Mercury Lovers ...

[TooMuchFun]

For all you Mercury products lovers out there, thought this would be of interest. E-mail from one of my brother's survey jobs:

Be happy you have a fully hydraulic Volvo drive that kicks up on impact. I just looked at a brand new 2005 Sea Ray 225 with a Merc Bravo III drive. They hit a log/debris in the bay and fractured the transom bracket and the gimbal mount and the aft end of the cavitation plate is gone above the propeller. The operator didn’t know he hit anything until they put the boat back on the trailer (how many drinks and drugs does that take?). There are some rub marks on the lower drive housing and along the hull bottom. No other visible damage. The stainless steel duo props don’t even have a scratch. But the log created an impact that caused sudden brittle fracture to the drive parts and transom. $15,000 to replace drive and repair transom. ouch.

One more reason to invest in alternative manufacturers ... from a Volvo lover http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

TooMuchFun

[DCfive]

I'm with ya...
Another happy Volvo lover here.

[shane forrest]

the key is to stay away from the rocks i've seen a few volvos due the same thing or worse i would still stay with the mercury due to the factory support.

[Essex502]

Wasn't there also an issue about getting a wide variety of props for a Volvo drive? Seems I remember something like that.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (TooMuchFun @ Mar. 16 2005, 12:03 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The operator didn’t know he hit anything until they put the boat back on the trailer[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Built Tough!!

And the Merc drives will "kick up" just like the Volvos, except they return to the water after you hit something, and not stay in the upright position which will fry your u-joints and motor....

[shane forrest]

thats correct the trim cylinders on a merc. have a memory piston in them so when the drive kicks up it will return to its original position.

If you hit either drive hard enough I sure they will do the same damage, but I'm not willing to find out http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[DEEZ NUTTS]

I dont know about Merc kicking up. If you hit an underwater rock at 45mph she snaps right off. didnt even scratch the bottom of the boat.

You have a welder... Fix it http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[TooMuchFun]

E502 is right, there was a prop issue re: range of alternatives for the Volvo drives. It is now getting better as Volvo brings out their new drive systems. Deez Nuts is right, while the Mercs will return to original position, they do not kick up at speed when something is hit. Plus, they are built with incompatible metals so salt water applications are to be avoided (Merc is currently in the middle of multiple lawsuits and claims against them on this one), and the tensile strength of the metal they use for internals and to encase the drive are not of the strength that they should be ... hence blown drives when the hp is beefed up. Finally, Merc has a litany of horror stories re: warranty and service ... I'll stick with what I've got, and if and when I trade up will go with IMCO or another custom set of drives that will (a) handle the salt, and (b) be built to last and handle the hp provided to them.

TooMuchFun

[shane forrest]

MERCURY IS BY FAR THE BEST COMPANY I HAVE EVER DELT WITH. YOIU HAVE TO FIGURE THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU WHEN YOU HAVE 80 % OF THE MARKET THEY ARE DEALING WITH A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAN THE SMALL GUYS LIKE VOLVO.WHO CARES IF THE VOLVO IS BETTER IN SALTWATER HOW MANY OF US TAKE OUR BOAT IN THE SALT WATER. I WOULD RATHER HAVE A BETTER PERFORMANCE DRIVE WITH A MULTITUDE OF PROPS TO TRY AND HAS THE BEST RESALE I WOULDNT BUY A BOAT IF IT HAD A VOLVO ON IT.

[ybull]

Why are you yelling Shane?

[shane forrest]

my computer at work has to be on caps to type part numbers and letters its just a force of habbit i'm not yelling.

[Essex502]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (shane forrest @ Mar. 17 2005, 08:29 am)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">my computer at work has to be on caps to type part numbers and letters its just a force of habbit i'm not yelling.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Do you look at the screen while you type? http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Havasu Dreamin]

All drives are going to ahve their problems. I don't care what drive you're using, you hit a submerged object at 45 MPH, you're going to incur some damage. All drives have their pros and cons.

[dicudmore]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (shane forrest @ Mar. 17 2005, 08:29 am)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">my computer at work has to be on caps to type part numbers and letters its just a force of habbit i'm not yelling.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
mine too.....
and I hate having to switch back and forth.

I'll have a whole message typed then look down and its caps http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/devil.gif

[DCfive]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (shane forrest @ Mar. 16 2005, 9:14 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">MERCURY IS BY FAR THE BEST COMPANY I HAVE EVER DELT WITH. YOIU HAVE TO FIGURE THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU WHEN YOU HAVE 80 % OF THE MARKET THEY ARE DEALING WITH A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAN THE SMALL GUYS LIKE VOLVO.WHO CARES IF THE VOLVO IS BETTER IN SALTWATER HOW MANY OF US TAKE OUR BOAT IN THE SALT WATER. I WOULD RATHER HAVE A BETTER PERFORMANCE DRIVE WITH A MULTITUDE OF PROPS TO TRY AND HAS THE BEST RESALE I WOULDNT BUY A BOAT IF IT HAD A VOLVO ON IT.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Actually alot of us take our boats in the salt. Myself, I'm about 50/50.
We don't all live in the desert.

