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Author Topic:   Honda vs Mercury

Nantucket Sleighride posted 02-21-2010 11:28 PM ET (US)
I would like to hear from fellow Boston Whaler owners on the subject of small displacement (2 hp - 20 hp) 4-stroke Honda and Mercury outboard motors.

I am asking this to determine if my distaste of Mercury's and favoritism for Honda's is justified.
Several years ago I purchased a 6 hp Mercury 4-stroke kicker for my 17' Montauk. This motor was new in the box and yet it was riddled with problems.
I was told at the time that the smaller Mercury outboards suffered from poor quality control.
Since that time I have purchased 3 Honda's and they have all been flawless!
What are your thoughts on the quality and reliability of the Mercury and Honda outboard motors?
Thank you for your opinions.
Bill

Fishmore posted 02-22-2010 12:20 AM ET (US)
I have had both and not had problems with either. Mercury in that size are also sold as Tohatsu and Nissan brand and they are well respected throughout the world. Honda's are well respected also and I would not hesitate to buy either brand. Actually right now my Montauk has a Mercury main engine (75hp 2-stroke) and a Honda kicker (7.5hp 4-stroke).
L H G posted 02-22-2010 02:01 AM ET (US)
Nantucket. Give it a break. You really don't have a clue.
How's "Theft" Marine doing these days?
Nantucket Sleighride posted 02-22-2010 04:49 AM ET (US)
Larry--You are too kind! However you seem to have missed the intent of my posting. I was trying to gather useful data from fellow Boston Whaler owners.
If Mercury, like Toyota, has made a concerted effort to sort out their quality issues then I will champion their cause and market their motors. I value my customers and do everything within my power to earn their trust. Selling a product that I am not comfortable with would jeopardize that trust.
As the former Final Assembly Quality Control Supervisor for Data Terminal Systems it was my job to insure that terminals were flawless prior to leaving the assembly line.
It was clear from the onset that the 6-HP Mercury outboard motor that I purchased had not undergone a similar inspection prior to being boxed.
I would like to believe that the poor quality of my Mercury outboard was not indicative of their full line of motors.
If you have any information that would shed further light on this matter I welcome your comments.
All the very best
Bill
fishinchips posted 02-25-2010 11:07 PM ET (US)
Have honda 15hp as a kicker motor on my other boat and never had a problem. Always starts without problems.
Also have a Merc/Tohatsu 6hp as a kicker motor on my whaler. Good motor. Always starts. I should clarify that this motor is made by tohatsu with merc badging.
Have 2003-90hp Merc/Yamaha, Had some problems. Dealer good, so fixed it quickly for me. First merc/yamaha engine for me. Almost left me stranded twice. I would not recommend this motor.
Ken
onlyawhaler posted 02-26-2010 12:08 AM ET (US)
I have had both Honda and Yamaha 4 stroke trolling motors. Both are great motors, no experience with Mercury
Onlyawhaler
PS, I would consider looking at the new lighter Yamaha 4 stroke offerings in the trolling motor class being introduced this spring. Weight and reliability are everything in boating
lhorn42 posted 02-26-2010 06:45 PM ET (US)
Very pleased with 2008 Yahama 20 HP 4-Stroke 25" shaft, manual start, tiller steer. Bought new in Spring 2009 for use on 16 ft aluminum utility boat.
Incredibly quiet, sips gas, At ~115 lbs. women & kids can still manually tilt & start.
Caveat: small sample size, ~75 hrs first year.
"Goes like hell!"--Eddy G.
Dan
TransAm posted 02-26-2010 08:09 PM ET (US)
Nantucket,
Your original question is loaded. It seems every time someone starts a thread saying "I bought a _____ and it sucks an I hate them, and I bought a ______ and it's great and I love them", the result is a big war of words between the opposing product enthusiasts. It would seem the logical thing for someone in your position and experience to do is to keep on buying Honda's.
Nantucket Sleighride posted 02-26-2010 09:17 PM ET (US)
TransAm
Much like "Boston Whaler" my company exclusively offers Mercury outboards.
We carry 4-stroke motors from the smaller 2.5 hp up to the 20 hp.
Several years ago we had over 50% of these Mercury motors returned.
Since that time I have been reluctant to sell them to my valued customers.
Larry (The Defender of all Mercury) may find this difficult to believe.
Truthfully I was hoping to get positive feedback, from fellow Whaler owners, so that I could once again sell the Mercury's with confidence.
For those of you who have recently purchased a Mercury 4-stroke please chime in. Let me know if this was a positive experience and if you would purchase a Mercury in the future.
All the very best.
Bill
TransAm posted 02-26-2010 09:44 PM ET (US)
I too find a 50% return rate difficult to believe, for any product in today's market. What is your company, and your position within the company? Is this data available for review or otherwise verifiable? I would think with a return (and presumed defect) rate of 50% or more, several recalls would have been issued.
fourdfish posted 02-26-2010 10:12 PM ET (US)
Trans--If you read his profile, it says he is a West Marine associate! (alias-Worst Marine)
number9 posted 02-26-2010 11:45 PM ET (US)
Only modern small 4-stroke I've had experience is a 4hp Yamaha, other than being a bit noisy when at the tiller it has performed very well. Never heard of any problems with the Mercs so that didn't affect the purchase decision.
Seems you had some personal experience with a problem motor and some of customers did as well. If in position now and having to decide whether or not to recommend new 20hp and under Mercurys to my customers, I wouldn't hesitate knowing they are now built by Tohatsu.
Nantucket Sleighride posted 02-26-2010 11:45 PM ET (US)
Fourdfish
I had hoped that owners of the Mercury outboard motors would add their comments to this thread and dispel my concerns of their quality.
I would like to recommend the Mercury products to my customers confident in the knowledge that they are assembled with the same workmanship and level of quality as their competition.
On my personal background you may not have been aware that I was employed at "Boater's World" for 3 years and moved to "West Marine" because I was very impressed with the company, it's policies, and their founder Randy Repass.
I have been with "West Marine" now for over 4-years and I am very supportive of the company.

