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Yahama vs Merc

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Connie

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We are in processing of purchasing our first Bennington tritoon and have the option of a Yahama 250 or a Mercury 250. We have always had smaller Mercs on our boats but dealers pushing the Yahama for better mpg and durability. Anyone have preferences and why
 
I went with a yamaha. I've heard nothing but great things in regards to reliability. Our f200 is based off the proven f150 so I am planning on years of great power hanging off the back. I know the merc guys lover theirs too though. I'm not a fan of how their smaller hp motors are built in China.
 
Welcome aboard Connie!

I have a Yamaha, and really like it, but there are others on here who have both in your horsepower range (mine is a 50hp) so i will let them give you their opinions.

I do know that Bennington "partnered" with Yamaha and offer a prerig set up if you choose the Yamaha, which means less work for the dealer.

After you have posted on here a few times, you will get used to the lag time after you hit the post button, i deleted your duplicate post  ;)
 
We have a Yamaha as well, have nothing but kudos, runs like a sewing machine. Our first four-stroke.

With that said, we for many year had nothing but Mercury, had very few problems over 40+ years of boating with them. Never had a Merc four-stroke.

We were faced with a similar decision and after taking notice that like 95% of outboards on our coast were all Yamaha we decided to give them a try.

If I were buying today I would go back to the Yamaha....

Steve
 
I went with the merc 300 verado vs the Yamaha 350 based on my set of needs. Generally the mission dictates the gear.

1. There are more merc mechanics in my area.

2. Due to the heat in the summer, I believe I would suffer less HP loss due to forced induction.

3. I intend on going to lakes at higher altitude and will have less HP loss due to forced induction. (Lake Powell)

4. I do not think the added weight of the 350 will offset the extra 50HP.

Both make excellent motors and you will be well served by either. I think your particular needs will dictate what works best in your situation.

Cheers, Steve
 
We have a mercury. If I were you I would look at what can be serviced by your dealer as well as by any mechanics at your primary lake assuming your dealer isn't based there. Both Yamaha and Mercury make quality engines but all engines need maintenance and everything breaks down given a long enough time period. Save yourself extra hauling of your boat for service. It's no fun to drive your boat around when it's on a trailer.
 
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The mechanics in my area all said for me to get a yamaha. .....100%

1 made the comment " they are the go-to motors of the drug dealers for a reason"
 
I agree with SSC.

I would be concerned with dealers pushing one brand over the other....very tough to make a claim of mpg and reliability when both are very good I believe Honda beats both on mpg and in time, may prove typical Honda reliability......remember they are sales men first....I'm sure there is some financial benefits for them.
 
Stormie25RCL said:
I agree with SSC.

I would be concerned with dealers pushing one brand over the other....very tough to make a claim of mpg and reliability when both are very good I believe Honda beats both on mpg and in time, may prove typical Honda reliability......remember they are sales men first....I'm sure there is some financial benefits for them.
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+1Do your research and ask owners of both manufacturers about their experiences. You'll find plenty on this forum who would be glad to share impressions with you. You really can't go wrong with either.
 
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Test drive em if possible.

For me, I love the punch out of the supercharged merc. Drive by wire throttle, smart gauges...the low thru mid range power is ridiculous.

Fuel economy and a boat? Just kidding. We run 30mph plus 50% or towing multiple skiers at a time- no complaints.

I drove all 3: Honda was my least favorite.
 
We have the Yamaha 250 SHO. It has great power at the start (hole shot) which was of most importance to me. We were replacing a ski boat and I wanted to make sure the Benny could get me out of the water on a slalom ski. It does that with ease. Also putts around the lake very quietly without burning much gas. I have no Merc outboard experience to compare with, but we are very happy with the Yammy.
 
