First I'd like to thank anyone that takes the time to read my issue(s) below and attempts to help me or give me some much needed advice.
I am looking to purchase a used inshore salt water fishing boat with a motor anywhere between 60 and 115 HP. I am what has been referred to in other posts as an uninformed owner or in this case "future owner". I want to get informed before I take on the task of finding the perfect boat for my budget. Now the question I have is not about the boat, it's about the motor.
At first I minimized my search to motors that still carried a factory warranty. I wasn't looking for brand name because to be honest, I wouldn't know a good year and make from a bad one. After a lot of searching I could not get the combo (boat and motor) that I wanted in my price range. So I started looking at older boats. Not too old. Mostly from 97 and newer. I'm finding a lot of boats that look really nice but the question always points to the motor. How reliable is it? Was it well taken care of? How many hours are on it? With proper maintenance how long will it last? I want my last concern while I'm out on the water to be "I hope the engine starts this time".
Then I thought, if I purchase a boat with the motor and the motor runs good, how much would it cost to upgrade to a new motor with a warranty? Depending on the price I thought it might be worth it for the peace of mind.
Let me give you an example of a very real scenario. I found a boat that I like and the guy wants $6000.00 for it. it's a 99 with a 1998 90 HP yamaha outboard motor.
Now my budget is around $8000.00 for a boat. Would I be able to upgrade to a new motor for $2000.00? If so is that the best option? I'm going to guess that some of you would say that I should take the motor to an outboard motor specialist to have the compression checked along with whatever else is usually checked in a thorough inspection.
I live in New Port Richey Florida about 30 minutes away from Clearwater, so I'm assuming there are a lot of shops I can take the motor too but I would probably use this forum to get opinions on the one's that are the most honest.
So what do you guys think? I know I have a lot to learn but I am more than willing to do it! I've owned a couple of Jet Ski's in the past and I just sold my Jet Boat to purchase a fishing boat. Neither of those had an outboard motor though and both were purchased with less than 40 hours on the motor and still under warranty. I like to think that I am good at doing preventative maintenance, but I've never done it on an outboard motor.
staying with the mainstream motors is best, evinrude, johnson ( but not a FICHT model), mercury, yamaha, suzuki. they have the parts and maintanance support needed to keep them running. all of these are good motors.
Buying a boat
1st you need to decide what you want to use it for, fishing, cruising, or water sports.
2nd how many people adults, children you want on board of the average outing.
3rd outboard, inboard-outboard, or inboard power plant.
4th Budget, what you want to pay, and what you are willing to pay, when you find
Exactly what you want.
You can hire a marine surveyor, to inspect the boat, or you can do it yourself.
You are mainly looking for soft spots in the deck, transom, cracks, all signs of a rotten, under frame.
The motor should be clean, no spots where the paint is discolored, or pealing from heat, having run hot. Compression should be atleast 100psi, and within 10% of each other,
Spark on all cylinders, good pee stream, check lower unit for water in oil.
The overall condition of the boat will tell you a lot, as to how it has been maintained.
A 30 year old boat motor combo, may be in better condition, than a 3 year old
we all need to support iboats marine store when ever possible. you get, competitive prices. fast shipping, top notch customer service. also it provides us, this great FREE forum.
Well I know that I'm looking for a fishing boat no more than 10 - 11 years old. It needs to seat at least 4 people. It's going to be used mostly for fishing. I'd say 80% fishing, 20% cruising. My biggest issue is the motor. No matter what boat I look at, I still keep asking myself the same questions about the motor. Am I making a bigger deal than it needs to be about a motor that's under warranty compared to one that isn't?
Could someone please comment on my first post relating to upgrading the motor to new for a certain price? Am I way low? Way high? Does it seem to you to be unnecessary? I'm also afraid that if I take the boat/motor to a mechanic, they won't do a thorough inspection.
we all need to support iboats marine store when ever possible. you get, competitive prices. fast shipping, top notch customer service. also it provides us, this great FREE forum.
Okay. I realize that I cannot purchase a new 90 hp motor for $2k, but I wasn't sure if there were places that "traded in" or upgrade your motor to a new motor for a certain price. After reading these posts, I guess I'll just have to insist on taking whatever boat I want to purchase to the local dealer/boat repair shop and have them check it out. If everything checks out good i'll purchase the boat and continue to research the most common issues with the motor and preventative maintenance techniques to keep the motor in the same shape if not better shape than when I purchased it. It seems like the people on these forums are more than willing to help when they can.
you are exactly right, educate yourself, in the proper care and maintanance of your motor. i retired and had to learn how, could no longer afford the shop. there are still 50-60 year old motors running better than the new ones.
we all need to support iboats marine store when ever possible. you get, competitive prices. fast shipping, top notch customer service. also it provides us, this great FREE forum.
Could someone please comment on my first post relating to upgrading the motor to new for a certain price? Am I way low? Way high? Does it seem to you to be unnecessary? I'm also afraid that if I take the boat/motor to a mechanic, they won't do a thorough inspection.
The problem I see is that a new 90 hp costs about 7-9k. This is more than your initial assumption. Most boat dealers don't sell used engine unless they can make a profit equal of better then the one they can make on a new engine. Plus the dealer has to sell it "as is" without knowing the real history.
Boat mechanics are like car mechanics, some do it for the money and some do it because they like to. Some like the new computerized motors and others won't work on em. You have to talk to them and talk to people at the boat ramp.
Use motors are a crap shoot unless you know the person who owned them. Like any engine, under load is the best way to tell if they are working. I still think trusting the seller is extremely important. How you determine if a person can be trusted is based on past experience.
The picture you posted of the 90 Yamaha 2 stroke- If you find a deal like that, I wouldn't be afraid of the motor. Yes, it certainly needs to be looked at. A motor like that Yamaha 2 stroke 90hp is a very simple engine. It can easily be rebuilt, repaired, and parts are plentiful.
Like these other guys have suggested, a used motor can be just as good as new- just have it checked, run it, and then maintain it.
Now, I am going to catch flack for this- and many will disagree with me but- I am very pro 2 stroke (carb'd). I want something I can fix myself or repair on the fly. When I am in Canada, I want something that any basic outboard mechanic can fix. KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID. If I were buying a used motor, I would buy something that would be an easy fix if it does have a problem.
we all need to support iboats marine store when ever possible. you get, competitive prices. fast shipping, top notch customer service. also it provides us, this great FREE forum.
It am very pro 2 stroke (carb'd). I want something I can fix myself or repair on the fly. When I am in Canada, I want something that any basic outboard mechanic can fix. KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID. If I were buying a used motor, I would buy something that would be an easy fix if it does have a problem.
I may seem simple, but for me it is a matter of trust. I took auto shop when I was a kid and at that time cars could be worked on. I did not have to trust someone else to do a job. Now I can even find the engine much less try to fix it.
If you can fix a 2-stroke then that is the engine for you. KEEP IT SIMPLE, SMART GUY
Looking to purchase a used boat w/used motor
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