Have you ever shopped for boat supplies and been confused by the differences between “Genuine,” “Original Equipment Manufacturers,” and “Quality Replacement” spare parts?
Original spare parts:
Genuine spare parts are those purchased from the same manufacturer or brand from whom your equipment was purchased. Remember that whether it’s for a vehicle, an industrial machine, or marine engine parts, these manufacturers seldom, if ever, create everything themselves. These are purchased from other manufacturers that specialize in certain subcomponents.
Therefore, if you want to be absolutely sure that the component you are purchasing is going to work in your piece of equipment, it is advisable to get the real thing, even if it means paying a significant premium above the price of an OEM equivalent.
Genuine parts purchased directly from the manufacturer or an authorized distributor and bearing the manufacturer’s or distributor’s brand on the packaging or the item itself may provide peace of mind at a little higher cost.
Genuine marine spare parts, on the other hand, may not be superior to OEM or reliable replacements. Using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) components increases the longevity of your equipment since the parts are regularly updated and improved.
There are certain components that are best purchased directly from the OEM, since these are the ones used in the production of the original equipment.
OEM spare components:
OEM replacements are manufactured and sold directly by the company that originally designed and built the product. The OEM manufacturers provide the brand/maker that originally sold you the equipment you are presently repairing.
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) components are manufactured to the same exacting standards as the rest of your machine. The only real distinction is that it is not branded with the Equipment Maker logo and a unique component number. To put it another way, they are identical to “Genuine components,” but more cost-effective.
There is a possibility that an OEM component, as opposed to one purchased directly from the equipment manufacturer, is not an exact match for the original. Buying a Genuine replacement item may save the hassle of having to manually adjust settings and configurations for non-genuine electrical and control components.
However, if you know where to go and have enough knowledge, you may discover what you need from a marine parts supplier. When it comes to simple, essential replacement components, you should always go with the OEM.
Quality Replacement Parts:
Once a piece of machinery is developed, a plethora of firms will rush to produce accessories for it. A QRP may not look exactly like the Genuine or OEM component, but it will still fulfill the job for which the equipment was designed.
Despite the danger, QRPs are widely used in the market for various sorts of parts since purchasing Genuine or even OEM may be prohibitively costly, particularly for often replaced items.
QRPs aren’t always the worst quality, though. Equipment retailers often choose inferior QRP manufacturers despite the fact that there are many superior alternatives. It’s possible that the oil filter you put in your Toyota after purchasing it from the dealership is of lower quality than the one you’d get at a local marine spare parts supplier.
We recommend that when purchasing QRPs, you do it only from reputable sellers who are willing to stand behind their product in some way.