Jet,V-drive or I/O?

[MANIC MECHANIC]

My wife and I will be buying a used boat this winter or early spring,
at this point, we're leaning towards a 21' tunnel.
I would like some opinions on drive selection,
I hear that a jet is not the way to go with a hull that large.
Plus I also hear that the jet is real hard on gas.
I do like the ability of a jet to handle shallow water though.
My buddies tell me that a Bravo is what I want.
Tell me which drive you would choose and why.
:confused:
Thanks,
Tim

[Back To Havasu]

One advantage with a jet, at 21' you can go to the shallower areas where there might be fewer big boats with big wakes with which to contend. :)

[Havasu Cig]

On a 21' tunnel I would go with O/B power (two if you can afford it). That will give you the best performance for the money. My.02.

[rivercrazy]

I really depends on what your priorities are. Will you really be running in pretty shallow water? If not, you will get more top speed and a better overall ride with an outdrive. And better gas mileage.
But your priorities will dictate which route is better. What are your top speed goals?
If you go outdrive, I'd recommend a Eliminator 22 over the 21. More room in the boat for starters.
Some good get canditates for a 21 tunnel are the Eliminator, Edge, and Placecraft. All will need pretty big cubic inch motors with 500HP or more to crack high 60's with the jet drive.

[rivercrazy]

Hav Cig also make a really good point. It just depends on if you like the smell of 2 stroke oil:yuk: :D

[77charger]

For a 21 tunnel an o/b would be the choice if you plan on lakes.But if you want to go to the river parts(needles,laughlin,blythe)Ajet would be a better choice and the 21 tunnels seem to work fine with a jet and a decent amount of hp.If you go to a v hull then an i/o would be the baseline to satrt with.I just bought an eliminator 21 open bow last year and it has a 350 mag with the alpha best i get out of it is 60 mph on gps but goes forever on gas.It aint a race boat but something my family can enjoy if i want to go fast then i drive the flatty below:D

[BADBLOWN572]

All depends where you are going to use it. If you are going to run on the lakes then definitely an outdrive. If you don't care about speed, a 350 with alpha will do just fine. You will probably see 60 in it but that is about it. If you are going to go faster definitely step into a Bravo drive. The only way that I would go with a jet would be if I was going to do a lot of boating on the rivers where shallow water is common. Jets will use a lot more gas than an I/O and you have to be real careful about sucking up objects into the intake grate. I am sure that whatever boat you will purchase will be a good time. Do your research and make sure that what you are getting is correct.

[Mopar426]

It's all in what you prefer and your needs. I have three small kids and a jet was the only option after my uncles toddler crawled off the back if his I/O during docking. I also like to run in the coves and all I need is 8''-12" of water. My 23' does fine with the jet, will run with any stock I/O and after my build up and the blower they will eat my wake. I do curse the seaweed at Parker. Gas mileage is a myth. My old Olds got really good mileage, but more horses eats more gas. My buddy's Magic has a built 502 I/O and he burns more gas than my Max Wedge. Also if i'm away from home and need parts I can run to any Napa and get off the shelf items cheap. Outboards and I/O's when you break down on a holiday weekend just pack up and go home--your done.

[SPECTRABRENT]

I have have 2 boats (20 ft jet & 24 ft v-drive) and I prefer the jet due to safety factor.
Since you are buying a used boat, I would buy the best boat at the best price regardless of the drive.
Good Luck,
Brent

[HavasuBarney]

You gotta be thinking OB.
I only need 8 -12 inches of water to run, can run through 3ft chop at 80 and see Havasu Springs to Topac Marina and back of 30 gal of gas, of course that's cruising only about 70-80 mph.
What were those jet or I/O advantages...? :D
Did I mention a top speed of around 100mph.

[HammerDown]

Tim, true I've got the 21 Daytona Jet...but I must say the 21' Daytona or Liberator with a clip on is the way to truly flyyyy.
JetMech had a 21 Liberator with a Mariner on it...what really impressed me was at moderate cruise speed the hull was nice and light on the water...I belive with the juice it went 107?... it was very impressive!
You shoud contact him about his old boat...awsome craft. And I know he regrets selling it now!

