Mercury v. Volvo v. Evinrude

[Thales14]

Am new to boating and am curious whether there is a "conventional wisdom" or general perception regarding which is better and more reliable.
Any personal impressions are appreciated.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Mercury v. Volvo v. Evinrude

they are all man-made, they are all prone to failure.

are you talking I/O's or OutBoards?

that being stated, for I/O's Mercruiser sells about 10 engines to every one of Volvo. not sure the ratio of outboards, however Mercury sells a bunch, so does BRP (parent to Johnson/Evinrude)

I myself own a Volvo-Penta equipped boat, however like the availability of Mercruiser parts. I am a Mercury Outboard fan, however also have a few JohnyRudes in the family.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Mercury v. Volvo v. Evinrude

Yeah, I'm not sure how you're arranging the question since the Volvo doesn't technically make outboards like Mercury and Evinrude. But if you meant Mercruiser instead of Mercury, then Evinrude doesn't make I/O powerplants, lol. All that being said, most all of them are pretty reliable.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: Mercury v. Volvo v. Evinrude

If were talking I/Os, the engines themselves are mostly the same and the real difference is in the drive. If the boat I was considering was offered with a Merc Alpha One or Volvo SX, I'm taking the volvo every time. If the boat offers Bravo drive and duoprop options, then its more of a toss up. But, you need to consider authorized service center proximity to you, and the fact that Volvo parts are generally more expensive.

As for outboards, Volvo doesn't make em, and all major brands are generally pretty good... You will get opinions every which way. I've only owned old mercury OBs, personally, but if I was to get a new one it would probably be an etec

 

[QC]

Re: Mercury v. Volvo v. Evinrude

Agree with spoils on quality question, agree with Scott on service. Mercruiser Alpha parts and alternatives, even complete drives are VERY available. Info too.

Agree with the others also, is this an I/O or OB discussion? Hard to tell, but whole different set of answers regarding OBs or preference between drive/motor types.

 

[bgc]

Re: Mercury v. Volvo v. Evinrude

Working at a shop and owning a Volvo-Penta I/O myself, I can attest the parts are EXPENSIVE......

 

[cjjjdeck]

Re: Mercury v. Volvo v. Evinrude

All great comments! I'll share both my I/O and outboard experience.

When I bought my boat last year I had to choose between Mercruiser or Volvo I/O's, I chose Mercruiser. Although you can't really go wrong "quality" wise with either one (both use the same GM engine blocks) and I agree it's the drive system that sets them apart when considering an Alpha. I knew the Mercruiser parts were more plentiful, less costly and there was always a Mercury/Mercruiser dealer on practically any body of water (usually more than one!), these were some of the factors that affected my decision. Also, I'm not sure about Volvo, but Mercruiser also offered an extended warranty at reasonable prices that I took advantage of.

Regarding Evinrude outboards, I have a 2000 90HP with Ficht oil injection on a 1998 Lund that I absolutely love on that boat. There are lots of opinions regarding the Ficht technology (which has been changed and upgraded), but i was told the Ficht system caused more problems with the bigger horsepower engines (150HP and above). My engine jumps to life every time with no 2 stroke exhaust smell. I've had great, reliable service experience with that motor.