I/O vs OB

[FreeBeeTony]

I'm sure this has been bought up before......maybe even by myself.
Interested to now what others think..............I'll keep my opinion to myself for now.............

 

[CV16]

I just bought an I/O last summer and it will be my last. Just had this discussion with my dad and a few friends. It was unanimous that outboard will be all any of us will ever buy again. Too much to go wrong with I/O.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... I'm an I/O guy, All the way, so long as the hull is big enough to carry it,....

In yer case Tony, you boat in the brine,....
How long will a 300hp outboard motor last til it's a corroded useless, unfixable piece of poo,..??
How much does a new 300 hp outboard motor cost,..??

Now,.... How long will an I/O last in the same conditions,..??

Outdrive corroded off,... $1,500.00 buys ya a new one,...

I can find donor boats with clean solid freshwater drivelines all day long for $3500. to $5 grand,....
300 hp outboards are hard to find even used in that price range,...

 

[alldodge]

I/O all the way, unless in a light fishing boat. Costal CC with twins would also be good, but again for fishing

No way to get the same rumble of open exhaust with an OB
No one pays much attention at a OB going down the lake, folks turn their heads at throated pipes doing the same

Edit: wonder how this would do between VP and Merc?

 

[alldodge]

What ya think?

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Still holding my opinion.....maybe someone (@bondo) can duplicate this post on the OB side and tabulate the responses.................???

 

[Scott Danforth]

Small fishing boat - outboard
Center council up to 30' - twin outboard
Center councils over 30' - Tripple Seven Marine 657's
Ski boat - in board (v-drive)
bow ridder - I/O
Cuddy - I/O
Express cruiser - I/O
Cruiser under 50' - in board diesels
Yacht under 50' - diesels with pods
Yacht over 50' - props and rudders
Yacht over 50M - jet drives

 

[bruceb58]

Pontoon - outboard

 

[redneck joe]

Small fishing boat - outboard
Center council up to 30' - twin outboard
Center councils over 30' - Tripple Seven Marine 657's
Ski boat - in board (v-drive)
bow ridder - I/O
Cuddy - I/O
Express cruiser - I/O
Cruiser under 50' - in board diesels
Yacht under 50' - diesels with pods
Yacht over 50' - props and rudders
Yacht over 50M - jet drives

A few variances in opinions but close.

 

[jasoutside]

We kicked this around a while ago...

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/owner...67520-ob-vs-ib

 

[redneck joe]

We kicked this around a while ago...

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/owner...67520-ob-vs-ib

Great thread...

 

[Scott Danforth]

Pontoon - outboard

Or tripples.....

 

[StarTed]

For winter use - an outboard any day.

An I/O is fine for a larger boat.

 

[tpenfield]

One of the advantages of an I/O in the past was that you could get a large amount of power versus an outboard. Not the case now.

I/O's give greater stern access, but newer boat designs are changing that for outboard boats.

The thing that I do not like about I/O's is that the outdrive is constantly in the water. For a moored or slipped boat, this presents a maintenance challenge.

The preference for my next boat will be outboards, since I moor my boat and boat in salt water. You can also get into skinnier water with an outboard boat, which has some advantages around where I boat.

 

[JoLin]

I/O vs OB isn't usually a matter of personal preference. It's based on what's available in the type of boat you want to buy. There are a lot more either/or choices in boats under 25', than there are in boats larger than that. Show me a 25-30' express cruiser, or small flybridge cruiser like mine, that offers OB power. There are a few brand-new OB models around (SeaRay, I think), but you won't find anything like that used.

I'll take a straight inboard over an OB, I/O or V-drive all day long, but they aren't easy to come by.

 

[FreeBeeTony]

The reason for my question is this:
​I have a friend who has a boat in a slip next to mine.
I have an '84 GW and he has a Proline w/ a '98 Merc OB. (Blown)
I replaced my 350 Mercruiser 300+HP in my driveway for ~$3K and he's looking at $10K+............I can work on a SBC but not an OB.

 

[Scott Danforth]

that pretty much is what Bondo stated prior. anyone can build a 300HP SBC for about $1500. nothing complicated about a marinized truck motor turning a driveshaft to an outdrive.

the issue with OB's is that they are specialized to cram 900# in a 1# package.

 

[dingbat]

All "brine" motors:

1997 200 Ocean Pro - 2289 hrs. Still in use
2004 F225 Yamaha - 3200 hrs. Still in use
2011 BF250 Honda - 5000 + hours still in use.

No risers, gimbal bearings or oil pans replaced to date

 

[thumpar]

I am an I/O guy but it fits the types of boats and type of boating I do. I don't want to give up my full swim platform and sundeck.

 

[achris]

I prefer I/Os, but that's because I can do my own maintenance. If I couldn't it would be an old school 2 stroke outboard. The other thing to consider is that the line between I/O and outboard had been blurred recently with the 4 strokes.

While I/Os tend to be more maintenance intensive, what I don't like about outboards is that you are irrevocable tied to the manufacturer for parts, and for quite a while they have been fully aware of it and holding guns to heads.

Chris.....