I have a 250 Verado. had it for three years now and I love it. They are big and heavy other than that I really like mine. the only money Ive spent on it is service and maintenance.

i luv my black max

I have out run a new Yamaha 250 SHO on a Skeeter FX with a 99 Model Triton TR21 with a 2004 model 225hp Mercury. I will stick with Mercury.

I have never had a lower unit problem with a Mercury. My dad also has two Mercury's and has never had a lower unit problem. One is a 1975 model and the other is a 1996 model.

some guys say they can out run a yammie - so what? You can't outrun them if you are dead in the water with bad coils. Again I have owned both and to me the yammie was a much better and a lot more reliable motor. Who cares if you get passed as long as you get back. I will say the pro 250 XS is a beast when running but I just do not have faith in it after coil issues at only 10 hours and 40 hours> Love my basscat but not the merc

if speed is the only measure of a boat or motor why doesn't everyone just buy 109 mph Allisons ?

I have never had a bad coil on a Mercury. I did have that problem with a Johnson.

The XS does have coil problems. Had two replaced within six months of buying mine. After they finally decided to replace all of them i haven't had a problem. Aggrevating when something is brand new. That was in 08' may be better now dunno.

I have owned about 12 Mercury engines over the past 18 years, I have never had a problem with one of them. So when you end up selling your boat are you going to let the prospective buyer know just how bad that piece of junk is on the back of your boat ?

The coil issue is long gone on the new motors. I don't know what your experience was with them but it sounds like it really destroyed any and all faith in you motor. As for speed. When the first FX20 with a 250 SHO showed up at a tourney we were in it was one boat in front of us. Basscat Puma FTD 250 XS. Two 300lb guys. Left SHO/Skeeter combo quickly. The 7 miles to catch up was more like 1 mile in front. No not ALL Mercury motors are bult in the USA BUT all of the Bigger Optimax motors are. Besides its like buying a toyota yea they are made in texas but your still giving your money to Japan. That is where the company is Based. I havent owned a SHO but if you own a merc you do "have a dog in this hunt" because you can tell good things or bad about your motor. Just remember all motors no matter brand will have some bad ones but there will be alot of good ones to the one bad one.

Oh and for the Verado haters check out the NEW Verado Pro. Just saying.

JFB,
Since you are from upstate NY you need to consider the cold weather performance of both motors. Like Paul has said you need to test both, and i would pick a cold day.
I have a Pro XS now, but i have not ran it on a super cold day. My past experience with Mercurys is that they are or were an extremely cold natured motor. Conversely I had my old Yamaha out onTexoma with ice forming in the bottom of the boat, and that Yamaha started right up, idled out of the marina, and never gave one hint of being cold natured.

coil problem long gone? My boat is an 08 and check out BBC website. Guys are posting all the time about how their mercs have lost power and they have bad coils. As for Happycamper I did not say it was a piece of junk just that I have no faith in it. I will tell the next buyer I had coil problems when I first got the boat but Merc seems to have finally got the coil issue fixed but they did not handle it right the first time by replacing them one at a time when they went bad. Now they replace all of them with a new vendor coil. There are still lots of bad coils out there. We spend to much money on these things and it sucks when you have it in the shop with just 10 hours on it and know you will be back when it goes out again (40 hours)and you have to limp to the ramp! All I am saying is I have now owned both and will never have a merc again. They all have their problems but I feel the yammie is more dependable

To answer your question Merc. My reasoning- I owned a Mercury 225hp Pro Max for 4 years. 99-03. I never did anything but change the lower unit oil! Had the orginal plugs when I sold it. The guy had his mechanic check it out. When he took the couling off it looked like the first day I bought it. This engine was fast, and never had a problem 1. And yes it was used. Had 380 hours on it when I sold it. Then got a Yamaha 225 hpdi on my next boat in 04. It got good gas milage. Other than that, Engine blew under warrenty, and always had lower unit in shop. True from me hitting things, but I did with the merc too, and it held up for 4 years! 2-3 other warranty issues in the 5 years I had it. After it blew and the fixed it never any more major problems. Now I have an Evinrude 225 HO. I have had it since 09. THIS ENGINE IS THE BIGGEST PIECE OF SHLT I HAVE EVER SEEN OR HEARD OF!!!!! I HAVE HAD 15 or more warranty issues, 8-9 the same thing. Their response...Thats what warranty is for. We'll keep fixing it if it breaks. It has left me stranded in 4 tournaments just in 2010. And when its fixed and running right, still sucks!! Doesn't have the hole shot of my yamaha, or the speed of the merc. Its the only cold natured moter i've ever owned. And it goes through lower units worse than the yamaha did, so the gearing sucks too!!!!! I wouldn't sell one to President Obama if I had to. Its that bad.

Why are you guys comparing the Pro XS and a SHO ? Totally different motors. If want to compare something compare the XS and the Series 2. Merc had them blown out of the water on the 2 strokes. Well see what Merc comes up with in the new 4 stroke.

And there is your first problem.

The BBB is a joke of a fishing forum, it's just a bunch of old men sitting around talking about subject like :

1.) Hey I just took a dump this morning, What do you think?

2.) How many guys have ten fingers?