Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

[Emeraldsnake]

Here is a question that I am interested in your opinions on. I am a member of a couple of boating sites like this one ( well duh! yeah, I know) :faint2: and the Bayliner owners club etc. But I am always struck by the fact that there are many many more questions being asked in relation to Mercruiser problems than Volvo Penta problems. So my question is this, what do you think is the best make to have? Is it because a lot more boats use Mercruiser, or is it that Volvo is better quality and has less hassles? This is a serious question, because if all the experts lean towards a certain make, it will influence my next boat buy as to what drive to have. Yes, I have had a fair few issues with my Mercruiser! Before my current boat which has an inboard, I have only had outboards, never a Volvo though. Thanks in advance for your valued opinions. All the best, Mike. :joyous:

 

[robopath]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

You are going to get a lot of Chevy vs Ford type responses. The only two things most that people agree with is that Volvo's shift smoother and Mercruiser are easier to get parts for. IMO, Mercruiser gets a lot of business by default from the Brunswick brands whereby Volvo tends to have to earn it. That being said, most dealers that I talked to said they are similar in reliability. Volvo's parts are much more expensive with much fewer dealers, so depending on where you are that is a major factor.

 

[Slip Away]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

I Prefer Chevy and Synthetic Oil.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

You are going to get a lot of Chevy vs Ford type responses. The only two things most that people agree with is that Volvo's shift smoother and Mercruiser are easier to get parts for. IMO, Mercruiser gets a lot of business by default from the Brunswick brands whereby Volvo has to earn it through reliability and innovation.

The Bravo drives shift like silk, it is the Alpha and it clutch dogs that are not as smooth. I would find the boat you like and get whichever it has on it. They are both good drives. The only consideration may be support in your area. There are not as many Volvo shops out there.

I would think the amount of questions is based on market share.

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

You won't be unhappy with either one. If you like the boat in question, know that either setup will serve you greatly with proper maintenance. But here are some differences most people note:

If you tend to have someone do your work for you, it would be wise to check with local mechanics....not a lot of Volvo techs out there and there might not be one near you. I tend to find that my current VP is a bit easier to work on, but they are nearly identical.

Parts availability is something you'll want to factor is as well. Like service, Volvo parts are a little tougher to find locally, and generally cost a little bit more. I order all mine off of multiple sights (including iBoats) so it has never been a problem for me.

Drive shifting was mentioned. That's in regards to the SX drive vs. the Alpha drives. The SX's cone clutch is smoother than the Alpha's dog clutch, however Merc sells Bravo drives which also use a cone clutch.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

Mercruiser is owned by the Brunswick corporation which owns the below brands. They are going to eat their own dog food which is why there are a lot of boats out there with the merc power in them. Volvo does not own any boat brands. With that said I think Volvo has learned that the have to out innovate Merc to survive. Volvo technology is pretty good.

Current Brands:
Aquador
Bayliner
Boston Whaler
Brunswick Commercial & Government Products
Crestliner
Cypress Cay
Harris FloteBote
Lowe Boats
Lund
Meridian Yachts
Princecraft
Quicksilver
Rayglass
Sea Ray
Uttern
Valiant

Dead/sold off brands:
Arriva
Arvor
Attwood [note 1]
Cabo Yachts
Cobra
Hatteras Yachts
Kayot
Kellogg Marine [note 1]
Maxum [note 2]
Robalo [note 3]
Sealine
Smart Craft [note 1]
Starcraft Marine
Trophy
Wahoo! [note 4

 

[john john]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

That's an easy one. Called a dealer yesterday, all they had was Volvo power, told him I didn't know of any Volvo service within hours of me. No problem, will never have to work on Volvo, I was told.:behindsofa:

 

[bigdirty]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

My step dad bought his glastron bowrider a few years back, and at his marine mech's suggestion he got a volvo sx drive (he had the choice at the time between volvo or merc) He was told basically the volvo will have fewer issues, live longer, and yes, shift smoother. He has been very happy with it for the last 3 years, and has only done basic oil change and winterizing. I'm considering that although the cost will be higher, I may re-power my boat next year with a volvo. Keeping in mind there is a volvo dealer near me..

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

I consider them fairly equal but I am a bit more partial to the VP.

