What’s the advantage of outboard set up versus an inboard set up.

[Hoozhog11]

I’m not new to boating. The boat price doesn’t seem to adjust. Is it trend with the big boys?

 

[hallett21]

It’s simple really. If you’re better than everyone else you own an outboard






I kid

 

[hallett21]

On a serious note

Power to weight ratio is substantially greater than an I/O (until you get into the 1,000 HP club)

More cockpit space

More propeller adjustments. Motor can go in, out, up and down.

Relatively easier maintenance (not sure that’s true when you have 4-5 motors hanging on a transom)

 

[rivermobster]

I’m not new to boating. The boat price doesn’t seem to adjust. Is it trend with the big boys?

Are you saying the same hull, with the different power options, are the same price??

 

[77charger]

Use to be a great power to weight ratio but with todays outboards weighing more its not as much.But interior space is gained and some it may be a simple solution vs big engine and drives.

 

[lbhsbz]

You can stand up to work on it

 

[hallett21]

HP on outboards are measured at the prop shaft I believe. Are I/Os measured at crank or at prop shaft?

 

[DaytonaBabe]

Chicks dig outboards. 'Nuff said.

 

[Desert Whaler]

Chicks dig outboards. 'Nuff said.

Really ? . . . . the ones around me must've not got the memo !

EDIT : Basic maintenance on modern outboards is super simple, plugs, oil changes, lower unit oil changes, filters, etc. all very basic.
Fuel economy 'tends' to be better with outboards than I/O's if that means anything to you.
i'd also argue 'reliability' is better with outboards over I/O's.

 

[4Waters]

Chicks dig outboards. 'Nuff said.

I thought that was Johnsons

 

[Joe mama]

Not sure if lesbians like outboards!

 

[Bpracing1127]

Inboards are way way faster when you get plus 800 hp. Inboards seem to not break as much. Insurance is likely cheaper

 

[lbhsbz]

Inboards are way way faster when you get plus 800 hp. Inboards seem to not break as much. Insurance is likely cheaper

thats because it takes that many inbored horsepowers to beat a 400hp outboard

 

[CarolynandBob]

For us we needed an outboard. They start lowering our lake in July and in August we need to move the motor up to get to our dock.

 

[BingerFang]

Noise and reliability is what makes an outboard so appealing. They are quiet and will run wot all day long.

 

[pkbullet]

One of the reasons we transitioned to outboards was the year round usability. Texas weather can take big swings. Since you don’t have to winterize the motors the boat is usable on short notice and easy to put up. We can pretty much leave it in the dock year round and enjoy on a nice day with a flip of a switch. I’ll tell you in a year if it was worth it.

 

[nowski]

Correct me if I'm wrong: Is it much cheaper to build a boat with an outboard than an inboard?

Is the outboard build less labor intensive than the inboard? Might be one of the reasons for the trend but those OB's are fast..

 

[Flying_Lavey]

One of the biggest keys that almost EVERYONE overlooks is the balance of the boat. An outboard puts all the engine weight OUTSIDE the hull which means the boats runs more efficiently. Combine that with the on-the-fly adjust of thrust angles and prop position and it is a FAR more efficient form of propulsion. And I use efficient in the regards that it takes about half the power to run the same as similarly set-up I/O's.

 

[rrrr]

I’m not new to boating. The boat price doesn’t seem to adjust. Is it trend with the big boys?

From what I've seen on RDP, your teeth get whiter, you lose 20 lbs, your ex-wife remarries and moves to Australia, dogs wag their tails when you walk by, you get a promotion at work, your girlfriend says she's ready to get that boob job, and tells you it's OK to buy a new F-150.

 

[Havasu blue label]

Always had a outboard on my fishing vessels not on my my look at me boat

 

[Racey]

I think we are in the honeymoon period of outboards right now.

Everyone says how great they are and how low maintenance, but everyone that says that has brand spankin new motors, nobody has a modern four stroke with 10+ years of use yet....

When they do, they are going to be in for a shock when it comes time to rebuild/repair and you only have a single supplier with a monopoly on the proprietary parts. They will be facing the same costs as traditional big block per hp, and worse with supply of the actual components.

Now 2 strokes are a different beast, Very simple, very few parts internally, 40 years of shops with experience making them run and rebuilding them.

4 strokes, wait till you have to do your first valve job and you find out you are just gonna have to buy a complete cylinder head from Merc because nobody has the tooling or parts to do a simple rebuild.

Now if you accept that reality there are still plenty of benefits to outboards in certain applications, Ocean use, Smaller boats gain interior room, and smaller cats work great with them.

 

[Bpracing1127]

outboards dont sound cool

 

[NorCalRiverRat]

Not sure if lesbians like outboards!

I had to google this, but lesbians like inboards...

..

 

[Todd Mohr]

Mine do

 

[Justfishing]

I think we are in the honeymoon period of outboards right now.

Everyone says how great they are and how low maintenance, but everyone that says that has brand spankin new motors, nobody has a modern four stroke with 10+ years of use yet....

