Factory tour of Mercury Manufacturing in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- This week, Jon was in Fond Du Lac Wisconsin, capturing an extraordinary behind the scenes tour of the primary Mercury production facility. Watch an enormous 4,500 ton press forming engine blocks, lower units going through the powder process, the propeller team hand pouring molten stainless and more!
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This segment was featured in an episode of PowerBoat Television.
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PBTV 2020 E02
This was cool to get a quick look at the factory ,last time I was there was 1980 and Lake X from 1980 - 1995 when we pulled out of racing , great to see they build there parts here in the USA , keep it up Merc , When I was growing up there was a saying , if you want to get there and back use an Evenrude , if you want to get there fast use a Mercury , Mercury was also big in auto racing , on the beach at Daytona .
Love Mercury outboard
So you mean to tell me that Mercury invested all of that money into NVH to still be louder while having more vibration and harshness than Suzuki.....Hmmmm!
fond du lac crazy name for a boat engine factory in french it mean bottom of the lake ......
Makes sense because the city is located at the southern end of Lake Winnebago. The southern end=bottom of the lake :)
benoit viger fond du lac is the city.... Not the name of the building.
@@Hankxiong yes ,it's a joke
Remove Trump and see America grow again ,,,
Quiet? Man I miss the good old days. Listening to the twin 2 cycle straight 6's 150hp come up on power. No sound like it.
If you want BIG Problems buy a Mercury. If you want NO Problems at all buy a YAMAHA.....
Had at least 10 Mercurys/Mercruisers and ONLY Problems. Now since 6years a Yamaha and i never looked under the Hood! It goes goes and ...
GOES.....
It's awesome to see great products actually manufactured in the USA !
Most of them are made in China
@@helpAmerica1 The 40s, 50s, and 60s are Chinese. Rest are USA or Japan
@@brendandiano8829 smaller ones too.
@@helpAmerica1 Yup, I own a Mercury 20 HP from 2016. And the engine block is from Tohatsu. Still a great engine. When the quality is good and it doesn't shut down on mid sea and it starts every day, I'm happy :) Last summer we where with 4 guys in my boat (RIB 3,6 meters) and I pulled my friends boat with him inside, because his fueltank was empty HAHA. And in the beginning we where going nice and slow, then I gave some power and it did even plane both boats. Just imagine, 5 people, 2 boats and both where planing. Its just a beautiful engine
One thing they don't mention about that remodel to the plant is that it was paid in part by the people who live in Fond du Lac. We are taxed on everything we purchase in this town to keep the company here. Did you hear him say that the new equipment is replacing workers. 1 machine is stealing 17 jobs. I like to think my tax dollars are putting people out of work.
Hello friend from Russia! Can I translate it to Russia and upload to my channel??
I've got a 80's merc. 35 hp with a old school jet drive. Damn thing runs and sounds like a crotch rocket
I LOVE my Merc ! I wouldn’t own anything else !
You should work there. Your opinion would flip 180 degrees. Used to be a place you wanted to work at. Now that "we're hiring" sign is on all the time. The drug sweeps are cool as well.
I was a janitor here and had metal fab and manufacturing experience and they wouldn’t hire me because they bring people on from over seas
I mean I wouldn't take you serious with that name deaz nutts do you think you should change your name first.
I have been by this place tons of times on the Freeway, absolutely huge place.
Of all the outboard's I have ever owned, the only 1 Merc that was ever reliable, and ran good was a '79 110 tower of power. It sucked fuel like a Bastard, ran out great, and had a sound like no other coming up on power. I could never get past the way over priced ignition parts.
Other than that, the old Evinrude 3 "loopers", Yami's, Zook's, and Nissans was what I was after.
I hope Merc got it right????
Keep Wisconsin, and America strong Merc!!!
My son and I both had Merc’s. We sold them all when they were running good before the next issue happens. He now runs Yamahas and I run small Suzuki’s. We would love to buy American, but we’ve got burned by warranty and service. Excellent customer service, performance and good fuel economy (scary good) from the Y&S co’s. It’ll be a long time before I risk on a Merc again. I think I’ll just watch and see how others do.
Do you know what would make Mercury a great company? Bring back small and mid range motors to be manufactured in this country, and stop trying to sell us on the Chinesiam motors as being built to quality stands.
