Mercury 4 stroke finally taking off?

While looking at alot of the tour pros new rigs online, I’ve been noticing an abundance of Verados.. Is this Mercury’s push for exposure by forcing team members to take their 4 strokes... or is this the new thing?

I'd like a 4 stroke on my next boat. Only change the oil once a year, no having to fill and re-fill an oil reservoir, great low end torque, no real lack of performance and it is QUIET!

100% correct, best thing that ever happened to a bass boat.

Tap the brakes...lets get some seasons on the new 4 strokes before we start hailing them as great. I hope they are as tough as the EFI and the Pro XS (after bugs worked out in first couple years)
Let the builders find the bugs after "real time" use and Merc WILL get them right...

They've been around a while

huh?

They aren't "new". They've been out for a while.

Hell, my 4stroke is 15 years old and EVERYONE comments on how quiet it is. And it is fast enough. I have a 18'8" Skeeter with a Yamaha F150 It is 2 mph FASTER than my friends 2017 Nitro Z18 (18'8" as well...but it is a Nitro) with his 175 ProXS.

I think the 4 stroke is the way to go.

They're not new but the Mercs sure are heavy. The 250 Verado weighs 670# versus 505 for the Yam SHO 250.

That's what I've been waiting for, they need to shave the weight

Its rumored mercury has a new 250 4 stroke in the works, the bigger brother to that new 115 they came out with a few years ago.

ProXS 4 stroke 250?

I don't want to wait on Mercury to get theirs right, Yamaha already has their's right. I've had all kinds and NONE can match my SHO for performance, economy or maintenance and that's not opinion, it's facts.

I’m running a four stroke 150HP on my ‘15 Nitro. At 60mph I can carry on a conversation with the passenger. Runs regular gas and I’ve not had a single issue. I like it a lot and the performance is all I need and the some.

I’m wondering if these Verado covered motors are really the new 4 stroke in hiding.

Yeah it’s nice until you go to pay for that annual oil change. It’s enough to make me think twice before buying another one.

Here's the true deal on the oil changes Rick, I buy the complete package, 5 quarts Yamaha oil, filter, o ring for $79 on ebay, no tax and free shipping. I also buy the kit which is actually just the hose and attachment to the engine to drain the oil for 14.95 on ebay and is reusable. Yamaha recommends an oil change every 100 hours or 1 year which ever comes first. For me it's one year. So you see the oil change is not that big of a deal. A 2 stroke probably uses that much oil in a year plus a lot more fuel than a 4 stroke. They are initially more expensive but I figure long term a 4 stroke will more than make up that difference. Unless you buy a Skeeter you will more than likely get a 2 stroke however I have noticed Fun & Sun has some Phoenix boats with Yamaha SHO's. Personally I will never own another 2 stroke.

The Yamalube is +\- $10 a quart. 5 quarts a year. The Yamaha filter was $27.95. These prices weee at Blakes Boats in Corsicana. So....$90'a year or 100'hours.

My last 2 stroke used a quart of oil per 12 gallons of fuel. So....a quart or so every other week. The quart was pennzoil synthetic. So $6+\- a quart. Averaged two cases of oil a year.

4 stroke wins that debate....easily

I've read where the net weight difference between the Verado and a Pro XS is actually something like 30 pounds. It factored in a full 3 gallon oil tank, the hydraulic steering system vs. the electric of the Verado and the shift/throttle cable system vs. the electric of the Verado. I still like my Pro XS best, and from the looks of most tournaments so does most everybody else.

I’ll chime in since I’ve been running a verado 250 Pro for the past year and a half. I had always had 2 stroke Merc engines, and loved them. When I got ready to get a new boat a buddy of mine who fishes offshore a lot told me to at least look into a verado. I was really leery at first after hearing talk similar to what’s in this thread. (Too heavy, too many issues, too slow).

I did a ton of research before i actually bought one. Here is what I’ve experienced so far. It’s crazy quiet, the power is awesome, and the top end is great as well. I’m running a ranger z520c and can run 73 no problem, and when the water is right I can get 74.5. That’s fully loaded and with 10ft blades. Not bad for a boat that isn’t known as fast. The steering and handling took me a while to get used to because it’s like driving a car, extremely smooth. People say it’s too heavy, but when is the last time you saw someone bench pressing an optimax before takeoff? I don’t care if it is a little heavier than the 2 stroke. i don’t have the added weight of an oil reservoir filled with oil in my boat, so that off sets a little.

So far, I love it and have no desire to go back. When i researched the engine I found it wasn’t uncommon for some of the offshore engines to have 3,000 hrs with only general maintenance done. The verado has been around a while now, and hopefully all is good with them. We all remember the issues with the optimax and the sho when they first came out. Now they are both great. The purchase price is what seems to be the main reason you don’t see as many. They cost a little more upfront.

Sorry Steez, I should have been more clear...the topic was MERCURY 4 stroke, so I should have clarified that. I too have noticed that some of the pro rigs on Rayburn and Toledo here in the last month or two have had the new big Mercs, so glad to hear I wasn't the only one wondering.
My neighbor has a little 150 Yamaha and its nice and quiet.

I haven't heard anybody that has switched over saying they were going back. They all say they wont ever go back. They say the sho is a little slower than a pro xs but that depends on the boat. The verado seems to run just as fast if not faster on a lot of boats. Verados have been around a quite a while and are a proven motor. Once you get away from that noisy @$$ air compressor, lack of low end torque pro d's and step into a boat with a four stroke, you won't go back

I've been running a 250 Verado on a Ranger for a while and really like it. One of the coolest features is that you can have a hotfoot throttle and the hand throttle both hooked up at the same time. Use the hand throttle for nice weather or just putzing around, then switch to the hotfoot for rough weather or the few tournaments that I fish.

Been running a four stroke for 16 years on my Triton and never have had an issue. Change oil and lower unit oil every year and spark plugs every 100 hours. Fires up every time don’t even put stabil or any additive in the fuel. Will never run a 2 stroke outboard again!!

I fully understood the topic. Since there are no Pros running a 2 stroke Yamaha, I didn't think it was a Yamaha thread. I was simply stating thet the 4 strokes are generally quieter and equally as fast as a 2 stroke per given HP. The downside, if there is to be one, is initial cost is higher than the 2 strokes. But, since the idea is for the Pro to advertise the best, most expensive stuff in order to drive profits for manufacturers, I think it is smart for the guys to option out the boats with 4 strokes.