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Author Topic:   Mercury Verado: Owner Experiences

Jordi posted 05-23-2007 01:57 PM ET (US)
Verado Owners,
Now that the Verado has been out for almost two years I was wondering if some of you could answer the following questions:
1. What problems have you had with the engine?
2. Has reliability been poor?
3. Would you buy a Verado again?
4. Strengths and weaknesses of the Verado?
5. Which Verado do you own?
Your feedback much appreciated,
Jordi
BarryGreen posted 05-23-2007 04:52 PM ET (US)
Jordi -
1. No problems at all
2. Never
3. Absolutely
4. Strengths are instant start, no smoke, dead quiet, idle all day without fouling, and acceleration you have to experience to believe. Only weakness from my perspective is the hard-to-read SmartCraft SC5000 "LCD gauge" system, but that's not really the fault of the Verado and can be mitigated with some after-market gauges.
5. 2005 250 HP Verado on Conquest 235 with 15" Rev 4 prop
By the way, I have always been an Evinrude fan .....
Barry
markp posted 05-24-2007 03:10 AM ET (US)
1. No problems
2.Nope
3.Defiently
4.Strenghts- so quiet, instant starting, huge acceleration, fast as, eveyone wants you to take them for joy rides with it. Weaknesses- The power probably gonna break my transom some day.
5.2006 225 Verado. Rev 4 19''
tombro posted 05-24-2007 10:33 AM ET (US)
1-Had the float assembly problem and warranty repair, Apr 2006
2-Never
3-Yes
4-Fast, reliable, good torque, quiet, DTS great, no weaknesses
5-2005 225 HP on 2005 210 Ventura
Jordi posted 05-24-2007 05:33 PM ET (US)
Thanks to those that replied to the questions. I am seeing a good number of Verados in other premium boats (Florida) and although still early it looks like Verados are not experiencing the growing pains of the Optimax outboards.
Jordi
jimh posted 05-27-2007 04:44 PM ET (US)
It is interesting to read of the experiences of owners of new Boston Whaler boats who have had the Mercury Verado installed as part of the original construction of the boat. I am certain that the factory technicians at Boston Whaler are highly skilled and very well trained on the installation of the Verado motors. Quality control has always been important with Boston Whaler, so it is unlikely that any significant number of boats left the factory with any sort of problem in their Verado motor or its rigging.
One of the major efforts of the Brunswick corporation has been to increase the customer satisfaction with new boat purchase, and also to improve the ownership experience by providing a single source of service for the boat and its many components, including the outboard motor. Brunswick has been seeking better integration of the boat and motor in the manufacturing process. With the move to engine installation at the boat factory level, we are seeing this carried out. These factory rigged installation are proving to be generally superior to the good old days of Joe's outboard shop throwing a motor on the transom.
In addition, the factory has generally conducted extensive testing with the boat and motor and made optimum selection of a propeller. This removes one of the most important variables from the process of getting good performance from the boat and motor.
We are still awaiting news of any classic Boston Whaler boat being re-powered with a Verado motor. This would be most interesting to hear about when it happens. Re-fitting a Verado motor installation to a classic Boston Whaler hull will be quite a project, and it should provide a good test of the expertise of the installer.
My general impression of the Verado motors is that they have been quite successful and have shown few major problems. Their population among Boston Whaler owners is quite small, but with the sale of more new Boston Whaler boats with the Verado motor option, I am certain the number of Verado owners will be growing. I look forward to hearing of their experiences. I hope more owners participate in this discussion.
Binkie posted 05-27-2007 04:59 PM ET (US)
jimh,
Just curious. When it comes time to repower a Boston whaler that was originally rigged at the factory and sold through the Boston Whaler dealer, does the Whaler dealer do the new sale and rigging, or do we still need "Joe`s Outboard Shop." Are the Whaler dealers generally as good as the factory, at rigging outboards?
