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Thruster buying guide

VETUS vs Quick Bow Thrusters

VETUS and Quick both make brushless proportional thrusters, so it depends on your boat. VETUS leads on brushless proportional units for 110 and 125 mm tunnels, ignition protection for spaces with petrol engines, tanks or fuel lines (on/off models, not BOW PRO; Quick lists none) and published Honda (Ultraflex) and Suzuki DF300BMD/DF350AMD joystick integrations. Quick leads on retractables and Volvo Penta and MerCruiser sterndrive joysticks.

Get a VETUS thruster quote(03) 5973 6444

Where VETUS has the edge over Quick

Brushless proportional from 110 mm

Every BOW PRO is brushless, with no carbon brushes to wear or service, and fully proportional, so you can ease the bow across rather than only switch it on and off. On paper, BOW PRO comes in all six of Quick's BTQ tunnel sizes, starting at 30 kgf (kilograms of force, the thrust rating) at 12 V in 110 mm, and we check your actual tunnel before we quote. Quick's brushless BT QSY starts at 50 kgf at 12 V in a 140 mm tunnel, and for its brushed BTQ, Quick documents proportional control through the add-on MSC speed changer.

Ignition protection in petrol spaces

If the thruster will sit in a space with petrol engines, tanks or fuel lines, VETUS makes an ignition-protected DC range from 25 to 160 kgf. These are on/off brushed units, not BOW PRO, and VETUS's Declaration of Conformity for the BOW55, BOW75 and BOW95 DI series cites ISO 8846. Quick's thruster manuals say they are not suitable for installation in potentially explosive atmospheres, and Quick lists no ignition-protected (ISO 8846) thruster.

Outboard joystick integration

BOW PRO integrates with Honda outboards with Ultraflex controls, Suzuki's DF300BMD and DF350AMD, and Yamaha Helm Master EX (Yamaha's upgraded controls; Yamaha says new boats only, fitted by the boat builder). Quick names Mercury, Volvo Penta and Xenta integrations, and publishes no Yamaha, Honda or Suzuki integration. Not every joystick system from these engine makers is covered, so we confirm your system before we quote.

Support here in Victoria

Luxfords is in Mornington, so you can talk sizing through with someone local. Under VETUS's warranty policy, claims go through the supplier you bought from, so for a thruster we supply, the claim starts here.

Our verdict

VETUS and Quick both make brushless, proportional DC thrusters, so the right choice depends on your boat's tunnel, engines and fuel system. VETUS has the edge on brushless proportional thrusters for small 110 and 125 mm tunnels, brushless thrust in a 185 mm tunnel, an on/off ignition-protected DC range for spaces with petrol engines, tanks or fuel lines (Quick lists no ignition-protected thruster), and published joystick integrations for more outboard brands. Quick has the edge on retractables (VETUS's retractable BOW PRO is still coming soon, and its 2026-2027 catalogue lists no other retractable), Volvo Penta and MerCruiser sterndrive joysticks, brushless thrust in 140, 250 and 300 mm tunnels, and AC and hydraulic thrusters for large yachts. Luxfords Marine is the authorised Victorian VETUS distributor, so you can talk through sizing with us in Mornington.

VETUS and Quick side by side

Published figures from each maker, labelled where they come from an Australian distributor or another company. Where a maker does not publish a figure, the table says so rather than guessing, and a tick marks whichever side has the published edge - including when that is Quick.

Manufacturer

VETUS

VETUS (Netherlands). VETUS's Australian company is VETUS-Maxwell Pty Ltd, Capalaba QLD

Quick

Quick S.p.A. (Italy), whose thrusters carry the Quick Nautical Equipment (QNE) name, and which says it designs, produces, assembles and tests its products at its Italian headquarters

Support in Victoria

VETUS

Luxfords Marine is the authorised Victorian VETUS distributor, based in Mornington and listed as a VETUS Center on VETUS's own dealer locator. Under VETUS's warranty policy, claims go through the supplier you bought from

Quick

Quick's dealer locator lists Harrold Marine Wholesale, Brisbane, as its thruster distributor for NT, QLD, NSW, VIC and SA (sales and assistance), with a separate distributor for WA. It shows no Victorian location

