If you told the truth you would t support that hydraulic saver you calll transom saver because they paid you! If you told the truth you wouldn’t dog nitro boats! If you told the truth you wouldn’t do the new merc. You tell your opinions! Not facts bro
Great insights. I just want functional low stress reliability. Starting to think of repower Merc 115 pro xs ct vs Suzuki 140 vs Yamaha 115 for older bass boat that may not take weight of larger. I'd love a comparison. Thanks!
@@TeamMarineService would be going from a 1987 Merc 150 2 stroke. Don't want to lose too much speed, but I could consider. That's why the 140 interested me.
I’m on the same boat! Need to repower my boat. 125hp max. Had a 05 mercury 115 that worked great... until someone rear ended me 🤬. Looking at Yamaha and Merc... but now I’m looking into the Suzuki for the 6 year warranty. What do you think of the Suzuki?
@@mikeyanez8996 I owned a 2017 Suzuki DF140A from 2017 till I sold it a month ago. I was on a 2004 Cape Horn 17 Offshore. I installed a custom built 5' X 7' t top, an 80 lb thrust 24V Rhodan trolling motor, two group 31 deep cycle batteries, my fat 250 lbs, 30 gallons of gasoline, two group 27 marine batteries near the transom, running a 13.50" X 20" Powertech! PTR3 propeller, I could still get to 41 mph WOT. The only reason I sold it was to buy a new Sailfish 220CC boat. Unfortunately, my only power options were Merc or Yamaha. I chose the Yamaha 200 SHO. Otherwise, I'd be driving another Suzuki.
The Suzuki 140 is a weak engine performance wise. Same horsepower as the Mercury 115 Pro XS @ 126 HP. Torque is different but as far as engine displacement is the same.
2003-4 Yamaha f150 great motor once you replaced the harmonic balancer. Not sure why they whine after only 100 hours or gernade. It was not too hard to replace, just a couple hours but stil cost me time and money but gave me peace of mind of not having shredded gears wreck the whole engine. I noticed the replacement harmonic balancer comes with an additional oil port and more play or slop for the gears. Hope it holds up.
First 5 minutes of watching, he was dead on for 8 topics that were dead on and I am stupid. What a great and honest video. Subscribed! So straight and Honest!
Had and Series 2 HPDI blew up at 600 hours with no warning, my neighbor down the road had an HPDI series 2 it also blew up at around 600 hours. Both repowered with SHO. Weird thing about the HPDI is that we never really had any small problems with the motor, one day it was running really good and just threw a rod, no alarms, nothin.
I have a 2020 115 mercury 4 stroke. I decided to check the cylinders with a bore scope out of curiosity to see how much carbon build up I had after 2 years. Wow was I surprised. Not at the carbon but at the scoring on the cylinder walls! I bought this motor brand new and got the smartcraft adapter to break it in properly by the book. It has Defined scoring on the cylinder walls right under the cylinder head portion that’s washed clean of carbon from oil passing past the rings. Ugh. Got the 5 year warranty who knows if it will blow up by then. Reached out to mercury generic response take it to the dealer. Showed a dealer the photos he says just run it till it blows. Pissed me off! Why destroy a motor.
My favorite motor was my 89 150 ProV. My 96 200 Mariner lasted and easy to fix just wanted something bigger. But my 2006 225 Optimax is stout. Hope it lasts. A 2 stroke is a 2 stroke. Keep it oiled and fuel clean and lower serviced. They should last.
I have dealers for Mercury and Yamaha nearby. 1. Is 4 stroke better choice over 2 stroke or will it cost more to run and maintain? 2. If you had to choose a 115hp which one would you chose for yourself?
Team Marine, I'm looking to buy a bass boat that comes with a Merc 150 pro XS 4 stroker, would I be better off getting one instead with a Yamaha SHO 150 ?
Now it's just our opinion but us personally would go with a Suzuki 150 SS but the SHO 150 is a solid choice as well and we would choose that over the Merc.
This is a great video. Im also a boat mechanic. I feel like in the bass fishing industry mercury is very popular and i see alot more Mercury's on them. But when it comes to off shore and salt water down in Florida where im from i see alot more yamahas.
I am looking at powering a microskiff in the Gulf of Mexico in salt water with a 25 hp four stroke outboard with electric trim and tilt. Which of the outboards is the most durable and reliable in salt water: Mercury versus Yamaha versus Suzuki? Please get back to me. Thanks
Hey Team Marine, Great video. Im in the process of buying a new 18.5 foot freshwater fishing rig and with availability being minimal, I've found a boat with a Yamaha F150... I can't seem to find quite as much info on this motor as it seems the Yamaha SHO has become the more popular option, what are your thoughts on the F150? Would greatly appreciate any insight.
My 07 115 yamaha seems a little underpowered for what is, though it is a 3rd as quite and feels like it uses half the fuel as any 40 or 60HP merc I've had. Both great engines, both more reliable than an evenrude!
I have a small buisness selling/maintaining boats, also a huge fisherman in the northeast so Ive thoroughly tested all of the brands, your spot on with the yamaha its a quality product. Also a fan of the merc 150 4strke seem to be bullet proof . Ive done sales numbers in the millions, alot of boats have come through my hands, worked on them and put them to the test and I agree with you more then anyone else on You Tube! And to the other channels -owning a Tracker 175 TXW does not make you an expert on boats lol
Good morning how much costs 2 yamaha 40hp outboard engines and 30hp long leg 4tienpos used 2018 or mercury of the same displacement. Thank you I look forward to your re-
Have 2004 250 HPDI on my 2004 Skeeter and have never had 1 problem with the motor. Had a 225 Optimax on a Ranger before the Skeeter. Sad to say that was the biggest piece of junk ever put on a boat. Dealer replaced everything, over the course of six months. Would really take some convincing to go back to Merc. Like you say, don't care what it sounds like, just need to it to run when you're out in the middle of a lake somewhere. Great video and just subscribed.
