John Deere Engines Vs Cummins in commercial fishing application

[Gary Marshall]

Hi Tony and all members,

At some point I will look to step up in boat from my Albin 28 (w/ Yanmar 6LPA-STP) which is currently commercial fishing with 9,000 hours (Barbados)

Most locally built commercial fishing boats in the 30 to 42′ range are powered by John Deere engines. These are imported from a near by dealer in Grenada, are relatively reasonable, and straightforward engines, and are good on fuel. The specific engine I was quoted for the 42′ vessel was the 6068TFM50 225hp Engine with a Marine Gear 506 Twin Disc 2.1 turning a 28” x 26” LH 4 Blade Propeller.<br /><br />I asked the boat manufacturer, why not Cummins. He said he can put in whatever engine I want (there is excellent space in the engine room) but most commercial guys shy away from the more modern computerized engines, and Cummins does not offer a good alternative to the John Deere.

So, I turn to the experts. There is no local dealer with diagnostic tools available, regardless of Cummins or John Deere. I’m not afraid of a computerized engine, but reliability is most important, with fuel consumption also a consideration (I have heard the Cummins engines are pretty thirsty). I also want engines which are easy to work on, and once I have a stringent maintenance schedule set up, it is unlikely to have unexpected problems.<br /><br />If there are any articles on engine selection between the cummins models, am happy to be pointed in that direction too<br /><br />

Topic

[Gary Marshall]

There is no local dealer support for Cummins or John Deere in Barbados. However, there is a John Deere dealer in Grenada that provides John Deere’s for Barbados. Cummins is also a popular brand here, but again, no local dealer support. John Deere is probably the easier local option, but Cummins has the “Tony Athens” advantage, where I can turn to this forum for help.

I am still weighing options. One option is a locally built boat in which I have the choice of option. Or, there are a couple old boats I am looking at, which might need a repower. I’m not really considering a North American built boat at this time for this application. 

[Tony Athens]

If there is minimum or no support for a Cummins product, then you have your answer. 

Curious: Is this  a NEW BOAT build taking place in the USA?  If so, our REG’s stipulate using a EPA Tier-3 engine.  If the vessel is being made for EXPORT  to a non-regulated country,  and the proper paper work is  properly filed, there may be some exception to this rule. But REGARDLESS, per Cummins NEW RECON MECHANICAL ENGINES cannot be used in any new construction.

As to your comments on fuel burn,  etc — It’s typical “Dock Talk”  with ZERO factual  credibility. Also, using an obsolete MG 506 in new construction?   Good’ol gear, but you need to be sure of what you are doing.

[Author]

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