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Old     (padawaan)      Join Date: Aug 2014       09-29-2014, 6:31 AM Reply   
im now looking at a Mobius v but it has 700 hours on it, ive been trying to find a boat that is under 300 but this one is a good deal, at what point do most boats start to need work. with cars I figure 100,000 miles but I don't know about boats.
Old     (DenverRider)      Join Date: Feb 2013       09-29-2014, 7:13 AM Reply   
I would think of 1000 hours as 100,000 miles. Just like on a car, 1000 hours might mean a rebuild is imminent but with proper care and quality it could also go to 2000 hours or 200,000 miles. It's also going to depend on the year. I would never buy a 2 year old car with 100,000 miles because the discount won't match the over use. Likewise I would never buy a two year old boat with 1000 or even 700 hours unless the discount was absolutely ridiculous. The problem is that it won't be. How old is the boat you are looking at?
Old     (dezul)      Join Date: Jul 2012       09-29-2014, 7:16 AM Reply   
I would buy a boat with 700 hours and not even think about it if the boat appeared to have all the proper maintenance and checks out mechanically.
Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       09-29-2014, 7:29 AM Reply   
1000 to 2000 hours is typical of a well maintained engine. As long as the hours match the age of the boat and price is in line with condition/hours/age, buy with confidence. Take it to someone to look it over if you have any doubts or are unfamiliar with things.
Old     (buffalow)      Join Date: Apr 2002       09-29-2014, 7:40 AM Reply   
I would recommend a mechanic look at it. I have a good buddy that has like 1500 hours on his 2004 SAN. The plugs/wires lasted to like 1200 hours and still looked pretty good when he changed them out. I think as long as it is being used and oil changed, you are good to go. Just make sure the pricing matches the "age" just like a car.
Old     (chrislandy)      Join Date: Mar 2014       09-29-2014, 8:17 AM Reply   
My boat has 2326.2 hours on it and is still going strong, but it is a '96
Old     (petrie141)      Join Date: Jun 2012       09-29-2014, 8:54 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by padawaan View Post
im now looking at a Mobius v but it has 700 hours on it, ive been trying to find a boat that is under 300 but this one is a good deal, at what point do most boats start to need work. with cars I figure 100,000 miles but I don't know about boats.
All boats start to need work the day you buy it. It's not always a big job, but they always need a little something (cleaning, oil change, or what I call "keeping an eye on this".... etc). There's not a certain set of hours that can indicate whether a boat is worth purchasing or not, but the overall condition is what people typically look for. The more owners the boat has had, the harder it is to figure out if all of the maintenance has been performed. See if they have any maintenance records or ask them what all they've kept up with on the boat. Vinyl and engine repair will burn a hole in your pocket the quickest so watch out there.
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       09-29-2014, 8:58 AM Reply   
I wouldn't sweat hours. 700 is not a lot. Think of 1000 hours = 50k miles on a car, or more accurately a truck that primarily pulls a trailer or otherwise hauls stuff around (given average speed of 50 MPH). If cared for and the engine is just wearing out as opposed to catastrophic failure, it's cheap to freshen up a SBC with rings and bearings assuming you don't have excessive taper in the bores. Even a full rebuild isn't crazy expensive. Personally I'd be concerned with overall condition of the hull/boat itself and any electronics as that's more time and labor intensive to repair. Driveline work is relatively cheap and easy.
Old     (jmanolinsky)      Join Date: Dec 2005       09-29-2014, 9:02 AM Reply   
What kind of work are you concerned about? I have a 2000 Mobius with 850 hours and I see guys replacing starters, alternators and stuff like that on boats with half the miles as mine. We are talking about boats and they do not have a reputation for being maintenance free. If the boat you are looking at has 700 hours on the original motor and has been taken care of with regular maintenance I would not worry about it. Just make sure you give it a good test drive, getting it up to operating temperature and all. If you want extra piece of mind, do or have a compression/leak down test done on it. The 350s in most of the boats are bulletproof.
Old     (boardman74)      Join Date: Jul 2012       09-29-2014, 10:31 AM Reply   
I'm with Cory…1000 hours is like 50,000 on a car. Thats considering an average of 50 mph which if anything is going to be higher than the norm. So like 50K at the most. You can't go with Erik's 1000 hrs is like 100,000 miles. That would be like averaging 100 mph in a car. No way never going to happen. Most people say average engine life of a 350/ 5.7 class engine in a tow boat is between 2000-2500 hours. Many go more. 700 hours on a 10-15 year old boat that is well kept is no big deal. I just bought a 1998 with 900 hours on it. Boat looks great and checked out mechanically great. I did pay to have a mechanical inspection done with a compression/ leak down test. As well as water tested the boat. Everything works and it runs like a top. I have complete confidence in the boat.

