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Boat builder / manufacturer buying advice please.

ARAL

By ARAL
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

Probably the most prominent marinisation of a Chines engine in recent years where the ones being marketed by Barrus as the Shanks range.

 

I'm fairly certain it was a Chines base engine, but can't remember a brand - if the search on here still worked as it used to, I might even have been able to find an old thread!

 

These were heavily promoted for a while, and were significantly cheaper than some other new engines, and I recall both new builds having them, and people on here specifying them as a replacement engine, (whatever happened to member "Breals"?).

One hears very little about them now, and I can see no obvious evidence that Barrus are still marinising them.

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nicknorman Veteran II

nicknormanDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Probably the most prominent marinisation of a Chines engine in recent years where the ones being marketed by Barrus as the Shanks range.

 

I'm fairly certain it was a Chines base engine, but can't remember a brand - if the search on here still worked as it used to, I might even have been able to find an old thread!

 

These were heavily promoted for a while, and were significantly cheaper than some other new engines, and I recall both new builds having them, and people on here specifying them as a replacement engine, (whatever happened to member "Breals"?).

One hears very little about them now, and I can see no obvious evidence that Barrus are still marinising them.

Yup you're right, they don't sound too good either.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=12568

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peterboat Veteran II

peterboatDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

at first glance that looked a lot of boat and engine for the money IMO , then I noticed owner fit out which will inevitably lower the price but some are quite good , from the pics this one it seems is not .. at least its not to my taste and I think it has a lot to do with the price being pretty low for a 2009 boat with a Gardener . might be worth having a look if you can live with the clunky fit out .

 

Being Hydraulically driven seems odd what exactly is that ? good or bad ? and why ? ( curious as never seen one before )

i like the fitout but what a waste that engine should be in an engine room and i dont like semi trads they are neither something or nothing just me

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peterboat Veteran II

peterboatDonate to Canal World

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You have to look at the base engine, for example most Betas are Kubota-based. However they also make one using a John Deere engine which is a completely different kettle fish.

 

Personally I think Beta / Kubota is the best of the modern engines, but then I'm biased! What Beta do offer is really good after sales service. I would avoid Vetus, they seem to give trouble and have very expensive spares. There are quite a few marinisers of Chinese engines these days ( Canaline I think?) which are OK but personally I would go for Japanese.

 

It's also worth looking at the alternator size and installation, Beta are good at pulley-ing their large alternators to produce lots of current at low revs, other marinisers are less good and you end up with alternators that only work properly at high revs.

apart from some of the betas had a problem with the pulleys falling off and wrecking the engines their was a thread on here about it. my old boat had a kubota in it not marinised it was as you say a very good engine. in my new boat my barrus shire [yanmar] is also a great engine and quiter than the old kubota. its horses for courses and jap industrial engines really are the business. however i would still love an old thumper

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OldGoat Veteran II

OldGoatDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

apart from some of the betas had a problem with the pulleys falling off and wrecking the engines their was a thread on here about it. my old boat had a kubota in it not marinised it was as you say a very good engine. in my new boat my barrus shire [yanmar] is also a great engine and quiter than the old kubota. its horses for courses and jap industrial engines really are the business. however i would still love an old thumper

 

Only the early ones - and then only if you had lots of pulleys -and then it didn't wreck the engine. IIRC everything from 2005 (and possibly earlier) was fixed / could be fixed. Anyone can check by giving Beta the engine or WOC No:

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nikvah Collaborator

nikvah

Posted
Posted

Now, I am not a betting man, but if I was, I'd put a fiver on your looking round 45 boats which were almost-but-not-quite right, then seeing a totally different one, falling boatlessly in love with it and buying it even though it lacked half the features which you thought you wanted.

 

We'll see. But it will be an entertaining journey for you.