Electric DC thrust range

VETUS

BOW PRO brushless: 30 to 420 kgf at 12, 24 or 48 V, more than 20 models. Brushed DC: 25 to 285 kgf. Ignition-protected DC: 25 to 160 kgf at 12 or 24 V. RIMDRIVE RD160: 160 kgf at 48 V

Quick

BTQ brushed: 25 to 300 kgf at 12, 24 or 48 V. BT QSY brushless: 50 to 350 kgf at 12, 24 or 48 V, twelve models. BT DC-AC: 105 to 300 kgf at 24 or 48 V

Quick's September 2026 brochure gives BTQ thrust at nominal power and footnotes it as a maximum value; its BT QSY table carries no such footnote. VETUS's catalogue says its brushed DC and ignition-protected thrusters are rated at a battery voltage of 10.5 or 21 V, allowing for voltage drop, and lists BOW PRO thrust at 12, 24 or 48 V. The makers publish no common test basis, so treat close figures as close.

Proportional control

VETUS

Every BOW PRO is fully proportional as standard through its built-in motor controller, and the RIMDRIVE is proportional as standard too; both run over V-CAN from VETUS panels, a VETUS joystick or a supported engine joystick. VETUS's brushed DC and ignition-protected models are on/off

Quick

BT QSY is headlined as proportional, and is also sold as on/off models for TCD panels. Quick lists proportional control as standard on BT DC-AC (105 to 300 kgf). For brushed BTQ, Quick documents proportional control through the add-on MSC motor speed changer with Pacific, PAJ MSC or PCS controls

Like for like, BOW PRO lines up with Quick's BT QSY: both brushless, both proportional. On brushed thrusters it runs the other way: Quick documents a proportional route for BTQ through the add-on MSC, while VETUS's brushed DC and ignition-protected ranges are on/off.

Smallest proportional brushless model

VETUS

BOWA0301: 30 kgf in a 110 mm tunnel at 12 V, with a 48 V version (BOWA0304). Next steps are 36 and 42 kgf in 125 mm and 40 kgf in 140 mm

Quick

BT QSY 140-50: 50 kgf in a 140 mm tunnel at 12 V. Quick's other brushless range, BT DC-AC, starts at 105 kgf in 185 mm

Most brushless thrust per shared tunnel size

VETUS

BOW PRO: 40 kgf in 140 mm (12 V); 130 kgf in 185 mm (BOWB130, 24 V bank); 210 kgf in 250 mm (BOWB210, 48 V bank); 320 kgf in 300 mm (BOWB320, 48 V bank)

Quick

BT QSY: 50 kgf in 140 mm (12 V); 100 kgf in 185 mm (24 V); 250 kgf in 250 mm (48 V); 350 kgf in 300 mm (48 V). Quick's brushless BT DC-AC 185 gives 105 kgf in 185 mm (24 V)

Quick lists more brushless thrust in the 140, 250 and 300 mm tunnels, and VETUS in the 185 mm tunnel. VETUS lists BOW PRO thrust at the 12, 24 or 48 V shown, and Quick's brochure gives BT QSY thrust with no rating-basis footnote, so treat close figures as close. BOW PRO also comes in 110, 125, 150 and 400 mm tunnels (up to 420 kgf in 400 mm), and BT QSY in a 215 mm tunnel (up to 140 kgf).

Motor technology

VETUS

BOW PRO: brushless, with no carbon brushes to inspect. RIMDRIVE: gearless permanent-magnet rim motor. Brushed DC and ignition-protected DC: series-wound brushed motors

Quick

BTQ: brushed DC. BT QSY: brushless permanent-magnet synchronous motor with an integrated driver. BT DC-AC: brushless three-phase asynchronous motor with a separate controller mounted nearby

Published run time

VETUS

BOW PRO: 6 or 10 minutes at full power depending on model, after which power may be reduced; run time is longer at lower settings. RIMDRIVE RD160: VETUS's catalogue says run time is only limited by the supply bank. Brushed DC: 2 to 4 minutes, continuous or combined in one hour, per VETUS's catalogue; VETUS's BPSR, BPJR, BPAS and BPAJ DC panels switch the thruster off after more than 2 minutes' continuous running, with a warning, and it can be restarted once the switch is released and the panel's light stops flashing, about 5 seconds later

