# volvo engine vs yanmar engine



## evgeni22 (Jun 25, 2015)

hello, just wondering what engine more recommend for boat volvo or yanmar (for yacht 30-40feet), can anyone give me here advantages and disadvantage for each engine from your experience, i am google a little and saw more say yanmar better, but i not understand why


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## aeaston (Aug 5, 2011)

I have a smaller yanmar, and have to say that getting parts for it sucks. The whole dealer/distributor limitation prevents me from going online and ordering parts, cause no one will ship them to me (being in the wrong region) and I'm stuck going to one of two "local" suppliers, who's websites are terrible, and charge me exorbitant prices.

If I were ever to re power, I'd try to find a motor from a manufacturer with a more modern parts supply chain. Not sure if that's Volvo or not.


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## aa3jy (Jul 23, 2006)

Beta?


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

I have found yanmar parts easy to get just expensive Volvo parts not available at all!....Dale


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

There are pros and cons, but in the US, you are going to find more mechanics familiar with the intricacies of the Yanmar line than Volvo. There are models of each line that are both easy and hard to find parts for. If you were buying new, parts are readily available in the US for both. I have a Volvo made in 2004 and buy all my parts online from Marine Parts Express, in Maine, I believe. 

They say that Volvo parts are more expensive and they can be. I don't think they are all that much more than Yanmar, if you are comparing apples to apples, year/size, etc to each other. Show me an ancient Vovlo and it's parts prices, if available, are going to be higher than a brand new higher volume Yanmar.

In my boat, they installed either the 100HP Volvo or Yanmar. The prior owner of my boat chose the Volvo. It has some real advantages. First, the impeller is mounted in the front and easily accessible. On the Yanmar, it's on the side and very difficult to access. Filters are similar issues. The Volvo also runs much quieter than it's comparable Yanmar, likely due to it's lower RPM. We cruise at around 2000 rpm +/-. 

On the other hand, it has given me some fits. It's always brought me home, but I've had to catch up on some maintenance that the prior owner probably never did, like clean the injectors (I just replaced them). My turbo is finicky too, but that's another story.

Bottom line, Yanmar more popular, but you really need to compare model to model, installation to installation.


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## capecodda (Oct 6, 2009)

Had the most luck with Yanmars, least with "westerbreak", hardest to get parts on Volvo. YMMV.


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## travellerw (Mar 9, 2006)

I think you need to add 2 other options, Beta or Nanni. 

Prices are cheaper and the engines get wonderfull reviews. They are readily available in the USA.


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## robert sailor (Jun 22, 2015)

travellerw said:


> I think you need to add 2 other options, Beta or Nanni.
> 
> Prices are cheaper and the engines get wonderfull reviews. They are readily available in the USA.


They may have been cheaper in the past but not any more. I had quotes from Y and V as well as Beta and Beta was the highest by a!most $1500. I still went with Beta as I really like the engines but cheap they are not!


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

I once saw a bumper sticker on a Volvo car saying "Any parts found falling off my Volvo are of the finest Swedish craftsmanship."
My brother, a high performance racing mechanic had a wife who wanted A Volvo. So he bought her one. He said it was an absolute abortion.Aussies call them"The green death."Steer clear of Volvos . Yanmars are far better engines .


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## jimrafford (Jan 7, 2011)

I currently have a volvo and have had yanmars. I like them both. My only comment would be who is going to service your engine. If it's you either will be fine. If you are going to hire a mechanic go w/ the yanmar.
Jim


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## newhaul (Feb 19, 2010)

Yanmar is the better of the two parts are easier to get ( the use the yanmar engines in the little farm tractors as well so some parts are cheaper andmore readily available at the local farm and feed store. Volvos not so much.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I'm not sure I understand what the parts availability issue is with Volvo. Are people referring to old, discontinued models of Volvos? I type the Volvo part number in a website and my parts are in my mailbox a few days later. 

If you want parts available, in stock, at your local yard, Yanmar is more likely. However, no one is going to stock everything, only routine replaceables.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

newhaul said:


> Yanmar is the better of the two parts are easier to get ( the use the yanmar engines in the little farm tractors as well so some parts are cheaper andmore readily available at the local farm and feed store. Volvos not so much.