[MANIC MECHANIC]

Actually I have had outboards for to long.
I would really like to go big block. (supercharger in the future.)
Outboard(s) could be pretty cool, great HP to weight ratio, and I have rebuilt a few,...... but when it comes to building up the HP, (or building to begin with.) I am much more comfortable with a big block.
It sounds to me like I should probably go with the Bravo drive,
but I hate to go the extra eight to ten thousand $$'s that seems to be included in a bravo drive boat.
Give me more opinion's........ every little bit helps!
We really like the looks of the Liberator and Couger.
Some opinion's on that would be appreciated also.
Tim

[Kilrtoy]

Only you can make that choice they all handle different and do different things

[Moomawnster]

Hey Tim !! If you have not driven a jet boat you should try it before you buy anything , they handle totally different from all the others and most came with big block motors which you are familiar with and J/E berks which clean out well from in the boat , I suck up leaves all the time in the fall , pop the hatch , grab a handful , close it up and your off ! ...... Just my totally biased jet ass opinion . ;) I'll let you try out the Moomawnster if ya want , uh...... just not THIS week !:D

[MANIC MECHANIC]

Originally posted by Moomawnster
I'll let you try out the Moomawnster if ya want , uh...... just not THIS week !:D
Ahh c'mon Moo, is'nt that jet an ice breaker? ;)
LOL.
Tim

[Moomawnster]

Welll leave that to those Eagle fella's ! :eek:

[UBFJ #454]

Before buying any boat I would research the maintenance costs involved with each type drive.

[beached 1]

Originally posted by HavasuBarney
You gotta be thinking OB.
I only need 8 -12 inches of water to run, can run through 3ft chop at 80 and see Havasu Springs to Topac Marina and back of 30 gal of gas, of course that's cruising only about 70-80 mph.
What were those jet or I/O advantages...? :D
Did I mention a top speed of around 100mph.
Bring your fancy prop to Blythe and see how far you get. :D
...but seriously a O/B can run just about anywhere a Jet can, but they have a little more trouble taking off in shallow water. I'm good for grazing a under water log once in a while or finding a sand bar that didn't used to be where it was..and is now.
If I played in deeper waters, I'd own a Stoker O/B.

[jockorace]

Since Infomaniac hasen't chimed in with a pro V-drive opinion, I will. A tunnel v-drive, although rare, has been done quite sucessfully by a few builders (Cougar particularly) and by some custom riggers. I presently have a 21' Eliminator Daytona originally rigged by GS Marine that goes fast (100+) , rides unbelievably smooth, seats 5 people, pulls skiers, good docking manners(T400 transmission) and most importantly, will take UNLIMITED HORSPOWER!.
The best feature about these boats (at least mine) is the fact that the COMPLETE BOAT (less motor) cost less than some of the drive setups mentioned on this post. I realize this sounds like a sales pitch, because yes my boat will be For Sale (with or w/o power) soon. The only reason for selling is I want to get back into Boat Drags (interesting trades?)
Think about the V-DRIVE option......
If my photo attachment doesn't show up , go to Image Center/Members Gallery/under Jockorace/page 2 photo's
Dave G

[Cas]

I need an explanation about fuel consumption.
If you've got a bbc with a jet and a bbc with an i/o and you're turning 3000 rpms, explain to me why the i/o gets better gas mileage? or a v-drive?
It'll be total bs if you have an answer.

[Jet City]

As Kilrtoy mentioned, it's your choice and whats more, it sounds like you are familiar with the pro's and cons of all your options. For myself, I would choose jet or V-Drive because I prefer wrenching on V8's and either of those drive systems, outdrives and OB's are of no interest to me from a tinkering standpoint, and for me thats half the enjoyment of owning a boat. Without that factor, the OB seems the logical choice to me. Good luck with your decision.

