|
03-31-2015, 11:31 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
City: Fort Pierce, FL
Vessel Name: Dot Calm
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 105
|
Propane outboard for dinghy?
I've been looking at the West Marine PROPANE powered outboards for my new dinghy. I need to power a small dinghy for up to 4 people and I want to keep the engine weight to a minimum.
I've been looking at the LEHR 2.5hp Propane Powered Outboard Engine, Short Shaft engine. Reviews are mixed.
I worry that it sounds like it is difficult to flush after use in salt water and there are mixed reviews on the dependability of the engine. For sure it's less expensive to run, light weight and environmentally friendly. But I'm not convinced.
Any thoughts from those of you have used propane engines or have researched them?
Thanks in advance.
|
|
|
03-31-2015, 11:39 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
City: Huntsville, AL
Vessel Name: Sea Note
Vessel Model: Mainship 40
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 185
|
Gypsy, Heard some good some not as good discussions on that motor. Haven't found one in use yet. Is that round thing sticking out the back of engine cover the propane cylinder?
The noteworty comment i saw was a new owner thinking the salesman say the propane should last 40 hours worth or run time. Got stranded a long way from mothership. Must have been 4 hours run time. May have seen some discussion on the forum I sure of that. Can't recall the thread.
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 01:27 AM
|
#3
|
Guru
City: Miami Florida
Vessel Name: Possum
Vessel Model: Ellis 28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,299
|
IG I'm a Lehr dealer and I personally own two of them. I've had a 2.5 for a couple of years and a 15 for a couple of months. I got the 2.5 because I got tired of cleaning the carburator on the gasoline engine it replaced.
I got the 15 because I liked the 2.5. The 15 has electric start and lithium battery under the hood.
Tool, the round thing on the back of the engine is a one pound disposable cylinder. The 2.5 will run about an hour at full throttle on a pound of propane.
All of the engines come with a hose to connect them to larger tanks.
__________________
Parks Masterson
Retired from Hopkins-Carter Marine Supply
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 05:36 AM
|
#4
|
Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
|
The big advantage of propane is the fuel does not age and have to be deep sixed after a month.
For a cruiser where dink use is not constant , this is a great advantage.
A second huge advantage (as Hop Car noted) is the fuel does not leave varnish behind when it evaporates.
There are simple methods to refill 1lb bottles from the BBQ sized tanks.
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 06:29 AM
|
#5
|
Guru
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,034
|
I have never had fuel problems with gas outboards, but I would very seriously consider propane power for most of the reasons already stated.
I would love to see one, hear one, try one, but I have not yet seen one in operation in my cruising area.
__________________
Jay Leonard
Ex boats: 1983 40 Albin trunk cabin, 1978 Mainship 34 Model 1
New Port Richey, Fl
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 10:04 AM
|
#6
|
Guru
City: Longboat Key, FL
Vessel Name: Bucky
Vessel Model: Krogen Manatee 36 North Sea
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,196
|
Purchase of a propane outboard is part of our cruising plan, just as soon as we decide what kind of dinghy fits our plan the best. On the loop, the 2.5 would probably be just fine, but I like the idea of having the 15 to plop down on my heavily bracketed swim platform, and give me an option for get-home. Maybe we'll get both, just as Parks did. I sure like the idea of throwing another 1 lb. bottle in the dinghy for safety's sake.
__________________
Larry
"When life gets hard, eat marshmallows”.
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 10:56 AM
|
#7
|
Guru
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,738
|
Propane cars are wonderful.
Propane OBs should be at least good.
However I have a 27lb 2hp gasoline OB and think the 4 stroke gas or propane OBS are about 40lbs. That and you can't pick one up on Craig's List for $300.
But I'd like a propane OB.
Is the LEHR a Tohatsu?
__________________
Eric
North Western Washington State USA
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 11:43 AM
|
#8
|
Guru
City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,348
|
For our kind of cruising, schlepping to get propane would have been a much bigger hassle than filling up at the fuel dock, or even taking the tank to a gas station in places where we had a car. And, when you do run out of fuel "out there" it is 100% more likely that the good samaritan or towing service will have gasoline to get you home.
In our case the Whaler got used intensively, virtually daily, and also for long range exploration, so these issues were more important to us than they may be to others.
__________________
George
"There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and what some guy says he's gotten away with"
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 05:06 PM
|
#9
|
Guru
City: Gooding ID/Wrangell AK
Vessel Name: Silver Bay
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42-002
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,040
|
I've had a Lehr 5 HP for the last 2 years. As the first year model, there have been a couple of engineering problems but Lehr has sent me the parts to fix both of those on their dime. The 5 HP will put my dinghy on step with just me in the boat at a pretty high throttle setting but it goes through propane pretty fast. At hull speed, about 4 mph, a 1 lb bottle with last 45 min to an hour. My understanding the Lehr and Yamaha engines use some common parts. It's always started and run fine. My only regret was not buying the 2.5 HP as I don't use the other 2.5 HP except to have fun going fast after a long day going slow.