Rich
jimh posted 05-28-2007 07:04 AM ET (US)
I am not familiar with Mercury's policy with its dealers regarding sales, installation, and service of the Verado, but I think each of those is a different level of certification. This might be a good topic for another discussion. Let's leave it for that and let this one continue with reports of current owners.
bkloss posted 05-28-2007 11:49 AM ET (US)
Just some early observations on my new Verado 200 - I just took delivery of an Outrage 210 on Thursday and took her out for some break-in time yesterday after installing some electronics onboard. Wow would be the best way to put it. Coming from an Optimax 135; this thing is truly amazing!
You cannot hear this motor idling. Cruising speed motor noise is 50% of the optimax noise. She is like a rocket for hole shot performance. You literally will have to tell your passengers to hold on. DTS throttle control is nothing like the cabled throttle control with the Optimax. It is effortless BUT it could be dangerous should anybody inadvertently "softly" bump the throttle. It is extrememly sensitive to any command. I find myself gripping the DTS base and pushing and controlling the throttle with my thumb and index finger rather than gripping the handle. I feel that I have more control when in less than smooth water.
This motor sounds like a well oiled power plant. Early observations -still early in the process (I put 6 hours of running time on the motor yesterday)
Idle temp and cruising temps are at 147-150 with ait temp of 65 and water temp at 63. Again a big difference between this and the Optimax
I can get her up on plane and heep her there at 15 mph with trim tabs
Wide Open Throttle was 6100 rpm, motor trimmed to 8 and GPS speed was 52 mph - no tabs
Boat had 50 gallons of fuel, lightly loaded except for me at 240#. (I have no intension of cruising at that speed but I was totally surprised at the performance, that's not exactly how I would say it but I am going to keep it clean as this is a family friendly site :))
Needless to say that I am quite impressed by what this motor can do. This thing is literally like a rocket on the Outrage 210.
The only consideration that you have to be prepared for before you decide to go the Verado route is that the dealer network of "authorized and certified" Verado service shops is still new, especially here in Southern California. When I went out to Florida to initially take a look at this particular model, they had far maore places to service the Verados. These local shops supposedly have spent almost 10k for computer equipment in order for them to hook up to the Verados to diagnose and read fault codes and other specific motor information. The cost to service the Verados is definitely going to be more expensive and not every dealer will be able to. It's like the changes to the automobile industry where it used to be simple to do minor/major repairs until they went with all the electronics. There are many things that you can do mainteneance wise to save some bucks but they are still going to have to go the the service center during the warranty period to have them run the 6 page computer printout showing that the motor was serviced at the proper times.
Brian

Jordi posted 05-28-2007 12:55 PM ET (US)
Brian,
Thanks for the information on your Outrage 210. I too have logged a little over 20 hrs and have been very impressed with the Verado and the 210 Outrage. This past weekend the winds were pushing 20-30 knots and the 210 with the trim tabs handled exceptionally well for the lousy fishing conditions. Having owned the 190 Outrage I find the 210 to be laterally more stable under very rough conditions and a very capable boat under rough water. The 190 is also an exceptional boat and I strongly recommend the trim tabs, they will improve the ride under rough seas considerably on the 190. Besides the obvious, smooth DTS, power assisted steering (like a car) and the quiet, powerful Verado the 210 Outrage with the 200 Verado is a serious fishing machine. Having the float- on- trailer helps considerably when launching solo. Besides enjoying this beautiful rig in some very sloppy conditions I caught a Cobia and three Grouper which makes for some fine family dinners. This boat has some good fishing “Karma” and a little luck always helps. Brian, I find some of the threads in the Verado Club website worth reading for some additional information.
Jordi
Mambo Minnow posted 05-28-2007 02:09 PM ET (US)
Did you get the new four cylinder Verado 200 or the six cylinder? Very interested in any reports on the newer model that just debuted this winter at Miami...
Jordi posted 05-28-2007 04:20 PM ET (US)
Mambo,
I have the Verado 200 6 cyl, which I consider the best set-up for the current 210 Outrage.