In most places average use is 50(northern US)-100(southern/ coastal US) hours per year. If the boat is outside that, as in more, you should expect a substantial discount from average value.
Old     (padawaan)      Join Date: Aug 2014       09-29-2014, 10:58 AM Reply   
its a 2000 Mobius v, the boat looks to be in good shape with only minor dings in the upholstery and its only 16,000. im trying decide between it and an o1 fakesetter (wakesetter with a diamond hull) with 252 hours for 20,000. I think they are both in about the same overall condition. which one would you guys buy for a wake/surf boat.
Old     (boardman74)      Join Date: Jul 2012       09-29-2014, 12:15 PM Reply   
What model malibu is it? Is it a 21 footer or a 23 footer? A Mobius V is a huge boat, one of the biggest of that era. If the Malibu is a 23 LSV then they are comparable size wise, where if its the 21 VLX size thats a way smaller boat.

700 hours for a 2000 is average to low hours. Where 252 for a 01 is SUPER low. Thats like 18 a year. That boat sat ALOT and that can cause problems in itself. if the boat has a fuel injected engine I would get the ECM scanned to make sure those hours are accurate. You should be able to see wear differences between a 700 hour boat and a 252 hour boat. If they are both in the same condition that might indicate the hours are off.
Old     (padawaan)      Join Date: Aug 2014       09-29-2014, 5:01 PM Reply   
the Mobius sold, dang, it was close too. the vlx is a 21 footer , the salesman said it has some cosmetic dings. if they were to buff them out and fix the few spots in the cushions where the seems are pulling apart they would want 26,000 for the boat but the owner wants to sell it before winter.
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       09-29-2014, 6:30 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by boardman74 View Post
700 hours for a 2000 is average to low hours. Where 252 for a 01 is SUPER low. Thats like 18 a year. That boat sat ALOT and that can cause problems in itself.
Yes, I would be more concerned with an unusually low hours boat than an unusually high hours boat. Boats/cars/bikes... Sitting unused for long periods of time is hard on them, all sorts of problems come up particularly because they are not laid up properly for hibernation, it just sorta happens as life gets in the way or other things come up. Fuel system gums up, gaskets and seals dry out and leak, etc.

