Hey Guys,
I am looking at a boat with a 1998 125 h.p. Mariner Offshore Tiller. At slower rpm’s it evidently runs on two cylinders. At fast on 4. Anyone familiar with this motor and it’s reputation?
Thanks,
Lloyd
Don’t know much about that motor, but think I was looking at the same boat online. Seemed like a good deal I believe.
DT
This is the same motor as a Mercury 125 2+2. Mixed reviews from guys I know who ran it. I think Holst ran one for a couple years. Maybe he will chime in.
-J.
bullet proof.
run forever.
will break the bank in gas usage.
I do know that some of these motors would start on fire due to an electrical shortage under the hood. That is a rumor I’ve heard, but never seen it.
2 buddies run these exact motors (merc models) and have zero maintenance since 1999.
When I had mine, it really enjoyed oil too! Maybe the Mariner is better on gas and oil? 
Doubt it… It’s alot of motor to hang onto unless it’s calm or you have the pro-tiller system on it. If not, I’d get the Titan tiller assist system for it. 
Good, solid info boys. Keep it coming!
Lloyd
I had the Mariner 125 2+2 on a 1998 Ranger 681. Absolutely no problems. It was fond of gas and oil and started hard unless you choked it each and every time you started it. Other than that the engine was fine. Its been around for a long time. Mine wasn’t a tiller.
I’m running a 125 merc 2001 and have had 0 problems the gas usage is as reported..combine with a stainless prop and you’ll love it
While it might be a bit harder on gas,
I can’t think of 1 other motor out there that is as bullet proof and zero maintenance as this one.
The 4-strokes and all the EFI and direct injection motors either require high maintenance or they blow power heads.
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While it might be a bit harder on gas,
I can’t think of 1 other motor out there that is as bullet proof and zero maintenance as this one.
The 4-strokes and all the EFI and direct injection motors either require high maintenance or they blow power heads.
Gary?? All blow powerheads? All require high maintenance? What?? Please, share with us your experiences that bring you to this statement.
As for the 2+2 motors, I’ve run two of them back in my guiding days (thousands of hours each). Not my “buddy’s motors.” My motors.
Overall they’re very solid.
The carbs are incredibly touchy to adjust and you will need to have them adjusted every season or two, depending on hours of use each year… to keep everything humming along.
As other have stated, the fuel consumption is poor. Actually horrible is more accurate. The 2+2 tends to idle a little rough and you will have to deal with noxious fumes / smoke if you’re back trolling into the wind. Some of this issue can be solved with synthetic oils… but you won’t cure it completely.
As for reliability of the 2+2 motors I will agree that they’re a motor you can trust most of the time but they do have issues. The 100 and 125 HP motors have been known to short out voltage regulators resulting in an engine fire. I lost a 5 fish tournament bag to this type of fire that started about 30 minutes before we were due back in a tournament back in 1999… scared the bazeebees out of me. Much of the engine wiring and electric was toast along with the motor hood. If you do a search on IDO on ELPTO and 2+2 motors you’ll find a couple threads from others with this motor that had the same issue.
Overall…. on the plus side they’re a low technology motor with above average reliability that makes good power. On the minus side… it can be tough to tune the carbs to get a smooth idle and it will eat you out of house and home at the gas pump.
Would I rate them as the most reliable motor I’ve ever owned? Not even close. But for the price, if you’re willing to overlook a few short-comings, they’re a solid motor.
I have one and as far tuning the carbs so far it’s been pretty easy. I’ve also dialed the oil back closer to where it should be, it was set really rich when I got it a few years ago. I’m not sure if the previous owner richened the oil up (but I doubt it) or if it came that way from the factory. I also don’t think the fuel consumption has been that bad. Does anyone have any hard data to back up these claims? just curious.
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Gary?? All blow powerheads? All require high maintenance? What?? Please, share with us your experiences that bring you to this statement.
OK,
Maybe a bit of exageration.
Point being when you get into the high-hp, direct injection, 2 strokes, OPTIs, Yammi V-Max, FICHTs have a reputation/risk factor that they can run lean and burn up. Not that all of them do it, but there is that risk factor.
4-strokes require more maintenance than a 2 stroke, such as your oil changes, filters, timing belts, what not.
With friends running hi-hp OPTIs, V-MAXs, and FICHTs, all of them have had a power head pop on them. That is my experience. Not saying ALL of these motors do blow, but watching 5 of them (3 OPTIs, 1 V-MAX, 1 FICHT) blow, it is a reality-risk.
On the flip side of the coin, my best-friend-fishing buddy is going on 12 years with this motor and has zero money into it, other than 1 or 2 sets of spark plugs. He’s never had to adjust carbs yet. He is a weekend warrior, and not a full time guide or anything, but I would guess a minimum of 25-30 days a year on the water. Figure average 4 hours run time a day, that could be construed up to 100+ hours a year, 1200 hours total on motor. With that said, a guy can’t complain with one of Merc’s “cheapest” motors they make.
Am I out in left field with my thinking? 
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