A new Mercury Four Stroke just hit the market

Elwood · February 17, 2018, 02:48:37 PM

Mercury just announced a new 3.4 liter four stroke weighing in at 475 pounds and rated 175 - 225 HP.

https://www.mercurymarine.com/en/us/news/mercury-marine-introduces-new-v-6-fourstroke-outboard-lineup--and-an-expansion-to-its-seapro-family/

Thoughts???

Personally I think they are a little shy on looks but if they perform then who cares. I do not think that they will pull me away from the big 4.2 liter Yamaha....no way a 3.4 will have the same torque. The 250 hp+ line has not made an appearance yet but I would bet that they will compete better with the SHO. Perdictions have it being brought out during the Classic....

BCB also said that they will be putting them on the back of their boats by May 18

Mike Cork · February 18, 2018, 01:57:11 PM

They definitely look weird? Tell will tell on power.

merc1997 · February 18, 2018, 02:13:36 PM

i see these are a 4 cylinder variety, and the comparisons are against other 4 cylinder models. but, i was thinking that most other brands in the 175 to 225 range are V-6's. am i wrong with that thinking? guess i could look up that info for myself, but too lazy.

bo

Wizard · February 18, 2018, 03:10:19 PM

What a strange looking cowling for a Merc.

Princeton_Man · February 18, 2018, 03:57:26 PM

Quote from: merc1997 on February 18, 2018, 02:13:36 PM
i see these are a 4 cylinder variety, and the comparisons are against other 4 cylinder models. but, i was thinking that most other brands in the 175 to 225 range are V-6's. am i wrong with that thinking? guess i could look up that info for myself, but too lazy.

bo

That has been my thinking as well Bo. Actually 150 up has been V-6.

The cowlings bare a strong resemblance to the ETEC G-2s. Kinda reminds me of when the Dodge Ram first came out. Lots of folks remarked how ugly they were, then all the others makers began similar "in your face" designs.

Oldfart9999 · February 18, 2018, 05:17:34 PM

My first thought; Evinrude is making Mercury outboards.

Rodney

Princeton_Man · February 18, 2018, 05:25:51 PM

Quote from: Oldfart9999 on February 18, 2018, 05:17:34 PM
My first thought; Evinrude is making Mercury outboards.
Rodney

BassCatBates · February 21, 2018, 10:51:20 AM

I'm still not a 4 stroke fan. I know I need to get my mind ready because eventually that will be our only option but I'm running the OptiMax as long as possible!!!

Elwood · February 22, 2018, 09:07:06 AM

Bates,
I thought the same thing until I did a little research and now own a four stroke. I will tell you straight up that the four stroke is the way of the future and is the real deal. My only regret about the four stroke is that I did not go to it sooner.....the SHO is a beast. Do not be one of the last to buy a two stroke and get left behind by a superior product......Just my humble opinion.

BassCatBates · February 22, 2018, 10:01:31 AM

yeah I'll admit that I have limited experience with the 4.

Princeton_Man · February 22, 2018, 11:33:25 AM

Was visiting my marine dealer yesterday for my 3 year service. He told me this is the final year for the Pro XS. He said Mercury is failing to meet the tougher regulations with it and decided that time has come to discontinue. He said something to the effect that Yamaha will probably be next.

Evinrude continues to exceed the requirements 2-strokes and still no conformation that they are even working on a four stroke.

A new Evinrude ad will be airing soon that addresses the new Mercury's design.

caddyjoe77 · February 25, 2018, 11:15:36 AM

Quote from: Princeton_Man on February 18, 2018, 03:57:26 PM
That has been my thinking as well Bo. Actually 150 up has been V-6.

The cowlings bare a strong resemblance to the ETEC G-2s. Kinda reminds me of when the Dodge Ram first came out. Lots of folks remarked how ugly they were, then all the others makers began similar "in your face" designs.

they are V6.

QuoteThe new Mercury FourStroke and SeaPro outboards are built on Mercury's new 3.4-liter V-6 platform, which is designed to be powerful, light, compact and fuel-efficient. The new V-6 engines are precision engineered from skeg to cowl.

merc1997 · February 25, 2018, 06:00:12 PM

Quote from: caddyjoe77 on February 25, 2018, 11:15:36 AM
they are V6.

woner why all of their performance mentions are compared to 4 cylinder engines?

they need to be comparing their engine to other v-6's. that alone makes me question if they are any good at all.

bo

Princeton_Man · February 26, 2018, 06:33:43 AM

Quote from: merc1997 on February 25, 2018, 06:00:12 PM
woner why all of their performance mentions are compared to 4 cylinder engines? they need to be comparing their engine to other v-6's. that alone makes me question if they are any good at all.

bo

I think they were comparing their V-6 4-stroke range and fuel efficiency to that of their competitors 4 cylinder engines.

