Dura-jet outboards?

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Spokaloo
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Dura-jet outboards?

Post by Spokaloo »

Anyone have any experience with one of these? I was searching for a motor for my LB22 project when I talked with the salesman who sells these. Didnt intend on talking with him, but what do you guys think (inc joel and jacques)?

http://www.premiermarine.us/evinrude_pumpjet.htm

Sounds interesting.

E

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ponyboy
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Post by ponyboy »

Spookaloo,
I don't personally have any experience with these, although I have seen a couple roaming around on the Texas coast. Never seen one running or even heard anything about there performance.
Although, I have seen one that sucked up some oyster shell and it didn't seem that the two had a mutually agreeable relationship.
I have seen quite a few of these on Ebay recently though.

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ponyboy
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Post by ponyboy »

Spookaloo,

Sorry, should have added that I have only seen these on Flat's-Cat style boats down here in Texas. Extremely shallow draft, tunnel type hull.

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Super Spook
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Post by Super Spook »

I guess I'm just not real clear on what the advantages are. :doh: With a properly designed tunnel, a typical jet foot allows you to run very shallow, but comes with the commensurate 30-40% hit in power that the website mentions. They're also easily fouled by floating grass. Here on the west coast of Florida, the only reason they're used is to get shallow. The guys that do use them usually switch to a standard foot for spring and summer. I know in some areas up north they're used to run rocky rivers though. This jet seems to offer none of the shallow water advantages, but also none of the power drop. I can easily imagine a big wad of weeds getting jammed up in the thing though. With that many fins and braces and doodads, I would think it would be a fouling nightmare where I fish. I guess if you regularly encounter shallow rocks, it might have some advantages, but that doesn't seem like part of the program of the LB22. The thing might keep you from donating props to the rock gods, but it definitely won't help the lower unit out any if you hit anything substantial while at speed. The real question that I'm wondering is......if you take a propeller and put it in a short open tube, does it become a jet? Or is it really just a propeller in a tube?

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JimW
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Post by JimW »

$1,000 for a metal prop shroud and a five blade small diameter prop?

5% drop in top end with no additional shallow water capability?

I don't understand the attraction?
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Doug
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Post by Doug »

I would expect the Special Forces mentioned use them for saftey reasons. When you are jumping out of a zig zagging boat while people are shooting at you, you would rather not get run over by the prop 8O

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Post by tech_support »

These guys have them also:

http://www.smalloutboards.com/

I dont see a benefit other than the safety of operating with swimmers in the water.

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Post by JamesSloan »

In my previous life in law enforcement, we had a couple of aluminum boats equipped with Merc 25's with jets. We used them in swift water rescues, particularly useful in shallow, rocky rivers. We also used them when doing search and recovery because they were less hazardous to divers swimming near the boat. I never noticed the power reduction because we operated at fairly low speeds. For those limited applications, the jets were outstanding, but I don't see much use in one for general boating. We never had any maintenance issues to speak of, although we replaced the impellers at regular intervals because of sand sucked into the intakes. It is a different animal to steer because the jet is doing all of the work instead of a prop-skeg combo.

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Post by roob76 »

the link says that one of the advantages is greater load carrying capacity. i would think that that is the main reason the armed forces used them. you would bwe able to carry and extra person or two plus gear with only a 5%loss in top end compared to a similarly proped motor.

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Post by Spokaloo »

I guess the advantage I would try to ascertain is the increase in use of force (energy loss to rotational speed), where this gets over 90 of the work out the nozzle. I just want to get the LB through the water with the maximum amount of efficiency due to long hauls to the fishing spot and my wife wanting to wakeboard (albeit slowly) behind the thing.


I just want a good outboard with solid power for LESS THAN $5000!


E

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