I bought a 89 boat several years back with only 462 hours on it... about 22 hrs/yr. Engine was rebuilt a couple years before I got it. No idea why if something failed/broke or if the guy just considered it part of the project or had to pull it to fix leaks or whatever it may have been. I did upholstery and restored the gelcoat... among other fixes and improvements. What a backbreaking job that was to get it to shine again! Anyhow mine now has ~700 hours, or about 60 hours/yr. This year I've hardly used it, as it's so hard to find a third anymore. Usually I'm 75+ hours which isn't bad for northeast. Boat has given me very little trouble. A couple minor electric issues, and the rudder needs replacing, which I will replace with a newer style greasable rubber so it doesn't wear out so quickly.
Old     (boardman74)      Join Date: Jul 2012       09-29-2014, 7:08 PM Reply   
So on the VLX, the price went up $6000 for some gel dings and restitching a couple cushions???
Old     (deltawake)      Join Date: Sep 2004       09-29-2014, 7:28 PM Reply   
700 hours is barely broken in if the boat has been well taken care of. We have 2300 plus on our 2007 Malibu VLX. Most of those hours have been fully sacked and I do mean FULLY sacked. The oil has been changed every 50 hours like clockwork. The other fluids have been changed on schedule. The boat has been stored indoors. It is still going strong. It has been used regularly without being allowed to sit for long periods. A boat that has been treated well will last a very long time. Asking about 700 hours is the wrong question. The better question is: Has this boat been treated well? Another consideration is how the boat was broken in. A boat that was broken in gently will likely burn a lot of oil and have less power, because the rings were not seated correctly in the first few hours of operation. Our Malibu burns about half a quart of oil between oil changes. That's pretty good for a boat with 2300 hours. It was broken in using a procedure similar to this: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm.
700 hours is nothing if everything else was done right.
Old     (nick_in_ssp)      Join Date: Aug 2006       09-29-2014, 7:42 PM Reply   
I agree with the numbers a bit higher for hours and comparing them to miles. I would say 1000 hours has to be closer to 125,000 on a truck engine. The thing to compare like said above would be a truck pulling a load up a hill. There is no coasting or highway driving for a boat. It is always under a heavy load when driving. Like a truck with 175K miles or a boat with 1200 hours there is still a lot of life left in those engines if they were properly maintained.
1000hrs = 125k
2000hrs = 250k
2500hrs = 312.5k
Some will get more some will get less, it all depends on the way it was used.
Old     (bstroop)      Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Athens, Alabama       09-29-2014, 7:57 PM Reply   
I know it not an exact comparison between boats an cars but here's one:

I sold a suburban with 106,000 miles and the hour counter was at 3200 operating hours.

If you're ever in doubt about engine hours and serviceability a compression check doesn't cost much and can deliver some peace of mind.

Last edited by bstroop; 09-29-2014 at 8:00 PM.
Old     (Jmorlan)      Join Date: May 2013       09-30-2014, 1:12 PM Reply   
My silverado has 67k miles and about 2k engine hours.
My f350 has 270k miles and 6200 engine hours.

Do with that information as you may.
Old     (nick_in_ssp)      Join Date: Aug 2006       09-30-2014, 3:40 PM Reply   
Truck miles vs. hours is not comparing apples to apples. If that were the case my wakeboard boat that has around 900 hours on it averages probably around 20 mph so that would be close to 18,000 actual miles on my boat.
Old     (Laker1234)      Join Date: Mar 2010       09-30-2014, 6:04 PM Reply   
It all depends on the owner. If the engine has been properly maintained, it should go another 700 easily. I had a 1979 Natique at one time that had 1760 hours on it and the hour meter was broken when I bought it. I used the boat for another four years before I sold it and never had any problems.
Old     (padawaan)      Join Date: Aug 2014       09-30-2014, 7:39 PM Reply   
i had a dealer tell me 1000 hours was barley broken in, i think he was exaggerating a bit but it sounds like he was more accurate than i gave him credit for.
Old     (durty_curt)      Join Date: Apr 2008       09-30-2014, 8:39 PM Reply   
Just surpassed 1300 the other week on my 04 VLX



Her interior is looking a little rough but she is running strong

Old     (Jmorlan)      Join Date: May 2013       09-30-2014, 9:15 PM Reply   
My boat has 234 hours currently. I bought it at 160. I bet you out of the 74hrs I've put on it, maybe 20 have been running across the lake or surfing wakeboarding.
The other 54 idling or no wake speed.
I don't think I'll have an issue getting 1000hrs out of the boat if I have it that long.
Old     (srock)      Join Date: Mar 2002       10-02-2014, 9:45 AM Reply   
Probably wont be a major mechanical issue, maybe risers, but you interior may start to show some wear.
Old     (Mattjmc)      Join Date: Sep 2012       10-13-2014, 7:48 PM Reply   
My 2000 Nautique went over 850 hours this year and still runs great! I would say you should be fine as long as it's maintaned every year. My old Glasstron had I would guess close to 3000 hours and it ran great till the day I got rid of it. It's just like a car maintance is everything.
Old     (OneCent)      Join Date: Jul 2010       10-15-2014, 10:02 AM Reply   
700h are nothing for the engine, maybe something more for the transmission and more for the upholstery and carpet ;-)
Old     (mro)      Join Date: Jun 2008       10-15-2014, 12:30 PM Reply   
My biggest concern with high hours is resale. I'm always thinking ahead of the game and how i will get out. For me 700 is alot, because 1000 hours is just around the corner. Good luck trying to sell a boat with 1000hrs +. Defenders of high hours can compose a long list reasons why there its nothing to worry about. But the fact is that a majority of potential buyers at that point are just going to run regardless of the explanation you feed them. The only thing stopping some of them from passing on your ad would be a large enough discount to reflect the hours. At 700 hours in an ideal world, I would expect the seller to share some of that inevitable depreciation.

