Ask anyone who owns a boat and they will be quick to tell you that it was one of the best decisions they ever made in their life. It gives them the opportunity to get out on the water whenever they want and in doing so, they can enjoy time with family and friends that is truly special. Some people buy a boat because they enjoy going fishing and having a boat lets them really get out there where the fish are. Other people may like waterskiing or other types of water sports or perhaps they just want a way to get away from it all and enjoy some time to themselves.
If you’re somebody that really enjoys going out on a boat, you also recognize that they also carry a number of different problems. Sometimes, a boat can even be expensive and when parts breakdown, which happens often, it is necessary to replace them. Because of our love for being out on the water, however, we will be quick to replace whatever parts are necessary and in doing so, we make it possible to get back out there and enjoy life again. Unfortunately, there are times when the motor may go and that is one of the more important things to replace.
Because of the price of new motors, buying second hand boat motors is one of the most convenient and sought after options. You might even be surprised with the amount of money that you will save and it certainly can do a lot for fitting into your budget and perhaps even letting you put money into other areas of the boat. That doesn’t mean, however, that all secondhand motors are going to be worth your attention and in some cases, they may not be worth investigating. Here are some things to consider when buying second hand boat motors so that you can make a wise choice from the start.
First of all, you’re probably going to look for a motor from a local, private sale. These can sometimes be found on bulletin boards in fishing stores or you might check on Craigslist. In either case, you’re going to be dealing with an individual so certainly, the old saying “let the buyer beware” is going to come into play. Not everybody that is selling a secondhand motor is going to be out to get you but some of them are not going to have your best interests in mind. It’s important for you to ascertain this before making your decision as to whether you are going to purchase the motor from them or not.
You also need to consider the condition of the motor when you are buying second hand boat motors. Believe it or not, one of the most difficult parts of this process is finding a motor that actually works. When most people have a motor that works, and they are simply going to have it attached to their own boat and they are going to run it until it stops working. At that point, they are probably going to consider selling it because it is the most economical choice for them. They would rather have a new motor rather than trying to fix the old one. Therefore, it becomes your problem at that point.
If you happen to be handy and you think you can manage to fix the motor, then buying second hand boat motors is an awesome choice and you can just fix it and be on your way. That being said, you don’t want to dig a hole that is any deeper and end up with financial problems because you paid for a motor and then you have to pay for all of the repairs. That is especially true if it is an off-brand boater because you may have a difficulty finding parts and the manual may no longer be available. You might find that you are spending the majority of your time browsing the Internet and checking on forums for information about how to make a simple repair.
Then again, you may be able to save a considerable amount of money when you purchase a used motor that is no longer operating. Keep your eye open for motors that were running recently and may have a simple problem and you might just find that you’re getting the deal of a lifetime. In fact, some of the people who were selling these use motors may just want you to take it off of their property and they will give it to you for free. Obviously, this isn’t going to happen in every instance but it is something to consider and when it happens to you, you will be telling that story for many years to come.
Another consideration has to do with the way that the motor was run when it was operational. Perhaps you regularly go out to the lake or to a local river and you never take the boat out in saltwater. Most of us recognize the fact that saltwater can be rather damaging so you don’t want to use a motor that was running in saltwater if it wasn’t managed properly. Ask the previous owner if it was ever used in the ocean and if it was, was it cleaned properly after every use. You should still approach it with a degree of skepticism.
Another thing to be cautious of is the possibility that you are buying a motor that was stolen. Unfortunately, this happens more often than you can imagine and the previous owner may not even be aware of the fact that it was stolen before he bought it. If you look on the motor, you should see a plate that has the serial number and model number of the motor itself. If this plate is missing, you are probably looking at a stolen motor. Even if it isn’t missing, write down the number and take it to a boat shop to have them run it and see if it throws up any red flags.
When buying a used boat motor, you also want to think about how long it is going to take you to get back out of the water. Some of us may be looking for a used motor during the off-season because we realize that it is going to take some time to repair and get it back into running condition again. Then again, you may have had a motor breakdown on you last week and you want to replace it and get back out on the water by the weekend. Obviously, you would want to buy a used motor that was already running and would be in top condition when you took it out on the water. Otherwise, you may want to keep looking.
Keep these things in mind and take your time when making your choice. The right motor is out there for you.