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My Story of Mercury Verado
Four Stroke outboard motors have been becoming the mainstay. As we all know the bunny huggers
of the world are taking control so the old ways of the presumably dirty
engines are gone. The EPA wants the environmental
assets, the public wants the seemingly good fuel
economy, quiet operation and the presumed longevity of
the four stroke engine platform. The days of two strokes
are getting behind us now (with a few exceptions) and the future is Four Stroke outboard motors..
My jump into the four stroke outboard world was with Mercury Verado. I started using these motors on one of my boats back in 2005. Since then I have had about 25 of these motors and can tell you that there are few people on the planet that have more time with these engines than me and my crew here at Dream Catcher Charters. Operating over 1000 charters per year on 5 boats running full time we know what it means to have consistent power with no headaches and the Mercury Verado has met that challenge head on every since we bolted the first pair of 250's to the transom of our nature eco tour boat. Since then we have put 4 of our full time boats under the Mercury Verado power and not for a second would I change a thing.
Why not all five you ask? One of our boats is a lighter inshore boat that works better with the Mercury Opti Max, plus I just couldn't go all new school..
4 stroke is obviously the way of the future.. Almost every outboard engine manufacturer now has a 4
stroke version of their product, some of them have been
making them for years and others are just catching up.
Look around the docks today of newer boats and I would
say that 65% of the engines on transoms are 4 stroke
engines. Are they better? That’s a matter of opinion and
application. In the past 4 stroke engines have had a
reputation for being heavier yet quieter than the 2
strokes. Four strokes were not as punchy as 2 strokes
however seemed to have a smoother power curve.
My opinion of four strokes, Well, Until Verado, I did
not even consider them. Which brings me to my reason for
this review.
Mercury Verado,
Mercury Marine has done it again.
Research was done to ensure that this word meant
absolutely nothing in any spoken or written language in
the world; a process that is not only time consuming but
probably very expensive. Mercury went forward with this
aggressive approach as the very first of many steps
toward changing the world of outboard motors. Unique in
every way, Verado has indeed reached the goal Mercury
has set before it, redefining the use of outboard motors
once again. Taking boating to the next level.
The short end of the story goes like this: hire the best
engine designers in the world, tell them that this motor
has to be different than any other, spend a bunch of
money on tooling and research, test and evaluate the
creation more than ever has been done before, then offer
it to the public as the Messiah of outboard motors with
confidence. That’s just what Mercury did when they
debuted this creation at the 2004 Miami International
Boat show.
With this impressive power platform Mercury started with
a familiar and competitive lineup. Mercury offers the 6
cylinder Verado in 200, 225, 250 and 275 hp versions in 2007 a 300 hp model came to be and 2008 Mercury Marine introduced the 350 SCI.
All with the same block size and engine platform .Motors came with
typical 20, 25 and 30 inch transom shafts to fit in any
regular marine application with industry standard
bolting patterns. But that may be where the similarities
stop. The Verado L6 is an inline 6 cylinder supercharged
outboard. Mercury has used an inline power approach in the past; however, this one is totally different not only in the way it was built but in everything else. The only thing that is the same is the name of the manufacturer..
Tons of power at all rpm bands, silent, smooth
operation, ease of use and fuel efficient were the target. Many things about this engine are an industry
first. An entirely new mid section was created for this
motor. The steering pin is much larger disbursing the
weight of the motor more evenly allowing for tremendous
durability for our offshore anglers heading out in 6 ft
seas. The way the engine is mounted the design of the
engine itself dampens the vibration completely, this and
the insulation of the new cowling offers a no vibration
silent idling package. The trim system has been totally
redesigned as well to match this new mounting bracket
giving the Verado a tough look and functional presence.
The mid section was shapely designed as well to
compliment the state of the art unique cowling design,
giving the motor a powerfully sexy look to compliment
any vessel.
On the business end Verado’s gear case also got a
work-over. The Verado puts out a good bit of torque at
the low end, more so than her 2 stroke counterparts so a
stronger gear case was needed. Mercury stepped up to the
plate here as well with a newer, redesigned, tougher
gear case and internals to withstand the punishment. No
worries though, the engineers kept the same prop shaft
splines to match any of our Mercury hub propellers.
