Torqeedo 1003 quality

[Kamaloha]

Two and a half years ago I purchased one of these for secondary use with my 9' RIB. It saw little use because it proved too gutless for significant winds or seas, and it was in storage for a year and a half when we did a refit. This spring I used it when the gas motor was getting worked on and had to run it up to full power due to strong winds. Something broke in the drive train during this run and I had to limp back home.

I've sent it in to a Torqeedo repair facility who wants to charge nearly a thousand dollars to repair it, which is probably more than the motor is worth. Their suggestion was an upgrade to a newer design lower unit, which tells me that there was a reason the lower unit was redesigned.

Torqeedo is being adamant that the unit is out of warranty and won't cover the repair. My sense is that there is a defective design and they don't want to own up to it for fear of having to cover many other such repairs.

I'd like to know what experience other users of this motor have had or if we are unique in our dissatisfaction. Please let me know good or bad, so I have some ammunition as I take my complaint higher in their food chain.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[ozskipper]

You can take this as a comment rather than an answer. But my personal opinion of Torqueedo is that they are very expensive for the small benefit of not carrying extra fuel. I have been looking forward to a good replacement to the standard outboard, Torqueedo is close but not quite there. Frankly, I would love Ryobi to simply make an extension for one of their high powered battery drills. (yeh yeh the revs would be all wrong- but its my fantasy, leave me alone hehe)

Good luck with it.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by Kamaloha

Two and a half years ago I purchased one of these for secondary use with my 9' RIB. It saw little use because it proved too gutless for significant winds or seas, and it was in storage for a year and a half when we did a refit. This spring I used it when the gas motor was getting worked on and had to run it up to full power due to strong winds. Something broke in the drive train during this run and I had to limp back home.

I've sent it in to a Torqeedo repair facility who wants to charge nearly a thousand dollars to repair it, which is probably more than the motor is worth. Their suggestion was an upgrade to a newer design lower unit, which tells me that there was a reason the lower unit was redesigned.

Torqeedo is being adamant that the unit is out of warranty and won't cover the repair. My sense is that there is a defective design and they don't want to own up to it for fear of having to cover many other such repairs.

I'd like to know what experience other users of this motor have had or if we are unique in our dissatisfaction. Please let me know good or bad, so I have some ammunition as I take my complaint higher in their food chain.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

I consider the Torqeedo a toy and not made for the saltwater marine environment. Our model 1003 like yours has developed a lithium cell problem and will only work at less than optimum power so we throttle back. Our 2.0 has gone through a few local repairs by our clubmembers who have improved it from original design. I would not purchase either or recommend them to anyone wanting a robust unit.

Buy a MinnKota saltwater electric outboard and you are money and performance ahead.

[zeehag]

got mine second hand and love it.

[monte]

Originally Posted by zeehag

got mine second hand and love it.

^^^ thats the only satisfied torquedo customer I've ever heard of...

[zeehag]

there was a couple cruising a 35 ft sloop used theirs for cruising their sloop and for their dinghy. they also were happy with theirs.
if you do not put it on a rib and expect the rib to plane, then ye got the wrong outboard. it works well for those who do not want to plane a dinghy. for that, you need a large infernal combustion outboard.
\it also isnt the ob to use for surf landings. but then which ob is good for surf landings.
for the most part i row. but fro use in visiting boat to boat, dock landings, and civilized use of dinghy , my torqueedo is a fine lil motor. i have used my used one for 2 1/2 years now.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by zeehag

there was a couple cruising a 35 ft sloop used theirs for cruising their sloop and for their dinghy. they also were happy with theirs.
if you do not put it on a rib and expect the rib to plane, then ye got the wrong outboard. it works well for those who do not want to plane a dinghy. for that, you need a large infernal combustion outboard.
\it also isnt the ob to use for surf landings. but then which ob is good for surf landings.
for the most part i row. but fro use in visiting boat to boat, dock landings, and civilized use of dinghy , my torqueedo is a fine lil motor. i have used my used one for 2 1/2 years now.