[Dave C]

I had a 21 Daytona Jet. Works great. You need a lot of HP to make it run though. Plus its not that expensive to maintain and build.
The I/O would work better but it costs a hell of alot more to build and keep running. Plus it requires less HP to run good #'s. If you can find an I/O get it.

[Moomawnster]

Originally posted by Cas
I need an explanation about fuel consumption.
If you've got a bbc with a jet and a bbc with an i/o and you're turning 3000 rpms, explain to me why the i/o gets better gas mileage? or a v-drive?
It'll be total bs if you have an answer.
Sorry Cas , no BS here , the I/O or the V-drive move the boat farther with each revolution and so further on the same amount of fuel , more efficient is the term ! :rolleyes: :D

[Jet City]

Did you see this one? 21' OB, 102 mph boat for $23K, nice looker too.
http://www.***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36054

[manuel]

Cas, I don't see why people get upset about MPG on jetboats, I like to think of it like they do in aircraft, gallons per HOUR, I care more about how much fun we are having than how far we can go,
If the cost of fuel is a major consideration then they cannot afford a boat in the first place, but where else can you take a family out for a day of healthy fun for the price of a day's gas? I've had direct drive I/B, O/B, twin O/B, I/O, and a jet, I vote for the jet as my favorite, at this moment, Manuel

[Havasu Hangin']

Originally posted by Cas
I If you've got a bbc with a jet and a bbc with an i/o and you're turning 3000 rpms, explain to me why the i/o gets better gas mileage? or a v-drive?
Because the jet needs more torque (HP) to spin 3,000 RPMs? More HP requires more fuel?
It's like saying..."my car tachs 2,500 RPMs on the flat road...but it also tachs 2,500 RPMs up the hills...therefore, I get the same mileage going up the hills!"

[H2OT PURSUIT]

If you like the big V8's we'll leave the O/B's out of the picture.
Of the remaining options, I live on a lake and I guarantee there isn't a marina around here that doesn't have boats sitting around all over the place with the I/O off of them in various stages of repair. I wouldn't consider I/O unless you can afford the really high dollar units that can handle the kind of horse power and torque that it takes to go fast. V-drives are great, strong, fast, etc. the only draw back I see there is that most of them, that I have been in, are very noisy. There may be some that aren't. All that I have been in were old classics. Later model, shall we say modern, V-drives may be quieter. Then too maybe you don't care about the noise. I prefer jets as they are inexpensive and require little maintainence. You just seldom have trouble with V-drives or jets. I would suggest one of the two. Give it plenty of thought and do it right the first time.

[beached 1]

I always tell people that owning a Jet is like owning a Mountain Bike. You can take it anywhere. Jets eat more gas and are usually slower than an equally equipped prop boat, but you can go to the shallow rivers or the lake with no worries.

[MANIC MECHANIC]

Lots of pros and cons to consider.
I appreciate the opinions.
Tim

[jackpunx]

Well.. It sounds like you want my boat.. :D Stoker SST 224 Bravo XR drive blown hp 500.. 1.24 gears 30p prop 100mph= 4800rpms:D and it will tack out to 5800rpms (you can do the math)
Let me know if you have any other questions.. I have had jet boats in the past.. I cried when I sold my last one.. But if you want to be safer at higher speeds. This is the only way to go.. It turns on rails and accelerates like a raped ape
Good luck on whatever choice you make

[HammerDown]

"100mph= 4800rpms":eek: ...ya aint getting that in a Jet:rolleyes: But if I could...I'd sure be happy about it.

[jackpunx]

If I could get that in my jet.. I would have kept it.. and baught another one:D

[BGMAN203]

V Drives for life!! There is nothing like them. Once you go v-drive there is no turning back!!!

[jackpunx]

yup .. the only guy having fun in a V drive is the driver.. Im all for that.. Boat 030 said he will give me a ride in big red.. I'll let you know how I feel about being a passenger:D