WahooWa said:
We have the Yamaha 250 SHO. It has great power at the start (hole shot) which was of most importance to me. We were replacing a ski boat and I wanted to make sure the Benny could get me out of the water on a slalom ski. It does that with ease. Also putts around the lake very quietly without burning much gas. I have no Merc outboard experience to compare with, but we are very happy with the Yammy.
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I have an Evinrude ETEC 225HO mainly because that is what the Bennington dealership handles --- no other engine options unless I drive on the interstate for 2.5 hrs each way for a Yamaha or Merc.   Haven't regretted it yet.  Talk about acceleration from start, ie torque, this one is unbelievable.  My two daughters both water ski (slalom) and the boat accelerates so quickly it literally pulls the handle out of their hands.   So, I have to ease the throttle forward versus slamming it, and this is with 7 people onboard.  They both claim none of our other boats ever had power like that and I've had some powerful boats with I/O's.  Top speed is a little disappointing at 46.5 mph  as I thought it would be around 50 mph but that may just be propping and/or engine height.  Nevertheless, I'm happy since the boat planes quickly and cruises very well and that is more important to me than top speed.

As mentioned above, all outboards seem to be pretty good but consider what dealer support you have locally when buying new or used.
 
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I have a Yamaha and can say nothing but great things but I was also curious as well.  Earlier this summer we were at Lake George and having a drink on the deck of a restaurant.  Next door was a marina with a large rental fleet and I noticed that it was evenly split with Yamahas and Mercury.  I saw a tech working on an engine so I walked over to chat.  I said I noticed the Yamaha and Mercury engines and asked him if he serviced both and if so which did he think was the superior engine.  he replied that he was certified on both and said they were both highly dependable and that he really couldn't choose one over the other, he compared them to high quality truck manufacturers and said they were both good and some people just preferred one over the other.

Therefore I would say that you should choose the engine that the dealer is most comfortable with
 
Me, I buy AMERICAN when possible  Mercury.
 
I have a yamaha f300 on a 2550 rcb. First year with the boat but have over 50 hours on it so far. I believe the dealer pushed the yamaha a little more due to the prewrig with the factory. But if look around the florida coast most center councel boats run yamaha. It's quiet has decent fuel economy. I don't think you will go wrong with either brand.
 
highpond said:
Me, I buy AMERICAN when possible  Mercury.
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The 40, 50, and 60 horse built in Suzhou China, 30 hp and less in Tohatsu Japan. The larger engines built here in the US. Yes the parent company Brunswick is a US company. They also own a lot of boat brands; SeaRay, Black Fin, Bayliner, Boston Whaler, and several others.

Steve
 
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Link said:
I have a Yamaha and can say nothing but great things but I was also curious as well.  Earlier this summer we were at Lake George and having a drink on the deck of a restaurant.  Next door was a marina with a large rental fleet and I noticed that it was evenly split with Yamahas and Mercury.  I saw a tech working on an engine so I walked over to chat.  I said I noticed the Yamaha and Mercury engines and asked him if he serviced both and if so which did he think was the superior engine.  he replied that he was certified on both and said they were both highly dependable and that he really couldn't choose one over the other, he compared them to high quality truck manufacturers and said they were both good and some people just preferred one over the other.

Therefore I would say that you should choose the engine that the dealer is most comfortable with
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Thanks for asking that guy and posting the info Marc!  That's probably the best info I've read yet on the Y vs M debate.  Nothing better than asking a guy who is certified on both of them what he thinks...

Looks like the decision boils down to price, after sale service and warranty.

For me, Mercury was a no brainer.  Lots of service options near me for Mercury vs not so much for Yamaha.  The dealer I bough the boat from sold Mercury, so it would have been extra hoops to get the Yamaha.  Price was quite a bit cheaper as I recall.
 
Research it. I bought Yamaha, if I had to do it again I would look hard at Mercury for the simple fact that I could have it serviced on the lake, and TomS boat is faster than mine...
 
Maybe it comes down to which color compliments your boat the best   :)

Steve
 
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