I fish with a few guys that passed on Mercurys with the MIC tag on them.May as well get a Honda for the same $$$.Or Suzuki or Yamaha.
“We can move those extra people back to the line” bullshit,still can’t make a water pump last 5 years without replacing
Pretty sure these guys built the early 90's Corvette ZR1 engine that was designed by LOTUS...
James Price yup, designed by Lotus and cast and built at the Mercruiser plant In Oklahoma because at the time GM and the Ky. Plant didn’t have the man power or the aluminum experience needed to manufacture that particular and very complex engine.
Been using mercury outboards for 45 years. Nothing runs like a Merc !
I’m impressed with Mercury and I want to save these jobs by investing in Mercury with an additional plant t😊 be installed near this on in order to cohabitate and use the equip in cooperation of the first plant. I’m willing to invest 200 million right now to say these jobs and add another plant. This should also increase labor at the plants buy adding jobs. As well I will also help to sell the motors over seas in markets usually cut of to mercury due to cost. How you ask buy cutting the transport cost. I want to make a deal with Europe and Africa as well Asai for mercury to send products there ways on ships that would normally return empty! So to my delegation as and foundation do the research. As well as mercury if they are willing to take on a 250 million dollar investor and build a second plant. The only stipulation’s I have is that they do not lay off anyone. The second one is that the foundation makes at least 7% return on investment and every dollar above the 7% goes to the workers in an equal bonus check.
Mercury 115 pro XS 2023, are the cylinders coated with Plasma or Nikasil
Mercury marine just keeps pushing forward that's why there so good they put seven marine seven straight out of business with the 600 hp outboard they created
Can anyone get the tour? What about Old Number one in North American Sales of Mercury Outboards, that were 10 year Dealer Congress Dealers?
Question about cylinder coating of a 2023 115 Pro XS, is it plasma or nikasil?
When will mercury make a video of the mercury outboards made in china ?
Raced Mercurys in the early 70's on the APBA circuit. I was the only one racing a Merc in a class dominated by OMC. No one at Mercury even acknowledged me. Piss on them
So they just admitted that without the help of robots, women would not be able to perform the job....
Wouldn't sexist be refusing to buy the expensive robot and not hire the women?
Oh yeah best part was fired because of a quality issue that was still happening after I left
Funny cause in french “Fond du Lac” means “bottom of the lake” and thats where motors go when they fall off boats lol. Great video. Love Merc ❤️
Thanks nice video. I was a force, mariner, Mercury, Yamaha technician. Miss it every day.
Nice! Would have loved to buy the 2019 or 2020 V8 250 XS but Merc gave priority to new boats and Johnny Morris (Ranger Stratos, Triton etc). After waiting 10 months in 2019 and told “just another 20 months” to complete my restore of my 1992 Champion with a new motor, I went with a 250 Yamaha VMax SHO and couldn’t be happier! Still breaking it in: 67mph in 2 1/2 foot chop and not wide open yet. Would have loved to buy American. Merc lost a lot of customers while trying to get up to manufacturing speed. BTW just had this Yamaha installed in mid Jan 2020 and was told the wait for a Merc 250 is still months out. Sad...
John Bell
You’ll love the fuel economy and smoothness of that motor. With care expect 3500 to 5000 hours on that engine. A Ferry boat has that already.
John Bell you made a wise choice
They make awesome engines, our our fishing team has used Mercury for the last five years! You won’t be disappointed with things like blown power heads or lower units, they just don’t have that problem!
I need more parts made for a 1976 merc 1500 tower of power
“If I had money, tell ya what I’d do. Go and buy me a Mercury or two! Crazy bout a Mercury.” From Alan Jackson’s song! Yeah I know he was talking bout a car! But I like the Mercury out and stern drives!
Ran it for years till the transom got rotten
A piece of my childhood that will never be forgotten
It was just an old plywood boat
75 Johnson with electric choke.
Ok, it's not a Mercury, but hey it's a Great song.
Don’t buy mercury motor they suck..👎👎
I used to work in a boat motor factory in the 90's. Our building was built in the late 1920's. Unfortunately Johnson or Evinrude are not longer made, and both buildings demolished. My uncle worked at Mercury in marketing.
Paint on my 2017 350 Verados flaked off in no time.
