Outboard Motor Hours Question

MT · Post by MT » Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:58 am

What is considered "alot" of hours on newer model larger outboards like Optimax etc.? In other words, at what point can one start to worry about potential problems especially when the warranty is nearing the end. Is 200 hours high? 300? I'm asking because I'm in the market for a boat and I want to know more about these expensive motors. Thanks for any info or advice. Mike

JamesH · Post by **JamesH** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:26 pm

My cousin is a marine mechanic and he tells me that 100hrs on an outboard is equal to 10,000 miles on a car.
On the other hand, I know a lot more people who have blown a power head on their bassboat with less than 200 hrs than people who have blown the engine in their car with less than 20,000 miles on it.....

James

Tornado Dave · Post by **Tornado Dave** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:48 pm

While many people look at boats with low hours, the real key is how well it was serviced. Also, think about how it was run. If the boat has an unusual amount of stress cracks (all boat get cracks), that boat was run hard and you may want to consider that in your price or when you take it to a mechanic have him check the computer. What part of the country is it coming from and where was it stored?

Keep in mind that outboards are rated for thousands of hours and it is better to have a boat the was on the water every weekend and well maintainted and appreciated, then a boat that has been sitting for 6-8 months with low hours. Because boats that just sit in a driveway under a cover, somehow start to break down, gaskets get brittle, valves stick, pumps stop working, batteries lose their life...

Just some food for thought.

Good luck,

TD

bryanmc · Post by **bryanmc** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 4:33 pm

What exactly do you do every 20 - 40 hrs?

JamesH · Post by **JamesH** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 4:50 pm

CJ - The hours to miles reference is not literal, but a reference to durability and expected life. You are right though, it depends on how the owner treated and maintained the boat.
If you buy a boat with 1000 hrs or a car with 100,000 miles on it, you had better treat it nicely or it will probably give up on you.....

James

crawdaddy · Post by **crawdaddy** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 6:20 pm

Every situation is different. Think about running your car for 300 hours at 4500+ rpms. Try getting your car to those rpms and see what you think. The best running outboard I ever saw was one that was about 10 years old and had been running almost every day for that time. It kicked over every time and smoked very little. It was used as a commercial fishing boat and was run for hours every day at low rpms. Remember as was stated above, if a boat sits the seals dry out and the lubrication breaks down. Did the boat get warmed up properly before each use? One way to check is meet the owner at the ramp and see if jumps in and takes off. Too many variables to say if that is a lot of hours. Many questions can be answered with an analysis of the computer on the boat as well as a leak-down test for compression.