Volvo or Yanmar

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a Camano Troll. I have whittled the choice to 2 boats, one with a Volvo and one with a Yanmar. Any constructive advice on the two would be appreciated. Dave

The real difference is going to be replacement part costs. Yanmar wins hands down.

Your location is going to affect the remaining differences between the two brands.

In general, Yanmar has better parts availability and more technicians are available but this could be different in specific areas.

It is my perception but I can’t say it’s a fact that Yanmar supports older models longer and better than Volvo.

I have seen Volvo abandoned products leaving customers less than whole. Yanmar might have done this as well but I haven’t seen it.

I personally would choose the Yanmar over the Volvo. However, here in Seattle we have excellent support for both engines and my opinion might change if I knew exactly which two engines you are looking at. Might, but probably not.

I thought all Camanos came with Volvos. Was this boat repowered?

The Yanmar gets my vote: slightly more displacement than the Volvo and as noted above, better and cheaper parts availability.

David

I will not own another Volvo. Had them in a boat once and couldn’t get parts in a timely manner. I sold boats part time for a dealer and they would take the part needed off a new boat to keep mine running. Keep in. Mind mine were brand new and I still couldn’t get parts. Sometimes it would take months to come in. Now whrere we live 3 month would be most of a season. No Volvo for me. Not familiar with Yanmar but they have to be better than Volvo…

DavidM said:

I thought all Camanos came with Volvos. Was this boat repowered?

The Yanmar gets my vote: slightly more displacement than the Volvo and as noted above, better and cheaper parts availability.

David

Click to expand...

It's the original engine, 4 cylinder with 200 hp.

I don't have any experience with Yanmar, but if Volvo was my only choice, I wouldn't.

Ted

Well there's a lot of Yanmars and Kubotas used in small engine applications like tractors etc. Makes finding parts reasonable from other sources. Not so Volvo.
Devil his due - Volvo makes the engines in Mack trucks, but with their head on it.

Yanmar. I can get most Yanmar parts in 2-3 days. Yanmar certified techs are everywhere. I wouldn't touch a Volvo.

As Camanos were originally built in BC, Volvos were the original engine supplier. Most had the then current TAMD41, at 200hp, built in the early to mid 90s. The BC network of Volvo Penta dealers remains robust, so parts availability remains good here. I have a pair of those engines, I have never had any issues getting the very few parts ever needed, at reasonable prices. These are reliable engines with an expectation of long hrs in this kind of usage. If you are in a place without Volvo Penta dealers, as noted by others above, your experience with supply and pricing may vary.

Neither is known for their parts availability and both have outrageous parts prices. My friend thought he would get his Yanmar parts from his Toyota dealer (Yanmar=Toyota), no they "can't" sell you even though some of the pieces had the word Toyota cast right into them.

Saying Yanmar=Toyota is like saying John Deer=Yanmar.

Yanmar has marinized a Toyota engine but most Yanmar engines are their own tractor motors mairinized. John Deer uses Yanmar engines in some of their small tractor lines but most the time John Deer uses their own engines.

Very happy with a Volvo TAMD41P-A (SIX cylinders, not four - standard engine for many years except earliest years), hull number 232, April 2005. Later in the 2005 model year Camano switched to the Yanmar, but I don't know at which hull number. Haven't needed any parts in 7 years of ownership, aside from filters, routine scheduled replacement of inverter, hoses, etc. Can't speak to the Yanmar, but I haven't heard any negatives on various forums. My RPMs are a few hundred less than what a Yanmar owner noted speeds posted in a 8/4/24 post above. Synthetic oil like Rotella T-6 15W40 cut my operating temp about 5 degrees, noticeably reduced old sludge - oil is progressively cleaner at the end of last few seasons since going to T-6 - using almost exclusively Valve-Tech fuel - runs smoother, quieter.

Both yards I've used talked about engine being "sweet". When purchased the exhaust had accumulated thick, wet carbon, mechanic had to dig it out. Following a Steve Zimmerman article in PassageMaker talking about running at a higher "percentage of effort" being key keeping exhaust, etc., clean, I've slightly upped my normal cruise speed. 7 years later exhaust is far cleaner, very light wet carbon when exhaust was checked this summer for the first time since 2017.

I hope you'll post what you find out about the Yanmar, and let us know which one you choose. Camano is outstanding for our uses - RI to NC delivery cruise, and traveling to eastern NC lovely colonial towns. Sleeps great, flybridge is delightful, lots of compliments on traditional west coast working boat look, which will never grow old.