I had used 90hp 2007 Yam. only issue in 4yrs on pontoon was plugged speedo & bad water pump. Then found what water hose fitting was for. Like it that much more. Now bought 2000 BC with 200hp Merc Optimax told lake & tourn ready. Been in shop 4 of 5 months of owning it, having been on lake fishing after $2800 later at Norris Marine & still dies when trying to put in gear, if you do mng to get it in gear running itll haul bout 63mph at 5000rpm. Now the only thing that did work was 1 lowrance & Fortrex, now it wont work after getting home from shop.🤬 Id have a Yam Sho 200hp if had money. But Im retired, disable & spent my last bit savings $18k plus another $3k to get my son & I a boat to tourn fish together. NOT.. any legal or helpful tips on what I could do?
What about a comparison on older motors for people like me that can't afford newer ones. I have a 1985 Mercury 115 power of tower on a 1989 17' champion bass boat pushes it around 50-52 mph. Any thoughts on these motors or any insights. Thanks
Hey guys, I have a 98 zx202c that still looks new with original 2.6ltr 200 vmax still running strong. My question is what would be my options if my motor let go and I had to repower ? The new 4 strokes are heavier. Would my transome hold a new 4stroke ?
So you would take an Optimax or optimax pro xs over the OX66 or HPDI? Im looking at the 2000-2007 range of boats with 175-225 hp. I currently have a skeeter zx185c with a carbed 1999 175 and it has been awesome the whole year I've owned this boat but it happened to get totaled. I don't care so much about power wise, I just want dependability and not spinning big money on repairs. I know the optimax motors have compressor issues and HPDIs tend to blow and have trouble if people don't keep the fuel perfectly free of water and clean. Many don't change those small "mystery filters."
I'm rebuilding an old Haines v16 (glass hull) and have a 2001 Merc 140 v6 2 banger. I was thinking of repowering with a newer Merc but now I'm not sure after this honest video. We mostly family skiing and cruising the rivers, so am considering staying 2 banger with this same motor (spend a few grand on it) or go to etec g2.
In our opinion it's a must to stay away from the E-tecs! As far as Mercury goes they have some issues they need to solve before they find themselves in some deep trouble. We hope they can get it together but as of not Suzuki and Yamaha are at the top with us giving Suzuki the edge in reliability.
@@TeamMarineService yeah I just learned evinrude is no longer (I live under a rock). my biggest need is torque for skiing and no more than 48mph before the boat chine walks hard. lol. I'll take a look at the Zooks. thanks mate.
nevermind I read anything under 100hp. I had a 6hp mercury carbed 4 stroke and that thing ran and ran. Before that a mercury 18xd from the 80s nothing ever broke on both of them. If yamaha made the heads on the mercurys whats the difference? I know now its to the point tohatsu makes the blocks for mercury. Is it just so close or whats your opinion? I have read somewhere that a kicker motor can go as high as 10000 hours.
Thanks for the video ,is very helpful for me,probly for all the ones seeing your video,few questions if you wish and have time to answer Why is there so many complaints about the mercury 90 to 150 years 2015-2020 outboard motors ,seems to fail in just about 50 hours of use ,can you be so kind to school me about it. i'm trying to buy my first boat(used one,with outboard,2016 element xl 115 mercury only 70 hours) ,made a lot of search thru web ,but i couldn't find a professional opinion about those motors If you were the newbie ,would you buy this boat with that motor ? Again ,thanks for your time and analysis
Gimme a Yamaha or Suzuki any day of the week over anything else. I personally have a Yamaha 200 VMax SHO on my current bay boat and absolutely love it. Just make sure you do the break in properly and keep up on the maintenance and you'll be all set. That's actually true for most motors, but the SHO from Yamaha is particularly picky about the break in.
I have always had Merc but in 2018 i bought a 250 sho and so far love this motor, you can run 70 down the lake and take to the man sitting next to you, so far so good ;;;;;
I've got a 2019 250 sho 54 hours still makes oil I have made long wide open throttle runs....Yamaha says 100 hours till it is broken in.... what you think
I am glad with the new Pro xs they got rid of that smash bam boom you got everytime you put it in gear. You know what I am talking about. It sounded like the motor was about to break everytime.
Have 2 Mercury 200hp verados and never had any issues with them, 400 hours. Feel like I’m the only one here with anything good to say about Mercury. Will consider Yamaha on my next boat if I don’t go bigger
I like your channel and appreciate your honesty! I live in Minnesota and fish mostly big lakes for walleyes. Last fall I bought a new ranger 620fs and tried to put a yam Sho 250 but my dealer said they were 10months out to put a Yam on a Ranger. I went with the Mercury pro xs 250. Its ugly but growing on me. So far so good has lots of power way more than my Etec on my old Ranger. Fingers crossed no issues yet but like you said they all will have their problems but Yamaha seems to have it figured out.
Brilliant video. Thanks for the brutal truth. Must say I love the SHO. Would love to slap a 150SHO on the back of my old 16ft glass boat but I will probably sink it ;-)
I have a very silly question I’m looking at getting a nitro Z 19 or Skeeter zX 200 there’s things I like and hate about both of them but I figured I would ask you as far as ride ability and fish ability which one handles rides better and Fish is better I’ve never been in either one of these kind of boats I’ve always been in Ranger… Sorry for sending you a message this way but I didn’t know how to send you an email to ask but I love the show it is so helpful for people like me
Hello James! Glad you like the show....with those 2 choices we would go with the Skeeter....1 because in our opinion it's built better and 2 you can get it with a Yamaha. Hope that helps
Team Marine Service Yes sir that does help because I was leaning towards the Skeeter to begin with that also being said I’ve never been in either boat would you say the Skeeter is a smoother ride and handles rougher water better and fish is better than a nitro? Again I apologize for silly questions
We are located on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, WI...we don't have a specific shop tour video but if you watch our past video's you'll get an idea of how we operate!
