Would you buy a used 2014 215 impulse

[Brad Dunn]

looking at new boats. Love the look and swim platform on the scarab's. Can't afford a new 215 in Canada. 83000 out the door. So looking at a new 195 with ballast. Then dealer said a 2014 impulse 215 is coming in with 40 hrs. That would get me into a 215 at a new 195 price probable. Just a little worried about first year reliability. A little worried about the 16 to be honest.

 

[Scarabtech]

The 215 is more fun than the 195 due to having twin engines. Does the 215 have a ballast system? You can add one but for a price. Make sure you look underneath the 215 in the intake grates and look at the impellers for damage. Overall if the price is right I would go with 2014 215.

 

[Ronnie]

Based on all of the negative stories I've read here I would not buy a new scarab and would have to be paid to take a used one, but that's just me.

 

[0627Devildog]

No

 

[Scarabpaul]

I'm not too sure where you are in Canada but I just recently purchase a 2015 215HO for 49k brand new from a dealer.

 

[BMF JK]

Had nothin but 30 hrs of great times on our 2016 195 HOI ! Boat has been flawless thus far ( knock on wood) ! Can't really say anything about the 2014's due to zero personal experience, but I'm sure some of the early Scarab owners will chime in .
Good luck on your purchase, post pics when ya pull the trigger !

 

[RiverRat]

If you can get a detailed history on it I would think it could be a good idea to go for it. Not every Scarab has had issues, and if they have I would imagine they've been rectified by now. No one would tell you they wish they had a smaller boat, I know I wouldn't. Also, research the dealer as much as you can to be sure you can get what you need from them if you were to have any issues.

 

[Ronnie]

There is a string on this site wherein one member got a good deal on a lightly used scarab only to find out that he had been sold another member's problem boat and the problems had not been addressed by the dealer. There is another string on here describing all of the problems a scarab owner has experienced with his boat, I think it's titled "one and done".

The first questions I would ask the dealer are why does this boat only have 40 hours on it and how did they end up with it? Even if it comes with a great warranty, a problem boat won't seem like a good deal if you can't use it when you want to or if the dealer can't fix the problems quickly and on the first attempt. It could be a diamond in the rough or a great looking lemon / trailer queen but it certainly going to cost a lot of money to find out which.

Have you checked out the Chapparal (sp?) and/or Glastron jet boats? They look nice too, are powered by BRP engines and don't have nearly as many negative posts about them.

 

[swatski]

looking at new boats. Love the look and swim platform on the scarab's. Can't afford a new 215 in Canada. 83000 out the door. So looking at a new 195 with ballast. Then dealer said a 2014 impulse 215 is coming in with 40 hrs. That would get me into a 215 at a new 195 price probable. Just a little worried about first year reliability. A little worried about the 16 to be honest.

These Scarabs are beautiful boats! I think they may have the prettiest lines of them all, with great looking towers. With a 500hp package in the engine bay, hard not to get excited a little bit . Hands down the fastest. Unless Yamaha puts twin SVHOs into a boat, there can be no competition for top speed.

Those Rotax engines of later years are about as reliable as Yamaha's 1.8s. I wouldn't be surprised if you were offered some kind of warranty from the dealer. But I would also ask around - see what they say about the exact Rotax used in 2014 215 Impulse MY on the greenhulk forum, there are some 100 posts a day on the topic, so it would be very unlikely for you to encounter a previously unknown issue with those engines.

The main issue with the Rotax jet boats seems to be to find a dealer that knows what the hell they are doing, and knows these engines and these boats. Many "classically" trained mechanics will not touch a Rotax, and some dealers play the game of delegating work on different systems to a respective manufacturer, something that Yamaha dealers simply can not pull off. If I were in your shoes, I would be looking up to the dealer and go by their reputation and what they can tell you about the boat and the service they provide. I think you would find out very quickly if you are comfortable with what you hear and if your are comfortable to enter into an owner-dealer relationship.

Good luck with your decision and keep us posted!

--

 

[Ronnie0471]

Hey man , all I can say is take it for a water test and really drive it like u stole it! Find out as much history as u can about it or better yet shop around some more and u may find a bbd. Money is power and with money in hand u will find the boat u want for the price and piece of mind that works for u. Don't be afraid to walk out of the dealership if they don't want to play ball with u. Believe me they will call u in about 2 hours after leaving to make the sale , especially this time of year. Thrs no grantee that even if u by a brand new boat and the warranty runs out ( and it will) that something s going to go wrong. If it breaks then fix it just like u would w anything else u have. I have an 2016 impulse orange 21 foot and it's been nothing less than stellar to own and operate ntm people love it or are jealous of it. GREAT FUCKIN BOATS!! to SCARAB!

 

[Pinhacker71]

I have a 2015 215 HO Impulse. Zero issues

 

[ScarabMike]

If you see a used Scarab, you had best read this section till you know all the known issues. Then sea trial the boat before you buy. Know that whoever traded in the boat took a huge loss, and that may mean that there are hidden issues. Beware.

 

[Pinhacker71]

I have 32 hrs on my 2015. I'm seriously considering trading it for a 255. Love my scarab. I got it last year so I got it for about $16000 under msrp. Hopefully won't get hurt too bad if/when I trade. Lots of people trade/ sell boats to get something bigger, or out of boating altogether. Not necessarily because something is wrong with it. Spend some time on the boat and give it a whirl.

 

[Slugger55]

And, don't only get the details about the boat, but get the details about the service department and the Techs who will be servicing your boat. One guy who does a bad job at servicing your boat can cause a lot of damage and leave you boat less for months... See the top post in the Scarab forum. I've lived it...

 

[Slugger55]

Here are a couple of photos that represent a BRP Tech who didn't know what he was doing.. The first picture is my drive shaft after 24 hours and the second is my Carbon Ring same hours.