posted 09-07-2010 05:49 PM ET (US)        

My question to you: Would you buy another Verado?

Obviously, you bought your whalers so the mandatory Mercury didn't turn you off enough to go with a different boat. If you repower your whaler, would you repower with a Verado?

posted 09-07-2010 06:02 PM ET (US)            

For the past five years or so, Whaler has had a "mandatory tie-in" arrangement with Mercury motors.

I think the VERADO is a fine motor, albeit a touch heavy for smaller boats. I do, however, find it telling that there are some members here who have very quickly repowered their boats with other engines. I supposed the novelty of doing such a thing gives their story some prominence whereas an owner who sticks with the original power is really a non-story, and doesn't feel compelled to tell us that either.

That said, I don't think you should make a purchase decision soley on the motor on the boat. A new motor is likely to last as long as the next one given appropriate care and feeding.

posted 09-07-2010 08:36 PM ET (US)            

The motor has not suffered the reliability problems reported by others--failed fuel floats, pencil coils, power steering pumps. But it is extremely sensitive to low battery voltage. Anything below 12.2 and you are in trouble.

posted 09-07-2010 09:31 PM ET (US)            

The only reason I would not buy a Verado is on some boats with a low stern profile that big cowling on the large HP models just looks ugly IMO

The other thing is what Jim pointed out recently is on 135hp and above DTS is compulsory. That's 3k more that could be well spent elsewhere.

posted 09-08-2010 05:25 PM ET (US)            

Yikes, though...510 lbs dry for 150 horses. I really don't care for its looks back there either, and its numbers don't look any better or worse than any other 150. Not that I'd kick that absolutely bee-youtiful OR 18 outta bed, huge Verado or not ;-)

Any other members who chose Verado when repowering a classic?

posted 09-09-2010 10:43 PM ET (US)            

I am glad you had great luck with yours. Mine wasn't terrible. My Yamahas, though, were flawless and my current eTec is real nice.

I have owned a Mercury 90 2 stroke, a Mercury 115 4 stroke, a Mercury 175 Verado, two Yamaha F150's, a Yamaha F250, a Yamaha 70 2 stroke, and now the eTec. The Mercury 90 two stroke and the Verado were the only engines that broke down on me underway. That's just something I don't like.

posted 09-10-2010 09:50 AM ET (US)            

"But if I ever get another boat, which doesn't appear likely, I just like simple stuff."

Sal, I really gotta tell you -- I'm no fantasy fiction aficionado, but in your case I'll make an exception. Talk about a far-out prediction! This impossible-to-believe statement makes the Maya calendar 2012 end-of-the-world nonsense look like crisp Aristotelian logic. Thanks for cheering me up and making my day, old friend...and keep dreamin'.

posted 09-11-2010 10:24 AM ET (US)            

We have a 150 Verado, no issues.

posted 09-12-2010 06:55 AM ET (US)            

We are finishing up our 6th season with 613 engine hours. I was out 15 miles off Barnegat Inlet trolling the dickens out of the false albacore on Labor Day, so I do run around a bit with this engine on our 210 Ventura.

posted 09-12-2010 02:38 PM ET (US)            

So, for me?

The answer is, no I would not buy a Verado.

MY reasons are as follows:

1) Cost: since I have the skills to repair and maintain carbureted 2-strokes, AND carbureted 2-strokes are a whole order of magnitude cheaper than a new, top-shelf 4-stroke, it would be financially reckless to spend (literally) 10 times more for a Verado. This obviously changes dramatically if you do not posses the skills to maintain a carbureted 2-stroke.

2) Weight: They tend to be at-or-near, heaviest in class, for a given horsepower. This may not be too big of a deal to YOU, if your boat can handle the weight. But for me, I would find it irritating and inelegant, from an engineering standpoint. Somebody said in an earlier post that the 150hp Verado is 510 lbs. By comparison, a carbureted 2-stroke 150hp Evinrude is 375lbs. A 200hp digital electronic fuel injected Evinrude ETEC is still almost a hundred pound lighter, at 418... for 50 MORE horsepower.

