How likely to make a warranty claim on a new outboard?
Submitted by bradz on Fri, 2011-01-28 21:01
Hi guys
If you had to choose between 2 brand new engines, a 130 etec with a 5 year warrantly or a brand new Suzuki 150 4 stroke with no warranty (from the US), which would you go for?
If they were both local engines and the same price I would jump on the Suzuki without hesitation.
They are both the same price. Would you take the gamble and go for the 150 Suzuki?
Cheers
Brad
____________________________________________________________________________
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
solly
Posts: 375
Date Joined: 11/09/05
go the etec
They were brilliant when water got in and seized mine,first one back in the water by months
There are two types of people ,do'ers and watchers
Right now the do'ers are the doing it
And the watchers are watching us do it
Auslobster
Posts: 1901
Date Joined: 03/05/08
It's been said here before...
...any motor, regardless of make, can be a dud. The odds would be extremely small, but you'd hate to be "the chosen one"!
My 90hp Etec had two minor issues within it's first six months of use...without the warranty I would've been up for maybe a couple hundred bucks. So looking back on it, the warranty probably added more cost to the initial purchase price of the motor than what it saved me. But can you put a price on "peace of mind"?
Since the Suzi had no warranty in the first place, you are under no legal obligation to follow their service schedule, which is something like five or six services over that 5 years, or more if you're racking the hours up. But those schedules exist for a reason, and if you take the motor in to get the services done, it's another $3k out of your pocket at least, plus the time lost fishing/boating if you take it to a mob that likes to leave your boat sitting around for a while before they do anything. With the Etec you merely have to take it once every 300 hours, so that's ONE TIME ONLY over the 5 years (unless, again, you rack the hours up) and I can tell you a service on an Etec doesn't cost anymore than that for other makes. Being a 2-stroke, it does consume oil, but for the 90hp, and using the u beaut XD 100 oil at $70/gallon, it works out to about one dollar per engine hour.
Of course you can save a heap of dough if you are capable/confident of doing the services yourself...in that regard, the Suzi becomes a more viable option.
Simon C
Posts: 801
Date Joined: 01/05/07
no brainer - buy the ETEC.
no brainer - buy the ETEC. The real question is why not buy a suzuki in OZ, should not be a lot of difference in price between it and the ETEC. The new Honda would also be worth a look.
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
suzuki
Price difference is $4500 between the local 130 etec and the local 150 Suzuki. That's no small amount.
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
JohnF
Posts: 2836
Date Joined: 07/07/10
I think warranties are a
I think warranties are a generally a waste of time for all but an outboard motor, as they have such a hard life......have an e-tec 90 and have had it back once in first 300 hrs for an injector failure, replaced next day.
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
etec
Well, I am now the proud owner of a 130 etec. 5 year warranty and a damn good price. Muhling Marine really came to the party.
Cheers
Brad
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
JohnF
Posts: 2836
Date Joined: 07/07/10
Brad, I have found the guys
Brad, I have found the guys at Muhling to be good fellas.
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
Brody
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 06/02/07
Hopefully they do a better
Hopefully they do a better installation job on yours than they did mine, Bradz.
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
installation
Care to elaborate on the installation comment?
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
Brody
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 06/02/07
Just make sure you check that
Just make sure you check that the engine mounting bolts are secure ie; not loose, the gauges are actually installed and secure, not just sitting there ready to fall out/let water in and that your throttle lever/control is once again, secure and not loose enough to literally rattle free. Waste of about $800 from memory.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Oh and one stripped bolt too
Oh and one stripped bolt too IIRC?
Dodgy bunch that lot, I got told how they sold a guy I know a motor with say 300hrs, but said that they weren't showing because of a computer replacement. Later down the track, the guy had done another hundred hours, and wanted to sell. They went back to their books and said its only worth x amount because its now done 900hrs. The guy said, but how come, I only did 100hrs? They said their books showed it had done 800 before the computer had been replaced, before they sold it to him, not the 300 the claimed at the time of sale.
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
will do
Will do.
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
brenz
Posts: 2182
Date Joined: 15/06/06
brody
geeee sounds like ggggrrrrrreeeeeaaaaat service brody lol
tommyqueenfish
Posts: 373
Date Joined: 27/10/10
ETEC!!
ETEC!!
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