Quick

BT QSY: Quick claims 10 minutes of continuous operation in standard environmental conditions, without stating a power level. Quick's TCD 2022/2042 on/off controls disable the thruster after about 5 min 40 s of continuous use, then lock it out for 20 minutes. Quick publishes no minutes figure for BTQ itself

Quick's 10-minute claim for its QSY thrusters, from its product pages, states no power level, while VETUS rates BOW PRO in maximum minutes per hour at full power, so the two figures aren't on the same basis. Neither is a continuous-duty rating: Quick's thruster manuals, including the QSY manual, say the thrusters are not designed for continuous use. For its type 2 panels (BPSE2, BPJE2, BPJDE2 and EZDOCK2), VETUS's catalogue mentions a warning LED and buzzer after 2 minutes of continuous running, and their current user manual says they switch the motor off in the same way.

Ignition protection (ISO 8846)

VETUS

Ignition-protected DC range, 25 to 160 kgf at 12 or 24 V. VETUS says the housing enables ISO 8846 compliance, and its EU Declaration of Conformity for the BOW55, BOW75 and BOW95 DI series cites ISO 8846. These are on/off brushed units; BOW PRO is not ignition protected

Quick

Quick's thruster manuals say they are not suitable for installation in potentially explosive atmospheres, and Quick lists no ignition-protected (ISO 8846) thruster

VETUS says a thruster in a compartment with a petrol engine, tank or fuel line, or propane storage must be ignition protected, and lists outboard engines and their fuel tanks, and PWCs, among the spaces its ignition-protected thrusters are made for.

Tunnel sizes

VETUS

110, 125, 140, 150, 185, 250, 300 and 400 mm internal diameter, in GRP, steel or aluminium depending on size

Quick

BTQ: 110, 125, 140, 185, 250 and 300 mm. BT QSY: 140, 185, 215, 250 and 300 mm. AC and hydraulic ranges go up to 610 and 513 mm

Sizes in common: 110, 125, 140, 185, 250 and 300 mm. VETUS says BOW PRO was made to share tunnel sizes with current VETUS thrusters as well as many other brands; it does not name the brands, and neither maker publishes a brand-by-brand fit list.

Stern and transom mounting

VETUS

External transom stern tunnels in 110, 125, 150, 185, 250 and 300 mm, plus a 250 mm tunnel for RIMDRIVE, and SDKIT extension shells for 125 to 300 mm tunnels

Quick

Stern tunnel kits in 140, 185, 250, 300, 386 and 513 mm (BMC up to 300 mm, GRP above), with optional stern-tunnel cowls for 140 to 386 mm, and dedicated stern versions of the BTQ 110, 125 and 140

Retractable thrusters

VETUS

Retractable BOW PRO, 57 to 90 kgf at 12 or 24 V, is listed as coming soon with no release date published, and VETUS's 2026-2027 catalogue lists no other retractable

Quick

Listed in Quick's current range in three families: BTR (30 to 300 kgf, 140 to 300 mm), BTR QSY synchronous and proportional, and BTRH hydraulic

AC and hydraulic thrusters

VETUS

Seven hydraulic models, 55 to 550 kgf, driven from the propulsion engine or a generator, with on/off, two-stage or proportional control. VETUS's catalogue lists no mains-AC thruster range

Quick

BTAC AC range, 200 to 1400 kgf at 400/690 V in tunnels up to 610 mm. BTH hydraulic range, 85 to 1000 kgf in tunnels up to 513 mm

Outboard joystick integration

VETUS

BOW PRO integrates with Yamaha Helm Master EX (Yamaha's upgraded controls; Yamaha says new boats only, fitted by the boat builder), Mercury Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) on Verado, with Mercury's integration kit, Honda outboards with Ultraflex controls, and Suzuki DF300BMD and DF350AMD. Hardware varies by system: a VETUS CANverter gateway (NMEA 2000 or J1939) or the engine or control maker's own kit

Quick

Mercury Joystick Piloting on listed Mercury outboards (V8, V10 and V12 Verado, L6 350/400 and 400R to 500R). Quick also names Xenta among the systems its Pacific controls integrate with, and says its QCentric platform connects to third-party manoeuvring systems through NMEA 2000 and dedicated gateways. Quick publishes no Yamaha, Honda or Suzuki integration

BOW PRO integrates with Yamaha Helm Master EX, and VETUS says it needs Yamaha's upgraded Helm Master EX controls. Yamaha says its integrated variable-speed bow thruster control is only available through boat-builder installation on new boats (Yamaha rigging bulletin, January 2024, repeated in Yamaha's February 2026 update). If your boat already has Helm Master EX, we can't promise that a BOW PRO fitted now will work through the Yamaha joystick. It would run from its own VETUS panel or joystick, and we check with Yamaha before you commit. Not every joystick system from these engine makers is covered, so we confirm your system before we quote.

