What is your opinion; what is the best boat outboard engine brand?

@AnnexF

Жыл бұрын

I owned both engines. Let's be real, Yamaha is the better engine. Mercury always ends up in the shop.

@terrancestodolka4829

Жыл бұрын

Great video on the pro and cons of different manufacturers of boat engines and along of where you still have good access to where they work on them...

@boatinglessons

Жыл бұрын

@@terrancestodolka4829 We appreciate your kind words 🙂

@JR-ho5qm

Жыл бұрын

Evinrude G2 powerful, great fuel mileage, low maintenance, good looking! Fantastic warranty

@genegornick5034

Жыл бұрын

Evinrude out of buisness

I purchased a Yamaha 3 hp Malta outboard 29 years ago , it’s been underwater in the sea twice . It still runs as it did new ,

I have that same 1980s knee board hanging on the wall. Still use it to this day. I pull it with my Yamaha 40 hp, which has been super reliable. Great video.

Interesting thing about Mercury. The small, up to 40hp outboards, are Tohatsu outboards with Merc hookups, Merc cowlings, and phantom black paint.

@tomsreviews238

Жыл бұрын

Tohatsu is a solid commercial grade outboard.

@csrboltfan2643

Жыл бұрын

This is not news.

@FirstnameLastname-vy2dg

3 ай бұрын

@@csrboltfan2643it was to me bolt

Been running an F225 in UK for 15 years with nothing more than routine maintenance. Never missed a beat. That builds brand loyalty

Another excellent video. Thanks

I’ve owned both and they were both excellent motors.

I think it’s kind of like vehicles…….people are loyal to a brand until it gives them problems……then they may switch to another brand. I’ve never had any issues with Yamaha

@Warben86

Жыл бұрын

Additionally, max hp per cc is also true. Dont just aim for the higher hp range for a certain cc do prolong the service life of the outboard

Thanks for providing something along the lines of facts from your operations.

great video we just liked and subscribed

That see your slipway for the brand most used and nearby dealer preferred brand is spot on

Great, informative video. One significant difference between Yamaha & Mercury in a (30HP) outboard is the massive weight difference. I recently outfitted a 16" SIB and went with the Mercury 30ELHPT over Yamaha's F30LEHA, due to the the Mercury being 78 lbs. lighter. For my purposes (outfitting a lightweight boat,) it was a no-brainer. Yamaha uses the 40HP head and "depowers" it to 30HP. Also, Mercury recently switched to a resin manifold, making for an even lighter powerplant.

@owenkilcullen1955

Жыл бұрын

Mercury also weights their engines dry. Make sure to take that into account especially with larger engines

@melonboi186

11 ай бұрын

No mercury is not lightweight, they are the kinds of idiots who put V8s in 175hp engines v10s in 300hp and v12 in 600hp yamaha knows what they are doing. I love mercury but these new mercury outboards are ridiculous. No wonder no one wants them they suck. Yamaha knows what they are doing the put a V8 in 450HP and V6 In 300HP they know what they are doing

No one has even taken delivery of the new v10 400 Mercury so we don’t know how that will perform long term yet.

Mercury v8 in 3 years have a 16000 hours in police department Puerto Rico

Does the Mercury v6 range have annodes in the block?

Great video! And I agree on almost everything you said. One point though. You state the I4 200 yamaha is lighter then the V6 200 Mercury. It's not. According to yamahas website the 20" 200 I4 Yamaha is 525lbs for the 20" DEC model (520 for the 150 version) and the Mercury 175/200/225 V6 motors are 475lbs for a 20". So they are 50lbs lighter. It's hard to beat the V series Mercury's right now.

I have owned many many mercury outboards including most recent 2020 20 efi, fantastic motors, quiet, reliable and I will never go to anything else.

Is it fuel efficient?

I love me a good mercury, I've had my 40hp for a while and have only had a overheating problem one time all it needed was a new water pump, easy fix.

@boatinglessons

7 ай бұрын

Glad it’s been so reliable for you!

Thanks for the honest analysis

According to our experience here in the Parana delta in Tigre, at the same power Yamaha offers (in the 20-90 HP range) better performance (with little difference, obviously) and less noise.... On the other hand, Mercury has better internal durability of components, especially in engines with many hours of use, the block and cylinder head are in better condition than those of Yamaha (and other Japanese firms). greetings from Argentina

@mvboutdoors

Жыл бұрын

I would expect the opposite honestly

@owenkilcullen1955

Жыл бұрын

That is not true lol. Where I’m from you’ll only find mercurys on private boats while everything in the commercial space is Yamaha. I’ve worked on both and I’ve seen Yamaha f150s and f250s with 5000+ hours yet I’ve never seen a merc 4 stroke over 3000 without a major overhaul

My Mercury 150 is running great with 600hrs. Alternator went out with 500 hrs. $180, 15 minutes and back on the water. Only issue.