If you take the time to look over their "No Hassle Guarantee" and their "Price Matching" policies I'm sure that you will agree that they are exemplary.
What impresses me the most about "West Marine" is the caliber of the employees. These are fellow boaters who go to great lengths to exceed the customers expectations. I am proud to be working with them.
As Larry vigorously defends "Mercury"
I will will similarly defend "West Marine"
Bill
Fishmore posted 02-27-2010 12:02 AM ET (US)
Bill, this seems more like a post to get Larry's hair in a bunch than a real informative post. You first claimed that the post was because you had a bad experience with a 6hp motor you bought for your 17 Outrage now you are claiming that half the Mercury's sold by West Marine in some former year were returned. Sorry but I think if half the motors sold by any large retailer were returned then we would have heard or read about it. Also, why wait till several years later to mention that large of a problem? If there was that large of a problem it would have affected all the Tohatsu and Nissan motors also. Seems very fishy to me.
Nantucket Sleighride posted 02-27-2010 12:41 AM ET (US)
Fishmore
My apologies, I should have been more clear.
The motor returns were a localized incident that occurred several years ago.
I was speaking of a situation at our specific store.
We had a total of 5 returned motors in store.
One of these 5 motors I had purchased and returned.
I have researched articles from "Practical Sailor" and "Consumers Reports" for comparisons made with a variety of outboard manufacturers.

These articles generally give high marks for Mercury in such areas as reduced weight, high performance, and reasonable price. (Bang for the Buck!)