I'm glad you are getting good service from yours and I hope you got it for a good price. Our 1003 needs a new battery. Replacement is $500. Our 2.0 we bought used has had some wiring issues due to a saltwater environment. I would think they could have used better grade and larger wires in some of their units.

[offpist]

Originally Posted by zeehag

. it works well for those who do not want to plane a dinghy. for that, you need a large infernal combustion outboard.

I plane in my dingy using the Cruise 4.0
It seems a lot more robust than the 1003 also.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by offpist

I plane in my dingy using the Cruise 4.0
It seems a lot more robust than the 1003 also.

When our Cruise 2.0 is working well it pushes our 26 foot Folkboat along nicely. We haven't used it on a dinghy.

[BHI_Guy]

SkiprJohn,

What kind of range at medium speed do you get with the MinnKota saltwater electric outboard? I assume you are talking the 112 version? It seems Torqeedo is improving, but I'm considering the MinnKota for my 90ish pound wooden hard dinghy.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by BHI_Guy

SkiprJohn,

What kind of range at medium speed do you get with the MinnKota saltwater electric outboard? I assume you are talking the 112 version? It seems Torqeedo is improving, but I'm considering the MinnKota for my 90ish pound wooden hard dinghy.

I wish I could answer your question but can't. We've never run ours long enough to drain the 12V battery. It is not the 112. Ours is on a West Wight Potter 19 now which we mostly sail so don't use the motor except for to and from the launch ramp up a river. We've also used it on our Folkboat. It did the job but the 112 would have been better. Ours is the 45 model and is plenty of power for the 19 footer and we've had and used it since 2008.

[northoceanbeach]

Originally Posted by monte

^^^ thats the only satisfied torquedo customer I've ever heard of...

Lol, that's exactly what I was thinking. I just posted my first complaint of torqueedo in a different forum, but I had a similar experience to you.

I spent $4000 on the Cruise model. Not long after it stopped going into reverse completely. Thorqeedo wanted $1800 for an "upgrade kit". Because yeah, they designed the first generation rally badly.

I would think any company that wanted to stay in business would be giving the upgrade kits away.

They are junk. I sold mine to a guy on Craigslist for $800 who said maybe he could fiddle with it and if not he was going to strip it for a project, some invention he was making. Who knows.

The only reason the sell is because some rich people see them at west marine and think that sound like a good idea. Because it is a good idea, just poor,y executed. It's pathetic the run time you get at full throttle anyways.

[zedpassway]

Originally Posted by monte

^^^ thats the only satisfied torquedo customer I've ever heard of...

You don't spend much time on line do you? Everyone I know loves it.

Of course, I use it when the sailboat gets becalmed, and as back up. For heavy duty seas or towing a dinghy, I have a Tohatsu 6HP long reach.

[zedpassway]

Originally Posted by BHI_Guy

SkiprJohn,

What kind of range at medium speed do you get with the MinnKota saltwater electric outboard? I assume you are talking the 112 version? It seems Torqeedo is improving, but I'm considering the MinnKota for my 90ish pound wooden hard dinghy.

I also have a Newport 55lb thrust. Last fall, I motored out to the mooring of the WWP19 using a 75 ah Gel battery on the Newport, in a brisk wind, with seas with occasional white caps. I had to put it to the metal at level 5 in the 100 lb with two people Walker Bay 10 to get it to go 2.2 knots.

By the time I got out the the mooring 1000 feet away, 30% of the battery was gone(I can only use 50% or it dies). I put the Torqeedo 1003L on the Potter, towing the dinghy, in the same seas, with the two people and the 1200lb boat, I easily did 3 knots at half power, and when I to back to the dock I'd used about 2% of the battery power(which unlike the Newport Trolling, similar to a Minnkota, can be run down to maybe 5% without problem).

[zedpassway]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

I spent $4000 on the Cruise model. Not long after it stopped going into reverse completely. Torqeedo wanted $1800 for an "upgrade kit". Because yeah, they designed the first generation rally badly.

They have a 2 year warranty. Did you buy it used as someone else's junk? Everyone I know who has contacted them for warranty service has gotten quick response. And West Marine and other services will offer an additional 2 year warranty if you want it.