Hey i meant to ask you earlier in my 1st comment lol. Will somebody ever make Evinrude's again? I know they need a 4 stroke but i loved my Gen 2 250. Great motor..
They claim that they're gonna come out with something new and revolutionary but as far as someone else manufacturing a G2, well that ship has sailed and it's being powered by a Japanese 4 stroke! Haha
Hey Andy love that I found your channel. Couple questions for ya about the boat mechanic field. First is my dad has a 2010 triton tr21x with I believe it is the Mercury 250 pro xs that was a crank no start, being a auto tech I was checking for spark and found no spark so I thought hmm maybe a crank signal issue but I scoped the signal and it looked fine. With not finding any damn service info I told him to take it into the shop. They told him the fuel system was bad and that this engine has two computers to control fuel and if it senses a fuel pump issue it disables spark. This sound right to you all? With that being said do you all have on the boat repair side a generic repair service site like the auto side has for example Alldata or is it all manufacturer specific sites? Thanks
christopher mansbridge At first sight, Mercury seems to has more torque because of the longer stroke, compared to Yamaha. But in reality i believe it’s little more complicated and depends on other factors as well like gear ratio. Owning a Yamaha F60 2016 and its hard to get on plan with 4+ additional passengers, because of the torque is in upper rpm.
Just bought a new fishing boat. Been in the boating industry for almost 20 years now. Talked to all my fishing boat dealers not a single dealer picked Mercury as their first choice. I ended up with a Yamaha SHO not only from their recommendations but also from friends, guides and internet information like this as well. But the biggest thing with fishermen is reliability and it’s hard to beat Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda the way it looks to me.
Merc for me. But lots of folks love the yammy too. Plus you have hydrotech hopping up the yams. And Simon hot rodding the 300x's. It's a coin toss.....with the hopped up yams running sport master lowers haha. Can't beat an alien cowl 225x, 300x, or a mean 250 proxb. Or the opti fuel economy. Nothing sounds as good as a stout 2.5 liter either. :)
I really think that your honesty and accuracy in explaining the pros and cons is amazing, I was going for Merc, but I just decided for Yam, thanks a lot. I hope that Mercury comes back in the future, because I had several good Mercs, but right now I am not a fan. I heard several comments from Mexico and Asia about the bad quality of latest Mercury versions, but never from a qualified technician. So thanks again, and I am subscribing!!!
Why do you never mention the EFI motors in your videos. You usually just go straight to optis. As far as a mechanic I can see why the new Mercs bother you, but as far a buyer goes, it looks badass, it sounds great, and runs amazing. And we all know when it comes to a lot of uneducated buyers, looks sell.
We've mentioned the EFI in earlier videos....Great Motor!!! You are spot on about the uneducated buyers! Wonder how many people bought the 250's just because they are v8's?
Team Marine Service a lot no doubt. I can’t lie I’ve been tempted. I’m wanting them to work out all their kinks first though before I consider. Can’t go wrong with a SHO though!
Here's my ever wondering question. Why aren't the Japanese building such powerful and fast outboards as Mercury R series? Is it because they're just incapable or its bad business for them?
I'd go with the vf115 or f115 and second choice would be a suzuki 140. We just built our new 2021 comp. 175 fsx with the Yamaha vf115 sho and LOVE it. Very happy with how smooth and quiet it is aswell as the nice power of it which is as good as any 115 4 stroke except more reliability and potential resale.
I almost bought same boat but couldn't fit it in garage lol and it costed 7 grand more than the alumicraft but it also had a f150 instead of the vf115 I bought with the competitor.
I have (had) a 2018 Yamaha F90. At 566 hours the block corroded through, and a pinhole leak was a result. I live remotely in SE Alaska, and use the boat seven days a week, year-round to get to the town dock to get to work and kids to school. There is no water at the dock, and running a garden hose down from the house and across the beach to the boat with possible 26' tide swings isn't doable (no dock at the house, we use a haul off). Yamaha won't do anything for me, and I'm a 40 year customer that currently owns 6 Yamahas. I had a 2001 2 stroke Yamaha that ran for 20 years. When it failed it was not the block corroding through. There are people all over SE Alaska who either can't, or don't "flush the motor after each use". None of the lodges I know of (I have my captain's license and run a boat for a lodge) flush after each use. The older motors didn't have any block corrosion issues. . . never even heard of one.(yes, I'm aware of the 225 issues in the early/mid 2000s) The only other choice at the one dealer on my island is Merc, so I'm going with that. I won't buy another Yamaha. They simply aren't reliable long-term in harsh, remote environments.
I wanted to choose Yamaha for my Vexus 1880 so bad. The problem was where I live here in California is Mercury country. There is no Yamaha support with in 250 miles of me. I looked. It is the only reason I went with the ProXS Merc.
