Purchased a "new" condition 3 year old boat from leftover stock in 2014 from a Tracker boat dealer in Texas where we spent this winter. They agreed to store the boat for us until we arrived this past January to winter in Texas on lake lbj.

As part of the deal we agreed to purchase a new 2014 40 hp tiller handle Mercury 4 stroke outboard from this dealer.

Nice outboard that starts good, run good, but now is on its second trip to the dealer for parts. First time was a needle valve in fuel bowl that feeds the injector pump, this time a kinda cheaper plastic part that rides on a trolley rail to control the shifting from F-N-R. We are without the boat this time for over a week now as the dealer awaits the part. Anyone here have any problems with Mercury Outboards? Maybe there is a reason these outboards are 2 grand less than a Honda-Yamaha or Suzuki.

Dealer has been top notch, but this outboard seems to be somewhat cheaply built in a factory in China. Maybe an extended warranty is a good idea?

I thought those size Mercury motors weren't built by Mercury, but by Toahatsu or something. I'm not sure where the cut off is but I thought it was 40hp.

My only experience is with their older stuff. I'm a Johnson-Evinrude guy, but the older Mercs were darned good motors too. That old stuff just seems to last forever.

I have had several Mercury outboards......All have 100 reliable....every manufacture puts out a problem child every once in a while!!!!!!If I were buying a new boat tomorrow!!!! It would have a mercury on the back......Just my two cents!!!! your mileage may vary.....

I think it everything below 25 hp. I have a 8hp Tohatsu, great little motor and far cheaper than the Mercs

Old School won't own a Merc. It was a Johnson or Evinrude for me as in 50's/60's Merc had a bad habit of the lower unit falling off if run in salt water.

My 12' Duraboat runs a 15 hp Suzuki.

18 years with two Mercs - w/o issue. Key is to burn non-oxy fuel and follow normal maintenance procedures. "Sea Foam" is your friend too.

No problems with the "running" part(using non-ethanol gasoline) but seems this Chinese built outboard has some plastic parts that can be troublesome. We are leaving the end of the month and might have to get this unit back from the dealer in non operable form, so we can go home. We are storing the rig here in Texas so it might have to sit unrepaired till January 2016. For all I know, this part is unavailable now. The weather turns nice, the fishing picks up and I'm without a boat. Always seems to happen to ya in one way shape or form.

In the owners manual the country of Origin is China town of Suzhou.
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/009762.html

I bought new so I wouldn't have these problems. As Hoss Cartwright would say "Dad Burnit"

I believe the smaller motors, 25 hp and below were made by Yamaha.
The deal was a trade to sell Mariner motors in Japan.
I ran a 175 efi merc, on a bass boat,for 10 years, only replaced a fuel pump.
Mercury is the only outboard I would own.

Chainsaw,
Sorry for your troubles, but as Hoss might have added, anything mechanical can break - and usually does at the most inopportune time.

It is a Chinese made motor. I think they are still good but you just hve some troubles. It should be good to go this time around. I have a 25 Merc that was still made in USA and for that reason I am keeping it. I never had a problem but did replace a water pump after 15 yrs. Now days I would go for a Evinrude Etech. I would politly ask if they had a loaner even if it was a smaller motor. Should have something used for a loaner.

My 2005 15hp was made by Yamaha. Leave ethanol fuel out and it's had no problems.

One of my very best friends owns a dealership and sells quite a few etec, merc and Yamaha's.

They all have those little issues.

Tag

Your outboard uses a powerhead from Yamaha. Other parts of the motor may be Yamaha as well. If you compare the Yamaha and Mercury 4 stroke 40hp engines at the links below, you'll see they have the exact same engine displacement.

Yamaha 40hp 4 stroke Outboard

Mercury 40hp 4 stroke Outboard

I've owned 8 Mercs in 42 years, a 4.5, 2-9.9 Pro Kickers, a 35, 2-50's, a 65, and a 150.

All in all I'd rate them a B+.
I think most big name outboards are very good, but if I were to buy another, it would be a Merc. before anything else.

Best motors I ever had were yamaha.

That said, i'd buy a honda right now, if it was a new one and I had the cash...

Ran a 90HP Merc on the flats boat for 7 years until selling last year. Prior to owning that boat, had a Yamaha, but never had a problem with that Merc motor. Couple things mentioned above are very good preventive measures. Seafoam and STA-BIL are your friends. Run ethanol free gas as much as possible. If there's one candidate that'll screw with an outboard, that ethanol is it. Stay away from it as much as possible, if you can. I also installed an inline fuel filter that mounted right on the transom. Twist the petcock, drain the bad stuff, and bingo.. back in business.

