Real costs/experiences of an outboard repower?
- Thread starter adamcu280
- Start date
No comparison. The 2 stroke Yamaha I put on it was clean and ran well but still had its quirks, it was very finicky on the carbs and I had the carbs off that thing cleaning/adjusting at least once a season. It was loud, it smoked, startup was always an adventure. It had an old Evinrude 2 stroke prior that was even worse before it ate itself. I ran that boat for 3 years before the Montauk came into my life.
The 2020 Suzuki DF90 on your Montauk is perfect. It starts up immediately and it's quiet. You never have to think about it on the water because it just works, just like any modern car. I only had 3 years experience with 2 strokes but never again, it's not worth it.
more important than saving a few $ on purchase price is buying a new OB from a dealer who can provide timely warranty service if needed. As the Stevens Marine service manager told me when I bought a new 40hp Merc for the 16' aluminum tidewater sled I ran for a decade before switching to an older Clack Magnum, 'if you bought it from us, then you jump to the front of the service que of those who didn't.'
Here in Bend the nearest factory service is 45 mins north and for Honda only, and are usually three months out servicing OB's they didn't sell.
That 40hp I bought? Was running to the rivermouth at 25 knots when I center punched a newly formed sub-surface gravel bar. Got a tow from a friend I called, trailered it to Stevens that day, had it back three days later even though it was a non-warranty lower outdrive repair.
Just like with auto's, service is part of the real all in price.
Here in Bend the nearest factory service is 45 mins north and for Honda only, and are usually three months out servicing OB's they didn't sell.
That 40hp I bought? Was running to the rivermouth at 25 knots when I center punched a newly formed sub-surface gravel bar. Got a tow from a friend I called, trailered it to Stevens that day, had it back three days later even though it was a non-warranty lower outdrive repair.
Just like with auto's, service is part of the real all in price.
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I recently repowered my 16 ft Smokercraft windshield boat with a 60 hp Yamaha. It previously had a 40 hp Mercury which was fine for just me, but when I invited two of my larger relatives, it barely got on plane. I shopped all around Washington and Oregon and the best price was with the local dealership. Now I have priority in the service line. The Yamaha has barely been broken in because I’ve been busy. It sure is quiet.
Warranties/extended are products that can be purchased from any dealer... They have flexibility in pricing so shopping around can save a bit of dough.
I repowered with 115 Merc on pdx and got warranty in Tacoma for half the price.
Sold our old 2 stroke Johnson on CL. Gent help remove it which saved a little coin on the install of the new main.
I repowered with 115 Merc on pdx and got warranty in Tacoma for half the price.
Sold our old 2 stroke Johnson on CL. Gent help remove it which saved a little coin on the install of the new main.
ifsteve
Steelhead
Probably obvious to most if not all on here but just to ensure.
Remember that its not just the cost of the outboard to repower. Its all of the rigging which isn't cheap. Even if you are staying with the same brand of outboard unless the "older' one is relatively new you'll probably have to rerig it anyway.
And as others have mentioned depending on the hull you may want to have it inspected. There are a lot of hidden things that can go wrong on older hulls that aren't just spotted with a once over look.
1. Is if a wood transom?
2. Is the transom or any part of the hull have encapsulated wood?
3. How is the wiring and will it need to be replaced? Pulling wiring on an older hull can be sucky.
4. Does it have a built in fuel tank? If so you might want to have checked.
5. Does it come with adequate electronics for your needs?
I could go on but you get my point. Used boats can be terrific. But can also be a giant can of worms. Know what you are getting into.
Remember that its not just the cost of the outboard to repower. Its all of the rigging which isn't cheap. Even if you are staying with the same brand of outboard unless the "older' one is relatively new you'll probably have to rerig it anyway.
And as others have mentioned depending on the hull you may want to have it inspected. There are a lot of hidden things that can go wrong on older hulls that aren't just spotted with a once over look.