Jordi
bkloss posted 05-28-2007 06:16 PM ET (US)
I too have the 6 cylinder. The 4 cylinder is supposed to be available as an option on the 2008 models. It will be a lighter motor but I question the longevity of the 200 hp 4 cylinder vs a 6 cylinder. Either way, time will be the measure of both.
I am going to tke her out tomorrow and this time I am going to go out with a full load of fuel, 95 gallons, and take her through the paces.
I agree, the Verado Club forum has great info and maintenance tips from some real pros with a lot of first hand experience.
Brian
jimh posted 05-29-2007 08:19 AM ET (US)
With the increase to 200-HP rating, the Verado is now producing 115.6-HP/Liter. That is more than double the output of most of the other four-stroke motors. The weight to power ratio decreases, and in the 200-HP model it is down to 2.55-LB/HP.
Mambo Minnow posted 05-29-2007 11:11 AM ET (US)
I am thinking that perhaps the four cylinder 200 HP will make CARB 3 star, making a difference for CA buyers. Also wondering if there would be a further fuel efficiency advantage.
bkloss posted 05-30-2007 01:44 PM ET (US)
My 6 cylinder is already a 3 carb rating
bkloss posted 05-30-2007 01:45 PM ET (US)
I mean CARB three-star
Jordi posted 05-30-2007 04:48 PM ET (US)
There has been some talk of Verado's rating going to CARB 2 star in '08 because of their fuel efficiency ratings. (Call Mercury to verify). The Verado 4 cyl 1.7 will obviously be more fuel efficient, but will it be offered in the 210 Outrage is another question.
Jordi
fourdfish posted 05-30-2007 07:09 PM ET (US)
Jordi-That I'm sure is just talk! I would very surprised to see the Verado going to CARB 2 without a catalytic converter!
Scott Grey posted 06-03-2007 09:41 PM ET (US)
BKLOSS,
I have to agree on everything you said about the verado. I have a 150 verado and it's just as you described.

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Author	Topic: Mercury Verado: Owner Experiences
Jordi	posted 05-23-2007 01:57 PM ET (US) Verado Owners, Now that the Verado has been out for almost two years I was wondering if some of you could answer the following questions: 1. What problems have you had with the engine? 2. Has reliability been poor? 3. Would you buy a Verado again? 4. Strengths and weaknesses of the Verado? 5. Which Verado do you own? Your feedback much appreciated, Jordi
BarryGreen	posted 05-23-2007 04:52 PM ET (US) Jordi - 1. No problems at all 2. Never 3. Absolutely 4. Strengths are instant start, no smoke, dead quiet, idle all day without fouling, and acceleration you have to experience to believe. Only weakness from my perspective is the hard-to-read SmartCraft SC5000 "LCD gauge" system, but that's not really the fault of the Verado and can be mitigated with some after-market gauges. 5. 2005 250 HP Verado on Conquest 235 with 15" Rev 4 prop By the way, I have always been an Evinrude fan ..... Barry
markp	posted 05-24-2007 03:10 AM ET (US) 1. No problems 2.Nope 3.Defiently 4.Strenghts- so quiet, instant starting, huge acceleration, fast as, eveyone wants you to take them for joy rides with it. Weaknesses- The power probably gonna break my transom some day. 5.2006 225 Verado. Rev 4 19''
tombro	posted 05-24-2007 10:33 AM ET (US) 1-Had the float assembly problem and warranty repair, Apr 2006 2-Never 3-Yes 4-Fast, reliable, good torque, quiet, DTS great, no weaknesses 5-2005 225 HP on 2005 210 Ventura
Jordi	posted 05-24-2007 05:33 PM ET (US) Thanks to those that replied to the questions. I am seeing a good number of Verados in other premium boats (Florida) and although still early it looks like Verados are not experiencing the growing pains of the Optimax outboards. Jordi