We go to a place at lake of the ozarks. Some of the boats in the fleet have 4 to 6k hours. Tritoon and deck boats rented to people who dont know how to drive. One time 2 people on a boat next time 8 people pulling a tube needing wot to go fast enough. Yet the motors last.

Now these are not 300+ hp motors but the key is maintenance.

 

[petie6464]

Best reason to go with outboards is to follow the crowd. . No one likes an outcast!

While you're at it:

Get a tattoo (s)
Get a F-150
Get a mask
Get a vaccine
Get covid

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Insurance is likely cheaper

I'd be curious to see real world numbers on this... @Wozencraft Devin any thoughts?

Outboard maintenance is historically cheaper...just from my experience...but major failures make them equal.

 

[Uncle Dave]

More cockpit space

Sometimes. Not if the cockpit was molded for an I/O.

You lose the swim step with outboards.

 

[Uncle Dave]

I think we are in the honeymoon period of outboards right now.

Everyone says how great they are and how low maintenance, but everyone that says that has brand spankin new motors, nobody has a modern four stroke with 10+ years of use yet....

When they do, they are going to be in for a shock when it comes time to rebuild/repair and you only have a single supplier with a monopoly on the proprietary parts. They will be facing the same costs as traditional big block per hp, and worse with supply of the actual components.

Now 2 strokes are a different beast, Very simple, very few parts internally, 40 years of shops with experience making them run and rebuilding them.

4 strokes, wait till you have to do your first valve job and you find out you are just gonna have to buy a complete cylinder head from Merc because nobody has the tooling or parts to do a simple rebuild.

Now if you accept that reality there are still plenty of benefits to outboards in certain applications, Ocean use, Smaller boats gain interior room, and smaller cats work great with them.

Great post.

 

[rivermobster]

outboards dont sound cool

Clearly you've never heard a Mercury 2.5 race 2 stroke. Jezuz, nothing sounds more bad azz.

There was a DCB with duals pulling away from Roadrunner one day. I think I soiled myself.

 

[Desert Whaler]

I've got an Evinrude E-tec on my Ocean skiff with over 1300 hours on it w/o a single hiccup.
I've got a Yamaha 4-stroke with over 500 hrs on it w/o a burp as well.
There's things I like and dislike about both, but as long as I keep up on the maintenance, the motors are the last thing I worry about when I'm out.
I run my stuff soft so I can't speak to to the big boys runnin the high power outboards taped wide-open.
I'd venture to say regardless of what type of motor you blow-up, it's gonna be spendy either way.
If you do choose an outboard, I really don't think there's a 'shitty one' on the market . . . make sure you have an authorized dealer close to you for whatever particular brand you choose, (Merc, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda etc. ). It makes life so much easier if you need parts and or service and don't have to venture through 3 counties & 2 time zones to get work done on your rig.

 

[OCMerrill]

Growing up in the 60's and 70's my Dad always used to say....
Outboards sit at the fulcrum point and generally pivot and dont get beat up bouncing. They are built exclusively for the purpose at hand.
Inboards and IO's, the engine takes a beating same as passengers in the rough and are automotive based and not designed for the task.
He owned several boats in his life of both.

That said the modern era, especially Merc's propriety based inboard stuff is all purpose built.

OB's are certainly trendy at the moment. Are they more reliable across the board?

 

[rivermobster]

I'll tell you what I know about 2smokes...

Mine sucks fuel like there is no tomorrow! A 2 stroke naturally doubles your fuel consumption. A V6 2 stroke, pushing a 28ft tri toon through the water, pretty much doubles it again!

If I could use the whole center toon as a fuel tank, I might actually have some range...

 

[Flying_Lavey]

Best reason to go with outboards is to follow the crowd. . No one likes an outcast!

While you're at it:

Get a tattoo (s)
Get a F-150
Get a mask
Get a vaccine
Get covid

I'll keep that in mind with my 36 year old outboard that I've owned for 16 years or when I'm on my uncle's outboard that is also 36 years old and has been his since late '85.

Being an outboard fan is following the heard....... Noted.

 

[done]

outboards dont sound cool

Yes they do, You can here the stereo at 90 MPH !

 

[C-Ya]

I am guessing that most in this thread don’t boat in saltwater…..

Here in Florida, if you keep your boat in the water, outboards are the way to go. Being able to lift the drives out of the water really adds life to the motors.

The bottom paint that goes on boats is not the same as the paint a bravo or Volvo drive has. You should see the growth they get…… and it’s quick too. Eats the drive paint right off.

Outboards are king where I live. Nobody in their right mind gets inboards. Sure there are a few. It’s rare I even see inboard go-fasts too. They are just not practical here.

Lake boating is a whole different story.

 

[Rayson1971]

I had a little 19 mod v with a merc 2 stroke 200 and ran from sand bar to needles launch ramp at 6000 rpm the whole way except devils elbow but before it was 5mph and never miss a beat. Ran through 20 gals of gas. Can't do that with most big blocks without issues that I'm aware of. That's what I love about outboards. At least 2 strokes. Not sure about the new four strokes. You can pin it till your out of gas and do it again and again and again.

 

[lavey jr]

Inboards are way way faster when you get plus 800 hp. Inboards seem to not break as much. Insurance is likely cheaper

Not really in all cases.

