Last reviewed: 2026-05-23 > Quick answer: Evinrude stopped building outboards in 2020, and six years on, parts and service support keep thinning. For most Evinrude owners with a sound hull they plan to keep, switching to Mercury is the right move. The conversion costs a...
Last reviewed: 2026-05-23
Quick answer: Evinrude stopped building outboards in 2020, and six years on, parts and service support keep thinning. For most Evinrude owners with a sound hull they plan to keep, switching to Mercury is the right move. The conversion costs a one-time rigging premium because the whole control system swaps, but you pay it once. Build a quote at mercuryrepower.ca.
Evinrude stopped making outboards in May 2020. It has been six years. Parts are getting harder to find, the technicians who know these motors are aging out, and resale value is sliding. The Evinrude owners who switched in 2022 and 2023 got ahead of the problem. The owners switching now are still making the right call. They are just doing it a little later.
This guide gives you the honest math: why the switch matters now, what the conversion actually involves, and, just as important, when you should not switch yet. Harris Boat Works does Evinrude-to-Mercury conversions every month, and some of our best conversations are the ones where we talk someone out of a repower they do not need this year.
If you are already decided, build a quote at mercuryrepower.ca, configured for your hull in a few minutes.
Why This Is Happening Now
When BRP shut down Evinrude production in May 2020, the practical result for Ontario boaters was straightforward: no new motors, no new parts being manufactured, no new technicians being trained, and a support network that has been quietly contracting ever since.
Six years in, here is what Evinrude owners actually run into.
Parts are getting harder to find. Common service items, filters, plugs, anodes, are still around. But specialty parts, the proprietary electronics and fuel-injection components for E-TEC G1 and G2, are increasingly on long backorder or simply gone. The window for "we can fix that" is narrowing every season.
The technicians who know these motors are disappearing. Evinrude expertise lives in the hands of people who have been turning wrenches on them for 20 years and more. Those technicians are retiring. New techs entering the marine trade learn Mercury, Yamaha, and Suzuki. Nobody is training on a motor that is no longer made, because there is no certification program for it.
Resale value is dropping faster than comparable motors. A 2018 Evinrude on a 2018 hull is a harder sell in Ontario today than the same hull with a Mercury repower. Buyers know the parts story. Dealers know the parts story. The asking price reflects it.
Travelling boaters are the most exposed. If you run the Trent-Severn, take trips to Muskoka, Georgian Bay, or Lake Ontario, you are leaning on a service network that gets thinner every year. Break down 200 km from home on an Evinrude in 2026 and your options are fewer than they were in 2021.
Should You Switch? The Honest Decision
Not everyone should switch this year. Here is the real framework.
Switch now if:
- Your hull is sound and you plan to keep it eight or more years
- Your Evinrude is showing symptoms: hard starting, fuel-system codes, warning lights
- You travel with the boat, the Trent-Severn, multi-day trips, road trips to other lakes
- You plan to sell within three years, a Mercury repower before listing usually pays back in a faster sale and a stronger price
- You are a heavy user, parts shortages hit high-hour boats first
Run the Evinrude until it quits if:
- The hull is a short-term keeper you will replace within a couple of seasons
- Your E-TEC G2 has low hours and runs perfectly
- You are a light seasonal user, cottage-only, with little travel
- Budget timing makes waiting one more season the sensible move
We will tell you which column you are in. The relationship matters more to us than one motor sale, so if your Evinrude has good years left and your plans are short-term, we will say so.
“Loved my old Johnson 90 but Evinrude's gone and the parts kept getting harder. Jay walked me through the Mercury 90 FourStroke swap and three weeks later it was on the transom. First start of the season I forgot what a quiet motor sounds like.
–Dave M.–HBW Bewdley repower customer
What the Conversion Actually Involves
A Mercury-to-Mercury repower keeps your existing controls, harness, and gauges, so the rigging is straightforward. An Evinrude-to-Mercury conversion is different: the entire control system has to swap, because Evinrude and Mercury systems do not speak the same language. That means a one-time rigging premium on top of a standard repower. It is real money, but you pay it once. Every repower after this one is Mercury-to-Mercury and the rigging cost drops back down.
