Mariner 150 v/s mercury 225

T

Troutkiller2006

Junior Member
Hi guys, been reading a lot and lots of great info here. And I'd like you guy opinions if I can get them. Boat is a v20 center console and I'm probably fixing to get it as a partial trade. Not sure but I think it's an 85 and it's in pretty good shape. It has a 150 mariner on it that seems to run fine. But I know nothing about it. The boat I already have is a chaparral 24' wa with a merc 225 offshore that is just a great motor and I know it well. The chappy is a great family boat but my family doesn't get up at 4 am to go fishing with me and it's less than ideal for specks and reds. I like to fish the marsh and a cc is just easier to handle. I don't have room here for two boats and I do have plans to run my merc on a Chris craft seahawk cc I'm gonna spend the next year or two rebuilding. I'm poor so that's how I have to operate, lol.

So what do you guys think, should I put my merc on the v since I gotta strip the chappy and ditch the hull anyway? Or should I run the mariner. Don't know what to expect as far as performance, economy or reliability. I do know I'll run this boat 50 miles out to chandeleur island for big specks and I trust my merc to get me home. But I also run shallow and don't know how low the bigger motor will sink the stern?

Also, I have a bracket that I'm not gonna use cause the seahawk I got already has one. Would love to hang it on tbe v and gain the extra room. No worries doing that with the 150 but is it practical with the 225. I love to go fast and blowing away my buddies hi dollar contender in an old v20 leaving the harbor... Big smiles. But at the end of the day, I'll be out in the northern gulf (MS & LA) fishing

I know this post got long. Sorry bout that and thanks for reading it. Hoping for some long replies. Thanks in advance
 
Hi and welcome.

Really hard to give you a proper answer, since you seem to want two different things. If you stay with the 150 you'll get reasonably good performance from the boat. It will not be a speed demon, but Wellcraft sold these boats with 150's on them for a long time. and a lot of people think it's the perfect balance of weight to performance to fuel economy. Look for about 35 - 45 mph depending on prop, weight, water conditions,, etc.

On the other side of the coin, the 225 is a monster that will put you in the high 50 to 60 mph class, again depending on prop, weight, water conditions, etc. The downside will be considerably less fuel economy, and the extra weight will make your boat squat a little deeper in the rear end. Trim tabs will help a lot in both configurations, but especially with the big boy on the end. Hanging a bracket, especially a flotation type of bracket, will help tons with the added weight.

There are a lot of people on here that can dial in your particular engines and give you pretty accurate estimates of what to expect. My observations are strictly IMHO stuff.
 
If I were you I would run the 150 until it has a problem that not worth fixing while you establish reliability. Skip the bracket (ridge can disagree, but I believe you won't be happy with it on a 20 ft hull) and focus your rebuild efforts on the Seahawk. Besides its easier to recoup investment in V20 if it's running and you can rebuild rig the Seahawk at your leisure.
 
Both answers above give good advice. I'm guessing it;s a 25 inch transom and not the notched 20 inch. I'd run the v as is and save the motor you know for your project you know.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I guess my biggest concern is gonna be the reliability/ quality of the mariner. I don't lnow not do I know anyone who know about these motors. I like tbe bracket on a smaller boat for the extra room of the full transom and it's really not that much work. Plus if it works well, I think it will make the boat easier to sell later. When I sell it I will sell it with the mariner, hopefully as a running boat. I can take it off while it's running well and put it back on to sell running well. Shallow water performance with the bracket, especially with the 225, even without the bracket running yhat 225... Those are my biggest unknowns. It does have Bennet trim tabs.

This is probably gonna come down to a flip of a coin, lol.

Worth mentioning, I'm not new to v20's. I love these boats. I have a 92 cuddy cabin with the Johnson sea star 175 that I restored. Great boat! I love it but my dad loves it a little more than I do. It lives with him now
 
The Mariner is the same as a Mercury, what year model is it. I'm tempted to use a 250 Merc on my V as well, but decided to stay with my old Mercury 200(simular to your Mariner). I wouldn't put the bracket on just to take it off later, but I'm interested in how it would do with the bracket
 
I ran a. 150 mariner for 20 years on my cuddy. I also used the oil injection system. Lotta bad feelings about the plastic gear on the crank that turns the oil pump. Mine never failed for 1800 hours, my oil alert went out and the tank sensor did not let me know the tank under the cowling was dry. Ultimately , it was my lack of attention that did it in.

One of the biggest issues on that vintage motor is the steering arm. My rotted fairly fast. To replace requires just about complete disassembly of the motor.