I concur absolutely. In fact the Price/Fallows boat being discussed was on my bank-side short-list; ticking all my boxes: semi-trad, reverse layout, cocooned engine, bath, pump-out, dinette, even my preferred green/red colour scheme and the bed the "right way round" for me to get up in the night and let sleeping dragons lie. However, on the viewing road-trip to see it, I found "the one" and the only thing it had on my wish-list was the semi-trad and a bath. But when you see the boat for you, it's corny but you know, and once you're on the water must-haves are just small details and what you've got is what you wanted after-all.

In short: arrange to see several boats in an area or over a weekend if they're anywhere close to what you need and you'll know it when you see it...eventually.

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mark99 Veteran II

mark99

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Sounds slightly harsher than mine (perhaps the configuration of the exhaust?) but it does have the underlying bass notes which are characteristic of the sound and which make the engine sound very butch.

 

 

I stripped off the silencer.

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Mrs Trackman Proficient

Mrs Trackman

Posted
Posted

But regardless of its origin, a 1999 narrowboat is very unlikely to be worth £80k.

Agree. Not read rest of thread. I'm horrified to see 50k asked for a 12 year old liverpool boat -it wouldn't have cost much or anymore than that in 2004. I suspect there must be expensive fittings on it.

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ARAL Engager

ARAL

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Hello again, sorry but I have been 'off grid' over the weekend. It's good to see that this thread is still going strong though. I see that there is only one post relating to the Barrus Shire question that I asked though, from which I have learnt that this is apparently a Yanmar engine at heart. I have had dealings with Yanmar generators many years ago, and always felt that they were a quality product. Is it fair to assume from the lack of comments that they are not a particularly common / popular choice among narrowboat owners? If so, is this because they are not regarded as being as good as say a Beta?

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nicknorman Veteran II

nicknormanDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Hello again, sorry but I have been 'off grid' over the weekend. It's good to see that this thread is still going strong though. I see that there is only one post relating to the Barrus Shire question that I asked though, from which I have learnt that this is apparently a Yanmar engine at heart. I have had dealings with Yanmar generators many years ago, and always felt that they were a quality product. Is it fair to assume from the lack of comments that they are not a particularly common / popular choice among narrowboat owners? If so, is this because they are not regarded as being as good as say a Beta?

 

I think the Shire is a fairly common engine, as you say based on a quality core engine. Personally I prefer the Beta but would struggle to say why with any proof!

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Loafer Veteran

Loafer

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Posted

I think the Shire is a fairly common engine, as you say based on a quality core engine. Personally I prefer the Beta but would struggle to say why with any proof!

 

You don't need 'proof' in order to 'prefer' something, Nick. However, there's probably one bloke on here who could argue against it. His cat is blacker than anyone else's!

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nicknorman Veteran II

nicknormanDonate to Canal World

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You don't need 'proof' in order to 'prefer' something, Nick. However, there's probably one bloke on here who could argue against it. His cat is blacker than anyone else's!

True, although in this context "proof" was probably the wrong word. What I was really trying to say was that I couldn't really think of a sound reason for my preference - which probably makes it more of a prejudice than a preference!

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peterboat Veteran II

peterboatDonate to Canal World

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i had a kubota in my first boat and a yanmar in the second like you i prefer the kubota it just sounds better thats all i can put it down to. however i so want a trad with engine room and something big and thump thump thimp in it they just look so right clapping.gif

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Graham.m Rising Star

Graham.m

Posted
Posted (edited)

True, although in this context "proof" was probably the wrong word. What I was really trying to say was that I couldn't really think of a sound reason for my preference - which probably makes it more of a prejudice than a preference!

 

No, I expect my English teachers would say preference was correct not a prejudice

 

preference
noun
a greater liking for one alternative over another or others.
"her preference for white wine"
synonyms: liking, partiality, predilection, proclivity, fondness, taste, inclination, leaning, bias, bent, penchant, predisposition, desire, wish
"my mother was a little put out by my preference for boys' games"
prejudice
noun
1. preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
Edited by Graham.m
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