Here is what actually changes:
| What changes |
Why |
| Throttle and shift control box |
Evinrude and Mercury control systems are not compatible |
| Wiring harness |
Different connectors and pin assignments, not interchangeable |
| Engine gauges or SmartCraft display |
Gauges need to speak Mercury's protocol |
| Propeller |
Rarely carries over: different hub design, different pitch matching |
| Battery and starting wiring |
Updated to Mercury spec |
| Sometimes steering |
If you are moving up in horsepower and still on cable, this is the moment to consider hydraulic |
The propeller point matters more than people expect. An Evinrude prop on a Mercury motor is a mismatch that quietly costs you speed and fuel economy. We test and confirm the right prop on the sea-trial of every conversion, so you leave with the correct prop, not the one that happened to be on the boat.
For the actual cost in current dollars, the Mercury repower cost guide has the full breakdown by horsepower class, and the configurator at mercuryrepower.ca builds a real number for your exact motor. If you plan to keep the hull through one more motor cycle, typically eight to fifteen years, the one-time conversion premium almost always works out in favour of switching now.
What to Do With the Old Evinrude
Once it comes off, the old motor still has options:
Trade it in at HBW. We apply fair-market trade-in value against the new motor. The trade-in tool at mercuryrepower.ca gives an instant estimate, no email gate, no phone call required.
Sell it privately. A newer, running E-TEC G2 sometimes carries more value to a small-boat owner looking for a cheap motor than it does as a trade-in. We will tell you honestly when private sale is the better play for your specific motor.
Use it as a parts donor. Older Evinrudes have value to independent shops still servicing them. Marginal cash, but better than scrap.
What We See at HBW
Evinrude owners almost always arrive at the conversation later than the math says they should. That is human, the motor still starts, so the problem feels theoretical. What we see on the shop floor is the other side of it: the parts that used to take three days now take three weeks, and the proprietary electronic component that has no replacement at all.
So the framing we give every Evinrude owner is this. The motor itself may be fine. The E-TEC was a well-engineered engine. The issue is not the engine, it is the ecosystem around it, and that ecosystem only goes one direction from here. If your hull is worth keeping and you plan to keep it, converting on your schedule, in the off-season, with the appointment you want, beats converting on the motor's schedule, in July, when it finally quits.
Common Mistakes
Waiting until it dies in July. A motor failure in peak season means the longest waits of the year for parts and shop time. Owners who plan ahead in February or March get the easy appointment slots and first pick of motor inventory. The ones who call in July learn the hard truth about August availability.
Trying to DIY the brand conversion. A brand conversion is not a driveway job. A wrong harness route, an incorrect throttle calibration, or a missed ground can damage a new motor before it ever touches water. We do every conversion in-house with Mercury-certified technicians.
Skipping the steering upgrade when the dash is already open. If you are stepping up in horsepower and still on cable steering, the conversion is the cheapest time to move to hydraulic, because the dash is already apart. Retrofitting it later means paying the labour twice.
Keeping the original horsepower on a boat that was always underpowered. Some Evinrudes were installed undersized, and the owner just adapted over the years. The conversion is the right moment to step up to the horsepower the hull is actually rated for and that your real use calls for. Check the capacity plate, then check how you actually use the boat.
Chasing a US online motor price. We quoted a customer last season who found a motor cheap at a US online retailer and called us for "just the install." Between import duty, customs paperwork, warranty complications, and the full rigging conversion, the savings vanished and then some. Canadian dealer pricing is real pricing for what you actually need on the water.
The Installation
An Evinrude-to-Mercury conversion takes longer than a Mercury-to-Mercury repower because of the full control-system replacement. Plan on a few days of shop time, and a few weeks from the day the motor is ordered to the day you pick it up. Off-season, October through March, gets the fastest availability. Spring and summer slots fill up, so if you are planning for this season, book early.