Purchase what you can get repair/support for locally. Nothing ruins things more then an extra hour or so drive to get a repair.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

I am always struck by the fact that there are many many more questions being asked in relation to Mercruiser problems than Volvo Penta problems.

I'm told that Merc owns about 70% of the US market, while the reverse is true in the European market.

Perhaps if you were to frequent some European forums, you might see more questions about VP since they're the majority of units in use over there.

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

Well lets see...

My '79 Galaxy 17' BR had a 270 VP...
My '73 Reinell 24 CC had a pair of Chrysler badged 270 VP's...
My '85 Marathon 19' BR had and OMC Stringer...
My '87 SeaRay MC (in my sig) has an Alpha one...
My '88 Sun Runner 25' MC had a VP 290 DP...
My '88 SkipperLiner (sig) has a pair of Alpha Ones...
My '07 Bayliner 17' BR had an Alpha One...
My '03 Chaparral 26' BR (sig) has a VP DP...

Problems:
Galaxy: At 13 months, the coupler in the Galaxy lost a spring, which got caught in the flywheel teeth, stranding us...

Reinell: Summer of '83, debris from Lake Powell flood waters poked a hole in the starboard drive boot, and drive oil and water soon changed places. Found this problem halfway between Bullfrog and Hite. Truck and trailer were 130 miles away at Wahweap. Turned around, drove 40 miles to Bullfrog, filled up, then 90 miles home, with water as lube. Over 4 hours of near constant driving and that drive never even made a funny sound. It was messed up, but still, I'll never forget that trip!

Marathon: supposedly just rebuilt before buying it drive had to have the water drained after every trip. After resealing it myself later it still leaked like a screen door. Trim motor didn't work half the time. Other than that, it was a GREAT drive!

SeaRay: After 3 blown motors (not my doing!) I've had to change a gimbal bearing, and it needs an impeller. 2 of those blown motors (same motor twice) was putting out over 500hp, and the A-one took it in stride...

Since then, no real problems. But a Volvo that will go 4 hours with water as lube, and an Alpha One that will put up with 500 hp for 2 seasons with no problems-- I can safely say that as long as OMC don't come back, whatever you buy will give you plenty of good service!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

Merc Bravo and Volvo are very similar with a slight nod to Volvo and both over an alpha.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

Bruce.
Out of curiosity. I take from reading some of your posts that you live on the west coast. How is it your post time above says 12:55 and i live on the east coast and it is only 10:49? Whoops sorry. I see it's AM not PM.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

Emeraldsnake, Volvo vs Merc is an age old question. both us motors from GM Industrial engines (with the exception of the Mercury Racing side that builds their own motors from the GM performance parts division and the aftermarket). So after that, you have the marinization and drive design. Both have similar marinization, however the controls side does differ a bit, however not enough to discuss.

Focusing on the drives : Both are man-made, and will eventually fail. Both are only as good as the maintenance behind them. That being stated, pic a boat you like.

 

[BRICH1260]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

One thing that I have noticed in comparing the two is that from the 5.0 and 5.7 size blocks, the VP is rated at about 20 HP more.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

One thing that I have noticed in comparing the two is that from the 5.0 and 5.7 size blocks, the VP is rated at about 20 HP more.

I have wondered about that. My only thought was Volvo rates at the crank and Merc rates at the prop but don't know.

 

[Slip Away]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

The catalyst engines are underrated from Merc in their published HP. In the next 12 months, future mercruiser engines will NOT be GM based blocks. But for now, they are.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

The catalyst engines are underrated from Merc in their published HP. In the next 12 months, future mercruiser engines will NOT be GM based blocks. But for now, they are.

What are they going to?

 

[agallant80]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

The catalyst engines are underrated from Merc in their published HP. In the next 12 months, future mercruiser engines will NOT be GM based blocks. But for now, they are.

I have heard this one. Any documentation out there about this?

Well google did it again
http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2013/10/mercury-marine-plans-new-sterndrive-in-2014/

 

[jkust]

Re: Mercruiser or Volvo? Which is best?

I am indifferent on the issue as my boat could be purchased either way. Mercruisers are a few bucks more than the Volvos at selection time. Given I have an alpha 1, I actually like the thump into gear. It tells the kids to sit down after they ignore my telling them to sit down.