With the propane outboard, I converted my Honda EU2000 to run on propane so we carry no gasoline, but keep a spare 11 lb propane bottle and normally 8 or 9 1 lb bottle on board.
Tom
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 06:12 PM
|
#10
|
Guru
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,293
|
An alternative, we recently cruised in company with a boat powering the inflatable tender with a good quality electric outboard, the kind used by fisherfolk as a trolling motor. Powered by a car size battery, it seemed to work well, dinghy moved at good speed, utterly silent, battery lasted well, battery can be recharged on the boat.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 08:48 PM
|
#11
|
Guru
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,738
|
One of the disadvantages of engines running propane is less thermal efficiency. So they will burn more fuel and have less range. Old cars w/o emission controls will loose about 10% and some other cars of the 80s will actually gain efficiency. But the amount of efficiency lost on an outboard will be low enough so it shouldn't be much of an element while choosing an outboard engine.
__________________
Eric
North Western Washington State USA
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 08:58 PM
|
#12
|
Master and Commander
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
|
If I (a former Seagull owner) had an outboard now, it would likely be propane-powered.
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
|
|
|
04-01-2015, 09:13 PM
|
#13
|
Guru
City: Miami Florida
Vessel Name: Possum
Vessel Model: Ellis 28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,299
|
Mark. I, a former Seagull dealer, agree!
__________________
Parks Masterson
Retired from Hopkins-Carter Marine Supply
|
|
|
04-02-2015, 09:25 PM
|
#14
|
Guru
City: Bayview
Vessel Name: Puffin
Vessel Model: Willard Vega 30
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,443
|
We have a 2.5 Lehr. Never have had an issue with it. Ours is mounted on a folding Weaver bracket so flushing is a 5 gal bucket of water and letting it idle for a few minutes in the bucket then drain it over the side.
__________________
What kind of boat is that?
|
|
|
04-04-2015, 09:32 AM
|
#15
|
Guru
City: Stuart FL
Vessel Name: Lucky Lucky
Vessel Model: Pacific Mariner 65
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,759
|
If anyone is considering the purchase of a Lehr propane fueled outboard, I just noticed a promo on the Defender website. Lehr is offering free fuel for a year with an outboard purchase.
HOWARD
__________________
Howard
Lucky Lucky
Stuart, FL
|
|
|
04-04-2015, 10:09 AM
|
#16
|
Guru
City: Kitimat, North Coast BC
Vessel Name: Badger
Vessel Model: 30' Sundowner Tug
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,946
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by hmason
If anyone is considering the purchase of a Lehr propane fueled outboard, I just noticed a promo on the Defender website. Lehr is offering free fuel for a year with an outboard purchase.
|
Thanks for the heads up! (It's actually a North America wide Lehr promotion).
One Year Supply of FREE Clean Burning Fuel!
"Starting on February 12th 2015, boaters across North America who purchase any of LEHR’s five outboard models — 2.5 hp, 5 hp, 9.9 hp, 15 hp or the new-for-2015 25 hp — will qualify for a year’s supply of free propane. For each qualified outboard motor purchased, you will receive a Fuel Rewards Card with a value based on the typical annual consumption of fuel per year and the U.S. average cost of propane per gallon."
__________________
"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" MurrayM
|
|
|
04-05-2015, 11:13 AM
|
#17
|
Guru
City: Melbourne, FL
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,731
|
The problem with propane is that there is less heat than the same volume of gasoline, and much less than the same volume of diesel. So, since engines use heat to run, propane will provide less power for the same amount of fuel, or will burn more fuel putting out the same horsepower on propane. Since there is less energy, most propane engines are quieter than gasoline engines.
The service / winterization issues are something to think about, and if you can get a schnozzle or something like it to refill your 1lb tanks from your onboard propane tank, it makes the where to get fuel issue much simpler.
Also, most Sams Clubs and BJ's clubs refill propane tanks...
|
|
|
04-05-2015, 11:30 AM
|
#18
|
Senior Member
City: Portsmouth, NH
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 169
|
Mountains out of molehills...
If you have steady access to propane, this is a no brainer. Propane burns cleaner which is easier on the oil and spark plug. It also means you have zero carb contamination issues during long term storage. Who cares about the efficiency, BTU ratings, power outputs, etc.? This is a 2.5 hp outboard we are talking about. I don't know about you but at this power rating, most users would probably not burn more than a few gallons a season.
Not only do I vote for propane and would consider one if my outboard dies but also vote for KISS and not turning a 2.5 hp outboard consideration into a moon landing event.
|
|
|
04-05-2015, 03:31 PM
|
#19
|
Guru
City: Stuart FL
Vessel Name: Lucky Lucky
Vessel Model: Pacific Mariner 65
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,759
|
__________________
Howard
Lucky Lucky
Stuart, FL
|
|
|
04-05-2015, 08:15 PM
|
#20
|
Guru
City: Bayview
Vessel Name: Puffin
Vessel Model: Willard Vega 30
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,443
|
BS Filter activated!
__________________
What kind of boat is that?
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Trawler Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|