O.E.M. versus Aftermarket Parts

There is an on-going debate about aftermarket (hereafter referred to as AM parts) versus original equipment parts from the manufacturer (hereafter referred to as OEM parts). Discussions can be seen on the internet and heard around the table at marine conferences in any part of the country. Regardless of the location, the debating parties are saying about the same. The OEM seller says that his parts are higher in quality and the AM seller says his parts are equal in quality but lower in price. Neither if these statements is true all the time. Let me start by saying that I do not have a dog in this fight. On my web site we give our customers both the numbers of the OEM parts, and we also give them any aftermarket cross reference numbers so they can buy OEM or aftermarket from us or anyone else. In my dealership here in Parsons, Kansas we also offer both parts.

The first issue is quality. OEM wins here, but the quality difference varies greatly between AM companies. While the quality from one AM company is nearly equal to the OEM’s, other AM parts will be far below the OEM quality. It would be almost impossible for the average consumer to find out which AM company makes high quality parts and which does not. Also understand that an AM company that sells good oil seals may sell low quality water pump impellers. One other factor to consider is that OEM parts are “over engineered”. This means that the average impeller should be changed every 2-3 years, but the OEM impellers are tested to go 10-20 years. Is it necessary for you to buy an impeller that may last 20 years if you change yours every 2 years?

Small differences in quality can make large differences in performance. One boater was having trouble shifting his motor into gear, but his old shift and throttle cables were badly worn and obviously needed replaced. After replacing them he found he had the same trouble. His dealer then replaced the gearcase only to find the same problem with the new gearcase. When he brought it to us, we replaced the new AM shift cable with a new OEM shift cable and the problem was cured. This was an expensive lesson about buying cheap cables.

The second issue in the debate is price, and everyone knows that the AM parts win here. AM parts are cheaper than OEM. We also all have seen the ads on the internet showing extremely low parts prices for those who want to shop the net. However, if the AM parts do not fix your motor, and you have to do the job again, which parts were less expensive?

Warranty is the third issue here and this is probably the most complicated. Warranty with the OEM’s is usually very good. I say ‘usually’ because there have been a few cases in the last few years where there was a very poor warranty on some OEM parts. I will not name the brand, but they had been noted for not being very fair about their warranty to the dealers and they failed to back their products. All AM companies show great warranty on their web sites but remember that their warranty is only good if they return your call and if they do not turn off their computer. I must add that in some cases an AM company did a very fair job replacing a defective part with both parts and labor being covered, but this was a rare occasion.

Warranty is greatly influenced by the dealer where you purchased the product. If you buy it from some dealer who says “you deal with the warranty issue” you are in trouble no matter which company made your part. Usually you get better service with OEM parts warranty just because you buy them at an OEM registered dealer. Most dealers know how to deal with legitimate warranty issues involving OEM parts. Most OEM dealers will also “eat the cost” of a disputed warranty, even if the company does not back its warranty; most shade tree mechanics will not do this.

Know the motivation of the person selling the part. Is he an OEM dealer who must sell a minimum amount of parts to keep his franchise? Is he a shade tree mechanic who cannot get his shop certified by an OEM so he must sell only aftermarket parts? Knowing how long the person has been in business may be of some help to you. In general, the longer he has been in business in the same location, the better your service will be. If he has been around for a long time he has already found out which parts carry the best warranty and which companies he can work with on warranty issues.

How you use your boat, how short on money you are, and how valuable your vacation time is may help you decide on aftermarket or OEM parts. The retired gentleman living on a fixed income, able to fish any day he wants, who only goes out in perfect weather is a perfect candidate for aftermarket parts. His time is not important, he never goes out in bad weather where being stranded could be life threatening, and wanting to conserve his retirement income are important factors to him. If he buys an aftermarket part and it fails, it is not a big deal; he can just fish tomorrow. My personal situation is just the opposite of the previous example. I can count on one hand the days of vacation I have taken in the past few years. When I get to the lake an extra $50 to have repaired my boat with the best quality parts available is nothing compared to the value of my time. I try not to get into life threatening situations, but there have been times that my boat has dropped down between swells and all I could see in any direction was water. A failure there could have been catastrophic. I have been active in tournament fishing and boat racing. Both of these activities are very hard on equipment. I am a good example of a person who should use the best quality OEM parts I can find.

Call and get the details about these jobs or if you have any other boat motor repair questions contact The Outboard Doctor at 888-294-8957.

Good luck, Ben Minor
Professional Mechanic for Outboard Motor Repair Technician