3) Environmental impact: While nothing will burn as clean as a new modern 4-stroke, when you buy used, you are essentially recycling, as the environmental impact from the design and manufacture has already been ammortized, and this advantage grows, the older the motor you buy. Further, the older you buy, the greater the possibility that it was built domestically, with pay and working conditions that are up to developed-world standards. That said, I think someone in this thread said that Verados are domestic, so this rationale must be applied carefully, if labor standards are important to you.

posted 09-12-2010 03:17 PM ET (US)            

As I have never owned a Verado, I cannot answer the question.

quote:

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...nothing will burn as clean as a new modern 4-stroke

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posted 09-12-2010 05:37 PM ET (US)            

I understand the Verado motors were largely designed by a former Porsche engineer. I'm surprised they are heavier than the other four strokes.

posted 09-12-2010 07:05 PM ET (US)            

If the ETEC has lower emissions than he Verado, color me surprised... and corrected. So much the better, too... as I quite like them, and may pay up for one to use on a fast, padded v-hull boat I'm looking at.

posted 09-12-2010 08:02 PM ET (US)            

quote:

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Gentlemen & Ladies
I understand the Verado motors were largely designed by a former Porsche engineer. I'm surprised they are heavier than the other four strokes.

Nushlie

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No surprise to me. The 3.8L, 6-cylinder, 911 Turbo is some 300 lbs heavier than the 7L v8 Corvette z06. And I'm a Porsche'phile.

posted 09-14-2010 08:58 AM ET (US)            

Lightweight engines on light hulls make for a more balanced and responsive package. Much like a Porschephile using scales at all four corners to balance the car. Classic Porsches were light weight and needed less horspower to provide spirited performance just like the classic Whalers. To me putting a heavy modern motor on a classic hull is like asking a lineman to jockey a thoroughbred at the Preakness.

posted 09-18-2010 10:13 AM ET (US)            

In the example of gas used over a normal day of fishing, he using about 1/4 of the gas the OceanPro burned.

That is still great improvement in fuel economy.

The OceanPro is known to be a good, solid motor, but is a gas hog especially at higher speeds.

posted 09-18-2010 02:48 PM ET (US)            

There is only once conclusion his Oceanpro was used at planning speeds all day and the Varado at displacement, maybe he was running it in slowly :)

posted 09-19-2010 08:42 PM ET (US)            

quote:

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I wonder when the VERADO will lead Mercury to its first win in the J.D. Power survey of customer satisfaction for four-cycle outboard motors. So far that category has been the exclusive domain of Yamaha. Even Honda can't crack that lock.

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What??

Honda has won 4 of the last 5 J.D. Power survey of customer satisfaction for four stroke outboard motors.

posted 09-20-2010 07:52 PM ET (US)            

The price of an OptiMax is not particularly low because Mercury has to pay for the right to use the technology. They did not invent OptiMax, just gave it a new name. The technology belongs to Orbital, and is called the Oribital Combustion Proceess. Mercury has to pay Orbital a fee for using their technology.

The OptiMax is far from simple. Each cylinder has two specialized injectors, one for fuel, one for air. That twice as many injectors per cylinder than any other engine. The injectors are specialized devices, not generic off-the-shelf injectors used by the millions in other engines. So they are not cheap.

The OptiMax needs a boost pump--just like the Verado--to raise the air pressure to the air injectors. So every OptiMax comes with its own separate air compressor built-in. It is like buying a little 3-HP outboard motor that is under the cowling of every OptiMax.

posted 09-20-2010 08:08 PM ET (US)         

http://edsmarinesuperstore.com/suzuki_yard_sale_prices.htm

posted 10-07-2010 03:03 PM ET (US)            

I'm wondering how much he paid for them.

posted 10-10-2010 12:28 AM ET (US)            

Currently the Optimax powerheads can be rebuilt by mortal men with access to factory manual and proper tools. You can even purchase remanufactured powerheads from a variety of aftermarket suppliers.

I am not aware of any aftermarket suppliers that deal with remanufactured Verado powerheads at this time. You can buy replacement powerheads from Mercury for Verado engines, but the price is very steep.

posted 10-10-2010 12:18 PM ET (US)            

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w231/Whaler-Fleet/CW%20Posts/ May27020.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w231/Whaler-Fleet/CW%20Posts/ May27021.jpg

These pictures don't really show the exposed underbelly of the powerhead all that well but there was many things visible there that were unrecognizable and spoke of a very high degree of "complexity". Coming from many years of boating experience which has almost universally taught to me that the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) philosphy is often best on a boat, this Verado with its "kimono" open was enough to confirm my thinking that one of those will never, ever be on my transom.