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The switch from Yanmar to Volvo engines?
- Thread starter timaging
- Start date
The Yanmar engines as well as Cummins engines have been used for the Ranger Tugs until around 2012. In late 2012 Ranger Tugs started to switch over to use Volvo engines exclusively. They started with the 200 HP Volvo in the R-27 in late 2012.
I have a MY2010 R-25 with the Yanmar 4BY2-150 engine and it has performed wonderfully and now has 300+ hours on it.
For a complete answer to your question you will need to talk to Ranger Tugs sales folk to get an understanding for why Ranger switched over to Volvo engines.
My understanding is that Volvo provided better after sales service and quite likely gave Ranger Tugs a business incentive.
When a vendor makes an across the board switch such as this, it's probably a 'business' decision.
The Yanmar 4BY2-150 has two engine anodes whereas the Volvo on the R-25SC and R-27 has none.
The Volvo setup is 'fly by wire' with no mechanical connection between the helm throttle and the engine. It also provides for a much better engine display at the helm (it's colored and brightly lit so its display is easily seen in daylight). This is a great improvement over what the Yanmar engine display provides. I'm also told it's a quieter engine.
...again, chat with Ranger Tugs to get their side of the story. It's a fair question to ask IMO.
I have a MY2010 R-25 with the Yanmar 4BY2-150 engine and it has performed wonderfully and now has 300+ hours on it.
For a complete answer to your question you will need to talk to Ranger Tugs sales folk to get an understanding for why Ranger switched over to Volvo engines.
My understanding is that Volvo provided better after sales service and quite likely gave Ranger Tugs a business incentive.
When a vendor makes an across the board switch such as this, it's probably a 'business' decision.
The Yanmar 4BY2-150 has two engine anodes whereas the Volvo on the R-25SC and R-27 has none.
The Volvo setup is 'fly by wire' with no mechanical connection between the helm throttle and the engine. It also provides for a much better engine display at the helm (it's colored and brightly lit so its display is easily seen in daylight). This is a great improvement over what the Yanmar engine display provides. I'm also told it's a quieter engine.
...again, chat with Ranger Tugs to get their side of the story. It's a fair question to ask IMO.
When we were looking at boats pre-pruchase another brand's dealer intimated that Volvo was being more aggressive price wise in the OE market. Parts for both are expensive.
The BY4 and BY6 Yanmars got some egg on their faces in their initial rollout and subsequent service campaign... but that probably has little to do with the switch. Yanmar may be a little smaller displacement, lighter with higher specific output (at least in the 260) which may ultimately affect reliability. The Yanmar 6 is a marinized BMW straight 6. The Volvo D4 was designed to be a marine engine. They are both high tech CRDs. We would have been happy with either but wound up with a Yanmar.
The BY4 and BY6 Yanmars got some egg on their faces in their initial rollout and subsequent service campaign... but that probably has little to do with the switch. Yanmar may be a little smaller displacement, lighter with higher specific output (at least in the 260) which may ultimately affect reliability. The Yanmar 6 is a marinized BMW straight 6. The Volvo D4 was designed to be a marine engine. They are both high tech CRDs. We would have been happy with either but wound up with a Yanmar.
Microship
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I am curious to know if there have been any follow-up thoughts sprinkled around the forum or elsewhere on this topic. I'm looking at ordering a new R-27 (this year, if I can get my existing sailboat in contract), and was just reading a discussion on the LiveAboard FB group regarding engine reliability. Tossing the statistical outliers and ignoring anything too obviously "fanboi" in nature, I get the very general impression that Volvo parts are dramatically more expensive than Yanmar, and that the latter has a considerably larger user base in the marine market.
I know that such discussions are prone to error, and involve lots of other engine models besides the two used in these tugs (comments about bad Volvo motor mounts, for example, turn out to referencing engines 2004 and older).
One of the best comments over there was "The best diesel is the one that is cared for like one of the family." Still, far and away, the consensus was Yanmar (partly, I'm sure, because there are a lot more of them).
So my question here is how these new Volvos are working out for folks. I like the physical access and fly-by-wire user interface, but I'm not an engine guru, nor do I know the reasoning behind the brand switch. I will almost certainly be buying new instead of used, so the question is kind of academic anyway, but it's all part of the due diligence research...
Many thanks for any comments! The tugnuts forum is one of the big pluses for Ranger in my transition to the Dark(ish) Side, and I've already learned a lot from lurking here. I look forward to seeing many of you at Roche Harbor in September.