"this is fulminated mercury"
Very Cool! Mercury for life on my boats
I wanted a merc on my boat but the manufacturer used Yamaha why are most boats manufactured using Yamaha
Cheaper!! Mercury has been around since 1939, Yamaha started in 1980 building 4 stroke engines! Also Yamaha started out in Japan and Mercury is US!
Global reach and service.
james finnegan reliability
I saw fond du lac and was like that city is boring it has no entertainment
I live in Fond du Lac and can confirm that there is nothing to do except drugs out here.
Gunnar Singleton I can confirm this is also true
That's nice but bring back the smaller and midrange OptiMax
Beautiful engines but those covers are hideous!!! 🤮
There are so many comments here about poor reliability of Mercury motors that it must be true.
Roger Onslow I have a 94 Mariner (Merc). 90 HP 2 stroke. Still runs as good as new. While it has low hours, it has also been well maintained. Thought about repowering but having it installed on a flats boat, the 2 strokes low weight is hard to let go - 305 lbs vs 360 to 400 lbs for all of the latest models, no matter the brand. By the way, I personally think the vast majority of people who post are complainers. And you will see the same thing no matter which brand is being discussed.
Wisconsin 👍👍
Fishing the fox river in oshkosh one day last summer, they have a test facility right on the river. I was driving by and noticed what looked to be a new v8 outboard with a blacked out cowl at wide open throttle in a dunk tank. I came thru 2 or 3 hours later and it was still running at wot.
This is so cool to see. I worked at a company out of Dayton, OH that supplied and installed many of the automation cells in the foundry and die-cast work of the factory. I had hands in machining, painting, wiring, installing all of the cells we made for them from 2019 to 2021. The gentleman at rhe beginning, Scott Hansman was a real nice guy who was easy to work with! Mercury is full of great people!
Amazing factory!!!
I had a ski boat and after destroying 3 Johnson's went to a Merc 85 and was happy. Power to pull 2 skiers, fuel economy and long life. Okay that was in the 70' s and things are different but still good.
Wisconsin is the Outboard and Waterski Show Capital of the World.
Yamaha.....
Love my Suzuki. I own a 2007 Suzuki DF140 and I love it. Next boat I get’s gonna have a bigger Suzuki
Anthony Romano got a 2014 150 vmax sho still on the original water pump
@@rustyshakelford9777 don't think you should be proud of that....
Superb video, thanks for sharing!
R.I.P to old school machinist. Your no longer needed.
Until the tooling for that machine needs reworked.
Yamaha 15hp?
Hola soy de Rep Dom y tengo un mercury 40 y nececito la parte eletrica donde lo puedo con cegir
Its because the ppl in fond du lac were forced to pay extra taxes for this company
I live 20 minutes from fondy. Why tf did I get this as a video suggestion
Moro no Brasil e possível comprar um motor com vocês ? Aguardo a resposta obrigado
best factory to work at i once worked as a janitor when i was 18 :)
Mercury’s use to called “paint it purple” engines bc they were always weird motors. A funny fact: Kiefhoffer worked for Ole Evinrude. They even had to buy Boston Whaler to sell them. They almost killed Boston Whaler too! OK...that’s the old days....these new Mercury’s, the ones made in America, are absolutely top shelf!! I have been boating for over sixty years and would choose Mercury’s in a heart beat over any other outboard. GlennFHoward Coconut Grove, Florida
I grew up with OMC , and Mercury motors. My last Johnson blew up because oil injection went out. I don't trust them anymore I don't care if BRP owns them or not. Mercury is all I have left and if they don't get there act straight I guess I will be looking at Yamahas next.
Our government put such strict requirements on outboard manufacturers, they went broke trying to meet them. OMC went bankrupt,
Mercury bought Boston Whaler to force sales. Yamaha went four stroke bc They already had the technology. That’s the history! Now, all three make superior engines! Suzuki is an excellent engine but it doesn’t have the sales and maintenance facilities to compete. The is a diesel outboard but it will likely be used for yacht tenders, it will never be competitive. SEVEN Marine, a fantastic outboard based on a GMC 6.2 is too expensive fr the average boater, now partly owned by Volvo, they wanted the technology, will likely see Volvo engine in a lower HP range....who really needs a
Pair (or more) 525 or 627 HP outboards. Now that the outboards have gotten significantly better than ever, the next hurdle is to make them more affordable. GlennFHoward
@@Mr91495osh Now sir you are only skimming the surface of what happened. OMC tried to use technology made for a car,one which I will not mention. But instead of scrapping it like they should have, they threw money at it.And the VRO was terrible too. With only one sensor to show when it failed. But would they change it? They took a quality engine and ruined it.