@metinakpinar9724

3 ай бұрын

was that a 150 hp saltwater series ?

WOW, Very nice to hear some body make sence. I kneeded to know the oppinions of others. A lot of those questions went un answered. But you we very on the spot with your answers. Not knowing about engines in general, I had a un educated view of how they actually work. And all the little things to get the best performence for the dollar. I naturaly saw one engine as being better, unlike most people I am a sailing sailor guy. I did have small Boston waslers with 25 hourse power. Which was suprisingly strong. if it could pull me up with one ski and me at 229 pounds of muscle. But a forty hp would have been better. The redundicy of having two engines apealed to my old age of 67. But one engine is a LOT MORE QUIET I BET. Quiet is the best for sailors.

@boatinglessons

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for your positive feedback; we appreciate it!

They are all good. These days your choice of engine really depends on where your local service agent is. Simple. But I will move house to be near a Yamaha Dealer.

@mvboutdoors

Жыл бұрын

Right now an even bigger concern is availability. The Merc I wanted wasn't available for months, the Yamaha I got in 3 weeks.

Yamaha F200, never had a problem. Only regular maintenance such as oil change, impeller, and anode replacement. Going on 1700 plus hours so far and no issues offshore being stranded.

@metinakpinar9724

3 ай бұрын

Yamaha v6 motor way to go. When my etec dies I will repower with Yamaha but it just wont die 🤣

115 hk for fishing?? Mostly trollingfishing with downriggers, Merc or Yammy???

I'm selling a boat with a Mercury Optimax that didn't the past 2 summers in the shop with various issues, and it only had 400 hours. I put 6 hours on the motor in the almost 4 years I've had the boat and it left me stranded twice. Just bought a boat with twin Yamahas with 1400 hours

@boatinglessons

8 ай бұрын

That’s too bad, and we have seen some issues with Optimax engines over the years through our shop.

@TheRoostersGarage

8 ай бұрын

@@boatinglessons I basically got a lemon. I know it's not indicative of ALL Mercury motors, or even ALL Optimax motors. It ultimately had a harness with several bad spots grounding out and since the Opti switches with ground, it wasn't throwing codes but it was misbehaving. My air pressure rail was pressurizing with the cylinders because the air injectors were always open. It took a lot of diagnosing, and any modern engine can have similar issues. It now runs great, and I hope when I sell it the new owners have many trouble free years out of it.

@boatinglessons

8 ай бұрын

@@TheRoostersGarage That is unfortunate. Hoping your next one is way more trouble free!!

The Johnson 150, back in the day had an amazing sound. You knew one when it was coming toward you!

@DwayneSlusher

13 күн бұрын

Have that motor v6150 screams 18ft bajs runs mid 60s

Okay, I have a question for you. You said that Suzuki was better for the lower end motors. Then you jumped to the "why the hell do you need that big of motors" engines My question to you is What about the Mid-Size motors. The 65s upto100 hp?

What about Suzuki?

Yamaha for me. During my 25yr navy career, we used Yamaha outboards exclusively without any issues. I also had twin Yamaha 85's on my personal offshore fishing boat and never had any problems.

@boatinglessons

8 ай бұрын

They do make a great engine! Thank you for your service 😊

Mercury Marine was the only outfit GM entrusted to build the venerable LT5...

My 4 stroke 75hp feels like no more thrust than my Evinrude 2 stroke 50hp E-tec.

A lifetime of Mercs and MerCruisers. Both Merc and Yamaha making great products but it’s Merc for me!

i am a certified technician on both Yamaha and Mercury outboards. We are the guys who have to travel several hours away to fix your new engine if you experience a problem. After 12 years of doing this, i want you all to hear this: Buy a Yamaha. Everything on a Mercury takes at LEAST twice as much time to fix, and they break down a whole lot more often than Yamahas. I just want to spend time with my wife and son...

@Matt-qv8zj

9 ай бұрын

Where does Suzuki tank with Mercury and Yamaha?

@johnblue8029

2 ай бұрын

Agreed

@ItIsColdHere

21 күн бұрын

Why do you have to travel several hours to fix engines? Do the owners not have any local options? This sounds fishy.