What do you figure a 27’ cat with a single 800-900hp inboard runs for speed? Anywhere from 110-120mph?
I’ve driven multiple 27’ full open bow cats with twin outboards for a combined 800-900hp. All of which run faster than 120mph.
Let’s not forget the twin outboard cats in the 32-39’ class that have 900hp worth of outboards (twin 450R) and are running in the 130-140mph range. Put 900hp inboard in a 32-39’ cat and I don’t know of many if at all any that will run those speeds. Not saying it’s impossible, just not likely nor common.

 

[rrrr]

Best reason to go with outboards is to follow the crowd. . No one likes an outcast! While you're at it:

Get a tattoo (s)
Get a F-150
Get a mask
Get a vaccine
Get covid

Not only is that a good lineup, you have it in the correct order.

Especially #4 and #5.

 

[Blue Oval]

You can stand up to work on it

Owned offshore boats for 25 years. Yep, own one of them fishing boats now. The wife does not have to hold my ankles now when I’m working on the boat. It is awesome standing up and working on both boats with outboards.

 

[NorCalRiverRat]

I'll keep that in mind with my 36 year old outboard that I've owned for 16 years or when I'm on my uncle's outboard that is also 36 years old and has been his since late '85.

Being an outboard fan is following the heard....... Noted.

the 'rude (bought new) on my little Avenger 42 years old. think all i've done on a regular basics is lower unit fluid, Water pump impeller, spark plugs some of the cables replaced. power trim getting sticky but still work and the little pop up gear on the starter sometimes don't pop up. don't have an hour meter but a lot of summers skiing, tubing & cruising.


no longer use the avenger, I have a bahner jet and a pontoon o/b also.

..

 

[Riverryder]

who works on the new motors? Barret? Wide open?
The guy that builds my motors. Maintains the new outboards but like some have said he hasn’t really opened one up yet being that they are so new. My 454 I can take just about any boat shop and they can diagnose it. If you have a new outboard on it only a select few shops even have the stuff to see what’s going on correct? And the new ones have a lot more electronics?

 

[hallett21]

who works on the new motors? Barret? Wide open?
The guy that builds my motors. Maintains the new outboards but like some have said he hasn’t really opened one up yet being that they are so new. My 454 I can take just about any boat shop and they can diagnose it. If you have a new outboard on it only a select few shops even have the stuff to see what’s going on correct? And the new ones have a lot more electronics?

That’s how it’s been since the Optimax.

I took our boat to Absolute in Havasu years back and they flat out told me they don’t work on outboards. A few others had the same response.

Hot Laps and WOT have been nothing but a pleasure to work with. Haven’t heard any complaints about Fallon


I know at one point some of the shops in havasu were subbing out outboards to the outboard shops.

Not sure why it’s that way I always thought an engine was an engine lol.

 

[Bpracing1127]

Not really in all cases.

What do you figure a 27’ cat with a single 800-900hp inboard runs for speed? Anywhere from 110-120mph?
I’ve driven multiple 27’ full open bow cats with twin outboards for a combined 800-900hp. All of which run faster than 120mph.
Let’s not forget the twin outboard cats in the 32-39’ class that have 900hp worth of outboards (twin 450R) and are running in the 130-140mph range. Put 900hp inboard in a 32-39’ cat and I don’t know of many if at all any that will run those speeds. Not saying it’s impossible, just not likely nor common.

Twins for twins. Not even in the same league.

 

[hallett21]

Twins for twins. Not even in the same league.

Well if we’re going that route 300-450hp single Vs single and the outboard would win everytime.

 

[pixrthis]

It’s easier to clean up the mess when an outboard kicks a rod thru the block than when an inboard does it.

 

[Blackmagic94]

It’s easier to clean up the mess when an outboard kicks a rod thru the block than when an inboard does it.

Never seen an inboard break off the boat though

 

[Shlbyntro]

Never seen an inboard break off the boat though

I had pulled a houseboat a while back that was having shifting issues on the port engine. turns out the reason it wouldn't shift was because the entire outdrive was hanging from the boat by the shift cable. Have also seen a few inboards lose their shafts

who works on the new motors? Barret? Wide open?
The guy that builds my motors. Maintains the new outboards but like some have said he hasn’t really opened one up yet being that they are so new. My 454 I can take just about any boat shop and they can diagnose it. If you have a new outboard on it only a select few shops even have the stuff to see what’s going on correct? And the new ones have a lot more electronics?

if we're talking about new Mercs. their entire lineup uses the same diagnostic software system. as a mechanic I have always felt that way. an engine is just an engine but there are alot of people in the industry who are deathly afraid of one or the other like its some kind of alien technology. I even know a few inboard guys who are afraid of sterndrives. I dont get it either

 

[Riverryder]

@Shlbyntro I didn’t want to make it seem like he’s scared of them. He builds motors as a hobby. He’s a wizard. I have a couple friends that work in shops or own them and I wouldn’t trust them to work on mine just like them as a person. I don’t think I would trust anyone in vegas with a shop to work on my brand new 450 if I had one.

 

[rivermobster]

@STV_Keith might have something to say on this subject...