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My 2005 Yamaha F90 has almost 2000 hours on it, runs great, always has. BUT, at about the 3 hour mark it was completely disassembled and rebuilt due to it pissing oil everywhere! What did I get for my trouble? $200 in Yama-bucks and a pissy attitude from the (owner) dealer! DON HYDE MARINE in Hagersville.

You know how some guys go golfing on the day of their wedding? Well me and my men went ice fishing in our tuxedos at the exact spot being talked about here. Yesterday was actually the anniversary of that. Didn't last long...was around negative 30 that day and these were not insulated tuxedos.

I had a 20 HP Merc and a 90 HP Merc. Both were 2 strokes. I never had any issues with either of them. I currently have a 40 HP Yamaha 4 stroke and prefer it over the others, but comparing 2 stroke to 4 strokes isn't really fair!

I have seen in a boating forum they jokingly referred to used I/O boats with the " white leg of death "

You have to go back in time to when they sold Bayliner's with Force outboards to get a real horror story

Honest question to the club here who here is someone with a bad evinrude or mercury story? I personally am and then who here is someone that has a bad Yamaha or Honda story? I own both, but I have nothing bad to tell lol

I have a 2011 Yamaha 115. Absolutely no problems. If you've ever been to the Caribbean, they mostly run Yamahas and occasionally you'll see a Honda. That should tell you something.

I've said it before but I spose it's worth repeating here. I bought a new 90 HP Merc 4stroke back in '99 and drove it for 10 years and put a ton of hours on it and the motor was absolutely perfect the entire time and never needed a single repair. I sold it to my bud after 10 years and he he put another pile of hours on it and drove it for another 6 or 7 years before it needed it's 1st actual repair. Yes, I'd recommend a 90 Merc. I bought a new 150 Yamaha when I sold the Merc and drove it for 7 years and again it was absolutely flawless just like the Merc. Yes, I'd recommend a Yamaha. I do all my own maintenance on a regular basis and that certainly helps keeping anything working.

I bought my boat new in 1991 with a 90 hp Merc. The only issue I had with it was the carbs had been incorrectly set at the factory. Once that issue was taken care of it ran flawlessly up until I pulled it off the boat and replaced it with a Merc 115 4 stroke in 2013. The 115 has been perfect other than an issue I had due to water getting in the gas tank when my auto bilge switch stuck and killed the battery causing the boat to partially submerge at the dock during a storm. Certainly not Mercs fault. Have run Mercs, Yammies and Honda's at the lodge I worked at. Both the Mercs and Yammies were great. The Hondas ran great but the lower units were not as robust as the others. At a remote lodge this can be a detriment as getting replacement lower units can be difficult. Mercs and Yammies easily take a whack on a reef that would smash a Honda lower unit. Don't get me wrong, the Mercs and Yammies do get some damage (usually a sheared off skeg and destroyed prop) but the Hondas end up with chunks of the housing missing and lower unit oil covering the water. Personally I have no issue with either Merc or Yammie. Buy either and you'll be happy. FYI Suzuki's are also a good choice. As said pick the brand with the best service centers in your area.

X2. Do know guys with boats with both brands and both say they like them.

A few years back my neighbour bought a legend with a Merc, first day out had to get towed off Lake Simcoe, put another merc on it and didn't get much further. Then he went with an Evinrude.

if your buying a merc make sure where you buy it will service it or is close to home... apparently mercury does not force all there mercury dealers to have to warranty motors they don't sell ..

I suppose it depends on how much extra $$. If it is 2-3 k extra, personally I would do the Yamaha. 5K more? I am sure the Merc will be just fine thank you very much!

I'm the outlier in the group.......90Hp Etec

I decided to pass on today as I figured the cold front here would shut things down too. Things like molecular movement!!!! 🥶 🥶 🥶

I'd rather have a well running Yamaha "sewing machine" than a black anchor with a moniker of Many Emergency Repair Centers when things break down.

Nothing wrong with either of those motors, the thing I would consider in making your decision is service, having easy access to really good reliable service is important. The other thing I would consider is the extra cost to make the change.

Stick with the yammy...just saying

With 6" of ice, I don't think Sally will be going anywhere any time soon. Slow down guys, the lake JUST froze. I plan to fish, but just me and the wife. I do my part and stay away from people, long before covid came around. S.