Hour Meter Accuracy??

NickMcCabe

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 30, 2013
Messages
122
New to boating. Bought a 1980 Beachcraft, says 153 on the hour meter. Paid virtually nothing for it so if the actual is way higher I didn't get burnt. Wondering though if hour meters are usually accurate and if I should believe this number. Sounds remarkably low for age of boat. Any input appreciated.
 

Daviet

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Messages
8,958
Re: Hour Meter Accuracy??

I have never pay to much attention to hour meters, unless I know the history of the engine, they are to easy to replace and do not always give an accurate history.
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2012
Messages
2,906
Re: Hour Meter Accuracy??

I wouldn't buy a boat on its hour meter but then again I wouldn't be surprised if 153 was correct especially if it has been kept on a trailer all of its life. The hours are only when the motor is running.
 

NickMcCabe

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 30, 2013
Messages
122
Re: Hour Meter Accuracy??

I wouldn't buy a boat on its hour meter but then again I wouldn't be surprised if 153 was correct especially if it has been kept on a trailer all of its life. The hours are only when the motor is running.

Unfortunately I don't know much about the history of the boat. Bought it as a project from a guy who said he was selling because he didn't know how to get the motor running and he bought it from a guy who gave up on getting it running also. Motor was seized but freed up after pulling the head and giving it some encouragement. I guess I'll see what it's worth if/when I can get it running and in some water...
 
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phillnjack2

Ensign
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
918
Re: Hour Meter Accuracy??

I once bought a brand new hour meter to bolt on the engine, it worked great.
but the my dadthought he had a great idea and fitted it to the dash instead.

previous to this i got some fantastic mounts madeup for the engine to help with vibration, the boat was lovely and smotth.
this made the hour meter total crap on the dash,as this one worked on vibration when the engine was actually running ha ha ha

instead of my dad just putting it back on the engine, he asked if i could put the old mounts back so the vibration made it work on the dash.
i never told him what i was actualy wanting to call him ha ha .
but in the end i just bought him an electric one so he could watch the time drift by while engine running.

most hour meters only give the hours that you know as most owners buy new ones for their boats.
so seeing an hour meter means absiloutely nothing.

i also used to know a guy who sold secondhand boats, he used to put hour meters on the boats he sold.
i also know for a fact that he used to put new ones sitting on his compressor in the workshop till they showed about 150 hours.
this made people think they were getting boats that had only done 150 hours, when they were getting old worn out stuff.

so never ever go by the meters, on newer engines its computerised,but even they are easy to tamper with !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

NickMcCabe

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 30, 2013
Messages
122
Re: Hour Meter Accuracy??

This is basically what I thought too. Best hour meter is probably a compression test...
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
Re: Hour Meter Accuracy??

For such a vintage boat, the hour meter is a novelty at best. It wouldn't even make my list of things to consider.
 
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