Mariner 150 v/s mercury 225

Troutkiller2006 · #1 01-17-2016, 01:41 AM

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

Destroyer · #2 01-17-2016, 04:32 AM

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.

kamikaze · #3 01-17-2016, 08:13 AM

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.

phatdaddy · #4 01-17-2016, 08:23 AM

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.

Troutkiller2006 · #5 01-17-2016, 09:09 AM

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

spareparts · #6 01-17-2016, 10:06 AM

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

RidgeRunner · #7 01-21-2016, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamikaze

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.

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!

Troutkiller2006 · #8 01-21-2016, 07:06 PM

Anybody got a quarter, lol! Thanks for all the opinions guys. And ridgerunner, thanks for the welcome. But it's really a welcome back. I was a god (still hate using thT term) here years ago. So I know a lot of you guys, y'all just don't know me! Muhahaha

1224bret · #9 01-21-2016, 11:03 PM

I agree the weight I have forward helps me out a lot even still I get some proposing at certain speeds and conditions could just be me still getting used to my set up though... Wasn't really thinking about it but without all the nose weight from the cuddy it would probably porpoise a lot more... I have trim tabs on the boat now but I haven't got around to hooking them up so in all reality they may as well not be there.

Yeah docking is a pita for sure I've hit the dock with this boat almost every time I've took it out since I installed the bracket... Getting pretty good at wet sanding and buffing... But I will be adopting the gel coat cost money skin will grow back motto on my outings with others in the boat now!!!

In the end you have to be the one to make a decision and be happy with it! I'm glad I put the bracket on mine since I wanted a outboard. But my boat was I/o and if it had of been outboard when I got it I wouldn't have went through the trouble of adding the bracket. There are pro's and cons to everything it's all in what you want..

Troutkiller2006 · #10 01-17-2016, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Destroyer

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.

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?