Inboard and sterndrive joystick integration

VETUS

Yanmar JC20A and JC30 inboard joysticks (twin shaft-drive installations), and, on vetus.com, Cummins inboards with Glendinning joystick control. VETUS publishes no Volvo Penta integration

Quick

Volvo Penta Assisted Docking on Aquamatic DPI and IPS, and Joystick Docking on single-engine DPI, from Volvo EVC2.0 release 25W49. Mercury Joystick Piloting on listed MerCruiser sterndrives (4.5L V6, 6.2L V8, 8.2L V8) and the 3.0L Mercury Diesel

Quick's engine integrations cover BT QSY and BTQ with MSC, through its PCS system with the NCG-T gateway or, on its Pacific controls, a Q NCG gateway for Mercury or Volvo Penta.

24 V thruster on a 12 V boat

VETUS

BOW PRO Boosted has a built-in DC-to-DC charger: BOWB057 to BOWB150 charge their 24 V thruster bank from a 12 V supply, and BOWB180 and up charge a 48 V bank from 24 V. As standard, the charger is only suitable for lead-acid batteries. The 48 V BOW28548D comes with a series/parallel switch for a 24 V bank

Quick

The PSS24/PSS48 parallel-series switch adds a battery group so a 24 or 48 V thruster can run on a 12 or 24 V boat. The BT DC-AC 185 and 250 are also offered with a booster for 12 V systems

Warranty

VETUS

3 years for a private owner's strictly recreational use (not a company), thrusters included. 12 months for professional use, with written approval from VETUS or its dealer beforehand. Wear parts such as brushes and anodes excluded; no registration step

Quick

A minimum of 3 years from the date of purchase "at zero duty (work) hours", covering manufacturing faults, for all Quick articles, under Quick's Conditions of Warranty (published on Quick USA's store). Quick's catalogue states 3 years for thrusters. No separate commercial-use term and no registration step are published

VETUS's claims go through the supplier you bought from. VETUS voids a claim where required maintenance wasn't done by an authorised VETUS dealer or the installation was faulty, and excludes consequential costs such as transport, labour and lifting. The remaining warranty transfers to a new owner. Quick's conditions cover the replacement parts needed and the related labour, with the buyer paying removal and reinstallation, transport and travel costs. They exclude incorrect or improper installation, maintenance by personnel Quick hasn't authorised, non-original spare parts and damage from uses other than those Quick prescribes, and Quick's thruster manuals say bypassing the run-time protections voids the warranty. For a privately owned boat in recreational use, each maker gives 3 years. VETUS's 3-year term doesn't cover a company-owned boat, and Quick's published conditions set no separate commercial-use term, so if a company owns the boat or it works commercially, confirm cover in writing before relying on it.

Figures come from each maker's current catalogue, manuals, product pages and dealer listings, checked September 2026; joystick scope also draws on Yamaha, Yanmar and Mercury material, labelled in the sources. Quick's warranty terms are its Conditions of Warranty as published on Quick USA's store. Where a maker doesn't publish a figure, the table says so rather than estimating. Whatever a manufacturer's warranty says, Australian Consumer Law guarantees also apply and can't be excluded - and for goods under $100,000 they cover business buyers too.

