I/O vs outboard

[jimmyjohn]

I am looking for some advise...I have a 2000 Glastron,17.5 footer with a 1999 115hp Johnson. Have done a lot of skiing and tubing with it. Have a friend with a 2000 Glastron 17.5 footer with a 4.3L Volvo/Penta I/O. His boat is pristene with 35 hours on it. He wants to trade even-over as he can't get through some shallow channels to other lakes because it is a heavier rig. Should I trade and will I be happy skiing with this.

 

[KCook]

Re: I/O vs outboard

I/O should certainly be better for wakeboarding. Not sure about skiing. Ski behind it and see for yourself. <br /><br />Kelly Cook

 

[vipzach]

Re: I/O vs outboard

I think you would be happy with the trade, I personally am not an outboard fan. I ski/wakeboard behind my boat. It has a 3.0L with an alpha drive. I would find the exact model of the drive and motor setup and post that in the repair area to find out about known problems and availability of parts. All in all, I personally would seriously consider the trade.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: I/O vs outboard

Both have advantages and disadvantages. You're aware of the weight differnce. Another major difference - for the user, not the mechanic - is the interior space. Spend some time in his boat to see if the interior lay out is to your satisfaction. Those I/Os take up room which your outboard doesn't.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: I/O vs outboard

lets name the advantages of having a car motor in your boat:<br /><br />1. its made specifically for the marine enviroment, wait, no its not.<br />2. its much lighter weight, opps, no its not.<br />3. less moving parts, oops, wrong again.<br />4. lower mainenance costs, oops, once again, wrong.<br />5. less parts to break and fix, oops, damn, im getting em all wrong.<br />6. leaves more room in the boat for gear and such, woopsie, wrong again.<br />7. easier to work on, um, wait, i take that back<br /><br />this is just my opinion, but usually the people that love I/O's so much, havent had to do major work on an inboard, replace an inboard, service an inboard, or do any of these things on an outboard.<br /><br />i make these statements based on similar size boats that can use outboards. im not talking about 36 foot cabin cruisers, im talking bout smaller sport boats such as cuddys, bow riders, fishing boats, center consoles, etc etc etc.<br /><br />heck i even saw a REALLY bad idea once, i saw a pontoon boat, about 24 feet, with a v6 inboard/outboard. what an abomination that was.<br /><br />just me ranting and raving.

 

[tommays]

Re: I/O vs outboard

they all break and cost a lot of money to fix<br /><br /><br />the outboard guys love outboards <br /><br /><br />the I/O guys love I/O <br /><br /><br />if you give them both the recomended care they will both hold up well<br /><br />tommays

 

[glen f]

Re: I/O vs outboard

Just a thought from a newbie thats been doing a lot of research on these forums, How long do you expect to keep whatever boat you choose? Seems to me that finding parts for aging ob is easiest. Lighter boat easier to load or unload by yourself. Less trailer weight too. This newbie follows myoutboards thinking for my lifestyle on the water. I was looking inboard untill I came to this site but its not best for me. Just think about more than engine performance. Be careful on these forums though because I want like ten boats now. I have family in mass so Im having them check out used whalers there just to see.

 

[murphini]

Re: I/O vs outboard

As my gear-head friends say, "There is no replacement for displacement". Don't worry about the horsepower, focus on the torque. I/O beat outboards in torque...which is what you want for skiing/wakeboarding/buting.<br /><br />But, I am a freshwater boater, so I/O works for me. Saltwater use may trump the torque arguement and make me choose the outboard.

 

[stevens]

Re: I/O vs outboard

What's the problem with inboard engines in salt water? Isn't that why we use anodes and such...<br /><br />I guess in the end it becomes a matter of personal preference.<br /><br />Over here, we'd typically choose between diesel inboards and gas outboards. The inboard diesels save a lot on fuel expense, and give a greater operating range. They have greater torque across the rpm range, which means you can pull anything at any speed. There is also the advantage of placing the weight of the engine lower and further forward, which may be very advantageous on semi-planing hulls, or for getting on plane without the bow rise.<br /><br />Outboards would be lighter, quieter, and easier to access for servicing. However, modern 4-stroke outboards are so technically advanced and so compact that I don't think many ordinary people (the 10-thumbers like me) would attempt to service them on their own.

 

[umblecumbuz]

Re: I/O vs outboard

This could be a very long thread!<br /><br />One guy recently said that you can stand up and walk around an outboard to service it. That's a big plus for an old-timer like me. I've had my share of squirming flat with my head in an oily stinky hole, trying to do a simple job made complicated by lack of access on an inboard unit in a small boat.

