* WTB Seadoo Boat, Are they any good? *

[MoparMartian]

I'm looking at Seadoo Challengers and wondering if buying something around 10 years old is any good. Were there problems on the older ones? Is the Mercury V6 a good motor? Just looking for some insight on how reliable the Seadoos are. Are the Mercury Motors better than the Seadoo Motors?

Thanks Much for any input.

 

[mattydipps]

I'm looking at Seadoo Challengers and wondering if buying something around 10 years old is any good. Were there problems on the older ones? Is the Mercury V6 a good motor? Just looking for some insight on how reliable the Seadoos are. Are the Mercury Motors better than the Seadoo Motors?

Thanks Much for any input.

From what I understand about the merc motors.... They run fine when they've been PROPERLY MAINTAINED... If the motor or the boat hasn't been taken care of they can be a HUGE pita..

 

[Dr Honda]

RUN WHILE YOU CAN !!!!!!! (lol)


Seriously... they are good boats. But, with any toy like these there can be problems. Most people buy a new boat... use it for the first year or two... then they sit. The sitting, and intermediate use takes it's toll on any toy... and it's even worse with a boat. Basically... when the internals are wet... and they sit... rust forms in places you can't see. Also... when they start to get used in that way... the maintenance goes to the wayside.

With that said... I'm going to tell you something counter intuitive... a low hour/use boat is almost worse than a high time boat. At least with a high time boat, you know it's being maintained, getting fresh fuel/oil... and being looked over once in a while.


That was just some food for thought.


When you buy a used boat or water craft... you have to look at it from 2 angles.

1) CHEAP $$$$ : if the boat needs love, and the price is right... and YOU can do the repares... then grab it, and enjoy.

2) Premium $$$: The boat better be perfect, and with a recent rebuild on the engine.


I personalty like to buy them cheap, and expect the worst. Even do my own restorations. Because... when you are done... you have a boat that is dang near new, and at the fraction of the price. But... all too often, I see guys who buy a clean +10 year old boat, at full book price, only to find out that it needs a lot of work. Speaking of that... I have a boat I'm working on right now for a customer. He bought it for $8k... and used it one season. But... right now... I'm putting 2 engines in it.


The question you asked... "are they any good"? The answer is... yes, they are great. But, your expectations on a 10 year old boat should not be that of a new one. AND... so you don't get dissapointed... expect to put $$$ into it to make it right.



With that all said... if you are buying a boat at full price (not a project boat) then you have to take it on a long water test. You want to see the engine(s) started cold... you want to make sure it accelerates without cavitation... you want to make sure it idles, revs, and runs at all throttle positions without surging, or hesitation. you want to shut it off, and a couple re-starts. (sit for a few minutes each time) You want to be on the water long enough to know there is not an overheating problem. (both at idle, and at 70% power)

After all that... you want to give it a good inspection, and look for rust/corrosion, or questionable hardware. And finally... you want to run a compression check on the engine. It's not a perfect test... but it is a great way to know the health of the engine. (merc engines should be 125 psi, Rotax 800cc and smaller should be 150 psi, and the 951 should be at 135 psi) If the compression is low... the engine is on the way out.


If you find a boat... post up some pics, and we will walk you thought the choice.


Oh... and welcome !!

 

[Seadoobuddy]

Mopar guy, you got very sound advice from one of the most respected people on this forum.

The Merc boat have different parts, which i know nothing about, but Dr Honda does.
Pick out a couple boat that you are looking at and post the details about them and this forum will give you many opinions about them.

 

[MoparMartian]

Good Advice, Thanks. Once more question, Does it matter which engine or are they all about the same? 2 Stroke or 4 Stroke? I assume that the 2 Strokes don't last as long. Thanks Dr. Honda, I agree that it would probably be best to expect the worst and restore the boat to good working order. I've never owned a boat before but I thought it might be a good edition for lake camping with family and friends.

 

[Dr Honda]

Boats are a good time. And... even if you only get to use it a few times a year... then so be it. So... I recommend finding one.

Realistically... I can't say anything about 4-stroke vs 2-stroke as far as life goes. Unlike a car... a boat engine will run upward of 5000 RPM most of it's life. (depending on the engine) In your car... once at highway speed... you may only see 1,500 to 2000 RPM. Basically... life is rough on a pleasure boat engine.


Normally, when an engine gives up:

2-stroke: The piston rings wear to the point, where hot exhaust gasses displace the oil, and you get a "Melt down". This is where a piston will physically melt/erode, and the engine stops running. If you keep an eye on the engine... and you notice the compression is dropping... it's easy and cheap to do a "Top-end" rebuild. (before the melt down) This could extend the life of the engine for a long time.

4-stroke: Unfortunately... when a modern, high output 4-stroke gives up... it will normally drop a valve into the engine... and proceed to eat itself. Very ugly, and not always salvageable.


Really there are pluses, and minuses on both engines

4-stroke:

Plus: No mixing of oil/fuel. Generally smoother running. No worries about foiling plugs if you idle a lot.

Minus: Heavy for the output. More maintenance with oil changes. more maintenance with checking valve clearance.

2-Stroke:

Plus: Light for the power output. Generally cheaper for a rebuild. (but Merc engines are a little pricey) They can run at higher RPM's more reliably.

Minus: Rougher/louder. Can have a smokey/stinky idle.



Now... with what I'm saying above... this isn't just Seadoo. This is very general for all boats. Seadoo makes some very good boats, and they are all a good time. Basically... anyone I know, who has gotten a jet drive... generally won't want to go back to a stern drive/Outboard/IO unless they already spent a lot of time driving one.

With a jet drive... there isn't any sharp parts hanging out the back for swimmers to hit. They can run in VERY shallow water. And... with a little practice... they are WAY more maneuverable than a conventional drive. Some people will complain about they drift too much since they don't have a rudder. To me... that's not a valid point, since you will get use to how they drive. Some people say they get clogged up with weeds. Well... so will a prop.


OK... with all that said... I can say that I like the idea of a 4-stroke boat/PWC... but right now... All my toys are 2-stroke. Just because they are easier/cheaper to take care of.