1. Is if a wood transom?
2. Is the transom or any part of the hull have encapsulated wood?
3. How is the wiring and will it need to be replaced? Pulling wiring on an older hull can be sucky.
4. Does it have a built in fuel tank? If so you might want to have checked.
5. Does it come with adequate electronics for your needs?
I could go on but you get my point. Used boats can be terrific. But can also be a giant can of worms. Know what you are getting into.
x2...couple decades back a friend was all excited about the 'great deal'he got on a bare 17' Boston Whaler hull that had been parked for years...until he found out just how water logged the internal foam was from loose fittings, micro cracks around the console and transom, and when he opened up the deck to begin replacing the the water logged foam he found a cracked stringer that I helped him sister/reinforce.
Everything starts with a sound hull
All good info here. Thanks!
I just got some numbers from one of my local outboard dealers.
If I brought in a decent hull w/ a relatively useless 2s outboard, the cost to repower with new cables and gauges and so forth would be about $13.1k - $14.4k for a 90/115hp Suzuki. That's with the trade in 10% credit for the 2s outboard.
According to him, there's no market for used 2s outboards west of the Cascades so if I get one it's literally dead weight.
Makes missing the Montauk that @ffb got all the more painful!
I just got some numbers from one of my local outboard dealers.
If I brought in a decent hull w/ a relatively useless 2s outboard, the cost to repower with new cables and gauges and so forth would be about $13.1k - $14.4k for a 90/115hp Suzuki. That's with the trade in 10% credit for the 2s outboard.
According to him, there's no market for used 2s outboards west of the Cascades so if I get one it's literally dead weight.
Makes missing the Montauk that @ffb got all the more painful!
For fun, call that dealer I sent you the invoice from. I've seen enough folks come down from WA to buy from them that I think it's worth pricing out. That quote you got sounds on the high side, but I haven't shopped that size range before.
Not sure if I'm right about this, but I'm pretty sure they hit you for WA sales tax when you register a boat you bought out of state as a WA resident. It's getting harder and harder to avoid the Taxman round here.
Much like when you purchase stuff from an out-of-state fly shop and they tack on WA sales tax. Conversely, if you buy a boat in WA and pay sales tax, if you live in a state with lower or no sales tax, you can apply with the DOR for a refund on those taxes. Basically, you pay the tax for the state you live in.
Much like when you purchase stuff from an out-of-state fly shop and they tack on WA sales tax. Conversely, if you buy a boat in WA and pay sales tax, if you live in a state with lower or no sales tax, you can apply with the DOR for a refund on those taxes. Basically, you pay the tax for the state you live in.
For the boat, yes. Not a motor
- so he can buy a boat in WA that needs a repower, then have the repower done in Oregon.That's actually a pretty great deal when you're talking over $1000 in taxes... plus you can fish with Evan!For the boat, yes. Not a motor
I think his proximity to the Canadian border makes the trip slightly less appealing... but a lot of guys come down from the Seattle area to do it.
I’ve owned lots of boats in my lifetime…truly the best boat is your friend’s boat…I don’t have experience with this so I won’t be much help.
But can I get a boat ride?
I think it largely depends on your usage. My boats get used a LOT. And I enjoy the tinkering and maintenance. So having my own has been very, very worth it.
That's my mantra, but it has a lot to do with the fact I have no reasonable options for storing a boat, even if I did go crazy and decide I could afford one. I mean, we all WANT one, right?
Incidentally, if I put up a post like this at any point in the near future, you should all recognize it as a need for immediate intervention and act accordingly.
I still have a boat...it is a hard habit to get out of your system...
My human powered fleet is pretty much complete but I’m limited in range. I had access to lots of boats for work but that’s done and even then, I couldn’t use them for personal/fishing reasons. Very few of my friends have boats and/or offer up boat time, so it’s looking like it’s up to me. I’ll be taking the uscg 25-100 ton captain license course/test this fall.
All things considered: a boat is a much better midlife crisis purchase than a flashy car.
Time will tell… seems everything I can find is very overpriced compared to even a few years ago.
All things considered: a boat is a much better midlife crisis purchase than a flashy car.
Time will tell… seems everything I can find is very overpriced compared to even a few years ago.
I will remind you what BOAT stands for…Break Out Another Thousand…