[Essex502]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (dicudmore @ Mar. 17 2005, 09:01 am)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (shane forrest @ Mar. 17 2005, 08:29 am)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">my computer at work has to be on caps to type part numbers and letters its just a force of habbit i'm not yelling.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
mine too.....
and I hate having to switch back and forth.

I'll have a whole message typed then look down and its caps Â*http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/devil.gif[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Type with your head up! http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[TooMuchFun]

Geeez, Shane, you have family members or something that work for Mercury Marine? or own a Volvo that blew up on you? http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Agreed with Havasu Dreamin, pluses and minuses to all products. Merc seems to build decent engines, but their drives leave some things to be desired ... look on your shop wall, Shane, where you have a poster of the Volvo drive internals explicating some of their positive features in relation to Merc product http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif. Also look at recent ads for the new Merc drives that have been designed to correct some traditional problems/flaws. Also look around at all the drive manufacturer competitors with Merc, particularly in the higher end and salt water application markets. They would not exist if there was not a perceived consumer need for alternatives.

Brief lesson in economies of scale and American market manipulation. Merc Marine is owned by a parent company that also owns many of the production boat manufacturer companies. As such, Merc powerplants are pushed for these boat lines from the parent organization, and the production market makes up over 80% of the marine pleasure market. Monopoly oversight has not looked into this yet, but all it takes is a complaint from another manufacturer. Additionally, Merc is pretty savvy re: offering big discounts and other percs to a variety of boat manufacturers (production and custom) to increase the probability of Merc powerplant install unless a customer requests otherwise. The organizational business/marketing plan originated in the early 80s back when Merc was experiencing difficulty with market share. A recent example of all this is their recent business agreement with Reggie Fountain ... was written up in a recent HotBoat issue I think?

Market share, product sales, and revenue generation are not solely driven by quality product when emanating from large corporate conglomerates ... and this end of the Merc parent organization is pretty darn effective ...

Food for thought to keep the conversation lively http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

TooMuchFun

[shane forrest]

mercury is the only company that has a three year corrosion warranty that is standard i dont believe volvo offers that.mercury has to be pretty confident with thier product to offer that and that includes the boat sitting in salt water.

[TooMuchFun]

Shane ... good point, and I would be a bit more receptive to a Merc drive possibility (barring other structural concerns) if Merc wasn't currently refusing to honor that specific warranty on multiple claims on both east and west coasts as they are now working their way through the court system and boat/powerplant oversight organizations ... I have a long article from Boat US on this specific topic with pictures of Merc drives that have disintegrated in the salt due to the incompatible metal situation.

PS -- Some of my longstanding skepticism of Mercury Marine stems from my youth back in the late 60s and early 70s when just about every Merc outboard (this might be before your time, but remember the old stacked cylinder outboards ... full of engineering problems) and I/O at the time could be seen at some point broken down on the south Fla intracoastal waterways ... but Volvo I/Os and the old Johnson outboards we used to run just kept on taking a beating and resisting the salt with dependability.

PPS -- I kind of like Merc's new 600 engine, it's just wwaaayyyyy too overpriced.

TooMuchFun

[Beach Bums]

uuuuuuuuuuhh........what?!?!?!?!?

[Essex502]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (TooMuchFun @ Mar. 17 2005, 8:25 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Geeez, Shane, you have family members or something that work for Mercury Marine? or own a Volvo that blew up on you? http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Agreed with Havasu Dreamin, pluses and minuses to all products. Merc seems to build decent engines, but their drives leave some things to be desired ... look on your shop wall, Shane, where you have a poster of the Volvo drive internals explicating some of their positive features in relation to Merc product http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif. Also look at recent ads for the new Merc drives that have been designed to correct some traditional problems/flaws. Also look around at all the drive manufacturer competitors with Merc, particularly in the higher end and salt water application markets. They would not exist if there was not a perceived consumer need for alternatives.

Brief lesson in economies of scale and American market manipulation. Merc Marine is owned by a parent company that also owns many of the production boat manufacturer companies. As such, Merc powerplants are pushed for these boat lines from the parent organization, and the production market makes up over 80% of the marine pleasure market. Monopoly oversight has not looked into this yet, but all it takes is a complaint from another manufacturer. Additionally, Merc is pretty savvy re: offering big discounts and other percs to a variety of boat manufacturers (production and custom) to increase the probability of Merc powerplant install unless a customer requests otherwise. The organizational business/marketing plan originated in the early 80s back when Merc was experiencing difficulty with market share. A recent example of all this is their recent business agreement with Reggie Fountain ... was written up in a recent HotBoat issue I think?

Market share, product sales, and revenue generation are not solely driven by quality product when emanating from large corporate conglomerates ... and this end of the Merc parent organization is pretty darn effective ...

Food for thought to keep the conversation lively http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

TooMuchFun[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Mercury learning from Microsoft? http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif