At Volvo Pentas IPS rollout in Mallorca de Palma, identical inboard and pod-drive boats were pitted against each other. Todd Anderson recently ran a 50 Viking powered by ZF 4000 pods. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. I'll also add that I REALLY like pods for the fuel efficiency (25-40% better) and maneuverability in a twin engine application. Today, 250s are middle of the road: Triple and quad 300s are common, and 400s built for everyday use are available, too. Its better to do it at haulout, when the oil can be drained by gravity, rather than sucking it out with a pump. Volvo Pentas IPS drive features patented forward-facing props, which lets them bite into clean water. All diesels need TLC, but pod systems need a bit more. All up, pod owners can expect to pony up something like an additional $2,500 for scheduled maintenance. Martin Meissner of ZF Marine says engine makers still dont have a handle on the potential volume. Thats not chump change, but neither is it likely to produce heart palpitations in the owner of a million-dollar vessel. Some really nice high tech features that most will never use. are zeus pods still being manufactured. Check the condition of the seals by inspecting the drained oil for water; the best way is to have the oil analyzed, said Petzold. Im a pessimist, however, and because of this Id budget $3,000, quite an upcharge from just replacing zincs. Oh, and if youre a do-it-yourselfer, youll discover that a lot of pod maintenance requires specialized tools and training. Yes, you need to be concerned about steering and propulsion fluids (lower unit) but you are not dealing with shaft irregularities, cutlass bearing maintenance, and thruster maintenance. Volvo Penta has 16,000 pod-drive boats in the marketplace right now. Each IPS has anodes as well, one up inside the exhaust tunnel (the other is on the transom); both Zeus anodes are on the trim tabs where theyre easy to reach. We had a few bugs in my first IPS boat. Warranty concerns may shorten the list of service providers. Can anyone speak to when there were evolutionary changes in the Zeus pods? Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Great contribution Blue Magnolia..that rings true and honest. To get a good hole shot, Zeus countered with automatic trim tabs and matched the pods with tunnels to reduce draft. By turning one engine pod at a sharper angle than the other in a turn, they could narrow its radius. Thats opened up more opportunities and options for OEMS.. They get people excited about buying a new boat.. But the rest? Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Watch on Description Patented and designed for use with 3rd generation vaporizers such as the Zeus Arc GTS and Arc S, Zeus ArcPods make it easier and more convenient than ever to take your vaporizer and herb with you. Pod drives, including the Volvo Penta IPS, Cummins Zeus, ZF Marine POD 4000, and CAT Three60 POD 650 have taken the recreational boat market by storm during the recent past. With IPS Ill run out to the Corner and fish the tide for wahoo, then head over to Gingerbread and get some yelloweye before heading home. But conventional wisdom no longer applies. They said it was so easy a child could do it, and sure enough, it wasnt long before a lad barely out of kindergarten deftly maneuvered a 40-footer into a slip all by himself. Inboards are virtually maintenance-free, while pods require lots of servicing. The pods require yearly maint that is beyond what regular trans, shaft and prop systems require. With its forward-facing counter-rotating propellers, Volvos IPS pod-drive is a unique system. Also, you dont know how often the shaft seals will need replacement. Units that under our Hassle-Free Warranty program are covered directly by TVAPE and do not require you to deal directly with the manufacturer. Although pod housings are built of corrosion-resistant bronze rather than the aluminum alloy used for stern drives, its still critical to maintain the anodes. Theres no free lunch, so there must be a hidden cost that no ones factored in.. Were still trying to sort through the answer to that one. Pods have been pretty darn foolproof, he said. But then outboards are more powerful and more economical than ever. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Richard estimated an average annual cost of about $2,500 for scheduled maintenance on twin pod drives. You might not think of Cat as a pod company, but since ZF offered its pods to the market, hes helped several manufacturers build ZF or Zeus pod with Caterpillar engines. I am on the East Coast. I often hear stories about Mercury paying for expensive replacement parts when their Zeus units need work out of warranty. You can also reach us at +1 (833) ZF WRENCH. I love these things, they are super convenient to load, insert, and clean. And the Zeus pods also came with a joystick. And if you have to ask about price, you really dont need one. ZF also built far larger pods that could handle far more horsepower. Oh boy, the lids. The pods combine transmission, steering, and propulsion that would otherwise entail separate trans, shaft/prop, thrusters, and rudders. Initially, I too was surprised at the lack of trained techs in my area but once I realized you can use Mercury techs that have been to Mercury Diesel school, more options opened up. Zeus ArcPods - The 3rd Generation of Vaporizers is Here! You must be logged in to reply to this topic. They also dont have cutlass bearings or shaft seals to monitor and replace, nor separate rudders and steering systems to maintain, saving money on those items over the long haul. But tick them off and its hard not to conclude that the trend is undeniable: More boaters prefer them every year, and while theyll never completely replace inboards, they are the future of boating. Those meridians are not as over propped as other boats in the Brunswick family, based on my reading of boattest.com performance tests, but you will need to change out the prop set eventually and that means 4 different props for the ZEUS. All with a simple push or twist of the joystick. (And when the struts rip out, they can take parts of the hull with them, something that probably wont happen with pods.) Blades, pitch etc Read some of the posting by Tom Bartolomei about what he has been doing with his Sabre to tune the prop sets on his pods. The first pod-drive was invented in 1955 and went by the generic name azimuth thruster. They were either diesel- or electric-powered, and some were large enough for a man to walk around inside the machinery housing. That said, the pods are a bit more in annual maintenance. I guess you could say I'm a power user that vapes around 1-2 grams a day and after almost a week of use, I'm still on my first ArcPod. Hes president of Petzolds Marine Center (petzolds.com) in Portland, Connecticut, a dealer for both Sabre and Regal, two boatbuilders that moved into pods early in the game. I'm concerned that I