|
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.
Good fishing,
The Outboard Doctor
Ben
Minor
|