Oldfart9999 · February 26, 2018, 06:52:05 AM

If the nut jobs have their way, we'll progress all the way back to oars.
Rodney

coldfront · February 26, 2018, 07:08:49 AM

Quote from: Oldfart9999 on February 26, 2018, 06:52:05 AM
If the nut jobs have their way, we'll progress all the way back to oars.
Rodney

back to bows and arrows and row boats.

where's the fun in that?

BassCatBates · February 26, 2018, 08:13:15 AM

Quote from: coldfront on February 26, 2018, 07:08:49 AM
back to bows and arrows and row boats.

where's the fun in that?

No doubt the world is being run by stupid people with liberal agendas.
I was fishing a lake yesterday that is a flood stage. Landowners are griping about boat wakes on the lake and the day before there was a 25 MPH wind for at least half of the day!
And they think the boat wakes are damaging their property.

Mother Nature is WAY worse than a boat wake or two.

merc1997 · February 26, 2018, 06:10:07 PM

depends on what type of boat wakes. boat wakes do a lot of damage here on table rock, and the same dock owners that complain are the ones that are making most of the big wakes.

bo

coldfront · February 26, 2018, 07:53:42 PM

Quote from: merc1997 on February 26, 2018, 06:10:07 PM
depends on what type of boat wakes. boat wakes do a lot of damage here on table rock, and the same dock owners that complain are the ones that are making most of the big wakes.

bo

wakes are bad enough from typical bass boats (*although typically least wakes of all motorized boats).

that said, boy do I love those big cabin cruisers that seem to put out a 4 foot wake.

for what it's worth, spent a few years in collegiate crew sharing water with motorized boats. Probably more 'wake-sensitive' than most. to the point that I hate folks coming by either on full pad or worse, half throttle, within a hundred yards when there's a full mile of lake width to use.

Oldfart9999 · February 27, 2018, 07:15:34 AM

I had a 2 boat crew team go by me when I was fishing once, got a few nasty stares, hey, you don't like it take that skinny little boat elsewhere, I'm on a trolling motor!!!

Rodney

Polaris425 · February 27, 2018, 08:01:43 AM

I was headed up river not long ago and our Crew team was practicing. I didn't really know what to do, the river isn't that wide, and they were in the very middle, which put me as close to the bank as I could safely get. I slowed down to an idle, since the river is only 100yrds wide at the very most. May not even be that wide.

I tried to idle past, but they were gettin it so good, I couldn't pass them at idle!!! lol... I had no other choice than to follow them all the way until they turned around, or just pass them and go on. So I just passed them.

Anyway, back on topic, I'm not surpised that Merc finally joined the larger 4-stroke club. If they are anything like the little 150's, they will be a strong motor. A friend of mine has a nitro Z7 w/ the merc 150 4-stroke and (before he over loaded the boat with gear that is) he didn't have any trouble getting on plane or even getting up to speeds in the 60's.

D.W. Verts · February 27, 2018, 08:55:43 PM

As far as what I've been told (yesterday), the BIG DFI 2-strokes are NOT going away. California dropped their latest standards. So the 3.0L Optis are good. These new 4S's ARE replacing the 2.5 DFI's, and the Verado... From what I've been told.

Even some of the Merc folks are shook up at this new look. Oh well, it is what it is.

coldfront · February 28, 2018, 06:34:24 AM

Quote from: Polaris425 on February 27, 2018, 08:01:43 AM
I was headed up river not long ago and our Crew team was practicing. I didn't really know what to do, the river isn't that wide, and they were in the very middle, which put me as close to the bank as I could safely get. I slowed down to an idle, since the river is only 100yrds wide at the very most. May not even be that wide.

I tried to idle past, but they were gettin it so good, I couldn't pass them at idle!!! lol... I had no other choice than to follow them all the way until they turned around, or just pass them and go on. So I just passed them.

Anyway, back on topic, I'm not surpised that Merc finally joined the larger 4-stroke club. If they are anything like the little 150's, they will be a strong motor. A friend of mine has a nitro Z7 w/ the merc 150 4-stroke and (before he over loaded the boat with gear that is) he didn't have any trouble getting on plane or even getting up to speeds in the 60's.

yes, good crews can get up to about 10mph or higher (for the really good ones and shorter distances).
ocassonally share water here on the river (Nickajack) with rowers. they get respect and no wake from me. Same for the crews I've encountered in tuscaloosa.

it's personal.

rodney: TM's are not an issue. but if you've got to go around them, whatever speed gives LEAST wake and you give them MOST distance possible, that's the 'nice' thing to do.

from my experience, you'd be one of the few who would do such a thing, if you do it.

Oldfart9999 · February 28, 2018, 06:59:37 AM

I try to give everybody a break, canoes, yaks, whatever those boards are called and crew, they have to remember that they are on public water and all of us have a right to be there and yes, there the idiots that don't give a damn about anybody, I'm not one of them.
Rodney