We asked Neil quickly what his thoughts were on the Verado's and he instantly yelled JUNK! Hope that helps....although he always yells that out when we ask him his opinions on Mercury. Haha
...yea well I'm sorry to say there are more mercury outboards on the back of pro bass anglers then any other engine...and they can have just about anything they want also the xs pros come with 24 and 25 pitch props please don't ever believe that mercury doesn't perform like a Yamaha lol every speed boat has a merc not a Yamaha
You are correct but that just means that Mercury has to spend more money to pay pros to run their outboards....aaannddddd Yamaha still makes a better outboard overall! Good night! :)
Help please. 😊 We have a 2021 Phoenix PHX21 on order and scheduled to be completed next month and the dealer wants to know by April 21st if we want the new Mercury ProXS 250, or the new Yamaha VMAX 250 (new design) on it. We have the Yamaha SHO on our current boat we're trading in and it's been reliable and a beast. We don't want to switch brands but with the new motors out now, not sure which one we think is best. I guess if we go with the new Yamaha, we may have to wait to get the boat. But it may be worth it? Still undecided. Any thoughts? Thank you for any help. 😊
@@TeamMarineService Well, we just heard from our close contact who services some of the Ozark Pros that the new Yamaha VMAX250 is 14 months out. I don't think we can wait. 😬😔 Thanks for the recommendation! 😉
Have been tossing up between the 225 Pro XS or the 225 SHO on the next boat I buy. Any idea of the difference in torque between the two? I was seriously considering Merc as the way to go based on displacement and the extra cylinders but based on your comments ill do some more research on the matter. The last thing I need is mechanical issues 50 mile offshore. Edit. Looking at throwing it on one of these Watch "Stabicraft 2100 Supercab - Big water, Big tuna, Big Tasmania." on TH-cam th-cam.com/video/5fkr7XMfdO4/w-d-xo.html
We do not have exact numbers but we would think that they're probably identical and wouldn't be surprised if the yamaha had more. Those Merc pistons are tiny compared to the SHO and Suzuki 250 SS's for that matter.
@@TeamMarineService Thanks for the reply. Interesting to hear you think the Yammie may have more torque, I did consider the difference in pot size but thought with the extra displacement might even that out a bit. As you've said already more pitch should equal more speed assuming your at the optimum rev range for the specific engine. Its a bugger the manufacturers don't specify torque output to take the guess work away. Currently running Yammie and its been a great motor, max HP rating on that new boat is 225 so want the most power I can get to drive the biggest pitch prop possible. Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿
No bull, just honesty and truth from a mechanic! Not common these day.
We pride our channel and everything else on the truth. We will not sugar coat anything around here
If you told the truth you would t support that hydraulic saver you calll transom saver because they paid you! If you told the truth you wouldn’t dog nitro boats! If you told the truth you wouldn’t do the new merc. You tell your opinions! Not facts bro
@@jeremyjohnston2583 and?
Total bias
Bias towards yamaha
Great insights. I just want functional low stress reliability. Starting to think of repower Merc 115 pro xs ct vs Suzuki 140 vs Yamaha 115 for older bass boat that may not take weight of larger. I'd love a comparison. Thanks!
How about the Suzuki 115 SS?
@@TeamMarineService would be going from a 1987 Merc 150 2 stroke. Don't want to lose too much speed, but I could consider. That's why the 140 interested me.
I’m on the same boat! Need to repower my boat. 125hp max. Had a 05 mercury 115 that worked great... until someone rear ended me 🤬. Looking at Yamaha and Merc... but now I’m looking into the Suzuki for the 6 year warranty. What do you think of the Suzuki?
@@mikeyanez8996 I owned a 2017 Suzuki DF140A from 2017 till I sold it a month ago. I was on a 2004 Cape Horn 17 Offshore. I installed a custom built 5' X 7' t top, an 80 lb thrust 24V Rhodan trolling motor, two group 31 deep cycle batteries, my fat 250 lbs, 30 gallons of gasoline, two group 27 marine batteries near the transom, running a 13.50" X 20" Powertech! PTR3 propeller, I could still get to 41 mph WOT. The only reason I sold it was to buy a new Sailfish 220CC boat. Unfortunately, my only power options were Merc or Yamaha. I chose the Yamaha 200 SHO. Otherwise, I'd be driving another Suzuki.
The Suzuki 140 is a weak engine performance wise. Same horsepower as the Mercury 115 Pro XS @ 126 HP. Torque is different but as far as engine displacement is the same.
2003-4 Yamaha f150 great motor once you replaced the harmonic balancer. Not sure why they whine after only 100 hours or gernade. It was not too hard to replace, just a couple hours but stil cost me time and money but gave me peace of mind of not having shredded gears wreck the whole engine. I noticed the replacement harmonic balancer comes with an additional oil port and more play or slop for the gears. Hope it holds up.
How is this channel not bigger? Honest even review!
Sometimes we lay awake at night and think the same thing! Haha We are still a young channel and thank you for your support!
First 5 minutes of watching, he was dead on for 8 topics that were dead on and I am stupid. What a great and honest video.
Subscribed! So straight and Honest!
Had and Series 2 HPDI blew up at 600 hours with no warning, my neighbor down the road had an HPDI series 2 it also blew up at around 600 hours. Both repowered with SHO. Weird thing about the HPDI is that we never really had any small problems with the motor, one day it was running really good and just threw a rod, no alarms, nothin.
I have a 2020 115 mercury 4 stroke. I decided to check the cylinders with a bore scope out of curiosity to see how much carbon build up I had after 2 years. Wow was I surprised. Not at the carbon but at the scoring on the cylinder walls! I bought this motor brand new and got the smartcraft adapter to break it in properly by the book. It has Defined scoring on the cylinder walls right under the cylinder head portion that’s washed clean of carbon from oil passing past the rings. Ugh. Got the 5 year warranty who knows if it will blow up by then. Reached out to mercury generic response take it to the dealer. Showed a dealer the photos he says just run it till it blows. Pissed me off! Why destroy a motor.
My favorite motor was my 89 150 ProV. My 96 200 Mariner lasted and easy to fix just wanted something bigger.