jimh	posted 05-27-2007 04:44 PM ET (US) It is interesting to read of the experiences of owners of new Boston Whaler boats who have had the Mercury Verado installed as part of the original construction of the boat. I am certain that the factory technicians at Boston Whaler are highly skilled and very well trained on the installation of the Verado motors. Quality control has always been important with Boston Whaler, so it is unlikely that any significant number of boats left the factory with any sort of problem in their Verado motor or its rigging. One of the major efforts of the Brunswick corporation has been to increase the customer satisfaction with new boat purchase, and also to improve the ownership experience by providing a single source of service for the boat and its many components, including the outboard motor. Brunswick has been seeking better integration of the boat and motor in the manufacturing process. With the move to engine installation at the boat factory level, we are seeing this carried out. These factory rigged installation are proving to be generally superior to the good old days of Joe's outboard shop throwing a motor on the transom. In addition, the factory has generally conducted extensive testing with the boat and motor and made optimum selection of a propeller. This removes one of the most important variables from the process of getting good performance from the boat and motor. We are still awaiting news of any classic Boston Whaler boat being re-powered with a Verado motor. This would be most interesting to hear about when it happens. Re-fitting a Verado motor installation to a classic Boston Whaler hull will be quite a project, and it should provide a good test of the expertise of the installer. My general impression of the Verado motors is that they have been quite successful and have shown few major problems. Their population among Boston Whaler owners is quite small, but with the sale of more new Boston Whaler boats with the Verado motor option, I am certain the number of Verado owners will be growing. I look forward to hearing of their experiences. I hope more owners participate in this discussion.
Binkie	posted 05-27-2007 04:59 PM ET (US) jimh, Just curious. When it comes time to repower a Boston whaler that was originally rigged at the factory and sold through the Boston Whaler dealer, does the Whaler dealer do the new sale and rigging, or do we still need "Joe`s Outboard Shop." Are the Whaler dealers generally as good as the factory, at rigging outboards? Rich
jimh	posted 05-28-2007 07:04 AM ET (US) I am not familiar with Mercury's policy with its dealers regarding sales, installation, and service of the Verado, but I think each of those is a different level of certification. This might be a good topic for another discussion. Let's leave it for that and let this one continue with reports of current owners.
bkloss	posted 05-28-2007 11:49 AM ET (US) Just some early observations on my new Verado 200 - I just took delivery of an Outrage 210 on Thursday and took her out for some break-in time yesterday after installing some electronics onboard. Wow would be the best way to put it. Coming from an Optimax 135; this thing is truly amazing! You cannot hear this motor idling. Cruising speed motor noise is 50% of the optimax noise. She is like a rocket for hole shot performance. You literally will have to tell your passengers to hold on. DTS throttle control is nothing like the cabled throttle control with the Optimax. It is effortless BUT it could be dangerous should anybody inadvertently "softly" bump the throttle. It is extrememly sensitive to any command. I find myself gripping the DTS base and pushing and controlling the throttle with my thumb and index finger rather than gripping the handle. I feel that I have more control when in less than smooth water. This motor sounds like a well oiled power plant. Early observations -still early in the process (I put 6 hours of running time on the motor yesterday) Idle temp and cruising temps are at 147-150 with ait temp of 65 and water temp at 63. Again a big difference between this and the Optimax I can get her up on plane and heep her there at 15 mph with trim tabs Wide Open Throttle was 6100 rpm, motor trimmed to 8 and GPS speed was 52 mph - no tabs Boat had 50 gallons of fuel, lightly loaded except for me at 240#. (I have no intension of cruising at that speed but I was totally surprised at the performance, that's not exactly how I would say it but I am going to keep it clean as this is a family friendly site :)) Needless to say that I am quite impressed by what this motor can do. This thing is literally like a rocket on the Outrage 210. The only consideration that you have to be prepared for before you decide to go the Verado route is that the dealer network of "authorized and certified" Verado service shops is still new, especially