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I've been fighting my outboard for a few years now and it's time to think about getting a new one.  My 1988 suzuki just isn't reliable anymore.  I get an end of year bonus that I can partially use to pay for a new engine depending on how much I get.  My question is does it make any sense to buy a used outboard? I'd really like to have a 4-stroke just to be more quiet on the water and not have to worry about the oiler anymore.  New ones are just so expensive, but I'd feel even worse if I paid $6000 for an older motor that I would need to work on in the near future.  Can anyone recommend used outboards, or does it make more sense to just get a loan and buy a new one?  I love my older Ranger boat, I just need it to go fast when I need it!

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Hi Neal,

In an ideal world I would say buy a new one and put the money you have down on it to ensure you get a great motor that will last a long time. But I understand that payments suck.

On the other hand, sometimes buying a used motor is like buying a used car in my opinion and you can be buying someone else's problem. I would keep an eye out for a rebuilt motor, or look into what it would take to purchase one with a blown powerhead and then have it rebuilt. If you do buy used, I would pay for a local shop to look it over, hook it up to the computer for codes, check compression, etc...  

Thanks Jordan,

The more I think about it the more I'd like a new one.  My son is 17 now and I'm pretty sure he'll want to take the boat out on his own in the next few years.  I don't really want him to have an issue as he just isn't experienced for on the water repairs yet.  Thanks for the input, I think I'll go to a few of the local shops and ask around to see if they have rebuilt motors.

Man...I could talk for an hour on this issue, but I'll try my hardest to be brief.  I'm the same position.  I have an 89' Ranger with a Mariner. Got a great deal on it cause it sat for 15 years under a tarp.  What could go wrong?  It was barely new...wrong.  You never know what's going on after sitting, how it was used (bass guys run at 90-100% rpm all day long), how it was maintained, if there were factory defects on that year/model, etc... it goes on and on.  I should have been suspicious when I got a half mile down the road and the brakes locked up and nearly caught on fire!  When the motor blew a month later at the far end of lake Sammamish, I finally found some info online about how to interpret the warning beeps for "Broken Oil Pump".  This was my second used Basboat motor that grenade'd on me.  thankfully I'm a mechanic and was able to rebuild and upgrade both motors  at much expense (but 1/3 of paying someone else)

Anyhoo... I wouldn't buy any used motor that came off a Bassboat unless it came from a friend.  Also stay away from any used in salt water unless it's immaculate.  The only safe way that I can really think of to buy a used or rebuilt motor over 75HP from someone you don't know, would be to look for a used one from a dealer (ask for a guarantee/warranty and hammer it for 30 days!), or look for a rebuilt motor from a REPUTABLE dealer.  Even mechanics lie (say it isn't so), or at least exaggerate the truth a bit when calling something "rebuilt".  But even with that, you or your buddy better have some mechanical know how and a factory manual to read when it farts out at the far end of the Potholes Sand Dunes because the "pro mechanic" didn't replace a loose butt connector on a wire!

Call Dave (think that's his name) at Auburn Sports to see if he's gonna have any rebuilds this winter.  Most shops, will only do rebuilds/restorations during the Winter months when they have extra time.

Also, watch Craigslist for any wrecked boats.  Right after I rebuilt my 150hp, some guy dropped a brand new boat off a forklift at boat warehouse locally and was selling then motor with controls for 1/3 retail.

Lastly...don't forget controls, powertrim, cables...all your old stuff likely will not be reuseable!

I was in the same position 2 years ago. Ended up buying a new 4 stroke from Limit Out Marine. Im so happy i went new. After dealing with a older motor for so long its beyond explaination how good it feels to have that thing start everytime and run quiet. Chris at Limit Out gave me the best deal i could find within 100 miles of my house, and was very upfront about everything, he looks out for all us other bass fishermen. I know its a lot of skrilla but you wont regret it. I went Yamaha, had one little warrenty issue and Chris got it fixed and me back on the water in less than 2 days.

Thanks Zach,

I was thinking about Limit Out as they do seem to cater to the bass boats.  Was there a main reason you went with Yamaha?

Thanks Russ,

Sorry you've had bad luck with the almost new motors.  You've convinced me that it's rebuilt from a reputable shop or new for me.

I went yamaha mainly because Chris recommended them due to better customer service and ease of getting parts. I also have a friend that has a new yamaha and had zero complaints, this after having a bad experience with a honda.

I was in the same boat as you as well.  I didn't want to buy a new outboard because I only plan on having my boat for a few more years.  I shopped around for quite a while and talked with Priester about this same thing.  He had just taken in a used Etec with low hours and I got it at a pretty damn good price.  Anytime you are dealing with used motors, you are rolling the dice, but I felt the cost difference off set this, at least for me.  I just couldn't justify dumping 14-18k on a new SHO or Optimax for a boat that isn't worth that to start with.  I would have loved to get into a new Triton but I have 3 kids and live on a lake so my fish-n-ski gets used more for skiing now than it does for fishing and I have one of the best fish-n-ski hulls ever made so I needed to stay with it.  I think as long as you buy it from a trusted source, you can rest easy.  I wouldn't dump more than a grand or two on used motor from a private party unless you know them.  Too many people out there trying to screw you.  

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