Sounds like your comfortable swapping motors around, so I'd do whatever you want to do.
It's only four bolts.

As far as reliability of the merc/mariner. Bout as good as any thing with that many moving parts using hot salt water for cooling.
 
spareparts said:
The Mariner is the same as a Mercury, what year model is it. I'm tempted to use a 250 Merc on my V as well, but decided to stay with my old Mercury 200(simular to your Mariner). I wouldn't put the bracket on just to take it off later, but I'm interested in how it would do with the bracket
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I wouldn't remove the bracket later. If I put it on I'll build the transom up just like if I'm gonna keep it. And when I seel the boat it will all stay. Only change for the sale would be a motor swap, if I do run the 225.

I don't live in the country anymore. I don't have room here. Not even a shop, just a two car garage. Ole lady don't like the boat parts, jeep parts and motorcycle parts laying around so the bracket can just go with the boat. She even acting like she might wanna park in the garage one day! Smh
 
phatdaddy said:
I ran a. 150 mariner for 20 years on my cuddy. I also used the oil injection system. Lotta bad feelings about the plastic gear on the crank that turns the oil pump. Mine never failed for 1800 hours, my oil alert went out and the tank sensor did not let me know the tank under the cowling was dry. Ultimately , it was my lack of attention that did it in.

One of the biggest issues on that vintage motor is the steering arm. My rotted fairly fast. To replace requires just about complete disassembly of the motor.

Sounds like your comfortable swapping motors around, so I'd do whatever you want to do.
It's only four bolts.

As far as reliability of the merc/mariner. Bout as good as any thing with that many moving parts using hot salt water for cooling.
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I am comfortable swapping motors around. Always enjoyed building stuff. I am a ship builder by trade so it's kinda what I do... Kinda. I build warships.

I'll prob run a tank or two through the mariner first. See what I think of it. What kinda economy it gets. I might be okay with it. Might come down to a coin flip! I'll probably build a t-top for the boat before anything else. I've never built one before so it will be good to get one under my belt before I tackle what will probably be the last fishing boat I own
 
Destroyer said:
Hi and welcome.

Really hard to give you a proper answer, since you seem to want two different things. If you stay with the 150 you'll get reasonably good performance from the boat. It will not be a speed demon, but Wellcraft sold these boats with 150's on them for a long time. and a lot of people think it's the perfect balance of weight to performance to fuel economy. Look for about 35 - 45 mph depending on prop, weight, water conditions,, etc.

On the other side of the coin, the 225 is a monster that will put you in the high 50 to 60 mph class, again depending on prop, weight, water conditions, etc. The downside will be considerably less fuel economy, and the extra weight will make your boat squat a little deeper in the rear end. Trim tabs will help a lot in both configurations, but especially with the big boy on the end. Hanging a bracket, especially a flotation type of bracket, will help tons with the added weight.

There are a lot of people on here that can dial in your particular engines and give you pretty accurate estimates of what to expect. My observations are strictly IMHO stuff.
Click to expand...


Thanks. You said hanging a bracket would help with the extra weight!? I thought it would make it worse. Sink the stern and raise the bow more?
 
Troutkiller2006 said:
Thanks. You said hanging a bracket would help with the extra weight!? I thought it would make it worse. Sink the stern and raise the bow more?
Click to expand...

There are brackets on the market that have extra flotation built into them in order to offset the extra weight of a larger engine. That style of bracket is the kind that I was referring to.
 
Can't really make a mistake either way.........so if you want the torque and top end go with the 225. If doesn't matter, take the 150.

One more thing........transom stress will be a lot greater with the 225 - the extra torque and weight a factor if the transom isn't 100 %.
 
Destroyer said:
There are brackets on the market that have extra flotation built into them in order to offset the extra weight of a larger engine. That style of bracket is the kind that I was referring to.
Click to expand...
floatation only works when your sitting still,I want to know how it does when running
 
phatdaddy said:
you must work for ingles

you can figure around 2- 2.5 mpg with the 150
Click to expand...

I hate to admit that, lol. I use to work for Northrop Grumman in Gulfport. But Ingalls took it over, screwed it all up and got it shut down. Now I'm in the Pascagoula yard.

2-2.5? That's what I was guessing/hoping for with the 225. It pushes my much heavier, much wider 24' chappy bout 53mph at 1.25 mpg and cruises @ 28 just under 2 mpg.
 