Why stop there? When Mercury was designing the Verado
they went ahead and redesigned the way a boat operates
all together making the Verado the center hub of the
boats power and information. Enter, Digital Throttle and
Shift with Smart Craft technology.
Smart Craft has been around for a few years operating
with the Optimax line of engines. Offering boaters a way
to monitor a list of potentially important items, some
listed below. All these features can be found in the
Smart Craft Systems Vessel View Mercury
Engines that are Smart Craft Capable. Always advancing Mercury has taken the Smart Craft network to a level that is truly amazing. Fuel management, steering guidance interface with common brand electronics, total engine monitoring and maintenance tracking.
Along with all of that the processor also keeps a log of
information on running history for the life of the
engine. This aids in diagnostics and troubleshooting in
the event of an engine malfunction. Smart Craft was
ahead of its time and still had so much more to offer.
Hard to believe, Well its true I have been working with
Smart Craft for over 4 years and so far it has not
missed a beat in what it is designed to deliver, and it
only keeps getting better.
To work with all the possibilities Smart Craft has to
offer rose the the need in the industry for a throttle
and shift system that would communicate digitally with
Smart Craft and operate as smooth as their new motor the
Verado. Truly a new age in boating was about to emerge.
D.T.S. Digital Throttle and Shift. DTS is a control that
handles shifting operation digitally through data cables
instead of Throttle Cables. DTS and Smart Craft together
offer a control and information network that really
takes the work out of boating. The DTS throttle and
shift is hooked up to the Smart Craft Network through a
small processor that coordinates all the information.
There is one processor needed per engine. Some folks are
concerned about the Old “fly by wire” being to slow for
reaction time or what ever, I was one of them. News is
out. There really is no difference. As a professional
boat driver in many applications I can tell the
difference, however easily over come like driving one
car or the other. This system is absolutely the
smoothest operation I have ever used. There is No way a
throttle cable can give as good as or as accurate a
response as DTS. Plus, Throttle Cables go bad and
everyone who has a boat knows what kind of a royal PITA
that can be to replace. More about the rigging later in
this review.
Like what you see about DTS so far? Well, just wait it
gets better.
Is your application a triple or quad engine
installation? Lets talk about Shadow Mode. Shadow mode
is a fabulous application that allows boaters with 3 and
4 engines to only have two throttles. Imagine that. I
can have three engines and not have to be a world champ
power boat racer to dock my boat with a handful of
sticks.
Here is how it works.
Two throttles, three engines. (Works the same for 4
too). We all know that docking a dual engine boat is
simple, to turn the boat or spin it, one engine forward
and one in reverse.. Here it is the same way. The middle
engine does the same as the other two together. If one
is in reverse and the other is forward the center engine
stays neutral. Both forward, center engine goes forward
and matches the RPMS through the on board DTS Smart
Craft Engine Synchronizers. Reverse, well, you get the
picture.
Ok, we have DTS, Smart Craft and this amazing new
Outboard what’s next?
Now, lets talk about the steering. Redesigned for this
package was also the whole steering system. The Verado 6
cylinder has its own steering ram and helm. This
steering system is power assisted by a very well put
together pump that is installed in the boat. Oh, and
lets not leave the pump out of the loop for DTS or Smart
Craft. It too is also hooked up into the digital network
for the user to see things like helm position or auto
pilot information.
Now that’s a ton of information to go boating with. When
I first started looking into and playing with Verado I
could not wait to get into the rigging and technical
about this engine. At first I was hugely over whelmed.
It took some studying but when I started looking at the
whole system I was thinking to myself that Mercury has
made this whole network of Engine, Control, Gauges, and
Boat more complex and concise however this time not at
the cost of more complication. In the past, when a
manufacturer came out with some latest and greatest
thing it was sometimes too complicated for even a
skilled mechanic to understand. Verado, DTS and Smart
Craft are not that way; in fact I see this system being
the forefront of things to come in the industry. Mercury
has once again set the bar.
