There are good deals to be had on outboard engines if you know what you’re looking for, but first it’s worth checking if there’s still life in the old one and, if not, whether you want to go for a new or used engine.
Brothers Ashley and Barnaby Isard run Ash Marine in Devon, covering everything from boat brokerage to outboard care and sales. They sell new and used outboards, and offer servicing and refurbishment.
New or secondhand?
The main advantage of buying new is having the manufacturer’s warranty, which can be five or six years.
“If you keep your books stamped up, the maintenance and fuel issues on a new engine will be much less, even though the initial outlay is so much more,” says Barnaby. “On a second-hand outboard, we only offer three months’ warranty on labour. However, you no longer have to pay VAT – that’s 20% off the original price – plus a further 5% discount per year of depreciation for the first 10 years; that’s the rule of thumb.”
TIPS FROM THE TRADE
Refurbishing
Ash Marine has a team of engineers who service old outboards. When a customer brings in an engine they’ll give it a courtesy look, see if it runs and take some history
