If you're looking to buy a new dirt motor for your boat, you've probably inquired yourself what is the warranty on a pro-drive motor before tugging the trigger on such a huge investment. It makes sense. These motors aren't exactly inexpensive, and because they're designed to become explain to you the nastiest, muddiest, and nearly all stump-filled water possible, you want in order to know that the organization has your back if something goes wrong.
Pro-Drive has a quite solid reputation within the waterfowl plus shallow-water fishing globe. They were the ones who actually pioneered the surface area drive concept, plus their build high quality reflects that. But like any mechanical device used in extreme circumstances, things can split. Let's break down exactly what a person can expect from their warranty insurance coverage so you aren't left guessing when you're out on the marsh.
The two-part warranty system
Something that confuses a lot of brand-new owners is that will a Pro-Drive motor actually carries 2 separate warranties. When you buy a complete unit, you aren't just obtaining a "Pro-Drive warranty" that covers every single single nut and bolt. Instead, it's split between the folks who made the frame and the folks who made the engine.
Pro-Drive builds the frame, the lower unit, the mounting system, and the proprietary commute technology. They cover that part of the machine. However, the actual "powerhead"—which is usually a Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine—is included in the engine manufacturer. This is standard throughout the mud motor industry. In case your starter goes out or the pistons catch, you're looking at a Briggs & Stratton claim. In case the frame breaks or the shifting mechanism fails, that's a Pro-Drive claim.
Pro-Drive's limited lifetime warranty on the frame
The biggest selling point for Pro-Drive, aside from their particular "Full Instant Reverse" feature, is the Limited Lifetime Warranty they offer on the housing and frame. This particular is a big deal. They may be so confident in the structural integrity associated with their aluminum parts and the overall frame that they will guarantee it intended for the life associated with the original owner.
Now, "lifetime" could be a bit of a parole, so it's important to understand what that actually addresses. This generally applies to the structural welds and the main housing devices. If the metal itself fails or a weld snaps due to a manufacturing defect, they'll take care associated with it. It's their particular way of saying that the "bones" of the motor are made to last forever. However, this doesn't mean you can wrap your motor around a cypress knee at thirty mph and anticipate a free replacement. It covers flaws, not accidents or even "acts of God" (or acts associated with reckless driving).
What about the moving parts?
While the framework has that lifetime promise, the moving parts—things like bearings, seals, and the gear-driven system—typically drop under a more standard one-year or two-year limited warranty. These are regarded "wear items" to some degree.
Within the world of mud motors, the environment is your own worst enemy. Fine sand, silt, and grit are constantly looking to get into your seals and chew up your bearings. Pro-Drive builds their devices to be "sealed, " which is why they use a gear-driven system instead of a belt-drive. Since there are no devices to slip or burn up, the internal mechanical parts are quite robust. Nevertheless, the warranty on these components usually lasts for one particular year from the date of purchase for the original owner.
The Briggs & Stratton Vanguard motor warranty
Most Pro-Drive units are usually powered by the Vanguard series associated with engines. Briggs & Stratton is quite generous using these since they are constructed for commercial use. Usually, you're searching at a three-year limited warranty on the motor itself.
This covers the internal areas of the engine, the combustion system, and the fuel system. In case you have a good EFI (Electronic Gas Injection) model and the computer potato chips out, or in case a valve spring snaps, you'd take the motor to a certified Briggs & Stratton Vanguard dealer. The excellent thing about this particular is that right now there are Vanguard dealers almost everywhere, therefore you don't necessarily have to deliver the whole motor back to Louisiana if the motor is the only part acting up.
What is NOT covered?
This is exactly where things can get a little sticky. When asking what is the warranty on a pro-drive motor , you need to appear at the exeptions. No warranty is a "blank check" for abuse.
- The Propeller: Propellers are regarded consumable parts. You're going to hit stones, you're going to grind them straight down in the fine sand, and you're going to eventually wear them out. Unless the prop literally shatters the first period you put it within the water expected to a sending your line flaw, don't expect a warranty state on it.
- Impact Damage: In case you hit a submerged log and bend the travel shaft or breeze a skeg, that is typically regarded as "operator error" or accidental damage. Some people think that because it's a mud motor, it need to be indestructible. It's tough, sure, yet physics always benefits.
- Insufficient Maintenance: If you never ever change the oil in the motor or else you never grease the bushings plus the unit seizes up, the warranty is likely void. Pro-Drive (and Briggs) expect you to do basic upkeep.
- Submersion: If you sink your own boat and the motor spends the night at the bottom of the lake, that's an insurance claim, not really a warranty state. Water ingestion straight into the engine is a quick way to void your insurance.
Is the warranty transferable?
Generally speaking, the Pro-Drive limited life time warranty on the frame is regarding the original owner only . If a person buy an used Pro-Drive from a guy on Fb Marketplace, you likely won't have that lifetime structural safety.
The engine warranty through Briggs & Stratton is often a bit more flexible and usually stays with the motor for the duration of the three-year period, regardless of who owns it, but you should always check the specific engine serial number with a dealer to be certain. In case you're buying used, it's a great idea to request for the authentic paperwork and see in the event that the previous proprietor ever registered the unit.
The importance of enrollment
You'd become surprised how several people buy a motor and forget to send in their own registration card or even fill out the online form. If you don't register the motor, proving when your "clock" started regarding the warranty could be a huge headache.
Once you get your Pro-Drive home, take 10 minutes to sign-up both the framework with Pro-Drive and the engine with Briggs & Stratton. It makes the process so very much smoother if a person ever have to call them up with a problem. They'll have got your serial quantity on file, plus you won't have to go looking for a faded invoice from three years ago.
Exactly why Pro-Drive's gear-driven system matters for warranty
One reason people often don't have to use their particular warranty with Pro-Drive is the gear-drive design. Unlike a few other brands that use long belts to transfer power from the motor to the prop, Pro-Drive uses a series of things.
Devices can stretch, snap, or slip whenever they get moist. Gears, so long as they will stay lubricated, are incredibly reliable. This particular design choice decreases the amount of "small" warranty claims that will plague other manufacturers. When you inquire what is the warranty on a pro-drive motor , it's also worth noting that the style itself is designed to keep you from needing that warranty in the first place.
Tips for keeping your warranty valid
If you want to make sure your claim is never denied, follow a few simple guidelines: * Keep a sign: Notice when you change the oil and when you grease the unit. * Use the right parts: Stick along with the recommended essential oil and genuine Pro-Drive props. * Don't "mod" it yet: We most want more hp, but if you put a performance kit on your Vanguard engine (like a different cam or modified exhaust) whilst it's still below warranty, you're probably going to void the engine coverage. Wait around until the 3 years are up before you begin hot-rodding it. * Pay attention to the motor: If you listen to a weird milling noise, don't maintain running it another month. Stop and get it checked out. Running a broken motor usually leads to "consequential damage, " which manufacturers are often reluctant in order to cover.
Wrap it all upward
At the end of the day, what is the warranty on a pro-drive motor comes lower to a "Lifetime" promise on the frame and a standard commercial-grade 3-year promise on the engine. It's among the better warranty setups in the industry, mostly because they stand behind the metalwork forever.
Just remember that a warranty isn't a replacement for being a smart boater. Treat the motor with a little bit of regard, retain it greased, and it'll likely outlive the boat it's hanging on. Yet if the most severe happens and a weld fails or even the EFI works up, you are able to rest easy understanding that Pro-Drive and Briggs & Stratton established systems to get a person back on the water.