[WouldaShoulda]

It appears Lehr is still the only major player in this market.

Any experiences good or bad??

 

[ericb760]

It appears Lehr is still the only major player in this market.

Any experiences good or bad??

I motored a dinghy with a Lehr outboard around the marina at last years' Long Beach Boat Show. If it were less expensive, or even comparable to a gas powered outboard, I would buy one in a heartbeat for one simple reason, the need to only carry one type of fuel for the stove and the engine. No more sloshing gas tanks stinking up the trunk of my car. And, the propane canisters fit both the engine and the stove.

 

[WouldaShoulda]

Pricing is actually competitive with gas counterparts though still a little more expensive, about 20%

I imagine the more volume they sell the more competitive it will become.

I'm as concerned with build quality, longevity and service as well as price.

 

[miatapaul]

Pricing is actually competitive with gas counterparts though still a little more expensive, about 20%

I imagine the more volume they sell the more competitive it will become.

I'm as concerned with build quality, longevity and service as well as price.

The biggest problem I see is that they are a made in China engine with a company that may not be around for long. If they were converting say the Tohatsu/Mercury motor then I could see paying premium for it. But to pay a premium to get an unknown quality motor from a start-up company does not seem to make long term sense. I would really like to see kits sold to convert older outboards to propane I know they make them for generators. I have had good luck with propane powered vehicles, with the main down side being less horse power. I do love the idea of using the one pound bombs though, and not have to deal with the alcohol in the gas, would be awesome. Very good for occasional dingy powering.

 

[eherlihy]

There are a couple of threads elsewhere on SailNet about the Lehr outboards. My take-aways from those threads; PRO: don't have to worry about fuel quality (ethanol), CON: over priced, require maintenance like a 4 stroke, poor support. You can see that he cons outweigh the pros. I'm not crazy about buying anything mechanical that is manufactured in China either.

 

[WouldaShoulda]

I would really like to see kits sold to convert older outboards to propane I know they make them for generators.

So would I...

Even if it had to be installed by a pro for product liability purposes.

 

[Stumble]

While Lehr is new to outboards they have been around for a while. They have even partnered with The craftsman brand to make propane garden tools. I wouldn't be too worried about them closing up shop tomorrow. They have a lot of major corporate partners already.

 

[miatapaul]

While Lehr is new to outboards they have been around for a while. They have even partnered with The craftsman brand to make propane garden tools. I wouldn't be too worried about them closing up shop tomorrow. They have a lot of major corporate partners already.

Those propane powered weed whackers looked like quite the treat. Shame they never seemed to work well. Given the reviews on them, I would not use it as a recommendation. No longer available either. Sounds like there was no QC on the line trimmers, hope there is more on the outboards.

And I really want these to work as well.

 

[tommays]

They screwed up the sears deal which was HUGE due to surprise surprise hard starting among many complaints

And low and behold there are still no propane yard tools

Just like NONE of the portable generators can be bought from the factory with propane power

What is getting big is the newest 40 volt battery pack units tools

 

[Group9]

They screwed up the sears deal which was HUGE due to surprise surprise hard starting among many complaints

And low and behold there are still no propane yard tools

Just like NONE of the portable generators can be bought from the factory with propane power

What is getting big is the newest 40 volt battery pack units tools

Now, think how cool a Honda suitcase generator that was powered by propane would be.

 

[dabnis]

Some time back we investigated the possibility of a permanently mounted generator, powered by propane. IIRC, at that time, Honda offered one that was powered by propane. However, the dealer advised us that he had received complaints about hard starting in cold weather.

He had one, with just an hour or so on it, on the show room floor, for about half off the regular price. We decided to keep our existing gas powered generator. I put additive in the gas, change it once a year, works fine.

Paul T

 

[miatapaul]

Now, think how cool a Honda suitcase generator that was powered by propane would be.

They do sell kits to make them propane powered.

