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Merc owners?

3K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  Forrest Webb 
#1 ·
Hey guys I'm looking at putting a new 250 pro xs on my boat curious what you all think of yours if you have one? I have not found many bad reviews on them so far.
 
#10 ·
to each their own. I have had a faststrike 150,ficht 200, etec 225 ho and my current etec 250 ho.

I only have 2 speeds, stop and wot. Never had a problem. They all fire when you breathe on the key.

im a firm believer in they run how you break them in. I run them hard from the start.

Ive had 3 mercs. The big ones were garbage. The 25 hp I have on my trout boat has been a good little motor.

however, ill line my champ 203 up against the same boat with a pro xs and run away from it.

and yes, I drove both before I bought the etec. 257 hp at the prop doesnt lie.
 
#18 ·
I'm running a 250ProXS on the Black Cat. Its a good motor, but it came from the factory with a couple defects.

1. It got a new computer before I ever put it on the water because it would not drive the SmartCraft gages. The installer said it worked fine, and it must be my old gages because it worked fine when he installed the motor. I wasted money on new gages before he gave me a new computer. (I wasn't going to take it out and break it in without a working tachometer.)

2. At 13 hours I got a brand new powerhead because a piston sleeve spun in the block. The first diagnostic indicator to me was that it "hunted". I had fired up the motor on the hose before taking it out to the river and found the gages didn't work. When I went to the dealer to get the new computer installed I told him the motor seemed to hunt excessively. I have owned a few high performance injected motors and I am familiar with the fact that some of them seem to hunt a little at idle, but this seemed excessive to me. The dealer told me it was normal and wouldn't even fire it up. (Not even after he put in the new computer which was done in the driveway.) I took it out and ran it, and it seemed to "miss" periodically. It was a sudden minor jolt almost like tagging a sandbar with the skeg, and it was not consistent. When it kept doing it at any speed including WOT after the ten hours of beak-in. I called a different shop, and there it sat for months while they diagnosed it. I got a brand new powerhead.... eventually.

Before that the Cat had a 225, and it stuck a piston at about 30 hours for which I got a brand new powerhead from Mercury. Both were covered under warranty, and both took months to get done. A buddy of mine is running the 225 on his boat now, and the 250 fires instantly and runs like a scalded cat (pun intended). Do I love it? No. When it basically blows due to a defect out of the box its hard to ever trust it again, but it will light up and go. In good conditions it will push the Black Cat as fast as I can drive it.

The morale of the story I guess is if it doesn't seem right make the mechanic make it right. If the mechanic treats you like you are stupid get a different mechanic.

I think Mercury makes decent motors, but I will never be the zealous psycho fanatic that says things like, "once you go black...," except perhaps in jest.

One thing I would suggest is to pop over to Bass Boat Central and look for people who have that motor on the same model boat you want to put it on and see how they set it up and at what elevation and humidity they typically run at. And don't expect to get the same numbers as anybody who's claim seems pretty darn good. I won't say bass boat owners are liars, but I expect a lot of those numbers could only be achieved with a perfect prop, perfect setup for the conditions, down current, with a tail wind, no load, 12 inches of chop, and just enough gas in the tank to get back to the marina.

Enjoy your new motor and keep your eyes open.
 
#20 ·
I think Mercury makes decent motors, but I will never be the zealous psycho fanatic that says things like, "once you go black...," except perhaps in jest.
I can qualify that statement a little.
First I want to say I've never owned an Opti (they weigh to much and don't make enough noise):biggrin:

I have owned several 2.0, 2.4 and 2.5 Merc's and have never had problems with them. My BIL has my old 175XRI that has over 2000 hrs on has never been apart and still starts and runs like new. The one E-Rude we had was a total POS and I would not ever think of owning another.
 
#19 ·
if it's new,you have a warranty.also purchase a extended warranty.my pro XS 250 is a 2007,my warranty ends this November.yes 7 years later.I have had coils,harnesses and 3 lower units replaced.BUT IT'S UNDER WARRANTY!I also fish 200+ days a year. I will buy another one.
 
#23 ·
Yeah I'm thinking of trying to get the extended warranty with it it's worth the money, it should move my triton tr-22 pretty well. I have an evinrude ficht 225 and nothing but problems and can't find parts anymore. Is the silver gearmaster lower unit worth the extra money?
 
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