But my 2006 225 Optimax is stout. Hope it lasts. A 2 stroke is a 2 stroke. Keep it oiled and fuel clean and lower serviced. They should last.
I have dealers for Mercury and Yamaha nearby. 1. Is 4 stroke better choice over 2 stroke or will it cost more to run and maintain? 2. If you had to choose a 115hp which one would you chose for yourself?
Go 4 stroke and yamaha 115
Is it ilegal to flash a yamaha for more power??
Team Marine, I'm looking to buy a bass boat that comes with a Merc 150 pro XS 4 stroker, would I be better off getting one instead with a Yamaha SHO 150 ?
Now it's just our opinion but us personally would go with a Suzuki 150 SS but the SHO 150 is a solid choice as well and we would choose that over the Merc.
This is a great video. Im also a boat mechanic. I feel like in the bass fishing industry mercury is very popular and i see alot more Mercury's on them. But when it comes to off shore and salt water down in Florida where im from i see alot more yamahas.
I am looking at powering a microskiff in the Gulf of Mexico in salt water with a 25 hp four stroke outboard with electric trim and tilt. Which of the outboards is the most durable and reliable in salt water: Mercury versus Yamaha versus Suzuki? Please get back to me. Thanks
In our opinion Suzuki would be the most reliable and has the best warranty. Yamaha does make a solid motor! We would not recommend anything Mercury.
Discovered your channel last week and blazed through all the content. Super entertaining and informative, keep'em coming
Awesome, thank you so much!
Hey Team Marine, Great video. Im in the process of buying a new 18.5 foot freshwater fishing rig and with availability being minimal, I've found a boat with a Yamaha F150... I can't seem to find quite as much info on this motor as it seems the Yamaha SHO has become the more popular option, what are your thoughts on the F150? Would greatly appreciate any insight.
If it's a low hour well maintained motor it gets a thumbs up from us.
@@TeamMarineService new!
My 07 115 yamaha seems a little underpowered for what is, though it is a 3rd as quite and feels like it uses half the fuel as any 40 or 60HP merc I've had. Both great engines, both more reliable than an evenrude!
I have a small buisness selling/maintaining boats, also a huge fisherman in the northeast so Ive thoroughly tested all of the brands, your spot on with the yamaha its a quality product. Also a fan of the merc 150 4strke seem to be bullet proof . Ive done sales numbers in the millions, alot of boats have come through my hands, worked on them and put them to the test and I agree with you more then anyone else on You Tube!
And to the other channels -owning a Tracker 175 TXW does not make you an expert on boats lol
Good morning how much costs 2 yamaha 40hp outboard engines and 30hp long leg 4tienpos used 2018 or mercury of the same displacement. Thank you I look forward to your re-
Have 2004 250 HPDI on my 2004 Skeeter and have never had 1 problem with the motor. Had a 225 Optimax on a Ranger before the Skeeter. Sad to say that was the biggest piece of junk ever put on a boat. Dealer replaced everything, over the course of six months. Would really take some convincing to go back to Merc. Like you say, don't care what it sounds like, just need to it to run when you're out in the middle of a lake somewhere. Great video and just subscribed.
Great comment on your experience with both brands.
This very entertaining video wouldn’t have been complete without all the sound effects! Great job Andy.
Haha Thanks Kevin!
It's a set up, anyone in the real biz knows this. Called money-maker --would promote a horse over a car if they were paid.
I had used 90hp 2007 Yam. only issue in 4yrs on pontoon was plugged speedo & bad water pump. Then found what water hose fitting was for. Like it that much more. Now bought 2000 BC with 200hp Merc Optimax told lake & tourn ready. Been in shop 4 of 5 months of owning it, having been on lake fishing after $2800 later at Norris Marine & still dies when trying to put in gear, if you do mng to get it in gear running itll haul bout 63mph at 5000rpm. Now the only thing that did work was 1 lowrance & Fortrex, now it wont work after getting home from shop.🤬 Id have a Yam Sho 200hp if had money. But Im retired, disable & spent my last bit savings $18k plus another $3k to get my son & I a boat to tourn fish together.
NOT.. any legal or helpful tips on what I could do?
Hey bud question! What gas do you recommend running on a 250 Yamaha sho max sorry to sound ignorant but this is my first boat I’ve owned
What about a comparison on older motors for people like me that can't afford newer ones. I have a 1985 Mercury 115 power of tower on a 1989 17' champion bass boat pushes it around 50-52 mph. Any thoughts on these motors or any insights. Thanks
I have a 2021 Nitro ZV19 with a Mercury 200 V6. What size prop would you recommend? I believe off hand it comes standard with a 19 pitch.
Small motors as in 6 8 9.9 kicker motors? you mentioned 115. Which are you refering to
Hey guys, I have a 98 zx202c that still looks new with original 2.6ltr 200 vmax still running strong. My question is what would be my options if my motor let go and I had to repower ? The new 4 strokes are heavier. Would my transome hold a new 4stroke ?
So you would take an Optimax or optimax pro xs over the OX66 or HPDI? Im looking at the 2000-2007 range of boats with 175-225 hp. I currently have a skeeter zx185c with a carbed 1999 175 and it has been awesome the whole year I've owned this boat but it happened to get totaled. I don't care so much about power wise, I just want dependability and not spinning big money on repairs. I know the optimax motors have compressor issues and HPDIs tend to blow and have trouble if people don't keep the fuel perfectly free of water and clean. Many don't change those small "mystery filters."
They don't call to those ox66 bullet proof for nothing... they're some of the best motors ever made.... check out their reputation on the hull truth
Thoughts on a 2005 Vmax hdpi 225? Looking at purchasing a Stratos 200FS with one on it.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge🇺🇸
How about mercury vs. Yamaha 1980-1999?