Steve
I know that such discussions are prone to error, and involve lots of other engine models besides the two used in these tugs (comments about bad Volvo motor mounts, for example, turn out to referencing engines 2004 and older).
One of the best comments over there was "The best diesel is the one that is cared for like one of the family." Still, far and away, the consensus was Yanmar (partly, I'm sure, because there are a lot more of them).
So my question here is how these new Volvos are working out for folks. I like the physical access and fly-by-wire user interface, but I'm not an engine guru, nor do I know the reasoning behind the brand switch. I will almost certainly be buying new instead of used, so the question is kind of academic anyway, but it's all part of the due diligence research...
Many thanks for any comments! The tugnuts forum is one of the big pluses for Ranger in my transition to the Dark(ish) Side, and I've already learned a lot from lurking here. I look forward to seeing many of you at Roche Harbor in September.
Steve
Unless you buy an early R27 model or an R25 (Classic) you will have no choice but Volvo from Ranger Tugs. The newer R27 and R25-SC both now have Volvo engines.
I would check for Yanmar vs. Volvo marine engine services in your area. Ask them what they charge for various things and for the engine maintenance that's required at various hour intervals.
My Yanmar 4BY2-150 on my R-25 Classic has given me absolutely no issues. There were a couple of Yanmar service recalls which were easily done for free over past 5 years.
For diesel engines IMO, the best maintenance is for doing frequent oil/filter changes, especially if the engine is run hard. This would be true for either the Yanmar and Volvo.
I'm surprised no Ranger Tug owners with the new Volvo engines have placed replies here for you. 🙁
I would check for Yanmar vs. Volvo marine engine services in your area. Ask them what they charge for various things and for the engine maintenance that's required at various hour intervals.
My Yanmar 4BY2-150 on my R-25 Classic has given me absolutely no issues. There were a couple of Yanmar service recalls which were easily done for free over past 5 years.
For diesel engines IMO, the best maintenance is for doing frequent oil/filter changes, especially if the engine is run hard. This would be true for either the Yanmar and Volvo.
I'm surprised no Ranger Tug owners with the new Volvo engines have placed replies here for you. 🙁
workingdogs
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Ok , I'll bite ......
I have a one year old 25 with the new volvo which now has 150 hrs on it . I have had experience with different marine diesels and the Volvo just feels smoother and more refined . A big plus for me is max RPMs being 3000 and not 4000 . So the prop has a more aggressive pitch to better take advantage of the massive diesel torque .
EVERYONE I have interacted with at Volvo has been very responsive and professional . Some warranty work was done on the cooling system because the mechanic thought their might be a leak ....... So he replaced the cooling system ! No fuss , no struggle .... No money . Yesssssssss !
I joke that the the mechanic owns my engine and he just lets me borrow it for my boat .
Hopes this helps
I have a one year old 25 with the new volvo which now has 150 hrs on it . I have had experience with different marine diesels and the Volvo just feels smoother and more refined . A big plus for me is max RPMs being 3000 and not 4000 . So the prop has a more aggressive pitch to better take advantage of the massive diesel torque .
EVERYONE I have interacted with at Volvo has been very responsive and professional . Some warranty work was done on the cooling system because the mechanic thought their might be a leak ....... So he replaced the cooling system ! No fuss , no struggle .... No money . Yesssssssss !
I joke that the the mechanic owns my engine and he just lets me borrow it for my boat .
Hopes this helps
anjin-san
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I've had rangers with both the Yanmar and Volvo. I had a serious issue with the Yanmar relating to the wiring harness that took over two months to resolve- customer support was horrendous. Without my dealer and Andrew making a lot of phone calls I think it would still be dead in the water. I'll never buy a Yanmar powered vessel again. The Volvo is sweet- smooth, efficient and quiet in the R31.
Microship
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Thanks, folks! It seems like Yanmar never has fixed their electrical issues; that has been something sensitive around their engines since the 19 eighties.
Epilogue
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The reason I was given for the switch to Volvo was that after the earth quake and tsunami in Japan the yanmar factory could not meet the demand for engines and Volvo was the available alternative. I have the Volvo 150 in my 2013 25SC and am so far very pleased with it. I do have the little yanmar 30 in my 2011 21ec and have had no.trouble with it either!
Sharol
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My wife and i hope to take delivery of our 2015 21EC August 11 and the dealer could not give a specific reason for the change to Volvo. He did say less RPMs would spin the screw with the Volvo. Both engines have earned respect as I hear it.
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