here in Southern California. When I went out to Florida to initially take a look at this particular model, they had far maore places to service the Verados. These local shops supposedly have spent almost 10k for computer equipment in order for them to hook up to the Verados to diagnose and read fault codes and other specific motor information. The cost to service the Verados is definitely going to be more expensive and not every dealer will be able to. It's like the changes to the automobile industry where it used to be simple to do minor/major repairs until they went with all the electronics. There are many things that you can do mainteneance wise to save some bucks but they are still going to have to go the the service center during the warranty period to have them run the 6 page computer printout showing that the motor was serviced at the proper times. Brian
Jordi	posted 05-28-2007 12:55 PM ET (US) Brian, Thanks for the information on your Outrage 210. I too have logged a little over 20 hrs and have been very impressed with the Verado and the 210 Outrage. This past weekend the winds were pushing 20-30 knots and the 210 with the trim tabs handled exceptionally well for the lousy fishing conditions. Having owned the 190 Outrage I find the 210 to be laterally more stable under very rough conditions and a very capable boat under rough water. The 190 is also an exceptional boat and I strongly recommend the trim tabs, they will improve the ride under rough seas considerably on the 190. Besides the obvious, smooth DTS, power assisted steering (like a car) and the quiet, powerful Verado the 210 Outrage with the 200 Verado is a serious fishing machine. Having the float- on- trailer helps considerably when launching solo. Besides enjoying this beautiful rig in some very sloppy conditions I caught a Cobia and three Grouper which makes for some fine family dinners. This boat has some good fishing “Karma” and a little luck always helps. Brian, I find some of the threads in the Verado Club website worth reading for some additional information. Jordi
Mambo Minnow	posted 05-28-2007 02:09 PM ET (US) Did you get the new four cylinder Verado 200 or the six cylinder? Very interested in any reports on the newer model that just debuted this winter at Miami...
Jordi	posted 05-28-2007 04:20 PM ET (US) Mambo, I have the Verado 200 6 cyl, which I consider the best set-up for the current 210 Outrage. Jordi
bkloss	posted 05-28-2007 06:16 PM ET (US) I too have the 6 cylinder. The 4 cylinder is supposed to be available as an option on the 2008 models. It will be a lighter motor but I question the longevity of the 200 hp 4 cylinder vs a 6 cylinder. Either way, time will be the measure of both. I am going to tke her out tomorrow and this time I am going to go out with a full load of fuel, 95 gallons, and take her through the paces. I agree, the Verado Club forum has great info and maintenance tips from some real pros with a lot of first hand experience. Brian
jimh	posted 05-29-2007 08:19 AM ET (US) With the increase to 200-HP rating, the Verado is now producing 115.6-HP/Liter. That is more than double the output of most of the other four-stroke motors. The weight to power ratio decreases, and in the 200-HP model it is down to 2.55-LB/HP.
Mambo Minnow	posted 05-29-2007 11:11 AM ET (US) I am thinking that perhaps the four cylinder 200 HP will make CARB 3 star, making a difference for CA buyers. Also wondering if there would be a further fuel efficiency advantage.
bkloss	posted 05-30-2007 01:44 PM ET (US) My 6 cylinder is already a 3 carb rating
bkloss	posted 05-30-2007 01:45 PM ET (US) I mean CARB three-star
Jordi	posted 05-30-2007 04:48 PM ET (US) There has been some talk of Verado's rating going to CARB 2 star in '08 because of their fuel efficiency ratings. (Call Mercury to verify). The Verado 4 cyl 1.7 will obviously be more fuel efficient, but will it be offered in the 210 Outrage is another question. Jordi
fourdfish	posted 05-30-2007 07:09 PM ET (US) Jordi-That I'm sure is just talk! I would very surprised to see the Verado going to CARB 2 without a catalytic converter!
Scott Grey	posted 06-03-2007 09:41 PM ET (US) BKLOSS, I have to agree on everything you said about the verado. I have a 150 verado and it's just as you described.