I suspect you are thinking of the Kubota based engines like Universal and Beta. I always heard the Yanmars were marine only.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

newhaul said:


> Yanmar is the better of the two parts are easier to get ( the use the yanmar engines in the little farm tractors as well so some parts are cheaper andmore readily available at the local farm and feed store. Volvos not so much.


As always, _IT DEPENDS..._ 

In this case, _which_ Volvo you're talking about...

The fairly common Volvo 2030, for instance, is nothing more than a re-branded Perkins Perama M-30, the engine in my boat...

...Perkins started importing these 100 series engines from a Japanese company called Ishikawajima Shibaura Machinery, Ltd. nearly twenty years ago. ISM is part of Ishikawajima Harima Industries, one of Japan's largest industrial companies. It has since become one of the most popular light industrial/tractor engines in the world...

Once one figures that out, parts are readily available, and not particularly expensive... Received this note a few weeks ago from an acquaintance re his rebuild project on a one of these engines:



> I finally tracked down the Shibaura agricultural version of my engine. It is an E643 Shibaura, with the same bore (64mm) and stroke (64mm) as the Perkins 103-06/Perama M20, and came in the 1992-1997 Ford GT65 tractor. Somewhere along the way (probably when money got tight in 2008), New Holland took over the Ford tractor business. * I have a New Holland dealer about an hour away, but their website is a gold mine for me, with exploded diagrams of every system on the engine. Anything ordered arrives two days later. Prices are about 33% to 50% of the cost of Perkins or Volvo parts. *


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

I have lived with both Volvo (OPB) and Yanmar engines (OPB's and my current boat). To some extent the answer to this question seemingly lies in the particular model engine, its age, its particular installation (by the boat manufacturer), and where you live. In my experience with the size Volvos and Yanmars that typically show up in 30 to 40 foot sailboats, I think Yanmars are much nicer engines to live with. In my experience, 

Yanmars tend to run quieter and smoother, (not always but comparing twins and three cyl. models) 
Yanmars seem a little more reliable, 
Yanmars are easier to work on in terms of the design of where serviceable parts are located, clearances to swing a ratchet wrench, and simplified wrench sizes, 
 Yanmars tend to be a little lighter (having just pulled my engine out and put it back myself, that is a very significant advantage to me)
Yanmar parts are cheaper and easier to come by especially on older models, and are less likely to change during a particular model run (not always but most times) whereas I have needed the serial number to order Volvo parts. 
Yanmar Factory technical support (through dealers) has been amazingly easy to obtain even on older models.

The one advantage to smaller Volvo's is that they typically are delivered ready to be hand cranked. Having successfully hand cranked one, I consider this a big advantage.

While a Volvo engine would not be a deal breaker, I would think long and hard about buying a boat with an older Volvo engine and would consider it a negative against the boat.

Jeff


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## newhaul (Feb 19, 2010)

JimsCAL said:


> I suspect you are thinking of the Kubota based engines like Universal and Beta. I always heard the Yanmars were marine only.


Nope they are actually a rather plentiful one in small tractors and edg (emergency diesel generators) Products - Yanmar Tractor


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## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

A few comments
-In my experience browsing used boats and going to boat shows Yanmars are the most common in typical cruising boats in the US
-Yanmar's reputation may be helped by the fact that they came into popularity in the 80's with engine designs that were new at the time (GM series). So the typical old Yanmar may either still be manufactured or recently retired. Whereas volvo has some older engines and designs out there.



newhaul said:


> Nope they are actually a rather plentiful one in small tractors and edg (emergency diesel generators) Products - Yanmar Tractor


I've seen yanmar branded tractors and John Deere uses them as well.


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## oldfurr (Dec 25, 2012)

answer to question actually askedevgeni22
Where you are located and where you intend on using the boat and if you are looking at the pros & cons of engines already installed or new building or re-powering or ? and boat size & engine power ratings you are looking at are bits of information that could allow for the folks here to give you better info tailored to your need.
From your user name & sentence structure I sort of thought you are in E. Europe or points east of there which would have dramatic effects on service and parts availability in most cases.
Personally I would avoid Volvos due to a well earned reputation for excessive replacement part prices once an engine line has become old enough to require major replacement parts, a phenomenon not so much seen with Yanmar parts--especially when consideration is made for Yanmar/original manufacturer farm engine parts prices & availability.