I'm rebuilding an old Haines v16 (glass hull) and have a 2001 Merc 140 v6 2 banger. I was thinking of repowering with a newer Merc but now I'm not sure after this honest video. We mostly family skiing and cruising the rivers, so am considering staying 2 banger with this same motor (spend a few grand on it) or go to etec g2.
In our opinion it's a must to stay away from the E-tecs! As far as Mercury goes they have some issues they need to solve before they find themselves in some deep trouble. We hope they can get it together but as of not Suzuki and Yamaha are at the top with us giving Suzuki the edge in reliability.
@@TeamMarineService yeah I just learned evinrude is no longer (I live under a rock). my biggest need is torque for skiing and no more than 48mph before the boat chine walks hard. lol. I'll take a look at the Zooks. thanks mate.
Anytime Mark! 👍🏻
How is top end comparison on these 2 motors?
nevermind I read anything under 100hp. I had a 6hp mercury carbed 4 stroke and that thing ran and ran. Before that a mercury 18xd from the 80s nothing ever broke on both of them. If yamaha made the heads on the mercurys whats the difference? I know now its to the point tohatsu makes the blocks for mercury. Is it just so close or whats your opinion? I have read somewhere that a kicker motor can go as high as 10000 hours.
Andy, what’s the weight difference?
From what we've heard Mercury hasn't been all that honest about their true weight. On paper the Yamaha is heavier
Thanks for the video ,is very helpful for me,probly for all the ones seeing your video,few questions if you wish and have time to answer
Why is there so many complaints about the mercury 90 to 150 years 2015-2020 outboard motors ,seems to fail in just about 50 hours of use ,can you be so kind to school me about it.
i'm trying to buy my first boat(used one,with outboard,2016 element xl 115 mercury only 70 hours) ,made a lot of search thru web ,but i couldn't find a professional opinion about those motors
If you were the newbie ,would you buy this boat with that motor ?
Again ,thanks for your time and analysis
Great video, thinking of switching to Yamaha but limited to what boat manufacturer uses it
What a great comparison. Also sound effects were epic. Loved the video!
Glad you enjoyed it Phillip!
Is the mercury v6 and v8 both having the same issues?
Gimme a Yamaha or Suzuki any day of the week over anything else. I personally have a Yamaha 200 VMax SHO on my current bay boat and absolutely love it. Just make sure you do the break in properly and keep up on the maintenance and you'll be all set. That's actually true for most motors, but the SHO from Yamaha is particularly picky about the break in.
Very honest review! Thanks for sharing!
My Cone Head 2021 300R has been phenomenal. The most powerful and “torquiest” 300 in the market.
They got that one right!
so your thoughts on break in... start it up and run it???
We recommend following the manufacturers break in process.
I have always had Merc but in 2018 i bought a 250 sho and so far love this motor, you can run 70 down the lake and take to the man sitting next to you, so far so good ;;;;;
Awesome video and glad to finally find a channel that just tells the truth straight from the ones that work on these things!
2021 Yamaha 175 SHO vs. Merc pro XS - same performance?
I've got a 2019 250 sho 54 hours still makes oil I have made long wide open throttle runs....Yamaha says 100 hours till it is broken in.... what you think
Please do a review on the Mercury Verado
Good Idea Chase
Do you like the 2001 Mercury optimax. Is it a difference between that year and 05
115 mercury pro xs or yamaha 115 vmax?
We can do that one for ya
@@TeamMarineService cool
how are the 2015 merc 200hp?
What about a 2002 mercury 125hp 2 stroke
I'm about to repower a 2006 170 Montauk, what motor do you recommend? I'm think 115hp
I am glad with the new Pro xs they got rid of that smash bam boom you got everytime you put it in gear. You know what I am talking about. It sounded like the motor was about to break everytime.
How to get SHO to stop making oil
How many problems have you seen out of the new sho motors 2018 + looking to get a 250 sho.....
What os that "other" mercury model
Have 2 Mercury 200hp verados and never had any issues with them, 400 hours. Feel like I’m the only one here with anything good to say about Mercury. Will consider Yamaha on my next boat if I don’t go bigger
How are the 06 vmax 150 non hpdi motors?
I like your channel and appreciate your honesty! I live in Minnesota and fish mostly big lakes for walleyes. Last fall I bought a new ranger 620fs and tried to put a yam Sho 250 but my dealer said they were 10months out to put a Yam on a Ranger. I went with the Mercury pro xs 250. Its ugly but growing on me. So far so good has lots of power way more than my Etec on my old Ranger. Fingers crossed no issues yet but like you said they all will have their problems but Yamaha seems to have it figured out.
Thanks buddy! We certainly hope your Merc treats ya well, it will definitely be an upgrade over your Etec. Thanks for watching!!
I wonder what your opinion is on the mercury verado lineup is
We are not big fans of the verado's! Just our opinion
Brilliant video. Thanks for the brutal truth. Must say I love the SHO. Would love to slap a 150SHO on the back of my old 16ft glass boat but I will probably sink it ;-)
The truth needed to be said!
