Hello all, I'm going to be in the market for a 150 class engine after the upcoming Toledo show. I have never owned a 3W or DA engine and I'm trying to learn as much about them as I can to make an educated purchase. Without starting a Ford vs. Chevy debate I’d love to hear about everyone’s (good or bad) experience with either 150 class engine or both. The factors I’m considering the most are reliability, longevity & customer support if I do have a problem or need service work done. I may be wrong (feel free to correct me if I am) but I’m thinking the power difference between the two is going to be nominal so I wasn’t even factoring that into the equation. Anyway thanks again for your time and I’ll be looking forward to reading your responses.


Txdivebomber

What airframe and how heavy...

this is VERY subjective...

but I'm a DA guy... it has plenty of power.. is VERY reliable, and the support absolutely can not be beat....

It will be in a 40% lanier Edge 540T which I'm guessing is going weigh around 40lb RTF

My Carden is 40lbs and the 150 pulls it just fine.....

i have a 3W-150 and it has treated me well for the 5 years i have had it. i also am in need of another 150 for my H-9 Ultimate. I will be trying the DA for this project.

Pick one. The 3w weighs a little more but in this size of a plane, who cares. I'm not going to get into the "which is better" conflict.

I know what you mean about "which is better" conflict. I'm not trying to spark a brand loyalty debate. However I'll be pumping 6 to 10 gallons of fuel through this engine a week in the late spring all the way to mid December. I want to make sure that which ever engine I choose is going to hold up to that. I also want to make sure that engine is going to hold up to that heavy use for more than just one season. I will say this I've heard nothing but good things about both engines and my choice may hinge on customer support only. At this point in time I'm just trying to learn from others experiences with the engines and the company’s who sell/service them. Since this will be the most I've ever paid for an engine I just want to make sure I get all my ducks in a row so to speak.


Txdivebomber

It's hard to beat the customer support either side. You being closer to Arizona than you are to AI could have an impact but neither one should require much in the way of service unless you over heat one. AI tends to be faster on the service side than Cactus but both try hard to get them done quickly. DA can't be faulted anywhere in the way of service. The 3W would provide a bit more torque but how much do you really need? The next issue comes up where DA has a 150 but 3w has a 150 and 157, with the 157 available with twin spark.

If it was me I would be looking at the 157TS, but money hits the table here. In a 40% plane the second ignition is an insignificant weight factor and assures that the plane lands under power when an ignition unit decides it wants to take the rest of the day off.

Personally I believe you are down to an end price ready to run to make the determination. Both are excellent choices.

I am just starting a Lanier 40% Edge kit. I am looking into a 170 size engine. From what I have read it should come out 40-42lbs and a little tail heavy. Is a 150 going to have plenty of power if she comes out 42# ??

I have 3W engines im my two 3-meter 3W Votecs. One 157CSTS and one 170CS. The weight and size of them are the same, and simailar to all 150-class engines. (DA a little lighter)
My favorite is the 170. It gives me 115lb of static thrust with a 29x12 three-blader carbon. That is 21,7HP. 3W says 19,5HP on their homepage. Very satisfied with this engine. The 157 gives me 18,6HP wiht same prop. (3W: 20HP)

The DA 150 is also good. Lighter but a little less power. DA has also more reliable ignitions and better service.
I will not switch to DA anyway. I love power.

Thanks everyone for your input. I've yet to decided but at least now I'm more informed.

Txdivebomber

For those that have concerns with a 3w ignition, CH makes a replacement that works out extremely well. That wipes out any ignition factors between DA and 3w, and leave the engines themselves as the deciding factor. Of interest is that the 3w 170 costs less than the 157ts.