Being inundated with all this new technology for marine
use is a huge undertaking for someone who is looking to
re-power their boat with Verado. Mercury even thought of
that, and came to the challenge by making a
dealer/service tech accessible data driven web site to
completely rig out a boat piece by piece Verado style.
The job I did on my Eco Tour boat back in 2005 was a complete re-rigging
going from Optimax to Verado. I was fortunate enough to
be allowed to use the new data driven site that the
dealers can use to order my parts in spec to my boats
needs. This worked great! All the parts that I and my
service guy needed showed up in days complete and ready
for assembly, there was nothing missing and everything
was the right size. I was truly amazed.
Doing the job itself was a large undertaking. I was
lucky enough to have a week off work and the service
center of Murray Marine here in Key West who was
gracious enough to allow me to work in their facility to
do as much as I could as Joe boat owner with the
assistance of their master Mercury Tech when I needed
him. The job was tough and it was hot, however, I will
say that it seemed to take longer to unrig that boat
than it did to put it back together. Remember there are
no throttle cables, the whole installation are plug in
and play. They even have the plugs labeled for slow
folks like myself. Once we had everything together the
master tech plugged in his Mercury Verado computer to
“Wake Up” the motors and set the defaults I was on my
way.
Keep in mind that I did not install my engines myself to
prove that it can be done by Joe boater to save himself
some money on service and labor. Nor would I even
suggest someone try it themselves. I ran into plenty of
snags that were completely foreign to me that only a
tech would know how to correct. I did this experience to
learn more about how the Verado network works so that I
could share it with folks who are interested in buying
one of these fantastic machines.
Now that’s a ton of information to go boating with. When
I first started looking into and playing with Verado I
could not wait to get into the rigging and technical
about this engine. At first I was hugely over whelmed.
It took some studying but when I started looking at the
whole system I was thinking to myself that Mercury has
made this whole network of Engine, Control, Gauges, and
Boat more complex and concise however this time not at
the cost of more complication. In the past, when a
manufacturer came out with some latest and greatest
thing it was sometimes too complicated for even a
skilled mechanic to understand. Verado, DTS and Smart
Craft are not that way; in fact I see this system being
the forefront of things to come in the industry. Mercury
has once again set the bar.
Lets talk about the package now.
I waited a while before I actually wrote this piece on
these motors. As most of my regular readers know, I will
not to jump to an impression about a product to soon but
sit back and study not only my first hand experiences
with the product but also the experiences that other
professionals have shared with me as well.
My experiences with the Verado are not limited to one
boat. I have had the chance to operate several different
applications from single engine bass boats, twin engine
center consoles and triple engine applications with and
without the new Shadow drive DTS innovation. All with
Verado and DTS applications. Currently in my charter
arsenal we have a 28 ft Pro Line with 2 250 Verado and a
23ft Action Craft Coastal bay with a single Verado 250.
Quiet, Smooth and Responsive.
I am sure many folks have been at the dock and heard
these motors idle, or not heard them. I have made jokes
that the motor is so quiet that I will go through
starter trying to restart my motors again and again not
being able to hear them running back there like the old
days. Once again this is a testament to Mercury’s
dedication to quality. Many resources were put into this
motor being the quietest it can be. Along with silent
idle operation there is absolutely no vibration. This in
itself is truly, a huge step forward and away from the
old days.
General operation of the Verado is a real treat. Let’s
start just around the docks. First there are a few small
things that old school guys like myself have to get used
to. First, the DTS controls. As a mentioned there is no
feed back to the throttles or stickiness or stuck ness,
they are all about smooth. When maneuvering around the
docks for the first time one may have a tendency to
overpower, again we are used to the engine noise and
with Verado there is very little engine noise. Gear
shift is so smooth and firm, definitely a testament to
Mercury’s new gear case design changes. No more grinding
gears with a slow shift Verado’s are either in or out of
gear. Remember, you now have a computer doing the
technical work for you. I can’t tell you how much this
will help in an engines life because of less wear and
tear.
