Same Day Repowering and Other New Outboard Info
If you have looked at the new bass boats lately, you know that prices are rising and have been for several years. Sure, the technology continues to improve, and that adds cost, but many bass anglers are finding themselves looking at other options. More and more are anglers are seeing the value of repowering according to Nate Chandler, Sales Manager at Boatmasters in Livermore, Calif.
“Boat prices have risen exponentially. Bass anglers are seeing repowering their current boat as a great option, and we do quite a few of these, every year,” he says.
Your current boat might be set up just how you like it with electronics, trolling motors and additional accessories. By upgrading engines you can keep your boat and take advantage of the new outboard technology with the addition of a warranty.
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Your Current Outboard Has Value
Engine hours are the critical standard that boaters use to judge an outboard and what seems like high hours to one person might be a significant upgrade to others. This has created a hot market for used engines.
“Even if an engine has a few hundred hours on it, it may be a big improvement over someone who has an outboard with older technology or even more hours on their outboard. With modern outboards continually getting better and more efficient, someone may want to upgrade to the Mercury you have on your boat now,” says Chandler.
There are many ways to sell your outboard, and it could be to sell it on your own or have Boatmasters handle it.
“It is always going to be better do it yourself since you will get more from it, but we are happy to give you a quote because we constantly have people looking for outboards. We have customers who are looking to upgrade, or they might need them for the lower unit or other parts for their engines,” he says.
Selling your current outboard helps to offset the cost of a new outboard and associated rigging and labor charges.
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An Easy Swap
Chandler says one of the best parts about repowering from one Mercury Pro XS to a newer one is how quickly it can be done.
“All of your configurations and mounting are the same. Your throttle, HotFoot, and jackplate won’t change, and they are all compatible with the new Mercury Pro XS outboards,” he says. “It is definitely not a complete re-rig if you do it this way.”
With proper scheduling, Chandler says it can happen the same day.
“If you sold your old engine to a buddy or someone in your bass club you can arrange to have them swapped right here at the same time and both be in and out quickly,” he adds. “I won’t say it as easy as changing a few bolts, but we have the experience doing it to where it does not take very long to repower a boat.”
New Mercury Technology
The outboard engine has come a long way. Chandler offered a brief timeline over the changes in the past two decades. Bass anglers will remember days of the two-stroke smoke filling the air in the morning to the current times of quieter engines and no smoke. Outboards have gone from oil injected to the more recent oil controlled injection to the brand new Four Stroke Mercury Pro XS.
New outboards are light years ahead of older engines in terms of emissions, efficiency, and performance. The latest Mercury outboards have been reported as very impressive to those who have already started using them, and Mercury says they built for speed and efficiency. The 200hp and up sizes offer a V8 4.6-liter, and the lower horse powered engines still have V6 3.4-liter power.
Peace of Mind with a Warranty
Having a warranty for your outboard is a big reason more boaters are seeing the value in repowering. Mercury offers up to an eight-year warranty for new engines.
“The three-year warranty is the default and they often have promotions for five years (as they do at the time of publishing) and there are options to extend it even further. You can purchase up to eight years of protection,” says Chandler. “The great thing about their Platinum warranty is that it is unlimited if you should ever need it.”
Boatmasters with their experience and standards would be right there to get you back on the water if an issue were to occur.
Boatmasters Experience
Mercury has continually recognized Boatmasters for their success in both sales and service. They are the largest Mercury Service center in Northern California and rated as a Premier Dealer. They have years of experience and expertise with rigging and serving the brand.
If you have been considering buying a new boat but are not willing to spend what it takes to get one, repowering your current boat is a viable option. The team at Boatmasters has the experience to guide you through every step of the process.
Address:
Boatmasters, Inc
5162 Preston Ave
Livermore, Ca 94551
Phone:
925-443-5775
Fax:
925-443-3727
Hours:
Monday-Friday 7am-5pm
Saturday 8am-2pm
Closed Sunday
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