I was interested to know what the build quality, reliability, and the expected longevity of these motors was.
Bill

Fishmore posted 02-27-2010 01:20 AM ET (US)
Maybe Ken (fishinchips) will mention his experiences as he has a 6hp Mercury kicker for his 170 that he let me borrow last year to test on my boat. I believe the motor was a 2006 model and it was a sweet little motor, ran great still looked like new etc.. I almost bought a new one based on that experience but I happened on a used Honda 7.5hp for half the price of a new motor and bought that. I still might sell the Honda for a used Mercury because the Mercury is lighter and it matches my main motor.
Nantucket Sleighride posted 02-27-2010 01:59 AM ET (US)
Fishmore
That is encouraging to hear that the 2006 Mercury 6 hp was in excellent condition. I'm hoping to hear from others with similar experience.
My 18' Guardian has a 2004 carbureted Honda 90 hp and a 1993 Nissan 8 hp 2-stroke kicker motor. If I continue to get positive reviews from the Mercury owners I could be swayed to replace my kicker with a new Mercury 4-stroke.
Bill
TransAm posted 02-27-2010 08:49 AM ET (US)
I still don't understand why you would not just go with a Honda. You are personally batting 1.000 with Honda's and .000 with Mercury. A few anecdotal reports are going to sway you back to a brand "riddled with problems". Is the Mercury like an old girlfriend you want to get with despite having a hot new girlfriend?
I have been a Yamaha enthusiast for 24 years with a similar experience with Yamaha as you have had with Honda. It would take much more than a few anecdotal reports to sway me away from Yamaha.
jimh posted 02-27-2010 09:44 AM ET (US)
Moderator's note: Several replies to this inquiry have been off-topic, and, instead of offering information, speculated about the reason for the inquiry. Rather than to speculate about the reason for the inquiry, it would be more beneficial simply to reply with the information sought. The reason for the inquiry was clearly stated in the initial article.
Nantucket Sleighride posted 02-27-2010 11:13 AM ET (US)
Jim
Thank you for placing this thread back on track.
Unfortunately It has been derailed from the very start.
In retrospect much of the blame falls on my shoulders for the manner that I worded the original question. Had I not mentioned my personal experience with specific outboard motors this may not have ruffled the feathers of fellow CW members.
Boaters feel very strongly about a motor that has served them well an we all have our particular favorite manufacturer for outboard motors!
When we are on the water the engines reliability is a key factor in our safety, the safety of our family, and fellow boaters.

I trust that we can all agree that of even greater importance is the boat that we choose and that there is no safer boat than the "Boston Whaler".
Bill