@The.Norwegian

21 күн бұрын

@@ItIsColdHere Because Mercury dealers are few and far between in my area, and they don't have time during high season to fix other dealers' problems. Warranty work is also extremely underpaid. We lose money doing it. Our customers want their engine fixed NOW.

I'm not about brand because it won't get you home offshore. What will get you home is reliability and that's my Yamaha

Kinda like choosing a chain saw, Stihl or Husqvarna. In reality you can't go wrong with either, if you're brand loyal stick with it,if not either will give you a satisfying experience.

@boatinglessons

4 ай бұрын

Agreed!

Mercury 2.5 liter 2 stroke promax is a fast motor i think that was the best motor for bass boats but i own a 07 Yamaha 115 2 stroke that runs like new

@boatinglessons

4 ай бұрын

That’s all you can ask for! You are right, the 2.5L was a very fast engine (power to weight ratio was fantastic)

This is the definition of beating around bush 🥴🤷‍♂️ Mercury 250 V-6 weighs 505lbs.. Mercury 250 V-8 weighs 505lbs. So now that’s cleared up.. I power yearly and with that being said the 2021 Mercury V-8 250hp was so terrible simply because of the trim pin screw going from the tri lobe pin style to a stainless steal screw threaded into stainless steal 👎 Note : Stainless steel doesn’t tighten, threaded into stainless steel.. Period!! If it can’t lean the threads, it won’t tighten… This small/giant problem cost me THOUSANDS literally… If you want a dependable outboard that’ll go every time buy a SHO.. If you want to spend half your days at the Mercury trailer and pretty much forced to buy a Mercury code reader because of the 101 guardian modes this engine has and stays in,Mercury’s your motor 👍 Ill definitely give up 2 mph for reliability.. Owning 13 brand new Mercury’s over the years, never again.. I call it like I see it…. Full time fisherman with a full time review.. BUY A SHO FOR SHO

@owenkilcullen1955

Жыл бұрын

I’m in the same boat lol. The thing about mercury I can’t stand is they never keep an engine model around long enough for the major problems to be fixed. I remember the early Yamaha f250s constantly had exhaust corrosion issues up until 2012 or 13 when they figured it out. I still see those f250s running 5000+ hours with everything original to this day

I have owned 3 Mercs 2 Yamahas and now a honda. Only ever had problems with the Mercs.

I've got a Mercury 60hp Bigfoot that came stock with my '06 Whaler Sport 150. Does Yamaha make a motor that's equivalent to the Bigfoot design? I'm drawn to a Yamaha replacement at some point because I think of them as being quieter. Thanks.

@ericgordon6767

Жыл бұрын

The 60 mercury and 60 yamaha share the same powerhead with small differences. Should be no noise difference between the two. I beleive the yamaha equivalent of a big foot is called "high thrust"

@thomasmerzbacher7997

Жыл бұрын

@@ericgordon6767 Thanks. 👍

Here in Miami.Florida..every boat has a Yamaha motor on its transom...even law enforcement boats use Yamis...Yamaha owns over 40% of the outboard market worldwide n sells more motors then anyone else...that's telling u something

Yamaha is reliable but conservative At 2023 Mercury mid-big range seems to be the best choice, because of their innovations they’ve achieved. AMS, lightweight & big displacement engines, resulting in good torque and low noise. There is a Swedish boat manufacturer (Arronet) who have put lot of efforts on low cabin noise boats. Mercury is ideal for their boats, compared to Yamaha or Suzuki.

In my area the boat techs and shops wont work on your boat unless you have a Merc.

@grantb8840

Жыл бұрын

Fon Du Lac area?

@Scharnhorst44

Жыл бұрын

@@grantb8840 😛

All four stroke outboards are reliable.

Very disappointed with the yamaha's I've had for commercial use😔.

I enjoy your videos but frankly on this topic it really is not possible to believe your opinion given you sell both brands. I’m in freshwater Midwest US where there are lots of Mercs, but the saltwater offshore guys seem swear by Yamaha.

Yamaha is the best outboard in the business but I think Mercury is catching up.

@chrishackett554

Жыл бұрын

By what metric ? Lol

@metinakpinar9724

6 ай бұрын

has caught up and taken over. Went to the boat show in Sydney for two years and 90% of the outboards were all Mercs. Thats saying something.

@DDekkon

3 ай бұрын

​@metinakpinar9724 It's saying that Mercury spends a lot on marketing.

