Hey there.. looking at getting my first boat!

[jjdurrant]

Justin from MN here.. Great site! I have my eye on a Exciter 270 or an LS/LX2000. Looking to spend no more than $10k max. I have never had a boat, but have spent many hours on jet skis.

I haven't completely ruled out a Seadoo but I am leaning towards Yamaha. My major concern is there always seems to be some type of oil issue with these two strokes. I see many people convert to premix or run all new lines. I am wondering if the investment into a four stroke boat make more sense? Or am I just being over paranoid.? In buying a used boat, I understand proper inspection is important as well as a compression test. Is it also standard to ask to take a test drive?

 

[Bruce]

Welcome Aboard!

$10k should buy you the best of the two strokes.

We had a 2005 LX210 for a year and loved it. It was a great, fast, fun boat. We moved up to a SX230 for more room. I checked the oil lines frequently. I did not want to convert to premix and have more smoke. The factory oil system is solid except for the hoses.

Taking a test drive is normal.

 

[jetboater4life]

Greetings fellow Minnesotan. Make sure you update your location in your user profile and you will automatically be added to the map. I owned a 1997 twin engine 2 stroke seadoo speedster for 11 years and really loved that boat. Those older boats need a little TLC usually. I found that River Valley Power and sport in Red Wing had a good mechanic that knew how to tune them up perfectly. I would not get a single engine 2 stroke as they just don't have the power to do the fun stuff these boats are known for.

and of course

 

[jjdurrant]

Thanks guys. I am north of you in Blaine, jetboater4life. I am going to check these out today:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/bod/4558658146.html

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/boa/4598225933.html

 

[Boat Crazy]

Welcome JJ and congrats on being # 900.

 

[JC6275]

Welcome @jjdurrant !!! I have a 2001 LS2000, it is a fantastic and fun boat. The biggest issue with these boats are indeed the oil lines. They become brittle and shrink over time this causes them to become very tight and come loose from the fittings resulting in engine failure. Most of these boats you find for sale have either already had this problem or the lines were replaced before anything happened, my lines were replaced before I bought my boat, I just make it a part of my pre launch check list to check all of the lines to make sure there is plenty of slack in the lines and I also check that all of them are seated on the fittings, "takes about 2 minutes". As @Bruce said above 10k will buy you the best of the best of these boats. 7k-9k will get you a very nice one. These boats are very quick and nimble , they jump out on plane in an instant!! Do a compression check , and for sure take it for a ride. If there is a mechanic you trust on jet skis, have them look the motors over. Good luck in your sesrch, any other questions please post them up, people here love to help!!

 

[JC6275]

@Murf'n'surf #900. ????

 

[txav8r]

Welcome aboard @jjdurrant ! The 4 strokes will eliminate much of the work and certainly give you more reliability. But a 10k budget won't get you there for a boat in good condition on a 4 stroke routinely. Also, the 2 stroke boats have less dead rise and will beat you up on the chop. But they are fun...and fast! Good luck on the search and look forward to following you on your journey...and of course, thanks for joining us!

 

[Bruce]

@Murf'n'surf #900. ????

@JJDurant was our 900th member to register. He has a free sticker waiting if he gets in touch with @Murf'n'surf.

 

[jjdurrant]

WOW! You guys are great.. what an awesome community. I am glad I found you all. I'll definitely keep you all updated. Keep the feedback coming!

Maybe a dumb question.. but are these smaller jet boats ok with larger guys? I am 6'1" 300lbs. I have rode jet skis without issue, but of course not exactly the same.

 

[JC6275]

WOW! You guys are great.. what an awesome community. I am glad I found you all. I'll definitely keep you all updated. Keep the feedback coming!

Maybe a dumb question.. but are these smaller jet boats ok with larger guys? I am 6'1" 300lbs. I have rode jet skis without issue, but of course not exactly the same.

You will be fine with a smaller one, but let me caution you, I don't know how many people you will be boating with. But, if you question if it will be big enough or you say it will do, find a bigger one that seats more people. Always go bigger than you think you need

 

[jjdurrant]

I do not foresee more than four people at a time.. myself, brother, and my two kids ages 12 and 6. They are excited to go tubing! I just wish I would have made the decision to buy earlier. Here in MN we have about 4-6 weeks of boating left

 

[sysinu]

I do not foresee more than four people at a time.. myself, brother, and my two kids ages 12 and 6. They are excited to go tubing! I just wish I would have made the decision to buy earlier. Here in MN we have about 4-6 weeks of boating left

and then your neighbors realize you have a boat and that 4 turns into 11 ;-). Welcome!

 

[4x15mph]

Welcome and good luck with your hunt. I was in the same position and went with a great condition boat and trailer purchased from the service manager at my local Yamaha boat dealer. I have no regrets and it is the perfect size for my family and limited tow vehicle. It is also easy to maintain but you will want to be someone that works on the boat versus bringing it in for service. $10K will get you a mint condition boat but I others have let theirs go for less than that. It comes down to the accessories, condition, maintenance records, cleanliness, etc. When I get a new tow vehicle, I will get at least $8k or I wouldn't sell it. This should be a price point that you use for an LS/lx.

I think it comes down to whether $10k is your budget. If it is, you are unlikely to find a newer 4 stroke for that price. If you can go to $20k, there are many other choices and it would be 4 stroke.

My LS carries 5 comfortably but I have a tower which allows all boards to go on the tower while leaving a lot of free space in the ski compartment and windshield buckets. The power and speed are hard to beat given that you have 2 engines and the boat is light. You will pay for gas if you want to cruise at 50 mph. These boats bounce on chop so take a test drive on any boat you are considering. I like chop since we like to jump and splash. Basically, it is a waverunner that you can share with a group.

 

[jdonalds]

Welcome Mr 900th member.

While many have had good reliability with the 2-strokes they come with a range of issues. We went through 3 2-stroke skis (a SeaDoo and 2 Kawasakis) for my son before we gave in and bought him a 4-stroke. We had all manor of issues including blowing two of the engines. We not only paid the price for the skis but a good chunk of money having local shops work on them.

It does seem the Yamaha 2-stroke boats do better than other brands for reliability. Just know what you're getting into.

 

[jetboater4life]

Here in MN we have about 4-6 weeks of boating left

It is sad isn't it. I might buy a dry suit this year to extend that.

 

[jjdurrant]

Thanks for the additional feedback.. I am afraid $20k and a four stroke just isn't in the budget right now.. $10k is really my max. Any thoughts on the Sugar Sand Tango? I wasn't even considering those, but a buddy's dad has a 1998 that he bought new. Low hours and usage and he is only asking $4k. It has the Merc 175 Sport Jet.

I better decide soon or I will run out of time this year. Time to move to FL!

 

[JC6275]

I looked up the value for the tango, price includes trailer value, $3,100 avg. Retail. It being a 1 owner that you know personally makes a difference. I would still do all the preliminary checks as discussed above. You will have to decide if it's worth another thousand because you know the owner

 

[jjdurrant]

Ok.. where did you check value? NADA site?

 

[JC6275]

Ok.. where did you check value? NADA site?

Yes NADA, I googled 1998 Sugar Sand Tango, up towards the top of the page it says * denotes trailer value included. I did not put any options on since I didn't know if there were any. I'm not saying it's not worth what he is asking, just giving you info. As many people will tell you on here "a boat is worth what someone will pay for it".