responsibility for it yourself.
The dealer is not going to come out to the middle of the harbour when it won't start, so it's best to take responsibility for it yourself.
seumask
Well-Known Member
DIY
We had a new Tohatsu 6hp 4st for a few years, if the engine is running well then all you need to do, IMHO, is change the oil, and possibly drain the fuel out of the carb before storing upright.
IF the enigine is not running well then IMHO that is when you need the outboard service man's ability.
I retire to await a flaming response.
We had a new Tohatsu 6hp 4st for a few years, if the engine is running well then all you need to do, IMHO, is change the oil, and possibly drain the fuel out of the carb before storing upright.
IF the enigine is not running well then IMHO that is when you need the outboard service man's ability.
I retire to await a flaming response.
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
I run mine dry by pulling off the fuel pipe before shutdown. I think the majority agree with the DIY option.
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
Seems sensible. If you aren't confident (or should that be "competent"?) take it to an engineer, but these motors are so simple that poor running is just a matter of working through a few items.
3 cylinder, powerful motors get a bit more complex.
greenalien
Well-Known Member
A tip I was given by an outboard service engineer is that, if you have a new outboard, undo all the critical bolts, grease the threads with coppaslip, then reassemble them. If you do this, there's a much better chance they'll come apart when they need to, a few years down the line, without shearing off. He made special mention of water pump impeller cover bolts, and cylinder head bolts for 2-strokes. He also said that the most critical thing is to flush the engine with fresh water after every run in salt water, to prevent the cooling passages from blocking up.
dylanwinter
Well-Known Member
when you put it that way....
that does sound like a lot of work and well worth the £99 plus VAT
but do they really do all that after just 20 hours of running
replace the impellor
and the anode
change the fuel filter
dismantle the carb....
if you say that is what they do after 20 hours then I accept what you say
but it does seem a bit of a waste of their time and my money to change the anode
I was attracted by the 5 year warrenty on the engine
but this thread has made me decide to have a good think
clearly to get advantage from the five years is going to cost me a lot of money
much more than the cost of a new engine
that aside
the engine seems very fuel efficient
very powerful
well up to dealing with the Humber tides
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thCgAd4XqXc
Seems VERY pricey to me (for little more than an oil and sparkplug and impellor and anode and fuel filter change and checking all bolts etc are still there and tight etc and oiling / greasing linkages and swivel pins etc and cleaning out carburettor and checking float level on reassembly etc, etc, etc)
Yes you could change the oil in the g'box (and engine if 4t) for a lot less.
that does sound like a lot of work and well worth the £99 plus VAT
but do they really do all that after just 20 hours of running
replace the impellor
and the anode
change the fuel filter
dismantle the carb....
if you say that is what they do after 20 hours then I accept what you say
but it does seem a bit of a waste of their time and my money to change the anode
I was attracted by the 5 year warrenty on the engine
but this thread has made me decide to have a good think
clearly to get advantage from the five years is going to cost me a lot of money
much more than the cost of a new engine
that aside
the engine seems very fuel efficient
very powerful
well up to dealing with the Humber tides
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thCgAd4XqXc
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AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
Do the heck? They change the oils, squirt some grease in the grease nipples, and relieve you of £119.
Don't forget, the servicing is where they make their money, not the sale.
cliff
Well-Known Member
You missed the sarcasm smillie......
- DIY - you know it makes sense and sod the warranty which as others have pointed out is worth SFA in any case
Fire99
Well-Known Member
This is why you have to be a little careful with what exactly a 3/5/6 year warranty means.
The cost of keeping within the confines of the warranty agreement will probably cost you twice the value of the engine over the 5 years.
My Honda has a long warranty which means I have confidence it was built well but there's no way I'd spend the money involved in keeping the warranty going, with the servicing.
Also, dare I say that I'm far more concerned with my engine being reliable than an average service agent, so my engine is serviced thoroughly and more frequently than the schedule, by the fussiest man on earth.... Me!
The cost of keeping within the confines of the warranty agreement will probably cost you twice the value of the engine over the 5 years.
My Honda has a long warranty which means I have confidence it was built well but there's no way I'd spend the money involved in keeping the warranty going, with the servicing.
Also, dare I say that I'm far more concerned with my engine being reliable than an average service agent, so my engine is serviced thoroughly and more frequently than the schedule, by the fussiest man on earth.... Me!
dylanwinter
Well-Known Member
sorry
missed the emoticon
never really sure what they mean
d
You missed the sarcasm smillie......
missed the emoticon
never really sure what they mean
d