 

[dutch135]

Re: I/O vs outboard

Rooter,<br />I made the same switch, due to other circumstances though...used to have a big V6 on a SeaRay, then to a smaller 90hp on the Sunbird, and both did very well for skiing.. although I felt you sufferd in cornering and rough water performance. I now have this I/O, but with 4bbl carb, lots of power, much heavier boat, and certainly sit lower in the water. My kid loves it for boarding, i haven't skied much behind it though, due to a carb problem last year. (all better now). I'm sure i'll get up behind it a few times this year.. but for strictly skiing, the outboard is nice, less wake. With the 4.3 in that 17' , you should have plenty of power to do whatever you want, as long as you don't have the shallows your friend has. <br />As far as service, I seem to be more inclined to tinker with the I/O, than I was with the outboards.. not too familiar with the oil injection system etc.. and I did have one motor, the 135 Searay, get toasted somehow.<br />I have to say that overall I like the heavier boat,, for the ride etc. Not as good around the dock or loading onto the trailer though, doesn't respond the same way turning at low speeds. But, I don't have any ventilation problems at all in corners, and when the lakes get some waves that was a pain with the outboards.

 

[dorelse]

Re: I/O vs outboard

I personally went with a I/O this time, soley for the 'sport seating' that is available on them. I couldn't find an outboard setup that had the large sundeck in back for my wife to lay out on. And I'm sure that's by design as the outboard needs room to move in the rear.<br /><br />Its my first experience with an I/O setup...so far I like it a lot, but we'll see when it comes to winterization. That's my greatest concern. Other than that, I/O's have been around long enough that Mercruiser & others have figured out how to adapt a car engine for marine use. <br /><br />I'm in freshwater lakes 100% of the time, so I'm not as concerned as you coastal guys might be in the salt.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: I/O vs outboard

I bought my bought with an I/O on purpose. I liked the smooth and quiet operation and liked the idea that working on the motor was like working on a car. I was perfectly happy for a few years until we bought a cabin up the river from a large lake. <br /><br />The biggest adjustment to the I/O from an outboard was the draft. Outboard boats can navigate safely in much shallower water than an I/O. <br /><br />I love my boat, but my usage really requires an outboard for the shallow water and also its lesser sensitivity to cold weather. I sweated a few times last fall when the boat was still in the water when we had some cold temps.<br /><br />I think it comes down to preference and suitability to task.

 

[dorelse]

Re: I/O vs outboard

.

 

[aspeck]

Re: I/O vs outboard

There are as many opinions on this subject as there are fingers doing the typing of them. It really doesn't matter what I think, it matters what you think and you like.<br /><br />Try the boat out. See if you like the whole shot. Does it have the power YOU need for skiing? If possible, use it for the day. Check out the fuel economy and see if you can afford to run the bigger engine in the heavier boat. Check out the comfort of the ride, the comfort of the interior, etc.<br /><br />After all that, if you think you are making a lateral or upward move, then YOU do it. Remember, it ain't MY boat, so MY opinion just doesn't really matter in this decision.

 

[ae708]

Re: I/O vs outboard

For me the only advantage to an I/O ( I have owned both OB and I/O) is cost. You can buy a complete rig... complete boat/motor/trailer for what just a new OB motor costs these days. It's ridiculous that they charge so much for an outboard motor. Having said that... I wish that I could afford an outboard rig to replace my I/O.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: I/O vs outboard

i think the i/o is better for water sports. i always hated messing with the tow ropes around the outboard. the i/o also seems to have more grunt while pulling.<br /><br />but you do give up interior room.<br /><br />try the boat out and go with what you like more.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: I/O vs outboard

Rooter, The only topic untouched by the other posters is wake size. When I ski (salom) I like a low, flat wake. Although I would suspect the OB boat would have the smallest wake, it would behoove you to observe the difference in wake height between the two boats and decide if it is an issue. For tubing and kneeboarding, the wake is not an issue. For wakeboarding, neither boat is capable of making a big-enough wake without "fat-sacks" or something equivalent.

 

[05GlastronSX]

Re: I/O vs outboard

i just bought a boat wit a o.b and like people have said earlier, it comes down to whatever suits you, and for ,me it obviously was the outboard. I like 1. the ease of use and maintance 2. off season storage 3. more room in the boat. 4. lighter and 5. overall better performance in a smaller package. If you can afford to mount the biggest outboard your boat can hold, then you shouldnt have any problems with towing, pulling skiers, torque or anything else like that.

 

[dingbat]

Re: I/O vs outboard

Originally posted by Stevens:<br /> What's the problem with inboard engines in salt water? Isn't that why we use anodes and such...<br /><br />The inboard diesels save a lot on fuel expense, and give a greater operating range.

No problems with inboards in salt. They are actually quite popular but they are expensive. <br />I would actually prefer a diesel inboard for the operating cost but it would take us all day to get to and from the fishing grounds. It’s a 35 mile run each when the fish are close and a 50-60 mile run each way when they are in their normal haunts .so unless you have a boat big enough to hold twins, it’s along slow ride to the fishing grounds via diesel inboard..