Replacing a Quick thruster

  • First check where the thruster sits. VETUS says a thruster in a compartment with a petrol engine, tank or fuel line, or propane storage must be ignition protected, and lists outboard engines and their fuel tanks, and PWCs, among the spaces its ignition-protected thrusters are made for. BOW PRO isn't ignition protected, so in one of those spaces the replacement is one of VETUS's on/off ignition-protected DC thrusters (25 to 160 kgf, 12 or 24 V), and we match it to the compartment before we quote.
  • Tunnel sizes match on paper: Quick's BTQ uses 110, 125, 140, 185, 250 and 300 mm tunnels, and BOW PRO comes in all six. VETUS says BOW PRO was made to share tunnel sizes with current VETUS thrusters as well as many other brands, and vetus.com says it fits existing tunnels with minimal modifications, but neither maker publishes a brand-by-brand fit list.
  • Quick's BT QSY also comes in a 215 mm tunnel, announced in September 2026, and VETUS's catalogue lists no 215 mm thruster, so check the tunnel size before assuming a straight swap.
  • Measure the tunnel's actual internal diameter (both makers quote tunnel sizes as internal diameter), its wall thickness and length, and the space inside the hull above it. Quick specifies wall thickness per tunnel size (4.5 to 6.5 mm for 140 and 185 mm, for example) and the VETUS unit has to suit the tunnel that's there, so a matching diameter alone doesn't prove a fit; we check it before quoting.
  • Check the battery bank and voltage. BOW PRO BOWA 12 V models run straight off a 12 V bank, up to 76 kgf in a 185 mm tunnel. For more thrust, BOW PRO Boosted runs its own 24 V thruster bank (48 V from BOWB180 up), and models from 57 to 150 kgf charge it from the boat's 12 V supply; VETUS says that, as standard, the charger is only suitable for lead-acid batteries, and it publishes no lithium setting, so tell us if you run lithium. VETUS publishes a minimum battery capacity for every BOW PRO model, and more capacity gives longer run time.
  • Expect a new helm control. BOW PRO runs on VETUS's V-CAN network from a VETUS panel (75 mm round cut-out, 76 mm for the double panel), a VETUS joystick or a supported engine joystick, and neither maker publishes compatibility with the other's control panels.
  • Check any engine-joystick link before you switch. VETUS publishes no Volvo Penta integration, and its Mercury integration is for Verado outboards, so a thruster now run from a Volvo Penta or MerCruiser sterndrive joystick would run from its own VETUS panel or joystick instead. BOW PRO integrates with Mercury Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) on Mercury Verado outboards. VETUS says this covers all BOW PRO models on single or multi-engine Verado boats, using a bow thruster integration kit from Mercury, and VETUS's Mercury flyer adds that Mercury's next-generation Digital Throttle & Shift controls are required. Mercury's current joystick pages name no thruster brands, so we confirm your engines and controls with a Mercury dealer before you commit.
  • On Honda outboards with Ultraflex controls and Suzuki DF300BMD and DF350AMD it's the other way round: VETUS publishes a BOW PRO integration and Quick publishes none. Yamaha is different: BOW PRO integrates with Yamaha Helm Master EX (Yamaha's upgraded controls; Yamaha says new boats only, fitted by the boat builder). If your boat already has Helm Master EX, we can't promise that a BOW PRO fitted now will work through the Yamaha joystick. It would run from its own VETUS panel or joystick, and we check with Yamaha before you commit.
  • Send us the Quick model, tunnel diameter and photos of the installation. We confirm fit, controls and battery set-up before we quote, and we won't promise a drop-in swap sight unseen.
Size your thruster →Tunnels, batteries and installation →
VETUS thruster tunnel - BOW PRO shares tunnel sizes with many other brands, according to VETUS

When VETUS is the right call

  • Your boat has petrol engines, tanks or fuel lines near where the thruster will go. VETUS's on/off ignition-protected DC range (BOW PRO is not ignition protected) runs from 25 to 160 kgf at 12 and 24 V, while Quick's thruster manuals say they are not suitable for installation in potentially explosive atmospheres, and Quick lists no ignition-protected (ISO 8846) thruster.
  • You run Honda outboards with Ultraflex controls or Suzuki DF300BMD or DF350AMD outboards, or you're having a new boat built with Yamaha Helm Master EX (Yamaha's upgraded controls; Yamaha says new boats only, fitted by the boat builder), and want the thruster on the engine joystick. VETUS publishes BOW PRO integrations for these; Quick names Mercury, Volvo Penta and Xenta integrations and publishes no Yamaha, Honda or Suzuki integration.
  • You want a brushless proportional thruster in a 110 or 125 mm tunnel. BOW PRO starts at 30 kgf at 12 V in 110 mm (36 and 42 kgf in 125 mm), where Quick's brushless BT QSY starts at 50 kgf at 12 V in a 140 mm tunnel; for its brushed BTQ, Quick documents proportional control through the add-on MSC.
  • You want the most brushless thrust from a 185 mm tunnel. The BOW PRO Boosted BOWB130 gives 130 kgf on a 24 V bank, where Quick's largest brushless models for that tunnel are the BT QSY 185-100 (100 kgf) and BT DC-AC 185 (105 kgf), both at 24 V.
  • You want a bigger 24 V thruster on a 12 V boat with the charger built into the thruster. BOW PRO Boosted models from 57 to 150 kgf charge their own 24 V bank from the boat's 12 V supply through a third connection on the thruster; as standard, the charger is only suitable for lead-acid batteries.
  • You want to talk sizing through in person, here in Victoria. Luxfords Marine is the authorised Victorian VETUS distributor, in Mornington; Quick's dealer locator lists its thruster distributor for Victoria in Brisbane.

