pros and con of o/b vs i/o

[tony03]

hi all,<br />I am in the market for a boat and am unsure of if i want a outboard or inboard.<br />i live in cold climate(mid west)so winterizing is a concern,however,I am interested in speed,cost to maintain and ,any other costs i may have missed.<br />my question is can any one give some help on the pros and cons of o/b vs i/os<br />my thoughts are outboards seem to have more power perpound than i/o<br />thanks

 

[JB]

Re: pros and con of o/b vs i/o

Howdy, New Boater.<br /><br />I strongly prefer outboards.<br /><br />Pro: They are lighter, easier to work on, allow more room in smaller boats, easier to replace.<br /><br />Con: they are sometimes more expensive to buy new.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: pros and con of o/b vs i/o

I agree with JB on the outboard being a better choice, especially in colder climates. Much easier to winterize and dewinterize if you want to head out on some of those nice December days we often get in the midwest. Easy to work on, for the most part,and you can change it over to a different boat if you want. Overall they are cheaper to replace and repair. And a big plus, is that it takes up NO room in the boat like an I/O. Important on a smaller rig! They usually have better seating arrangements with the outboard designed boats. They are usually more powerful per HP than their counterparts, also. The new 4-stroke Motors are very quiet, fuel efficient and super reliable. Might consider that if you decide to go with an outboard.

 

[tony03]

Re: pros and con of o/b vs i/o

Thanks for the input!<br />Was kind of what i was thinking,how long does it take to winterize /dewinterize an o/b?<br />Is it some thing a person with say average to above average mechanical skills do?<br />I have heard that the four strokes are bottom end flat is this true?<br />I have many questions (important decision) so your help would be great. <br />also how do you move reply to top?

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: pros and con of o/b vs i/o

To winterize the OB 2-stroke motor, it takes about an hour or two. You would have already added fuel stabilizer(Stabil) to the fuel tank on the last trip of the year out, so that part is done already. That takes care of the fuel in the tank and carbs. Then you would drain and refill the lower unit fluid. This takes about 1/2 hour or less. You then hook up the lower unit water intakes to water muffs, turn on the water, start the engine and fog the motor while running. Basically, you just run the motor on the muffs and spray the fogging oil into the carb throats, which lubricates the engines internal parts during the off season. Might put some anti-seize compound on the propshaft. There are a few other things, but nothing a person with average skill with hand tools can't do. To run her again in the spring, take it to the lake with a fully charged battery and fire it up. It may smoke some from the fogging oil, but no big deal. You can get it all done in an hour once you know what to do! <br /><br />Other details:<br /><br /> web page

 

[steam_mill]

Re: pros and con of o/b vs i/o

I purchased a new boat this year and it was an outboard:<br /><br />PRO: <br /><br />1. More easily serviceable by the owner. No need to dealer for MTCE or winterization.<br />2. More room in the boat.<br />3. A lot better performance than an i/o.<br />4. If you need to repower for whatever reason (repair, speed etc.) can be done in a couple of days. I/O would take a lot longer.<br /><br />CONS:<br /><br />1. More fuel consumption.<br />2. More expensive in the same boat class.<br /><br />I think in the under 20' class, an outboard is a better way to go.<br /><br />Tx.<br /><br />Joe