1st Time Boat Buyer - Help Needed on Which of These Two to Buy

[buckbuck]

@libton2003 if you buy the 212X hit me up and I will go over all the little nuances about it.

 

[libton2003]

Thanks again everyone for the information. I went and saw it tonight and took it for a spin. It cranked right up - both engines and ran great. I did get both uo to 10k rpm several times with no issues. It pulls very hard. There was no oil in the engine bay when i looked. It does only have one battery and it didn't look corroded. The seller was very candid about just doing oil changes and he put some grease on an area od one part of the engine (something on the top and to the left maybe relating to the jet?) i looked in the impellers when it was on the trailer and didn't see any obvious deformities.

Interesting to me was that he had to take it to a shop to find out how many hours were on the engines. He showed me the invoice where it said 398. It's weird to me that they don't have visible hour meters. I think we are going to make an offer but i do want to get a compression test. I'm hoping i can find a mechanic nearby that is reasonable on price.

 

[JetBoatPenguin]

You could always make a contingent offer based on a "flawless" compression test. Did he comment on when the last set of plugs were changed?

 

[libton2003]

Good point. I'm hoping i can get someone out there to do a test tomorrow. He said he wasn't sure if he has changed them, but if he had, it was a while ago. He's owned it since 2011.

 

[mark_m]

Thanks again everyone for the information. I went and saw it tonight and took it for a spin. It cranked right up - both engines and ran great. I did get both uo to 10k rpm several times with no issues. It pulls very hard. There was no oil in the engine bay when i looked. It does only have one battery and it didn't look corroded. The seller was very candid about just doing oil changes and he put some grease on an area od one part of the engine (something on the top and to the left maybe relating to the jet?) i looked in the impellers when it was on the trailer and didn't see any obvious deformities.

Interesting to me was that he had to take it to a shop to find out how many hours were on the engines. He showed me the invoice where it said 398. It's weird to me that they don't have visible hour meters. I think we are going to make an offer but i do want to get a compression test. I'm hoping i can find a mechanic nearby that is reasonable on price.

If you got it up to 10k and he has done the maintenance as you described. Greasing the intermediate bearing... it seems like he’s on top of things. You should ask if he’s on this site... or the other one. Ask him how he winterized it and how often he changed the spark plugs.

That he had the sense to pull the hours and show you is a very positive sign. I’d buy it without a compression test.

We have over 400 hours on the MR-1s in our 2007 sx230 and have had no problems.

Keep us posted and good luck!

edit: added year

 

[mark_m]

Good point. I'm hoping i can get someone out there to do a test tomorrow. He said he wasn't sure if he has changed them, but if he had, it was a while ago. He's owned it since 2011.

Buy that thing, then change the oil and plugs then enjoy it!

 

[B0at1n]

If you don’t buy it, someone here will. Sounds like a super solid boat at a good price.

 

[the MfM]

If you really want the compression test it’s easy to DIY. Just buy or borrow a gauge at an auto parts store. Shouldn't take more then an hour or so.

 

[Beachbummer]

Thiss is how I do it...

take lanyard off so engine does not start, Take Spark Plug off, screw on compression tester on cylinder to be tested, engine on full throttle, crank engine for a few seconds (say 5 or 10 until needle stops climbing significantly at least 8 turns), look at the gauge, write down the number, reset the gauge to zero, and test again same hole to have 2 numbers, put spark plug back, repeat on next cylinder.

Consistency in crank time helps keep the numbers comparable to each other, and similar numbers across all cylinder is the desired trait.

I'm not an expert. For my own education, I would welcome any other instructions/info on compression tests anyone reading would like to pass on.

 

[the MfM]

Thiss is how I do it...

take lanyard off so engine does not start, Take Spark Plug off, screw on compression tester on cylinder to be tested, engine on full throttle, crank engine for a few seconds (say 5 or 10 until needle stops climbing significantly at least 8 turns), look at the gauge, write down the number, reset the gauge to zero, and test again same hole to have 2 numbers, put spark plug back, repeat on next cylinder.

Consistency in crank time helps keep the numbers comparable to each other, and similar numbers across all cylinder is the desired trait.

I'm not an expert. For my own education, I would welcome any other instructions/info on compression tests anyone reading would like to pass on.

A weak battery could effect the numbers so I like to make sure it’s fully charged or hook up a booster pack. IDK if it’s right or wrong but I always take out all the plugs for a a compression test... that way with two people (once the plugs are out) it only takes a couple minutes to get the readings.

*i think I do that mostly to limit how long I need the wife’s “help”

 

[libton2003]

So i decided to go ahead and pull the trigger on it. I talked to a couple of mechanics today and one said if it had low compression i would have noticed. I walked him through what i did yesterday and he said he would take my money and look at it, but that he thinks it isn't worth it.

One thing that i did notice yesterday was the captain seat is a little lose. It doesn't really bother me but i suspect at some point it will fail. Is that a common issue with these boats? Is there an easy fix?

 

[Beachbummer]

There is a knob at the bottom of the seat to adjust how much play the seat has, and how easy it rotates if you release the lock. Look carefully there and adjust that before you get too concerned. I can't recommend passing on the compression check, but I did the same thing when I bought mine.

 

[mark_m]

So i decided to go ahead and pull the trigger on it. I talked to a couple of mechanics today and one said if it had low compression i would have noticed. I walked him through what i did yesterday and he said he would take my money and look at it, but that he thinks it isn't worth it.

One thing that i did notice yesterday was the captain seat is a little lose. It doesn't really bother me but i suspect at some point it will fail. Is that a common issue with these boats? Is there an easy fix?

Now get that boat and post up some pictures! Congratulations!!

 

[buckbuck]

I had to rebuild my captains seat once also. Not hard to do. Let us know when you get the boat.
By the way, if he has not changed the plugs in awhile I would not do the compression check myself. Let an experienced mechanic handle that and pre warn him about tight plugs. You don't want to snap off a plug on a boat belonging to some one else.

 

[ysidive]

To continue the trend . . . Yamaha in this instance. Agree with getting a mechanic or someone from the forum to give it a once over. There are some maintenance items that go beyond just oil changes that you'll want to consider. Sounds like it would be a great first boat . . . and based in NC as well. Good luck with the purchase.

A good way to make a choice is to Look at the RENTAL Businesses... You will find the overall majority of rental Jet Skis or Jet Boats are YAMAHA... Only one reason for that...OVERALL RELIABI:LITY...… Less breakdowns, less time in the shop, better resale.... There is a reason when you look at used Jet Skis that you see 6-7 Doos for sale to One Yamaha...… Yamaha owners know reliability and keep them without major problems for a longer time....Routine maintenance and they run almost forever...…

 

[libton2003]

Hi everyone, thanks for all your input. I really can't thank you all enough for the help. We picked up the boat today and went on our maiden voyage as a family. Overall it went great and the kids had a great time. Jordan lake here in Raleigh was very high with the recent rains so the docks were pretty much completely submerged. That made for some fun getting the boat in and out of the water! Here are some pics!

 

[buckbuck]

@libton2003 Are you storing outside?

 

[libton2003]

@libton2003 Are you storing outside?

Yeah, i think so. we are going to put it in a storage place nearby because we don't have room in our garage. We have the factory cover that the previous owner didn't really use because he kept it inside.

 

[buckbuck]

Is it the white shipping cover or gray mooring cover?

 

[libton2003]

It's grey. We put it on today and it fits perfectly.