Every HBW conversion includes:
- A hull walk-around and transom inspection before anything is ordered
- The full control-system swap: harness, controls, gauges
- Prop selection and a sea-trial on Rice Lake before delivery
- The Pleasure Craft Licence update, which Transport Canada requires when the motor changes, handled for every HBW customer at no extra charge
- A fresh 3-year Mercury limited warranty on the new motor
The boat does not leave until it passes the sea-trial. That is how a marina that has been on Rice Lake since 1947 protects its name.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Evinrude stop making outboards?
BRP ended Evinrude outboard production in May 2020. No new motors have been built since. Parts and service support continue through BRP's supply chain, but manufacturing has stopped permanently.
Can I still get parts for my Evinrude?
Common service parts like filters, plugs, and fluids are still available. Specialty parts, particularly the proprietary electronics and fuel-injection components for E-TEC G1 and G2, are getting harder to find, and lead times keep extending. The window is open, but it is narrowing.
How much does an Evinrude-to-Mercury conversion cost?
The new motor plus a one-time brand-conversion rigging premium on top of a standard install, because the whole control system swaps. The total depends on horsepower class. See the repower cost guide for planning ranges, and build your exact number at mercuryrepower.ca.
Do I have to replace all the controls?
Yes. Evinrude and Mercury controls, harnesses, and gauges are not compatible, so the whole control system swaps. Steering sometimes carries over depending on its age and type. We assess that during the hull walk-around.
Can I keep my Evinrude prop?
Rarely. Different hub design and different pitch matching mean an Evinrude prop on a Mercury motor is a mismatch. We test and fit the right prop for your Mercury on the sea-trial.
How long does the conversion take?
A few days of shop time, and a few weeks from order to pickup. Off-season, October through March, is fastest.
Should I trade in the old Evinrude or sell it privately?
It depends on the motor's age and condition. A newer, running E-TEC G2 sometimes has private-sale value. Older motors are usually best as a trade-in. The trade-in estimator at mercuryrepower.ca gives an instant number.
Will a Mercury Pro XS feel like my E-TEC?
The Pro XS is the closest match in character: strong acceleration, a high-RPM bias, tuned for performance over cruise economy. It will not feel identical, no engine is, but most E-TEC owners find it familiar within a short adjustment period. For most boats a standard FourStroke is the better all-round choice.
Is a Mercury actually more reliable than an Evinrude?
The E-TEC was a well-engineered engine, and a healthy late-model G2 is mechanically comparable to a Mercury FourStroke. The real difference in 2026 is support. A Mercury with a failed part gets fixed at any Mercury dealer in Canada with stocked parts and current diagnostic tools. An Evinrude with a failed proprietary electronic part may not be fixable at all.
Ready to Switch?
Build a live quote at mercuryrepower.ca: motor, rigging, install, an all-in Canadian number before you ever talk to us.
Or call 905-342-2153. We do Evinrude-to-Mercury conversions every month, and we will give you the honest answer on whether to switch now, wait a season, or run the Evinrude until it stops.
Phone: 905-342-2153
Address: 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON
Configurator: mercuryrepower.ca
Sources
- BRP, announcement ending Evinrude outboard production (May 2020): brp.com
- Mercury Marine, outboard engine range: mercurymarine.com/us/en/engines/outboard
- Transport Canada, Pleasure Craft Licence: tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/pleasure-craft-licensing
Details are current as of May 2026. Parts availability, pricing, and lead times change. Confirm the specifics for your boat with HBW.
About the Author
Jay Harris helps run Harris Boat Works, a third-generation family marina in Gores Landing on Rice Lake, established in 1947. HBW is a Mercury Marine Platinum Dealer and Legend Boats dealer serving Rice Lake, the Kawarthas, and Ontario boaters who want straight answers before spending real money. Read Jay's full bio.
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