Are Force motor really that bad?

[RoLo]

 

Over the years, I’ve owned '8' different brands of outboard motors.

Somehow, I was able to sidestep Mariner and Force (Just dumb luck).

By far, my worst experience with any outboard motor was a 115 Chrysler on an 21-ft Winner.

Chrysler was the major force behind Force...so just maybe, 'Force' is really that bad.

 

Roger

[lo n slo]

wonder what ever happened to old shaggy?

[slonezp]

4 hours ago, Timmylee said:

Thinking of purchasing an 87 Bayliner with what the seller listed as a 125 2 stroke mercruiser out board. Zooming in on the pictures the motor does say Force. Does anyone know if this is the “bad” or “good” force? This is my 1st boat so forgive me if I don’t really know anything about it. Just looking for some good old reliable advice weather to stay away or go ahead and make the purchase.

It's 35 years old. If it lasted this long...

[CountryboyinDC]

On 8/4/2020 at 8:52 PM, lo n slo said:

wonder what ever happened to old shaggy?

His Force outboard gave out on him about 4 years ago.  He ticked off the first 5 people that tried to offer him a tow.  I didn't see him anymore after that.

[volzfan59]

My first real bass boat was a 1997 Nitro 640 with a Force 75 HP on it. She was a great boat and outboard. No problems what so ever, but I take care of my stuff. The only reason that I got rid of it was that I outgrew it. Bought a new 19' Champion with a Mercury.

[Mbirdsley]

Biggest issue with force is getting parts.  We have had some great runners and some not so great runners  come through.  
 

With anything else, if you take care of something it will last. like said above they Were a lower end motor and usually The people who bought them abused the crap out of them. Regular normal maintenance was not in their vocabulary 

[Cuervo]

Had a 19 foot Spectrum with a 125 Force by Mercury. Horrible on gas and frequently fouled plugs. I do regular maintenance on everything and have been working on outboards for about 30 years. These are just plain poor quality motors, from the parts to the designs. If you are getting into boating to relax and have fun, you actually want to be on the water relaxing and having fun. They were made to run and sell cheap and you do get what you pay for. Lots of blown cylinders on the 85s and 125s that frequently went on Spectrums and Bayliners, constant mechanical failures. Pre-89 or so Chrysler, after that upper still Chrysler and lower Mercury but called a Mercury. Never have seen many problems with the lowers failing in any year, upper half was always the issue. Its also important to note that you should never pay the same price for a boat with a Force as other brands and you should never expect to get that on resale They were overall disappointing bad motors and hopefully they disappear into the past. The shame of the whole thing is......in todays world, cheap motors aren't even an option.....but you certainly don't want to buy one of these cheaply and feed it money until you reach the point you could have purchased a nice motor that would have lasted without issue. 

[gm4511]

I ran a Chrysler 15 hp on a 15' jonboat back in the mid 70's.  Never had a problem, but it was slow as molasses.  

[Deephaven]

The 125 is a carbed value merc.  Best way to increase your boat value if you have one is to put on a merc cowl

 

[Guitarfish]

Unlikely to run into these motors as they are now an additional 6 years older than when this thread started.  But if you do, and it's still running....hmm.

[John Daniel]

I have had a 1991 Force 90 HP for about 14 years on a 17' bass boat. Still running strong.

1991 model, I can still get general maintenance parts, and it is easier to work on than EFI engines etc.

Runs like a scalded Ape! Very easy on fuel!

I just purchased a 21' Tracker Deck boat with a 120HP Force.

I didn't hesitate on the purchase!

[volzfan59]

I had a Force by Mercury 75 on my first bass boat, 1997 16' Nitro. It ran and performed perfectly, as did the boat. The only reason that I sold it was we outgrew the boat.

 

My apologies, seems that I replied to this twice.

[Force or chrysler no good]

I have had the experience with a Chrysler 140hp from the late 70’s on a hydro stream speed boat. From day one after purchase one issue to the next new issues since purchase. Parts were hard to find so I went to a place called twin city outboard in Shakopee Mn that carries all parts new/used from 1909 to current. The two different Guys I talk too said parts are hard to come by on the Chrysler outboard & they had few to none. They both said Chrysler was way under powered & bought out by Mercury and ran that same motor line for awhile under similar design under the name Force. After all the complaints and issues with that line rebranded under the name Force or Force by Mercury, Mercury decides to discontinue that line and label it as a disposable boat motor to protect their reputation. 

[ksp]

"better to have the force with you than behind you" LOL, "More like FARCE", LOL, "pretty good anchor"LOL......

 

I've had a late eighties 50hp force for a few years now, here's the truth with these older forces. Some people love them, some people hate them, but mostly, people just love to hate them. If you want a dirt cheap simple running motor, no frills or hype, that anyone can work on, Chryslers aren't too shabby. If you take care of them, put fresh gas in them, and make sure they aren't overheating or running lean, they will run fine. I would say if you are just getting started in boating, maybe you boat inshore, are DIY minded, and don't want to spend too much money out of the gate, a used force with good components will be just as fine a choice as any other used motor for getting started. Just don't pay too much. You can always upgrade later, once you've gotten the hang of outboard motor maintenance and repair. 

Edited July 30, 2024 by Glenn
Removed abrasive comments

[Glenn]

On 8/4/2020 at 3:52 PM, Shimano_1 said:

Surprised someone hasn't already shut this down.

And scene....