When Quick is the right call

  • You want a retractable thruster, proportional or on/off. Quick lists BTR QSY synchronous and proportional retractables, alongside brushed BTR and hydraulic BTRH, in its current range, while VETUS's retractable BOW PRO is still listed as coming soon and VETUS's 2026-2027 catalogue lists no other retractable.
  • Your boat runs a Volvo Penta DPI or IPS, or a MerCruiser sterndrive with Mercury Joystick Piloting, and you want the thruster on the engine joystick. Quick publishes both integrations, through its PCS NCG-T gateway or, on its Pacific controls, a Q NCG gateway (Volvo needs its THCM thruster control module and EVC2.0 software from release 25W49; older boats need a Volvo software update). VETUS publishes no Volvo Penta integration, and its Mercury integration is for Verado outboards.
  • You're specifying a large yacht. Quick's BTAC AC range runs to 1400 kgf and its BTH hydraulic range to 1000 kgf, beyond VETUS's largest, a 550 kgf hydraulic model.
  • You want the most brushless thrust from an existing 140, 250 or 300 mm tunnel, or your boat has a 215 mm tunnel. Quick lists BT QSY models of 50 kgf (140 mm, 12 V), 250 kgf (250 mm, 48 V) and 350 kgf (300 mm, 48 V), where VETUS's largest BOW PRO models for those tunnels are 40 kgf (12 V), 210 kgf (48 V bank) and 320 kgf (48 V bank), and its BT QSY 215-120 and 215-140 suit a 215 mm tunnel, a size VETUS's catalogue doesn't list.
  • You want proportional control on a brushed thruster. Quick documents it for its brushed BTQ through the add-on MSC motor speed changer with Pacific, PAJ MSC or PCS controls, while VETUS's brushed DC and ignition-protected thrusters are on/off and its proportional models are the brushless BOW PRO and RIMDRIVE.

VETUS vs Quick: common questions

Can I replace a Quick bow thruster with a VETUS?

It can be, and the tunnel is the place to start. Quick's BTQ tunnels (110, 125, 140, 185, 250 and 300 mm) are all sizes BOW PRO comes in, and VETUS says BOW PRO was made to share tunnel sizes with many other brands, though neither maker publishes a brand-by-brand fit list. What decides it is the tunnel's internal diameter, wall thickness and length, the space inside the hull, your battery bank and voltage, and any engine-joystick link. Expect a new helm control too: BOW PRO runs from a VETUS panel or joystick, or a supported engine joystick, and neither maker publishes compatibility with the other's control panels. Send us the Quick model and tunnel size and we'll confirm the fit before we quote.

Are Quick thrusters ignition protected?

Quick's thruster manuals say they are not suitable for installation in potentially explosive atmospheres, and Quick lists no ignition-protected (ISO 8846) thruster. VETUS makes an ignition-protected DC range from 25 to 160 kgf at 12 and 24 V, and its Declaration of Conformity for the BOW55, BOW75 and BOW95 DI series cites ISO 8846. These are on/off brushed units, and VETUS's proportional BOW PRO is not ignition protected. VETUS says a thruster in a compartment with a petrol engine, tank or fuel line, or propane storage must be ignition protected, and lists outboard engines and their fuel tanks, and PWCs, among the spaces its ignition-protected thrusters are made for, so on a petrol boat the right choice depends on where the thruster sits.