I have a very silly question I’m looking at getting a nitro Z 19 or Skeeter zX 200 there’s things I like and hate about both of them but I figured I would ask you as far as ride ability and fish ability which one handles rides better and Fish is better I’ve never been in either one of these kind of boats I’ve always been in Ranger… Sorry for sending you a message this way but I didn’t know how to send you an email to ask but I love the show it is so helpful for people like me
Hello James! Glad you like the show....with those 2 choices we would go with the Skeeter....1 because in our opinion it's built better and 2 you can get it with a Yamaha. Hope that helps
Team Marine Service Yes sir that does help because I was leaning towards the Skeeter to begin with that also being said I’ve never been in either boat would you say the Skeeter is a smoother ride and handles rougher water better and fish is better than a nitro? Again I apologize for silly questions
Buen día cuanto cuestan los 2 motores yamaha o mercury 40hp y 30hp pierna larga 4tienpos usados 2018 o nuevos gracias
Thanks, the Day i Will change my 08 90tlr, i know which i Will take
80 S MERC TOWER OF POWER ANY THOUGHTS ?
When you say small motor, we’re you also referencing the 50hp motors? I’m trying to decide between the 2.
Yes, anything under 100 hp
Where is your guys shop located, and do you have a shop tour video?
We are located on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, WI...we don't have a specific shop tour video but if you watch our past video's you'll get an idea of how we operate!
What are your thoughts on the 115 or 150 pro xs four stroke?
They do run good! The motor mounts are too soft in our opinion.
Yamaha 90sho mount arent better
Hey i meant to ask you earlier in my 1st comment lol. Will somebody ever make Evinrude's again? I know they need a 4 stroke but i loved my Gen 2 250. Great motor..
They claim that they're gonna come out with something new and revolutionary but as far as someone else manufacturing a G2, well that ship has sailed and it's being powered by a Japanese 4 stroke! Haha
Hey Andy love that I found your channel. Couple questions for ya about the boat mechanic field. First is my dad has a 2010 triton tr21x with I believe it is the Mercury 250 pro xs that was a crank no start, being a auto tech I was checking for spark and found no spark so I thought hmm maybe a crank signal issue but I scoped the signal and it looked fine. With not finding any damn service info I told him to take it into the shop. They told him the fuel system was bad and that this engine has two computers to control fuel and if it senses a fuel pump issue it disables spark. This sound right to you all? With that being said do you all have on the boat repair side a generic repair service site like the auto side has for example Alldata or is it all manufacturer specific sites? Thanks
60 mercury 4-stroke or 60 yamaha 4-stroke?
Yamaha 4 stroke anything over Mercury 4 stroke.
Team Marine Service what about a 60 yamaha 4-stroke or a 60 suzuki 4-stroke, which one has more speed and torque?
christopher mansbridge At first sight, Mercury seems to has more torque because of the longer stroke, compared to Yamaha. But in reality i believe it’s little more complicated and depends on other factors as well like gear ratio. Owning a Yamaha F60 2016 and its hard to get on plan with 4+ additional passengers, because of the torque is in upper rpm.
Just bought a new fishing boat. Been in the boating industry for almost 20 years now. Talked to all my fishing boat dealers not a single dealer picked Mercury as their first choice. I ended up with a Yamaha SHO not only from their recommendations but also from friends, guides and internet information like this as well. But the biggest thing with fishermen is reliability and it’s hard to beat Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda the way it looks to me.
You nailed it! Reliability is hands down the most important thing and it seems like Mercury is having some issues figuring that out.
I love a Yamaha , is your boat a Skeeter ? If it is are yu good with the boat ?. Hearing bad things about Skeeter ..
Awesome stuff Andy! Can you do an in depth vid on the SHO and why it is king??? Love the no BS stuff from you guys!
Great suggestion!
I'm keen on that idea as well. 👍
How many people bought the new Merc just because it was a v8?
We'd like to know too!
Still love my 2020 Pro Xs 200.
Nice!
I raced YZs on mx tracks, currently have a YZ450 Supermoto, R6, R1, WR450, Raptor 700..... so it’s only natural to run Yamaha marine.
It's hard to beat a yamaha on dirt or pavement! 👍🏻
@@TeamMarineService or water!!!
freaking A!!!!! very well put Brotha!!!!
Thanks buddy
Really ? You want to bet he's not plugged in to an outlet for his EV CAR. ;) Brotha ?
Nice one mate thanks
Merc for me. But lots of folks love the yammy too. Plus you have hydrotech hopping up the yams. And Simon hot rodding the 300x's. It's a coin toss.....with the hopped up yams running sport master lowers haha.
Can't beat an alien cowl 225x, 300x, or a mean 250 proxb. Or the opti fuel economy. Nothing sounds as good as a stout 2.5 liter either. :)
I really think that your honesty and accuracy in explaining the pros and cons is amazing, I was going for Merc, but I just decided for Yam, thanks a lot. I hope that Mercury comes back in the future, because I had several good Mercs, but right now I am not a fan. I heard several comments from Mexico and Asia about the bad quality of latest Mercury versions, but never from a qualified technician. So thanks again, and I am subscribing!!!
Watched SHO for 5 years waiting for 25 inch (2016) to make the investment. Can’t buy a new boat every year so buy cautiously.
Why do you never mention the EFI motors in your videos. You usually just go straight to optis. As far as a mechanic I can see why the new Mercs bother you, but as far a buyer goes, it looks badass, it sounds great, and runs amazing. And we all know when it comes to a lot of uneducated buyers, looks sell.
We've mentioned the EFI in earlier videos....Great Motor!!! You are spot on about the uneducated buyers! Wonder how many people bought the 250's just because they are v8's?
Team Marine Service a lot no doubt. I can’t lie I’ve been tempted. I’m wanting them to work out all their kinks first though before I consider. Can’t go wrong with a SHO though!
@@hatmakerluck4705 Smart move!
Just like a ram truck. Lol. Looks and sounds good but no reliability or safety either.
Where I’m from if there’s 10 boat 1 has a mercury , 2 have Suzuki , 7 are Yamaha
Where are ya from?
Team Marine Service down south
Must not be America. I've been all over the states and I see more Mercury's on boats than Yamaha's and Suzuki's combined.