If I were building a small sailing ship with a budget that allowed me to chose the engine I most favored for reliability and long term economy I would NOT specify any Volvo engine what-so-ever. Vetis/Yanmar/Beta on the other hand would get serious consideration. Yes I said Vetis out load, here, in this forum, so you should probably ignore that.

A post from another board that reflects my view of Volvo marine engines :

:Squeaky
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Good evening:

Thanks for your comments concerning Beta but I am really only interested in views and opinions about the Vetus engines.

I have no doubt that Beta make good engines but I am FED UP with this engine and want rid of it. It was marinized in Greece and I have never really been satisfied with it and having had a brain wave I have decided to take the wealthy man's way around the continual small problems and replace it.

Am I wealthy? Not by a long shot but there are sufficient funds available to pay for a new engine and I think out of frustration I will just pretend that money is no object although I might be sorry later.

I know there are lots of good engines available which might do the job, other than Volvo, but the fact is that I have been offered a Vetus from a chandlery just up the street. The Vetus dealer will take my engine as trade in without asking a lot of questions about customs etc which will be a big relief.

Re Volvo - I promised myself when I bought my current engine that I would never again have a green engine and certainly not one that had been touched by Volvo as I don't agree with their spare parts policy of giving the engines away to boat builders and then ripping the heck out of anyone unfortunate enough to buy a boat with one installed. I could buy a new off the shelf TMC gear box for the price Volvo wanted for the sliding cone in the MS gearbox which was designed and destined to wear out every couple of years.

Cheers

Squeaky
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Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?244935-Vetus-Engines-are-they-any-good&#UDQUMqdyL1kUvYzK.99

Henry Ford is famously credited with saying something along the lines of he could give away cars for no cost if he was the only one able to sell the parts needed to keep them running... Volvo subscribes to and try's to implement this very policy to my way of thinking.


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

The smaller Deere 1,2, and 3 series tractors are/were built for Deere by Yanmar. Yanmar branded Compact Utility Tractors also exist.

I have a 3cyl 28 HP 3005 John Deere that was a 790 prior, and a 750 prior to that (yep same tractor made for 20+ years).

I can vouch for Yanmar being used in tractors at least. My little 3 cyl is a workhorse.


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## evgeni22 (Jun 25, 2015)

i not expect for so many comment, 
thanks guys it very helpful for me now.


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## newhaul (Feb 19, 2010)

No worries that's what we do for each other


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## Qwik (Feb 25, 2021)

JimsCAL said:


> I suspect you are thinking of the Kubota based engines like Universal and Beta. I always heard the Yanmars were marine only.


They put Yanmar in everything from forklifts to mini excavators and skid steers. It's not Marine exclusive.


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

I only know Volvo... MD17D.. it's 36 yrs old and some parts are discontinued and hard to find. The engine is reliable. Noisy but I have no reference. It's fairly easy to work on in my boat... but it's never easy enough. Mechanics are way to expensive so you do the work you can yourself.


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## capt jgwinks (Sep 24, 2013)

I don't know about Nanni, but Beta is more expensive up front. That's not really the correct term, the others are cheaper up front. There's a difference. The worst offender is Universal/Westerbeke. They sell engines to the boat builder cheap to get units out in the field, then rape the owners on parts. It's their main marketing plan. Beta sells the engines and parts for a fair price. They don't even sell most of the parts, they tell you the Kubota part numbers and you buy them at a tractor shop. Farmer prices, not Marine. Universal uses the same Kubota engines, but they make it very difficult to find out what Kubota parts fit. And they are the same parts in a Universal box. A really expensive box. Same with Volvo and Yanmar, some of them are tractor engines but they don't tell you which ones. Nanni is also Kubota but they're not as well known, and I don't know how they're marketed. If go with Beta just for their honesty. And they do a much better job of marinizing than Universal, as good or better than Volvo or Yanmar.


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