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Author	Topic: Honda vs Mercury
Nantucket Sleighride	posted 02-21-2010 11:28 PM ET (US) I would like to hear from fellow Boston Whaler owners on the subject of small displacement (2 hp - 20 hp) 4-stroke Honda and Mercury outboard motors. I am asking this to determine if my distaste of Mercury's and favoritism for Honda's is justified. Several years ago I purchased a 6 hp Mercury 4-stroke kicker for my 17' Montauk. This motor was new in the box and yet it was riddled with problems. I was told at the time that the smaller Mercury outboards suffered from poor quality control. Since that time I have purchased 3 Honda's and they have all been flawless! What are your thoughts on the quality and reliability of the Mercury and Honda outboard motors? Thank you for your opinions. Bill
Fishmore	posted 02-22-2010 12:20 AM ET (US) I have had both and not had problems with either. Mercury in that size are also sold as Tohatsu and Nissan brand and they are well respected throughout the world. Honda's are well respected also and I would not hesitate to buy either brand. Actually right now my Montauk has a Mercury main engine (75hp 2-stroke) and a Honda kicker (7.5hp 4-stroke).
L H G	posted 02-22-2010 02:01 AM ET (US) Nantucket. Give it a break. You really don't have a clue. How's "Theft" Marine doing these days?
Nantucket Sleighride	posted 02-22-2010 04:49 AM ET (US) Larry--You are too kind! However you seem to have missed the intent of my posting. I was trying to gather useful data from fellow Boston Whaler owners. If Mercury, like Toyota, has made a concerted effort to sort out their quality issues then I will champion their cause and market their motors. I value my customers and do everything within my power to earn their trust. Selling a product that I am not comfortable with would jeopardize that trust. As the former Final Assembly Quality Control Supervisor for Data Terminal Systems it was my job to insure that terminals were flawless prior to leaving the assembly line. It was clear from the onset that the 6-HP Mercury outboard motor that I purchased had not undergone a similar inspection prior to being boxed. I would like to believe that the poor quality of my Mercury outboard was not indicative of their full line of motors. If you have any information that would shed further light on this matter I welcome your comments. All the very best Bill
fishinchips	posted 02-25-2010 11:07 PM ET (US) Have honda 15hp as a kicker motor on my other boat and never had a problem. Always starts without problems. Also have a Merc/Tohatsu 6hp as a kicker motor on my whaler. Good motor. Always starts. I should clarify that this motor is made by tohatsu with merc badging. Have 2003-90hp Merc/Yamaha, Had some problems. Dealer good, so fixed it quickly for me. First merc/yamaha engine for me. Almost left me stranded twice. I would not recommend this motor. Ken
onlyawhaler	posted 02-26-2010 12:08 AM ET (US) I have had both Honda and Yamaha 4 stroke trolling motors. Both are great motors, no experience with Mercury Onlyawhaler PS, I would consider looking at the new lighter Yamaha 4 stroke offerings in the trolling motor class being introduced this spring. Weight and reliability are everything in boating
lhorn42	posted 02-26-2010 06:45 PM ET (US) Very pleased with 2008 Yahama 20 HP 4-Stroke 25" shaft, manual start, tiller steer. Bought new in Spring 2009 for use on 16 ft aluminum utility boat. Incredibly quiet, sips gas, At ~115 lbs. women & kids can still manually tilt & start. Caveat: small sample size, ~75 hrs first year. "Goes like hell!"--Eddy G. Dan
TransAm	posted 02-26-2010 08:09 PM ET (US) Nantucket, Your original question is loaded. It seems every time someone starts a thread saying "I bought a _____ and it sucks an I hate them, and I bought a ______ and it's great and I love them", the result is a big war of words between the opposing product enthusiasts. It would seem the logical thing for someone in your position and experience to do is to keep on buying Honda's.
Nantucket Sleighride	posted 02-26-2010 09:17 PM ET (US) TransAm Much like "Boston Whaler" my company exclusively offers Mercury outboards. We carry 4-stroke motors from the smaller 2.5 hp up to the 20 hp. Several years ago we had over 50% of these Mercury motors returned. Since that time I have been reluctant to sell them to my valued customers. Larry (The Defender of all Mercury) may find this difficult to believe. Truthfully I was hoping to get positive feedback, from fellow Whaler owners, so that I could once again sell the Mercury's with confidence. For those of you who have recently purchased a Mercury 4-stroke please chime in. Let me know if this was a positive experience and if you would purchase a Mercury in the future. All the very best. Bill
TransAm	posted 02-26-2010 09:44 PM ET (US) I too find a 50% return rate difficult to believe, for any product in today's market. What is your company, and your position within the company? Is this data available for review or otherwise verifiable? I would think with a return (and presumed defect) rate of 50% or more, several recalls would have been issued.
fourdfish	posted 02-26-2010 10:12 PM ET (US) Trans--If you read his profile, it says he is a West Marine associate! (alias-Worst Marine)
