I/O's vs Inboards

rickyp52

Seaman
Joined
Dec 17, 2002
Messages
63
I'm looking to move up to a cruiser in the 30 ft range with twins. I currently have a 24 ft with an I/O that I can pretty much service myself. I would really like to go to inboards in the 30 footer, but I am hesitant as I know very little about them. How do inboards compare, cost wise? Are they high maintenance? Are repairs more expensive than on an I/O? Enlighten me please.
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
28,261
Re: I/O's vs Inboards

Ricky, Inboards are a proven technology. They are likely more rugged and cheaper to maintain than an I/O. However, if you run aground you are in deep dung. You can do extensive ($$) damage to the propshaft and other underwater components. Alternatively, the outdrive on an I/O will kick up if you run aground, hopefully causing little or no damage.<br /><br />I would base the decision on the average depth and composition of the bottom of the water on which you boat. I boat on a sand/silty shallow bay, with many fine places to run aground and channels that are 6' deep (on a good day)and shift alot. I therefore, will not run an inboard!
 

navigator336

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Messages
270
Re: I/O's vs Inboards

I agree with Chris. Inboards will be cheaper to buy and maintain and will likely last longer. Props may be more expensive however if you need a new one. You will have a shaft, a strut, a prop and a rudder (x2 for twins) in the water vs. the outdrive and there is no trimming the drive up or down. If you use direct drives, the engines will be forward and generally be under the salon. If you go with vee-drives, the engines will be under the cockpit similar to I/O's. If you will rarely be operating in shallow water (less than 6 feet) I'd definitely go with the inboards.
 

Buttanic

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 25, 2003
Messages
711
Re: I/O's vs Inboards

I think good navigation is the solution to runing aground. Know what the draft of your boat is and set the offset on the depth finder to warn you when the bottom comes up to within 2 feet of your draft. With modern depth finders there is no excuse to run aground. Now if you want to run around in unknown waters at 40 MPH all bets are off.<br /><br />Buttanic
 

John Carpenter

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 1, 2002
Messages
336
Re: I/O's vs Inboards

Don't remember how many I/O's I've had, but several. My current boat is an inboard...26 yrs old. I've run it since 1997 and have not spent a penny on the drive train. Really. I would not be interested in going back to a stern drive.
 

swist

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
678
Re: I/O's vs Inboards

Yeah, this is a no-brainer IF you have the right conditions for a deep-draft boat. If I didn't, I would go with an outboard before any kind of I/O, which to my way of thinking are an engineering rube-goldberg. No matter how well they are built and maintained they seem susceptible to so many different problems.
 

salty87

Commander
Joined
Aug 12, 2003
Messages
2,327
Re: I/O's vs Inboards

of course, your expenses will go up with a pair of engines so i won't bother with any of that.<br /><br />maintenance is a snap...oil changes, belts, hoses, plugs...if you're talking gas and not diesel, this is as easy as it gets.<br /><br />repairs are straight-forward too. your underwater gear is a little more exposed since it's fixed in position but there are no moving parts and fluids exposed to the conditions like an i/o. no extra gaskets or reservoirs.<br /><br />inboards will suck more gas though. they'll also hold their value better.
 
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