Is VETUS or Quick the better bow thruster?

It depends on the boat. Like for like, VETUS BOW PRO and Quick BT QSY are both brushless and proportional. BOW PRO also comes in 110 and 125 mm tunnels and, at matching voltages, lists more brushless thrust in 185 mm; BT QSY lists more in 140, 250 and 300 mm and also comes in 215 mm. For joystick docking, BOW PRO integrates with Honda outboards with Ultraflex controls, Suzuki DF300BMD and DF350AMD, and Yamaha Helm Master EX (Yamaha's upgraded controls; Yamaha says new boats only, fitted by the boat builder), integrations Quick doesn't publish; Quick names Mercury (outboards and MerCruiser sterndrives), Volvo Penta and Xenta. Quick also lists retractables in its current range (VETUS's retractable BOW PRO is still coming soon, and its 2026-2027 catalogue lists no other retractable) and AC and hydraulic thrusters well beyond VETUS's largest. Quick claims 10 minutes of continuous operation for QSY without stating a power level; VETUS rates BOW PRO at 6 or 10 minutes at full power, depending on model. Near petrol engines, tanks or fuel lines, VETUS makes an on/off ignition-protected DC range and Quick lists no ignition-protected thruster.

VETUS or Quick for a 12 V boat?

Both makers have 12 V options. VETUS's BOW PRO BOWA 12 V models run straight off a 12 V bank, brushless and proportional, from 30 kgf in a 110 mm tunnel to 76 kgf in 185 mm. For more thrust, BOW PRO Boosted models from 57 to 150 kgf run their own 24 V bank and charge it from your 12 V supply through a built-in charger, which VETUS says is, as standard, only suitable for lead-acid batteries. Quick lists BT QSY models at 12, 24 or 48 V depending on model, from the 12 V BT QSY 140-50 (50 kgf, 140 mm), and its QSY page lists the BT QSY 185-85 (85 kgf) for 12 or 24 V. For its 24 and 48 V thrusters Quick offers the PSS parallel-series switch, which adds a battery group, and the BT DC-AC 185 and 250 are also offered with a booster for 12 V systems.

What warranty do VETUS and Quick thrusters carry?

VETUS: 3 years for a private owner's strictly recreational use (not a company), thrusters included. 12 months for professional use, with written approval from VETUS or its dealer beforehand. Wear parts such as brushes and anodes excluded; no registration step. Quick's Conditions of Warranty give a minimum of 3 years from purchase for all Quick articles, and its catalogue states 3 years for thrusters. For a privately owned boat in recreational use, each maker gives 3 years. VETUS's 3-year term doesn't cover a company-owned boat, and Quick's published conditions set no separate commercial-use term, so if a company owns the boat or it works commercially, confirm cover in writing. Each maker sets its own claim conditions and exclusions, and Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply on top of either.

Who supports Quick thrusters in Victoria?

Quick's dealer locator lists Harrold Marine Wholesale in Brisbane as its thruster distributor for Victoria, along with NT, QLD, NSW and SA, offering sales and assistance, and it shows no Victorian location; for parts or assistance with an existing Quick unit, that's the contact Quick lists. Luxfords Marine is the authorised Victorian VETUS distributor, based in Mornington, and under VETUS's warranty policy claims go through the supplier you bought from. If you're replacing a Quick unit, send us the model and tunnel size and we'll size a VETUS replacement.

Weighing up VETUS and Quick?

Tell us the boat, where you berth it and, if you're replacing a Quick unit, its model and tunnel diameter. We'll size the VETUS thruster properly and quote the complete kit. Luxfords Marine is the authorised Victorian VETUS distributor.

Luxfords Marine is the authorised Victorian Vetus distributor — we confirm thrust sizing, specify the battery bank and cabling, and supply everything from the tunnel to the control panel.

(03) 5973 6444

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Sources

VETUS vs Side-Power (Sleipner) Thrusters→VETUS vs Lewmar Bow Thrusters→VETUS vs Max Power Bow Thrusters→All thruster brand comparisons →BOW PRO vs DC thrusters →Joystick docking →The VETUS thruster range

Quick and Quick Nautical Equipment are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to identify the products being compared. Luxfords is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Quick S.p.A.. Other brand names mentioned, such as engine and joystick makers, are trademarks of their respective owners.