Quick Silver & Mercury Relationship?

D

Daniel1980

Member
Jun 29, 2021
88
Boat Info
Sea Ray 175 Sport
Engines
Mercruiser 3.0
Can someone please explain the replationship to me of these 2 brands which seem to be interchangeable and synonymous?

I see parts for sale, which are essentially the same, yet less expensive if carrying the Quick Silver name instead of Mercury.???
 
I always thought:

Quicksilver is the retail/consumer label for Mercury/Mercruiser parts that you would see sold in places like West Marine, Walmart and online.

Mercury is the label for parts you see sold through Mercury/Mercruiser dealers.

Other than packaging the parts are identical and share the same part numbers.

On a sidenote as to where the name Quicksilver came from - it is the liquid metal in Mercury.
 
Like Bill said... They are both the same thing on the inside. Mercrury or Mercruiser branded items can only (should, anyways) be sold at authorized Merc shops. Quicksilver can be sold at authorized shops or other retailers.
 
This is so strange.

Example, I previously bought a Merc Black Max prop and hub kit. Quality is pretty good and the price fair...BUT I had to buy another prop today and the exact same prop and hub kit with the Quick Silver box is 30% cheaper?....same exact stuff. Even the fluids and parts for the motor (fuel filter, belts, etc) They seem to be the same. I really don't get it. Why would anyone pay more for a red label? They are competing within themselves. They are coming from the same place with the same QC, just different brand colors and label. So strange....

Tell you one thing, from here on out QS will be my first choice and I will consider myself going with OEM, bypassing the Mercury label.
 
At times, you might find the prices about the same. 30% is not usually the difference, though. But a lot of it comes down to the retailers of the QS stuff. Often, QS retailers sell based on quantity and can keep their margins lower because of the increased numbers. However, a Merc dealer may also be paying for a brick and mortar store, certified technicians and knowledgeable staff able to answer questions intelligently. Probably won't get all of that at Walmart! It all comes down to what someone values - some are happy with price points only, some don't mind paying extra for the experience and guidance available at a local shop along with supporting local, small businesses. It's good to have options.
 
Lazy Daze said:
At times, you might find the prices about the same. 30% is not usually the difference, though. But a lot of it comes down to the retailers of the QS stuff. Often, QS retailers sell based on quantity and can keep their margins lower because of the increased numbers. However, a Merc dealer may also be paying for a brick and mortar store, certified technicians and knowledgeable staff able to answer questions intelligently. Probably won't get all of that at Walmart! It all comes down to what someone values - some are happy with price points only, some don't mind paying extra for the experience and guidance available at a local shop along with supporting local, small businesses. It's good to have options.
Click to expand...
  1. But even still, if a pragmatic consumer knew the same part or fluid was available in a different package for less money, why in the world would they opt to pay more....especially in the age of ordering on the internet. Wouldn't make a difference if I was buying it at Walmart or expert store. Who wants the option to waste money?

    Reply
 
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Daniel1980 said:
  1. But even still, if a pragmatic consumer knew the same part or fluid was available in a different package for less money, why in the world would they opt to pay more....especially in the age of ordering on the internet. Wouldn't make a difference if I was buying it at Walmart or expert store. Who wants the option to waste money?

    Reply
Click to expand...


Why do some people only buy their auto parts from a Dealership?

Generally the parts aftermarket exists because part manufacturers sell to both the car/boat builder and the people who do repairs. It is the same part branded differently or made off-shore. The part manufacturers play this game everyday with multiple brands and white labelled boxes. Ultimately....it is the consumer who has to be smart enough to avoid paying a premium for a part which you can buy for 50% less.
 
Daniel1980 said:
  1. But even still, if a pragmatic consumer knew the same part or fluid was available in a different package for less money, why in the world would they opt to pay more....especially in the age of ordering on the internet. Wouldn't make a difference if I was buying it at Walmart or expert store. Who wants the option to waste money?

    Reply
Click to expand...
First, I buy things online, too. I don't only buy at local places.

But to answer your question, we're back to an opinion - which is how I was trying to answer your question - it's all opinion based and what's important to you. However, I do not consider buying from a local store and supporting local economy to be "wasting my money". Besides, if no one buys from a local store - let's say a "mom and pop" type place - what do you do when need a part on Saturday morning? It's a trickle down effect - if less and less people walk into a store to buy parts, then that shop starts stocking less and less parts because it becomes lost revenue. And now, when you need that part right away, it's not available. There's also the point I made above about "the personal touch".

Now, if a particular place is artificially inflating prices - well, that's a different story. But that's not really what we're talking about.

Again, though, we all do what is right for us and there really is no "best" answer.
 
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