@metinakpinar9724

3 ай бұрын

@@DDekkon I agree with you and only big companies can afford to do so but wow the yankees have come along way. Dont get me wrong both Mercury and Yamaha are the best in the class.

What about Suzuki

Yamaha all day. Yamaha's hold their value

The fifty and sixties are put together in China but all the parts are made in the USA I got a fifty mercury it is a great moter

@boatinglessons

4 ай бұрын

Those are solid engines for sure

*Suzuki* of course! The hammer from Hamamatsu!

japan

Mercury's all day long! I have a 1980 Merc 9.8 hp that still runs like the day I bought it!

@Nobamaable

Жыл бұрын

I had a 2002 Merc 25HP that was a total POS... Yamaha all day any day over a Merc. Mercs were great engines back in the 70's and 80's. but not today.

@byates59

Жыл бұрын

@@Nobamaable ... Today all Merc"s 30hp and under are rebadged Tohatsu outboards! Merc's 75HP and up are all made in the USA and they are NOT junk!

@eddyj7557

Жыл бұрын

If it’s made in the USA it’s generally junk. Japanese made is far better build quality generally

@byates59

Жыл бұрын

@@eddyj7557 That's nonsense Edmondo!

@blaster-zy7xx

Жыл бұрын

Are you on fresh water? If so, either will be fine. If in high salt water environment, then Yamaha.

Yamaha!

Ok tutti e 2 ottimi. Ma il peso? Mercury piu leggero.

@boatinglessons

6 ай бұрын

sono d'accordo

I think the last version of the Evinrude G2 was in allot of ways the best outboard on the market. It’s so good at so many things. Such a shame they got shut down rite when they we’re getting dialed in

Yamaha hands down

@melrose9252

Жыл бұрын

Mercury!

@Pro_gamerYT-fl3lp

Жыл бұрын

Mercury better

@ryderschaefer3906

Жыл бұрын

Definatley

Mercury looks better

@Nobamaable

Жыл бұрын

girl answer 🤦‍♂

@corywhite6098

Жыл бұрын

Guess you’ll look good broke down on the water at least 🤷‍♂️

@melrose9252

Жыл бұрын

@@Nobamaable< Are you emotional?

@melrose9252

Жыл бұрын

@@corywhite6098< There will be a Mercury to tow your Yamahadog in!

@stephenbobby5003

Жыл бұрын

Also seadoo looks better than yamaha

Mercury! Owned both.

Independent mechanic says he only buys Yamahas, best electrical system. He’d go Suzuki also, and Tohatsu for power/weight ratio.

Comparing Mercury vs Yamaha, no matter what size, is like comparing a Ford Taurus to a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry and saying they're equally good. It's almost laughable because anyone who isn't bias, knows for a FACT that a Honda or Toyota is 10x the car of any Ford on the road. Same as a Yamaha is 10x the motor than any Mercury. Japanese/Yamaha engineers are light years ahead of even the best engineer working for Mercury Marine. That's not an opinion, that's just pure and simple fact!!!

I want Honda 250 for my boat but heck ima stick with my yama 200 until she craps out

Worst piece of machinery I’ve ever had was a Mercury outboard. I became so frustrated with the constant breakdowns and pitiful customer service by Mercury I made up Tee-Shirts stating “ Want a Lemon? Buy a Mercury Outboard” I made sure I wore it at all the local boat shows. We called it Satan.

If Mercury was so great Brunswick would not have to own such a large amount of boat companies, just to make it so that you can only get that boat with mercury motor rigged on it. So that Mercury can sell motors. They know given the choice most people would have a Yamaha or a brand other than Mercury put on it.

@fastasfox

Жыл бұрын

I know what you mean....talk about not built to last.... my 75hp clam shell has only lasted 40 years 😁

@melrose9252

Жыл бұрын

sdvten I

@Rob_Basich

Жыл бұрын

I hope you're not involved in business.

Coleman outboards are the best

How much did Mercury pay you for this? They are the worst for reliability on the market, always have been!

1. If you boat 100 hours a year with your wife's permission.. 450r's look great on your dock. 2. If you fish 100 hours a month... well figure it out. Don't feel bad lots of tourists love the sand bar, lol

Yamaha is definitely more reliable than Mercury, especially in a saltwater environment with the bigger engines.

@melrose9252

Жыл бұрын

Yamaha’s are good Mercury is better.

Mercury made a bunch of engines in China! No thanks. Yamaha = Made in Japan = legendary reliability.