Here's my ever wondering question. Why aren't the Japanese building such powerful and fast outboards as Mercury R series? Is it because they're just incapable or its bad business for them?
My Mercury 150 four stroke is great! But good to know that when it needs work I’ll get an hour’s worth of labor for every hour charged.
Its mid 2021, looking at a 115hp Yamaha Vmax SHO on a Starcraft Delta 178 DC Pro. Do you still feel the same about Yams.
I'd go with the vf115 or f115 and second choice would be a suzuki 140. We just built our new 2021 comp. 175 fsx with the Yamaha vf115 sho and LOVE it. Very happy with how smooth and quiet it is aswell as the nice power of it which is as good as any 115 4 stroke except more reliability and potential resale.
I almost bought same boat but couldn't fit it in garage lol and it costed 7 grand more than the alumicraft but it also had a f150 instead of the vf115 I bought with the competitor.
can you do a mercury vs suzuki?
You got it!
Team Marine Service thanks 🙏
I have (had) a 2018 Yamaha F90. At 566 hours the block corroded through, and a pinhole leak was a result. I live remotely in SE Alaska, and use the boat seven days a week, year-round to get to the town dock to get to work and kids to school. There is no water at the dock, and running a garden hose down from the house and across the beach to the boat with possible 26' tide swings isn't doable (no dock at the house, we use a haul off). Yamaha won't do anything for me, and I'm a 40 year customer that currently owns 6 Yamahas. I had a 2001 2 stroke Yamaha that ran for 20 years. When it failed it was not the block corroding through. There are people all over SE Alaska who either can't, or don't "flush the motor after each use". None of the lodges I know of (I have my captain's license and run a boat for a lodge) flush after each use. The older motors didn't have any block corrosion issues. . . never even heard of one.(yes, I'm aware of the 225 issues in the early/mid 2000s) The only other choice at the one dealer on my island is Merc, so I'm going with that. I won't buy another Yamaha. They simply aren't reliable long-term in harsh, remote environments.
@ 8:43 you do the perfect impression of that Mercury I LMAO!!!!!!
Hahahaha
Do you like any thing? Go fishing , go to the strip joint, pull one off.
After working on everything for 20+ years we can confirm that we dislike everything in the boating industry! Haha
I wanted to choose Yamaha for my Vexus 1880 so bad. The problem was where I live here in California is Mercury country. There is no Yamaha support with in 250 miles of me. I looked. It is the only reason I went with the ProXS Merc.
What? No Verado talk?
We asked Neil quickly what his thoughts were on the Verado's and he instantly yelled JUNK! Hope that helps....although he always yells that out when we ask him his opinions on Mercury. Haha
@@TeamMarineService LMFAO!
The Japanese build an awesome product great motors, so it’s really nice to see that mercury stood neck and neck with them
i have 350 pro mercury ..700h 4 years
electric power steering
FSM
2x gear seal
👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for this video I was just about to purchase a 115 pro xs , looks like I am on the hunt for a yamaha sho !
No problem buddy! Good luck with that SHO and check out the Suzuki 115 SS also...by far our favorite
@@TeamMarineService but its heavier and slower then the sho 115
...yea well I'm sorry to say there are more mercury outboards on the back of pro bass anglers then any other engine...and they can have just about anything they want also the xs pros come with 24 and 25 pitch props please don't ever believe that mercury doesn't perform like a Yamaha lol every speed boat has a merc not a Yamaha
You are correct but that just means that Mercury has to spend more money to pay pros to run their outboards....aaannddddd Yamaha still makes a better outboard overall! Good night! :)
Help please. 😊 We have a 2021 Phoenix PHX21 on order and scheduled to be completed next month and the dealer wants to know by April 21st if we want the new Mercury ProXS 250, or the new Yamaha VMAX 250 (new design) on it. We have the Yamaha SHO on our current boat we're trading in and it's been reliable and a beast. We don't want to switch brands but with the new motors out now, not sure which one we think is best. I guess if we go with the new Yamaha, we may have to wait to get the boat. But it may be worth it? Still undecided. Any thoughts? Thank you for any help. 😊
Go with the Yamaha SHO!!!
@@TeamMarineService Thanks man! 😀🙌
@@TeamMarineService Well, we just heard from our close contact who services some of the Ozark Pros that the new Yamaha VMAX250 is 14 months out. I don't think we can wait. 😬😔 Thanks for the recommendation! 😉
Have your opinions changed with this new Mercury V-12?
Not at all! We have our own unique opinion on how that v-12 creation will go!
Have been tossing up between the 225 Pro XS or the 225 SHO on the next boat I buy. Any idea of the difference in torque between the two? I was seriously considering Merc as the way to go based on displacement and the extra cylinders but based on your comments ill do some more research on the matter. The last thing I need is mechanical issues 50 mile offshore.
Edit. Looking at throwing it on one of these
Watch "Stabicraft 2100 Supercab - Big water, Big tuna, Big Tasmania." on TH-cam
th-cam.com/video/5fkr7XMfdO4/w-d-xo.html
We do not have exact numbers but we would think that they're probably identical and wouldn't be surprised if the yamaha had more. Those Merc pistons are tiny compared to the SHO and Suzuki 250 SS's for that matter.
@@TeamMarineService Thanks for the reply. Interesting to hear you think the Yammie may have more torque, I did consider the difference in pot size but thought with the extra displacement might even that out a bit. As you've said already more pitch should equal more speed assuming your at the optimum rev range for the specific engine. Its a bugger the manufacturers don't specify torque output to take the guess work away. Currently running Yammie and its been a great motor, max HP rating on that new boat is 225 so want the most power I can get to drive the biggest pitch prop possible. Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿
I want to see a Bullet vs Ballistic