I just finished installing a bracket on mine a few months ago. Granted my boat started life as a I/o but I don't see much of a difference between the way it comes off plane now and how it did before with the 5.7l v8. It drafts the same as it did with the I/o. I installed a 250efi merc that used to be on ridgerunners boat and I love the way the boat handles and gets on plane. Time to plane is probably half of what it used to be. Top end is also over 10mph faster than it was with the v8 I/o. I'd expect you'd get in the low to mid 50's with the 225 maybe faster with the right prop. The bracket does take a little getting used to when it comes to docking if you've gotten used to it without the bracket. My bracket has probably a little more setback than needed also and you can get various lengths of set back. I'm very happy with the bracket and the big motor don't know why anyone wouldn't be.... My vote goes to installing the bracket and using the 225 if you want to put the work into it. However the 150 will push it decent and probably be just as reliable.
 
1224bret said:
I just finished installing a bracket on mine a few months ago. Granted my boat started life as a I/o but I don't see much of a difference between the way it comes off plane now and how it did before with the 5.7l v8. It drafts the same as it did with the I/o. I installed a 250efi merc that used to be on ridgerunners boat and I love the way the boat handles and gets on plane. Time to plane is probably half of what it used to be. Top end is also over 10mph faster than it was with the v8 I/o. I'd expect you'd get in the low to mid 50's with the 225 maybe faster with the right prop. The bracket does take a little getting used to when it comes to docking if you've gotten used to it without the bracket. My bracket has probably a little more setback than needed also and you can get various lengths of set back. I'm very happy with the bracket and the big motor don't know why anyone wouldn't be.... My vote goes to installing the bracket and using the 225 if you want to put the work into it. However the 150 will push it decent and probably be just as reliable.
Click to expand...


That's good info. And very encouraging! Do you have trim tabs on that thing? And what kinda mileage are you getting? My 225 is fi also so our numbers should be pretty close. Thanks in advance
 
kamikaze said:
If I were you I would run the 150 until it has a problem that not worth fixing while you establish reliability. Skip the bracket (ridge can disagree, but I believe you won't be happy with it on a 20 ft hull) and focus your rebuild efforts on the Seahawk. Besides its easier to recoup investment in V20 if it's running and you can rebuild rig the Seahawk at your leisure.
Click to expand...

I can but I won't, Kamikaze. I agree with you 100%. Don't get me wrong, I do like the bracket. But what a lot of work and $$$ to get it right/or my idea if right in any case.. Hydraulic steering is almost mandatory, extending the cables and harness and all the little things that got moved fore to compensate for the weight and lever action of the bracket and outboard hanging 30" farther back. Another huge detractor if you go with a bracket you will loose the self-bailing ability of the hull. To some a self bailing boat for offshore is very important. I believe the draft would increase(even if the bracket were a floatation type) which is not anything you would want running in the shallows. Coming off plane, the motor will dig in. However, the bracket does help to keep the bow down on planning, so the draft might be even bracket vs no bracket. You will be squatted in the stern to start with..
As for what it might be worth after the upgrades? I have doubts about recouping any additional funds on the resale, who knows it might hurt the sale. At the end of the day you will still have a 30 year old 20'6" boat. I would concentrate on the other restoration project and run the V just as you get it, especially if it is in good shape.. Just keep it that way while you work on the other boat and when it comes time you can sell it off and make a profit, who knows you might need funds at some point to finish the project(yes I am a complete smart arse) My point being there are still a ton of boats on the market for cheap that are many years newer than your V, I am not saying they are better but there are some with more "curb appeal", I love my V and it works for me, but nobody will ever give what I have put into her over the years, I knew that after the first couple days of grinding fiberglass.. Mind you, I don't want to be the wet blanket, you seem to have a lot of enthusiasm and there can never be too much of that, SO whatever direction you decide to go.. My humble offerings...
Bret, I am so happy that motor is doing you right. As for your bracket, your cuddy has a lot of weight forward that the center console doesn't have. I would be afraid that the center console with a bracket and the 3 liter would porpoise. You mentioned handling at the dock. There is a huge issue in reverse with a 20' bracketed boat. LOL! Add a little wind and let the fun begin! The reverse thrust from the outboard gets piled up and deflects off the transom and often moves the stern around unexpectedly, very slow to react port to stbd in reverse--- versus a non-bracketed boat where most of the reverse thrust goes under the hull and you have a good bit more "control". Not a big deal, flat bottom boats, airboats, jetboats, all have similar docking issues..
The V is still a breeze besides I consider all on board to be "human fenders" and the pep talk goes like this: "Gellcoat costs money, skin will grow back."

Welcome aboard TroutKiller!
 
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