One note of mention about the Steering pumps
performance. I have heard some of my colleagues mention
something about pump noise from the older 04, 05
steering units. I went to investigate and found this to
be a really silly point. If we had the engines of old
days we would not even hear the pump over the engine
noise. Mercury has since fixed the issue with even
better insulation for those with delicate ears. The
power assisted pump does a great job keeping up with
helm demand and the engines will turn without the motors
running or the pump turned on.
Another thing missing from the old days is the smoke.
These motors are truly smoke less. Even the extremely
fuel efficient Optimax would smoke just a little. Verado
Being 4 stroke engines they does not burn lubricating
oil through the combustion chambers of the cylinders
rather than more like a car it has an oil plenum and oil
pump that showers, the vital engine parts that need it
as the engine runs, all to be recollected back at the
plenum for re circulation. Reducing the operating cost
even more for this engine there is no need to buy oil.
Now we are out of the harbor and getting ready to plane
out. I have been looking for a good analogy for this for
a while now. I keep coming back to the Old Star Trek
television show. Remember when Kirk would give the go
ahead to leave the Galaxy and Mr. Chekhov would slide
those two levers forward and the ship would just go to
warp 3 effortlessly.. Well there ya go. That’s what my
twin engine boat feels like coming out of the hole and
down the way with Verado. There is a TON of torque in
those engines and you will really feel it.
Moving along at Cruise in my boat is about 35 mph @ 3800
rpm. At this speed I can hold a long conversation with a
client out to the fishing grounds at normal speaking
range. This has not only made my day nicer with less
noise, but also helped me build relationships with my
people on the way out giving them a better experience on
my boat as well. I have been finding lately all they
want to talk about though are my engines… Oh well,
pretty soon everyone will have them.
Ok, lets put the fire to it and let em eat. Performance
of the Verado is truly awe inspiring. I have some very
good comparisons. On my 28ft boat I went from the 250xs
Optimax from Mercury Racing to the Verado twin 250’s. I
lost exactly 2 miles per hour in my top speed. Same
props, same load, and same grade of fuel. This to me was
truly amazing. The Verado is not only a 4 stroke but
also out weighs my other application by roughly 250 lbs
over all. I was impressed by that comparison.
On a personal note I never thought I would put as much
weight into the engine noise that I have after operating
the Verado. As a 20 year veteran captain with a whole
lot of thousands of hours with outboards running in my
ear for hours on end I can’t tell you how much nicer it
is to have a quiet motor back there. At the end of my
day I am actually not as tired and feel as though I am
enjoying more of what I do out there in god’s nature all
because of the Verado.
Environmentally speaking, there is really no point in
going here in this article. I have seen lots of
propaganda regarding the use of 2 stroke versus four
stroke engines and which ones are more Enviro Friendly
from both sides. I have even seen some evidence that the
Optimax is more environmentally friendly with fewer
emissions than any 4 stroke in on the market today. The
answer to this section here is, the powers that be are
making us change what we use and tightening the laws the
way they see fit. By 2010 I am not sure if Mercury will
be allowed to make the super efficient Optimax any more. (It is 2010 and the Opti Max program is alive and well).
Things are changing, just like the meat in your burger
at McDonalds. As consumers we may not have asked for it,
in the testing it may show we really don’t need it, but
someone is telling us we gotta have it, so there we have
the 4 stroke outboard.
In closing The Mercury Verado is not only the next big
thing in the marine industry. It will be the thing that
all others are based on. Mercury has jumped years ahead
and made boating so much safer and enjoyable for
everyone. After I have had the chance to run, test, work
with, rig, and maintain the Verado I can honestly tell
someone that with all that is out there on the market
both 2 stroke and 4 stroke, Verado coupled with Smart
Craft is the Propulsion system that you need for your
boat.
I have a used Mercury
Outboard Motor Page
Read My review on The Yellowfin 32 ft Center Console with Verado Power.
Also read my review on the Yellowfin 24
bay boat |