It all is moot about what is what. There has been too many deals where one company builds anothers outboards. Even I/O too. Yamaha building Mariner low and mid range HP's outboards in the 80's, Suzuki building Johnson four strokes, just two examples. As far as four stroke, it was always going to end up that way do to environmental standards. And the R&D or the tech. put into these things will never justify the price . Marine engines have always been overpriced. In manufacture and repair. And manufacturing methods have been streamlined, but cost still go up.
So lets get back to the main thing we are discussing. If it is about cost, then why doesn't Mercury, or BRP have all their motors made overseas? Or better yet, make them here. It is bottom line ,period. Forget 7 Marine. They built an engine that they only push on the coast and I have never seen them advertise for freshwater applications. They took a SUV engine and made it work on water. now Volvo, a Chinese bought company , has gotten a hold on them.
I will end with this. The global economy is not all what it cracks up to be. Is the U.S. not still the major market in the industry? Is the investment here not worth the value to keep Americans working. Even with our economy as it is today, we still can do more. And China , and sustained quality are not even in the same ballpark.
Charles Driggers Agree completely! GlennFHoward
my aunt works here good money 25 an hour.
Why is this in my recommended im from fondy.
This where the most unreliable and poorly warrantied outboard motors in the world come from. YAY! Mercury
your 1.2 star consumer reports rating is well deserved!
Power to weight two strokes are best less moving parts simpler. Less service time ,them fore strokes look the size of a house
fix it up I have a 94 Mariner 90 HP two stroke. It weighs only 305 lbs, compared to all of the 4 strokes, which weigh between 360 and 400 pounds Bought it new along with my 94 1760 Action Craft flats boat. The hole shot is amazing and has 43 MPH top end. Still runs just as good as the first time I put it on the water 26 years ago. Thought about repowering, but it still runs great and so much lighter than any 4 four stroke.
Sure wish they made 2 strokes. I will never ever have a 4 stroke on a boat. So Evinrude is my only choice.
Great video! 👍
Yeah the floor always cought fire because of the mettle dropping out on the floor
Alexandria Lockwood metal you loser
AMAZING
😍😍
Selling my 2017 Mercury 5 hp for an electric outboard. Just tired of having to pull and pull and pull and pull just to get it to start.
Great Video PowerBoat TV! Thanks for posting this segment!
It’s a shame their outboards are so ugly
Just an FYI, I pressure diecasting does not yield super dense aluminum. That is definitely the wrong statement what you just said. High pressure diecastings tend to be not as strong and a lot more porous
Man alive dude! Learn how to say process! U driving me up the wall!!
Probably from Canada.
In the north of England they say it differently to us in the south.
None of us say “Dude” though....... 😎😎
Glad to know it make in America but the quality of this manufacture aren't as good as Yammie and Suzie in quality wise and warranty. Hopefully Mercury will recognize their issue to beat them in warranty and quality. Good luck.
Fond du Lac ' what a beautiful name ..! ESPECIALLY FOR A MARINE MOTOR MANUFACTURE. ( INTÉRESSANTE VIDÉO, THANK YOU VERY ' BEAUCOUP ! ' )
Mercury’s 90hp in-line fuel hose is a lemon. It always breaks. Left me stranded 2 times.
Good stuff but, it's time to go electric. This is old tech.
i take mercury bulb factory.
i take all factory.
I live in Florida and am an avid boater, know what you see in the back of MOST boats???
A Yamaha!
Wonder why??
Because people cant afford a decent engine and buy a cheap one because they dont care?
@@jessedemler7501 Pfft! Hahahaha too true.
BS
The fleet I work on all Yamaha fitment. I would suggest it’s down to the initial business investment and overall support package.
Remember of course that boat manufacturers look to tie in with engine manufacturers and that can be hugely lucrative and the end result of that (and nothing to do with our opinions or what our mate says) is what we see and perceive in docks all around the world. That’s a UK perspective I have to say.
That’s because Yamaha has better saltwater motors then Mercury