The larger motors 150 and up are still made in WI

Hank

Thanks for all the replies and to those who have replied about fuel related issues, I have had no fuel related issues, only cheap plastic parts problems. It must be that all the manufacturers are using these type of parts on there outboards. Never thought I'd have these problems with a new outboard, but must be Murphys law extends to the water as well.

I've had a 90 hp, EFI Merc 4 stroke for 5 years now. I'm very satisfied with it. Only time I had a problem was once using ethanol gas. It took a lot longer to get the bad gas out than it took to get new back in. DO NOT use ethanol near the water. The two don't mix.

"Mercury Marine's primary business is outboard motors. Mercury Outboards, 30 Hp and less, are made by Tohatsu in Japan.[1] Mercury Marine builds 40, 50 and 60 horsepower outboard motors in Suzhou, China.[2] Mercury also manufactures engines over 75 horsepower at its facility in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in the United States."

Click Here

I should note here that Mercury / Tohatsu engines 30hp and under are made in a Japanese plant that is a joint venture between Mercury and Tohatsu. Also, all Evinrude small outboards are now made by the Mercury / Tohatsu joint venture in Japan. And to further confuse things, all Nissan outboards are rebranded Mercury / Tohatsu engines.

So why do the 30hp and under engines sold under the Mercury name command a price premium? It's simple, Mercury has a large dealer network across the U.S. and Canada. If you need warranty repairs on your Mercury, a dealer is usually nearby. That may not be the case with Tohatsu and Nissan outboards.

There are subtle differences in the motors. A 25 Merc will out run a 25 Tohatsu. But the Tahatsu will outlast the Merc.

Reason I know, my Dad is a commercial fisherman and probably put more miles on a motor than all of us combined (just kidding). Its nothing to put 50 miles a day and he has put over 100 miles a day, lots of times.

He runs a 25 hp Tohatsu on a 15' net boat and the one he bought last year is the 4th one he has owned in 25 years. They are cheaper in price than the Mercs and out last them.

They do sound different than the other motors.

According to the mechanic on Wednesday, they're all made in China now.

1988 Yamaha 40 horse pump tiller handle finally total rebuild from top to bottom in September 2012 and working on the next 24 years

On our shallow clear rivers Mercury motors are call "Welfare motors"

They only work when the want to



Pumps and weld get it done on thin water

I was in to my 'my dealer' last November to retrieve the lower unit they had rebuilt for me for my 90 Honda- which has seen 12 seasons in the salt. I was talking with the chief mechanic about the next motor when mine gets too tired. The new 90s are FI-ed and I was wondering about economy improvements and power. He told me that I was just as well off with the older carbed version, that it would probably last a good time longer yet, and that the only way to improve on a 4S would be if I went with the 90 Yamaha. The mechanic personally ran E-tec and said that it was quite possibly the best of the bunch as long as a person was able and willing to stay on top of things…using correct fuel especially. (They're a 3-way dealer of Yam-Hon-and Rude, so he wasn't promoting someone else's dog.)

I have a 50hp 4 stroke. Giant POS. Dealer told me that the 40 and 50 were problems.

I'm just a cheap basterd, I guess...

I've got a '75 75hp evinrude on my big boat and a '78 25hp evinrude on the small boat. Until they crater, I'm gonna keep running them.

If I had to buy a new motor today, I'd go with a another evinrude or a tohatsu.

last mercury i bought was a 1999 125hp.great motor,ran nothing but amsoil synthetic oil in it and a good shot of amsoil powerfoam a few times a year.

Just responding to the "Merc are cheaper" comments. I have spent the last month and a half pricing 25 hp tillers. Locally, downstate, and on line. With the exception of Honda, I can buy every other manufacturer cheaper (often far cheaper) than Mercury or Tohatsu. I was at the Bangor Boat show yesterday and the merc dealers there said that they would match any printed price I had. I walked away quickly and there is no way in hell would I own another one.

Extended warranties usually favor those issuing them, not those buying them.

Everybody makes a good product these days. We are lightyears ahead of what we used to have, as far as outboards go. Lots of factors come into play as to how long an outboard lasts.

If parts are going to be a problem, I would get it fixed and trade it.

If you can get the correct part #, look online for it.

Buying a black Mercury is like buying a green John Deere.... you pay an awful lot for the paint.

Right. If it's Tohatsu...it's good.

This is the best running Outboard I ever Owned.....Same Motor as Mercury... These EFI Motors are sweet runners..... [img:center][/img]

Very interesting. Amazing that quality changes as years go by....

My first yamaha was 1983... its still running the river, has who knows how many hours on it, and has had a carb kit once...

That 75 hp Evinrude will outlast you. Spray a little clear lacquer (99 cent spray can from Wal-Mart) on the wires and coils and she's good to go for sho.

i used to do maintnence for some guys that rented out boat and motors and those little Tohatsu were very reliable motors