won't be able to get my hands on a replacement drive if one were to sheer off 5-7 years from now. I liked the ZF right away. Although there are claims of 30 percent efficiency gains in cruise and top-end speed as well as fuel savings, the results vary from boat to boat when compared to straight shaft and prop configurations. Looking at other online sources, people seem to be in Love or Hate camps.what are the facts please? Controlled at low speeds by a joystick rather than wheel, shifts, and throttles, pods take most of the angst, the apprehension, and, sometimes, the sheer terror out of close-quarters maneuvering. The counter-rotating propellers and large rubber grommets the engine is mounted on means reduced vibration and engine noise. (Volvo Penta soon followed suit.) But how do you compare boats? Such tales are grist for boaters imaginations, as is the mere idea of components made of expensive, finely machined alloys dangling below the boat, protected by neither keel nor shaft. If so, does anyone know whether they will continue to produce replacement drives/parts? If I could afford em, Id get em. You can check these in your browser security settings. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Ask to see the service records for the boats first year. You cant take the grate off to clean or paint in there. His solution is to spray Interlux Trilux 33 or Pettit Alumaspray Plus from aerosol cans inside the seawater intakes. The other issue was when the owner sold the boat they did a oil sample and found water and both lower units had to be resealed and a main shaft had to be changed. Re IPS: Volvo is well regarded for their innovations with IPS. Fortunately the 42 Express cockpit is well laid out for Zeus . Fuel savings can be weighed against additional maintenance, but economy varies with each boat and depends on how its used. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. By continuing to browse this website, you agree to the use of cookies. Siebert puts annual maintenance for pods roughly $2,000 above what straight shafts cost, not including extra haul-out fees for boats that exceed 250 engine-hours per year. I have personally ruled out any boat with PODS, IPS or ZEUS, for those 2 main reasons. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. There are a lot of traditionalists in that market.. Volvos Active Corrosion System, which is standard on IPS 800 or larger drives, is similar. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. How much of the additional initial cost will you get back at trade-in time? And with good reasonthese propulsion systems offer several major-league advantages over traditional inboard power, so once a few savvy boaters got their hands on 'em . Unless you get the boat at a knock-down price, I mean really low, I wouldn't touch one without a full service history or a late model. With it, fingertip operation of any vessel became possible. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Then forward-thinking builders (Tiara, Cruisers, Regal, and Sabre among them) redesigned their boats for pod power and the technology became mainstream. Its a whole new world of boathandling out there, one all of us can enjoy. The vaporizers displayed on this website are not intended for or made to prevent, treat or diagnose any illness. I see the cummins split from Zeus around here was not a good thing myself. In sum, with todays technology, the best combination might be a shaft boat, bow and stern thrusters, and the Cummins power plant with electronic joy stick controls. No thrusters are required, saving more cash. Cleaning also maximizes efficiency of the pods contrarotating propellers. That means a haulout to remove the break-in lube and replace it with the normal lubricant. Add to Cart. Buckley dismisses the fear of forward-facing props. Featuring a patented design that provides the simplest solution for vaping on the go with your Zeus 3rd generation vaporizer. Rob makes a very good point about service network and availability of skill in your intended cruising area. The transom stays clean and nobody is complaining of fumes.. Volvo includes neither a water alarm nor a clear reservoir, so check the single transmission and gear oil dipstick for signs of water. I did some work on them but really didnt have the time to become efficient. And once the numbers are crunched, are pods worth it? Draining removes almost all of the dirty oil, while a pump often leaves too much behind. For nearly a decade, pod propulsion looked like it would render inboards obsolete. Our best guess is it will take a significant chunk of the market. Learn more about the 3rd Generation of Vaporizers is here: https://bit.ly/3xm5ASYThe patented Zeus ArcPod is a sin. Full details on shipping can be found here. ArcPods were made to be reliable and convenient, allowing you to pre-pack up to 0.3 grams of dry herb in each capsule using the Xtruder. Pods are the ne plus ultra of propulsion, but it costs a little extra to keep them spinning. Theyre a whole different animal, Siebert said. A racing motor with a warranty? But point and shoot was only part of it; IPS also claimed more speed and better fuel efficiency (the precise amount of each is still up for discussion), and thanks to its aft engine placement, more interior space and lower interior sound levels. Its like a orange and all they work on is apples. Many boatbuilders have installed Zeus in existing designs as we did with the Sabre 42 Express. are zeus pods still being manufactured. Pods are designed to shear off without compromising hull integrity. Pods also expand morning fluid checks to include the lazarette. IMO, Zeus, or any POD drive, would not even be a close 2nd. Volvo Penta officially introduced IPS (Inboard Performance System) pod drives at the 2005 Miami Boat Show; Cummins and ZF Marine followed, one and four years later, with their own versions. A little cheaper because it was in SoCal. Theoretically. But its also highly dependent on the application of the vessel. Cummins uses aluminum-gallium anodes to best protect bronze drives. We didnt have to touch it until we got back to San Diego.). Cabos sport-fisher benefits from Cummins Mercruiser Diesels Zeus drive. For more information and/or quote, please complete the contact form below. Take the props off, grease the shafts, and check the seals, Fessenden said. Its hard to tell if sport fishermen will take to it. The New York State Canal is just one of the many great scenic boat trips North America has to offer, and the numerous locks create a lot of tight-quarters maneuvering. Finally theres antifoulant for the drive. Indeed, were approaching if you have to ask territory here, and although a magazine writer like myself has about as much chance of buying a pod-driven anything as he does scoring a date with Sofia Vergara, I still think the benefits of pods far outweigh the extra initial and maintenance costs.

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