Honda EU2000i Propane Kits

Honda EU2000i Generator Propane & Natural Gas Tri Fuel Conversion Kit

And there are some videos on how to convert with plumbing fittings on YouTube. Though I am not sure a homemade solution is good for a boat as gas leaks are really bad!

 

[Group9]

Thanks!

 

[SHNOOL]

I know the topic was propane powered outboards.... but the topic slid to propane powered generators...

Honestly my whole house generac is propane powered (by a much larger canister that is outside, 120gallon)... and it fires right up... So the hard starting is motor related, not fuel related.

I have heard good things about Lehr, but have never experienced them. The 20% more is a deal breaker even if it WERE as good as a Tohatsu, which sounds like it's not.

Back to generators now, while the Honda generators are good... Yamaha, and Subaru generators are also quite good, and in varying degrees most inverter generators are much quieter than traditional synchronous.

I'd like to see a Yamaha outboard motor, and Yamaha generator series hit the market that are propane powered. THEN maybe we'd have something.

 

[Group9]

Where I grew up, in a farming area of the country, everything is propane powered. Tractors, trucks, cars, generators, water pumps, everything.

I knew a family that was like Hank Hill, all they sold were propane and propane accessories. And, they did the conversions, and this was back in the 70's.

It doesn't strike me as weird to use propane to power anything. Rather, it strikes me as weird that there hasn't been more use of propane around the country instead of gasoline.

For boats, think how good it is, to be able to vent something like an outboard or portable generator, leaving it with no combustible fuel in it, and then being able to store it belowdecks with no danger of explosive fumes coming from it.

 

[mad_machine]

I am not surprised. Look how long it took for diesels to catch on in boats.. and even longer in cars. People know gasoline and what to expect from it.

That said, place I worked at once had a propane powered forklift. As it got older and more worn, it got harder and harder to start.. especially in cold weather.

Personally, I am caught between the Lehr and the torqeedo.

 

[dabnis]

I know the topic was propane powered outboards.... but the topic slid to propane powered generators...

Ah, guilty as charged. My thought was that the "hard starting when cold" complaints coming from a Honda dealer might be of interest, even though it was a generator motor instead of an outboard motor

Honestly my whole house generac is propane powered (by a much larger canister that is outside, 120gallon)... and it fires right up... So the hard starting is motor related, not fuel related.

Well, that is a good thing. IRC, the propane unit the dealer commented on came equipped to burn propane directly from Honda. However, someone may have "tinkered" with it. I would be surprised if Honda would release anything that wasn't spot on.

I have heard good things about Lehr, but have never experienced them. The 20% more is a deal breaker even if it WERE as good as a Tohatsu, which sounds like it's not.

Back to generators now, while the Honda generators are good... Yamaha, and Subaru generators are also quite good, and in varying degrees most inverter generators are much quieter than traditional synchronous.

I'd like to see a Yamaha outboard motor, and Yamaha generator series hit the market that are propane powered. THEN maybe we'd have something.

Paul T

 

[night0wl]

Dont forget the cost of fuel people. I did the analysis in the last propane outboard thread, and prior to the analysis I was a big fan. After seeing how expensive propane is and then also seeing how little can be found conveniently down island, I put the kibosh on a propane conversion of my honda and buying the Lehr propane outboard.

 

[Group9]

Dont forget the cost of fuel people. I did the analysis in the last propane outboard thread, and prior to the analysis I was a big fan. After seeing how expensive propane is and then also seeing how little can be found conveniently down island, I put the kibosh on a propane conversion of my honda and buying the Lehr propane outboard.

Well, that is definitely something to take into account if you are planning on cruising to areas that don't have propane. But, the last time I was in the Bahamas, it was easier to find propane, than gasoline, on a lot of the out islands.

 

[ovb]

I have seen the Torqweedo electric OB and the ***** that I hear is the cost...what would be cool is to have a OB powered by the battery pack in my cordless drill.....