@chamberizer

Жыл бұрын

Mercury has a newer plant: I think it is in Illinois, I have passed it on my way to Wisconsin from Michigan. The company I retired from did work for Mercursier - I think that is the inboard/outboard division & they are Located in Oklahoma. The plant in Illinois seems large & I would assume most of their engines are made there. Which ones are made in China? Myself: I have a 1962 Evenrude 75 Hp (Fat Four) on my 1963 Runabout. I did away with the Selectric Shift years ago & run it direct drive, it is a good boat for Perch Fishing on Lake Erie.

@JWnFlorida

Жыл бұрын

Preach bro

@melrose9252

Жыл бұрын

Big Mercs are made in the US and are better than Yamaha.

@hanspetterstue9175

Жыл бұрын

@@chamberizer Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

@chamberizer

Жыл бұрын

@@hanspetterstue9175 Thanks - I realized later that the plant was in Wisconsin. It make sense that it is in Fond du-lac - home of "Giddings & Lewis" etc.

If you can chose , stay away from Mercury . Had two of them , always something wrong with them . Do not listen salesmen , listen to Mechanics. Had Nissan , Yamaha , now Suzuki.

@Nobamaable

Жыл бұрын

totally agree!

@denniswilder3014

Жыл бұрын

I work in a mariner and we sell both.we have more yamahas in for repairs and re powers then mercury hands down.

@melrose9252

Жыл бұрын

redbear1935 < Got his feelings hurt because he can’t afford anything.

Thanks for saying nothing.

Suzuki is better than both the way the overhead camshaft are managed is way better than both

I stopped listening as soon as I heard how he pronounces Yamaha.

@boatinglessons

4 ай бұрын

Is there more that one way?! 🤷🏼‍♂️. Did I say Yam or Yom?

Speed=mercury Reliability =yamaha

@boatinglessons

6 ай бұрын

That’s a fair opinion

If you are in high salt water like the coast of Florida, you want a Yamaha. Period.

@brinkgats5938

Жыл бұрын

I agree and disagree. Mercury makes some amazing off shore outboards. But my center console only came with Yamaha and my bass boat is all Mercury

@chrisp3913

7 ай бұрын

My Suzuki 225 died at 450 hours seized up

Suzuki

A few minutes of my life i wont get back. Waste of time.

@boatinglessons

6 ай бұрын

What would you have rather seen? Honestly asking for future reference

@camd5348

6 ай бұрын

@@boatinglessons You really didnt give us any useable information. I LIKE SILVER OR I LIKE BLACK. Choose what colour you like best abd buy it. How about who makes the best 25/50/100/200/250 hp engine. Choose a winner for each category.

@boatinglessons

6 ай бұрын

@@camd5348 Yes, and I hear you - you are right that that would have been more useful. There are three reasons we did not do that. Firstly, we honestly don't think any of the lineups from either manufacturer are "bad", and that dealer selection is truly as important. Secondly, we sell both and have a great relationship with both manufacturers. Selfishly (politically) we did not want to ruffle feathers in those critical relationships. Even though we do our best to be non-biased here, there are certain realities we live with. Thirdly, these videos are meant to be as "evergreen" as possible (meaning that we want them to be relevant for years to come). If we say the 115 Yamaha is superior to the Mercury, and then next year Mercury comes out with the best in class 115, then the video is no longer accuate. We really do appreciate your feedback, that much I can promise you truthfully 🙂

EVINRUDE👍🏻

@boatinglessons

9 ай бұрын

Glad you are passionate about them :)

Suzuki is better.👍🤣

yamaha has super corrosion problems... F150 - F200 - F250...

SUZUKI WINS,WEIGHT,COST AND WARRANTY

@Rob_Basich

Жыл бұрын

Suzuki 115 is a fatty compared to merc and even yamaha

This argument will never be won. Just like Ford vs Chevy, Piper vs Cessna, Boeing vs Airbus, etc. Many have personal experience, just speak our ignorance or make crap up but you are not going to change the mind of Merc or Yamaha fanboys. My preference is Mercury but Yamaha and even Suzuki makes good motors too. You can’t go wrong with either motor.

What about good old Chrysler.😳😳🤣

@geodot595

11 ай бұрын

i still like them. torque, sound, easy maintenance.

Ya- ma- ha....not yamm-a-ha.....a yam is a goddamned sweet potato.

I’m a music fan and a company that makes the engine for the legendary LFA and a grand piano is the engine I want Yamaha for life!🚤🤯🔫