Used PWC questions
 

I'm in the market for a used PWC. My budget is limited, (~3k), so I'm probably looking at older 2 strokes, 10+ years old. Are there any makes/models I should avoid? Any that I should be looking for?

Thanks

Tigersharks (artic cat) and older Polaris machines

Tigersharks are no longer made and have not been for a very long time and parts are very hard to come by.

I don't know PWCs but with this said, aren't the new SeaDoo Spark's about $5K brand new from the dealer?

If so, you should be able to find a used one that is not too old that is pretty close to your price point. This way you won't have something 10 years old.

the sparks are all plastic, and not fiberglass and well the mechanics appear to be quality seadoo the body/hull being plastic is not very forgiving with stress and possibility of hitting or scraping a hole in them.

Thanks - we looked at a spark at the at the end of last season. A big drawback beyond the finish, was the lack of storage. It only had 1.6L of storage.

I was curious to get the capacity right and a quick check of the sea-doo website shows they've addressed this somewhat by making a kit available to add 28L of storage. Even so, I still wasn't overly impressed with it.

I'm not an expert, but liked the Yamaha PWC I had. Seemed to be pretty good quality and better quality than the SeaDoo's I had rented.

Far from an expert . . .
 

but I owned a GP1200 1999, and we had no problems with it.

As for a TigerShark. We purchased one at a good price, and was able to make some money on it. They are sought after, so if you find a good deal and have the patience you can earn more on your investment than some stock picks.

Good luck in your search.

Yamaha
 

Most of the jet ski rental places use Yamaha. That says something about the dependability.

On Ft. Myers Beach in Florida there are about 5 jet ski rental businesses with a total of somewhere over 50 machines, all Yamaha.

The business in the Weirs Channel, Lakes Region Jet Ski Rentals, runs all Yamaha's and last season they did not tow one machine in all year. That says something about dependability when renters can't even break them. :)

I currently have my fourth Yamaha and and I think it is a great machine.

Good luck in your search.

Suggestions
 

First, I would categorically recommend that you stay away from the 2 stroke machines. My experience is that the older 2 strokes are not particularly reliable. I have a 1996 SeaDoo GTX and I have had to replace the engine, fuel lines, voltage regulator, etc...

The 4 stroke machines are much more reliable. I also have a 2002 SeaDoo GTX and that has been extremely reliable. I know that the Yamahas have a reputation for reliability and that is also a good choice. In addition, I would opt away from anything used in salt water.

In general, if you have to spend a little more for a newer and lightly used machine, that will likely be cheaper in the long run...especially if you are not going to do your own mechanical work.

Jetskier:cool:

One thing I will add about Sea Doo is check to make sure only Sea Doo oil was used. I know it will be an hot topic but it WILL make a huge difference in longevity of said machine. Any blue in the tank or oil lines (which are painted white) and will need to be scraped to check. Also the ethanol in the gas will eat the fuel lines.

Four Stroke
 

Jetskier is correct. Look for an older 2002 to 2004 4 stroke Yamaha, Sea Doo, or Honda. Give DaSilvas in Moultonboro a call. He always has a few older 4 strokes for sale. Also check Craigslist. I picked up a 04 Sea Doo GTX Wake with 98 hours on it in 2012 for cheap money. Had three different 2 stroke Sea Doos and they were nice, but 4 strokes are way better.

Yamaha four stroke Waverunner
 

There is a 2002 Yamaha FX 140 4 stroke waverunner in Woodbridge CT that was just posted on Craigslist yesterday. Comes with trailer and only has 117 hours. Look good in pics. They are asking $3,300.

My 2002 Seadoo GTX is still going strong. We put it in the water at Lee's Mills yesterday and it is now at our house until mid- October. It is so much fun. I go all over the lake in it and I don't live close to a any ports.

Used PWC
 

I have a 1997 SeaDoo GTI (3-seater), have it maintained yearly by DaSilva Motorsports and runs like a dream! Good luck!

look for a used Yamaha fx140. The FX are super reliable. My buddy has three all with zero issues. We found one this year an 07 with 40 original hours on it . I had it serviced at Dasilvas and in speaking with the mechanic he said in his opinion the FX's are basically bullet proof as long as basic maintenance is performed.

Stay away from Owens Marine
 

in Hooksett. I purchased a used 1997 GTX from them three years ago. The first time out the bearings seized and the machine requires a new crankshaft, bearings etc. There was a 15 days 'limited' warrantee on the machine and Owens refused the honor it. After days of hassling between two lawyers, it was settled that Owens will provide repairs.

They procrastinated and procrastinated, one excuse after another until finally after about a year, I got the machine back. Low and behold more problems and they will not honor their repairs. Back to the lawyers and I agreed to pay a $300 deductible, pending on if they make good their repairs. Another year went by (Waiting for parts etc.) until I decided to take the machine to a reliable indie. Unfortunately parts of the engines were scattered throughout their shop. Owens claim they want $300 to reassemble the engine. I picked up the machine, I did not bother to check under the seat, I was so mad. The indie mechanic open the seat and all the parts were thrown in the engine compartment he would need to reassemble the engine! Back to Owens and another long story.

I finally able to use the 1997 Seadoo GTX Limited this year. It cost me twice what I paid for it to get it going! I wish I had just left the machine at Owens. I can see why their back yard is a huge graveyard of boats, parts etc.

I always thought that was such a strange location for a marine store. There is no water near there except the Merrimack River a bunch of miles away. Just seems like an unlikely spot.

Stay away from the early GTX
 

I have a 1996 GTX that I bought new and I would recommend that you stay away from that vintage.

1. We replaced the engine after only a couple of seasons as the shaft seals failed and it burned oil like crazy. That was clearly a design/manufacturing defect.
2. We replaced all the fuel lines; ethanol eats the B marine grade lines that they used (put in A grade).
3. We replaced the voltage regulator.
4. We had to have the pump rebuilt after the gasket failed and all of the pump oil leaked out.
5. We had to rebuild the carburetors after the fuel lines gunked them up.
6. The reverse gate fell off and that had to be replaced - really hard to find.

Jetskier:cool:

Just an fyi... Owens Marine is no longer in business...and your right, Randy Owen was just an awful person to do business with!!

Dan

I went by there a couple of weeks ago and looks like the place is open. I do know the property been for sale for quite a while!

I tried to negotiate to get The Magnum Missile and the vintage Allision with the famous 'tower of power' on the back. Both have not been registered in almost decade. Perfect examples! He will not budge on the prices. Not even the collectors will deal with him. If he is out of business and sold the properties, I hate to hear what he has done to those classics!

Went New
 

Thanks to all for the great advice. However in the end, I decided to buy new. I purchased a 2014 Yamaha VX cruiser at HK Powersports-Laconia. FWIW, Joe at HK was a pleasure to deal with.

I agree about HK
 

I purchased a Yamaha two years ago at HK and just bought another one there on Saturday. Joe was the salesman.

HK, and Joe, could not be any better to work with. The process was simple and straight forward, the price was fair, and they delivered the machine right away.

Bring on the warm weather!

They used to be on the 28 bypass in Manchester, right near Lake Massabesic.

My bad Chip. I was thinking of Greens Marine near Suncoock.

I agree with Greens being in a strange location. They seem to do a fairly good business though. Been there a few times, and there are always customers there.