number9	posted 02-26-2010 11:45 PM ET (US) Only modern small 4-stroke I've had experience is a 4hp Yamaha, other than being a bit noisy when at the tiller it has performed very well. Never heard of any problems with the Mercs so that didn't affect the purchase decision. Seems you had some personal experience with a problem motor and some of customers did as well. If in position now and having to decide whether or not to recommend new 20hp and under Mercurys to my customers, I wouldn't hesitate knowing they are now built by Tohatsu.
Nantucket Sleighride	posted 02-26-2010 11:45 PM ET (US) Fourdfish I had hoped that owners of the Mercury outboard motors would add their comments to this thread and dispel my concerns of their quality. I would like to recommend the Mercury products to my customers confident in the knowledge that they are assembled with the same workmanship and level of quality as their competition. On my personal background you may not have been aware that I was employed at "Boater's World" for 3 years and moved to "West Marine" because I was very impressed with the company, it's policies, and their founder Randy Repass. I have been with "West Marine" now for over 4-years and I am very supportive of the company. If you take the time to look over their "No Hassle Guarantee" and their "Price Matching" policies I'm sure that you will agree that they are exemplary. What impresses me the most about "West Marine" is the caliber of the employees. These are fellow boaters who go to great lengths to exceed the customers expectations. I am proud to be working with them. As Larry vigorously defends "Mercury" I will will similarly defend "West Marine" Bill
Fishmore	posted 02-27-2010 12:02 AM ET (US) Bill, this seems more like a post to get Larry's hair in a bunch than a real informative post. You first claimed that the post was because you had a bad experience with a 6hp motor you bought for your 17 Outrage now you are claiming that half the Mercury's sold by West Marine in some former year were returned. Sorry but I think if half the motors sold by any large retailer were returned then we would have heard or read about it. Also, why wait till several years later to mention that large of a problem? If there was that large of a problem it would have affected all the Tohatsu and Nissan motors also. Seems very fishy to me.
Nantucket Sleighride	posted 02-27-2010 12:41 AM ET (US) Fishmore My apologies, I should have been more clear. The motor returns were a localized incident that occurred several years ago. I was speaking of a situation at our specific store. We had a total of 5 returned motors in store. One of these 5 motors I had purchased and returned. I have researched articles from "Practical Sailor" and "Consumers Reports" for comparisons made with a variety of outboard manufacturers. These articles generally give high marks for Mercury in such areas as reduced weight, high performance, and reasonable price. (Bang for the Buck!) I was interested to know what the build quality, reliability, and the expected longevity of these motors was. Bill
Fishmore	posted 02-27-2010 01:20 AM ET (US) Maybe Ken (fishinchips) will mention his experiences as he has a 6hp Mercury kicker for his 170 that he let me borrow last year to test on my boat. I believe the motor was a 2006 model and it was a sweet little motor, ran great still looked like new etc.. I almost bought a new one based on that experience but I happened on a used Honda 7.5hp for half the price of a new motor and bought that. I still might sell the Honda for a used Mercury because the Mercury is lighter and it matches my main motor.
Nantucket Sleighride	posted 02-27-2010 01:59 AM ET (US) Fishmore That is encouraging to hear that the 2006 Mercury 6 hp was in excellent condition. I'm hoping to hear from others with similar experience. My 18' Guardian has a 2004 carbureted Honda 90 hp and a 1993 Nissan 8 hp 2-stroke kicker motor. If I continue to get positive reviews from the Mercury owners I could be swayed to replace my kicker with a new Mercury 4-stroke. Bill
TransAm	posted 02-27-2010 08:49 AM ET (US) I still don't understand why you would not just go with a Honda. You are personally batting 1.000 with Honda's and .000 with Mercury. A few anecdotal reports are going to sway you back to a brand "riddled with problems". Is the Mercury like an old girlfriend you want to get with despite having a hot new girlfriend? I have been a Yamaha enthusiast for 24 years with a similar experience with Yamaha as you have had with Honda. It would take much more than a few anecdotal reports to sway me away from Yamaha.
jimh	posted 02-27-2010 09:44 AM ET (US) Moderator's note: Several replies to this inquiry have been off-topic, and, instead of offering information, speculated about the reason for the inquiry. Rather than to speculate about the reason for the inquiry, it would be more beneficial simply to reply with the information sought. The reason for the inquiry was clearly stated in the initial article.
Nantucket Sleighride	posted 02-27-2010 11:13 AM ET (US) Jim Thank you for placing this thread back on track. Unfortunately It has been derailed from the very start. In retrospect much of the blame falls on my shoulders for the manner that I worded the original question. Had I not mentioned my personal experience with specific outboard motors this may not have ruffled the feathers of fellow CW members. Boaters feel very strongly about a motor that has served them well an we all have our particular favorite manufacturer for outboard motors! When we are on the water the engines reliability is a key factor in our safety, the safety of our family, and fellow boaters. I trust that we can all agree that of even greater importance is the boat that we choose and that there is no safer boat than the "Boston Whaler". Bill