hour meter

[MBAKER]

Im finishing up a new engine install and thinking about adding an hour meter. I have gone back and forth between adding to the dash, or just in the engine bay somewhere. In dash would be easy just to tie into the switch, but its not like its something you need to watch constantly so in the bay might be more out of the way. Any thoughts or suggestions from experience?

Do the small digital electornic type hold a memory somehow? If you unhook power or if htey have a battery you have to change do they keep the reading or reset?

 

[gm280]

Re: hour meter

Personally I have never used one and for the life of me I can't see a serious reason to have one. But honestly that is just me. I mean if you are installing one to see how many hours the engine has on it for your own personal needs, have at it. But like so many others, we simply do yearly maintence on our boats, engines and trailer before the season get in full swing, and that is reguardless of engine hours or anything else too. We do the seasonal thing with water impellors as well as wheel bearings, lights, brakes and everything else. Maybe others will chime in with better ideas...

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: hour meter

Im finishing up a new engine install and thinking about adding an hour meter. I have gone back and forth between adding to the dash, or just in the engine bay somewhere. In dash would be easy just to tie into the switch, but its not like its something you need to watch constantly so in the bay might be more out of the way. Any thoughts or suggestions from experience?

Do the small digital electornic type hold a memory somehow? If you unhook power or if htey have a battery you have to change do they keep the reading or reset?

Howdy,


I would get something like the following

Available right here on iBoats. Teleflex Universal Hourmeters - iboats

Connect it with a oil pressure switch in the ground connection so it only operates when the engine is running.

Or

Hourmeter, Inboard & Outboard 4-Stroke - Hardline HR-8068 - iboats
Also available here. It appears to have an internal back-up battery

Hour Meter ​

Easy Installation no power or ground required.
Operates with new generation 4 stroke "pen stick" coils, or earlier generation ignitions.
Track the Service Life of Your Vehicle - oil changes, valve, adjustments, spark plugs, etc...
Easy Installation - peel & stick, no wiring necessary just plug and play!
No Power Required - Includes 10 year battery sealed inside.
Works Any Gas engine -two or four stroke.
Records and Displays to 9,999.9 hours
Hour glass symbol appears and flashes on/off to indicate counting time.
Automatic Roll over
Resolution 0.1 hour
100% epoxy encapsulated casing resists water
Includes Log Book
Warranty one year.
IP-68 Rating
Unit measures 2 1/8" length x 1 1/2" wide x 5/8" high.
Pick-up wire length can be trimmed.
Engineered and Assembled in the USA
CE Certified

Personally I have never used one and for the life of me I can't see a serious reason to have one.

I would want to know how many hours there was on any engine I was going to buy. If there's NO hour meter, it's anybody's guess.

And yes, I know, people can simply lie about it.......but you can usually pick those people out of a "crowd"!!

 

[Fleetwin]

Re: hour meter

I love hour meters. They make sure I actually do the maintenance required.

You'd be surprised just how many hours you accumulate.

I do agree with your thinking that it's not something you always need to be looking at. Just fabricate a little bracket and put it under the dash. On my center console, I have mine mounted so that I can see it but it's not in a convenient place to do so. Out of the way.

On previous boats I've sold, the hour meter and maintenance log sold the boat. No mysteries.

I'll buy a high hour engine long before I'll buy one that has no history.

 

[cecho]

Re: hour meter

I used these on my aircraft:

Design Technology, Inc., Home of the Tiny-Tach - New Standard TT2A Gasoline Engine Tiny-Tach

Tach + hour meter. Hours count when the engine is running. IT has a small pickup wire you wrap around one of the spark plug wires.