Last edited by mro; 10-15-2014 at 12:32 PM. Reason: grammers
Old     (boardman74)      Join Date: Jul 2012       10-15-2014, 1:01 PM Reply   
So say I have a 15 year old boat I have priced at market value. It has 700 hours..your saying I should give you more discount because it has 700 hours, when that is about 45 hours per year which is well below average. On and older boat 700 hours is no big deal. Now if its 5 years old I can see it taking a hit but a 10 year+ old boat sure isn't. They are already priced accordingly.

If 700 is a lot to you I'm guessing you've never owed anything more than 10 years old.
Old     (phillywakeboarder)      Join Date: Sep 2008       10-15-2014, 2:52 PM Reply   
700 hours wouldn't concern me at all. In fact, since hour meters can be disconnected in about 5 minutes, a high or slightly high number of hours would make me feel better than an unreasonably low number.
Old     (Jmorlan)      Join Date: May 2013       10-15-2014, 2:59 PM Reply   
When would you guys consider the boat to be depreciated and hours really not take a factor?
For example, my boat is an 05, and just rolled 210hrs.
When would hours not effect my selling price?
Say, I'd get the same out of it whether it has 210hrs or 450hrs?

I ask, as I'm really considering a '15 mojo.
So sell my boat in spring and pick one up brand new, or rack a few more hours through the summer and pick one up with 100 or so hours at the end of the year next fall/summer

Last edited by Jmorlan; 10-15-2014 at 3:01 PM.
Old     (boardman74)      Join Date: Jul 2012       10-15-2014, 5:18 PM Reply   
Your 05 is 10 model years old. Most would say average is between 50-100 hours per year, depending on location. So in your case your at 21 per year so you are extremely low. Your value is not going to change any if you run it another summer, unless you put like 500 hours on in a year!! Your value is probably really steady at this point. Probably going to be worth the same this spring or next spring. The difference is new boats go up 3-5% yearly on average. So your going to pay more for a 2016 that a 2015.
Old     (meathead65)      Join Date: Sep 2006       10-15-2014, 5:40 PM Reply   
[QUOTE=phillywakeboarder;1895443]700 hours wouldn't concern me at all. In fact, since hour meters can be disconnected in about 5 minutes, a high or slightly high number of hours would make me feel better than an unreasonably low number.[/QUOTE-]

I'd have a dealer out it on the computer.... Of that 700 300 or more is probably at idle.

Big difference between a 700 hour ski school boat that runs under load 80 percent of the time vs. a trailer queen/party cove show boat that has spent most of its time idling around the raft up.
Old     (mro)      Join Date: Jun 2008       10-16-2014, 1:44 PM Reply   
Quote:
So say I have a 15 year old boat I have priced at market value. It has 700 hours..your saying I should give you more discount because it has 700 hours, when that is about 45 hours per year which is well below average. On and older boat 700 hours is no big deal. Now if its 5 years old I can see it taking a hit but a 10 year+ old boat sure isn't. They are already priced accordingly.

If 700 is a lot to you I'm guessing you've never owed anything more than 10 years old
I'm just simply saying that market value of a boat with 700 hours should not be the same as the same boat with 350 hours.

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