Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) is now making waves in the competitive marine engine market. It’s been quite a process for IAL’s Industrial and Marine Engines division since it begun operations in 2008.
Over the past three years or so, the division has been working hard to break into the marine engine market, which is currently dominated by the industry’s key players. However the IAL venture has discovered a niche in the sector.
According to Industrial and Marine Engines Manager, Dean Whitford, the recent installation of two Isuzu Marine engines, based on the powerplants used in Isuzu’s heavy duty Giga truck range, marked the brand’s arrival in the Australian marine world. These engines are being used to power fishing boats.
The first of these engine is a 6WG1TCX that was purchased by Sam Steele through Brisbane-based distributor Zenith Engineering. This boat is set to commence its working life on Queensland’s sunshine coast based in Mooloolaba.
The second installation took place beneath the deck of the Arakiwa, a trawler owned by New South Wales fishing identity Paul Bagnato. He says he chose Isuzu over more established brands after careful consideration of all options.
“All my life I’ve dealt with CAT and Cummins and they’ve been good engines. But this Isuzu engine is just as good, in fact better, because of the amount of fuel I’m saving,” Mr Bagnato said.
“I couldn’t go past the price either, but beyond that it’s all about fuel consumption. When I went and saw Isuzu, their projections on fuel economy left me very comfortable.
“When I tested it myself, running with the heavy net, the Isuzu worked out to be saving me about four litres an hour.
“Over 30 hours, that’s 120 litres of fuel. Over a year that’s around $12,000 to $13,000. After four or five years the engine has paid for itself.
“While I’m saving four litres an hour, I also have more power. It saves me around 1.5 to 2 hours getting to and from my fishing grounds, which gives me extra time to spend trawling.
“Although I’d never use the Isuzu’s maximum power, it’s always good to know I have it. It’s like an extra muscle somewhere that’s put away, but if you ever need it, the power is there. And that’s a big thing.”
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