What to look for when Buying a Used JetSki

SIKSUKR · 08-10-2007, 12:10 PM

Here's another vote for Yamaha.I'm on my second Yamy waverunner,this one a 4-stroke,and have never had 1 problem.Love my new one!

WeirsBeachBoater · 08-10-2007, 04:13 PM

My vote goes to Dasilva's in Moultonborough. This of course if you like Seadoo. Yamaha also is an excellent machine, but I find that seadoo is a little more performance minded. Also the service that I have experienced with these guys is always been A+.

Irrigation Guy · 08-11-2007, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeirsBeachBoater

My vote goes to Dasilva's in Moultonborough. This of course if you like Seadoo. Yamaha also is an excellent machine, but I find that seadoo is a little more performance minded. Also the service that I have experienced with these guys is always been A+.

Dilsilva's right at the end of Moultonboro Neck Road has a great reputation for servicing their customers needs. They have top notch mechanics, and I see them all the time picking up and delivering machines all over.

Sea-doo has a model to fit the customers needs from family machine to high performance. I'd definately give them a call.

NHKathy · 08-11-2007, 09:27 AM

I will take everything into consideration, thanks!
I'm just worried about the 4-stroke / 2 cycle part - does anyone else also think this will be banned here eventually? I don't want to buy one that's older and not 4 stroke, only to not be able to use it next summer!
Any thoughts? Also what's the oldest year that I should go back to when buying used??

EricP · 08-11-2007, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHKathy

I will take everything into consideration, thanks!
I'm just worried about the 4-stroke / 2 cycle part - does anyone else also think this will be banned here eventually? I don't want to buy one that's older and not 4 stroke, only to not be able to use it next summer!
Any thoughts? Also what's the oldest year that I should go back to when buying used??

I doubt it will happen that fast, and by then you'll have had whatever you buy for a bit and might be ready to upgrade anyway. Get something that you're happy with now and within budget and down the road if things change you can deal with it then.

jetskier · 08-11-2007, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHKathy

I will take everything into consideration, thanks!
I'm just worried about the 4-stroke / 2 cycle part - does anyone else also think this will be banned here eventually? I don't want to buy one that's older and not 4 stroke, only to not be able to use it next summer!
Any thoughts? Also what's the oldest year that I should go back to when buying used??

The first 4-Stroke introduced into the market was the SeaDoo GTX-4Tec in 2002. Honda has only 4-Stroke models.

I would not even consider a 2 stroke.They are noisy, old and will be banned at some point. Several areas have already banned them. The reliability of the 4-Stroke models is much higher.

I would suggest that you go and talk to one of the dealers mentioned in this thread and decide what you are interested in. If possible, take a test ride.

Jetskier

AC2717 · 08-13-2007, 09:09 AM

Veyr much for all the info, and please if there is any more info please send it along I was HK in Laconia over the week last week, I finally was able to get up there for a week, saw a beautiful demo Yamy for sale 4 stroke 150 horse (or cc;s) I am not sure on that one as I was just starring at it, only had 1 hour on it was a 2007, 3 seater. they wanted $8,800 for it. reasonable price or could I do a lot better on that price given the time of year and that technically it is used? had reverse, all digital dash, tow hook, no trailer though

idigtractors · 08-14-2007, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AC2717

Veyr much for all the info, and please if there is any more info please send it along I was HK in Laconia over the week last week, I finally was able to get up there for a week, saw a beautiful demo Yamy for sale 4 stroke 150 horse (or cc;s) I am not sure on that one as I was just starring at it, only had 1 hour on it was a 2007, 3 seater. they wanted $8,800 for it. reasonable price or could I do a lot better on that price given the time of year and that technically it is used? had reverse, all digital dash, tow hook, no trailer though

10 to 1 they would have thrown in one for ya if you asked. They did for us when we purchased.

chipj29 · 08-14-2007, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AC2717

Veyr much for all the info, and please if there is any more info please send it along I was HK in Laconia over the week last week, I finally was able to get up there for a week, saw a beautiful demo Yamy for sale 4 stroke 150 horse (or cc;s) I am not sure on that one as I was just starring at it, only had 1 hour on it was a 2007, 3 seater. they wanted $8,800 for it. reasonable price or could I do a lot better on that price given the time of year and that technically it is used? had reverse, all digital dash, tow hook, no trailer though

That's a decent deal if you can get them to throw in a trailer as part of the deal. 150 would be horsepower, probably 1200 or 1300 cc's

NHKathy · 08-17-2007, 06:25 PM

Thanks again ...

NHKathy · 08-19-2007, 10:45 AM

No one mentioned Polaris -should I take that as not very popular, too pricey, or not a good machine??
Any one have opinions on Polaris??

chipj29 · 08-19-2007, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHKathy

No one mentioned Polaris -should I take that as not very popular, too pricey, or not a good machine??
Any one have opinions on Polaris??

They are no longer made, I think since 04 or 05. I am sure if you found a used one you could get it serviced. I don't have any personal experience with them however.

WeirsBeachBoater · 08-19-2007, 08:52 PM

Stay away from Polaris!!! For one simple reason if no other, They no longer are in the watercraft business. Same is true for Tigershark, It could become and is a parts and service nightmare. Also their value has tanked due to being extinct. Most dealers won't take them in trade or if they do its for pennies on the dollar. With that said, there are many Polaris owners that have had great machines, I have a friend that just sold 2 Polaris' with over 350hrs on each, all original parts... But as I said, stay away. Seadoo or yamaha, thats the safe bet!

jetskier · 08-20-2007, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeirsBeachBoater

Stay away from Polaris!!! For one simple reason if no other, They no longer are in the watercraft business. Same is true for Tigershark, It could become and is a parts and service nightmare. Also their value has tanked due to being extinct. Most dealers won't take them in trade or if they do its for pennies on the dollar. With that said, there are many Polaris owners that have had great machines, I have a friend that just sold 2 Polaris' with over 350hrs on each, all original parts... But as I said, stay away. Seadoo or yamaha, thats the safe bet!

or Honda.

Jetskier

idigtractors · 08-20-2007, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetskier

or Honda.

Jetskier

I thought that they were a motorcycle or is that what you are talking about but with some type of ski in place of the wheels???

jetskier · 08-20-2007, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idigtractors

I thought that they were a motorcycle or is that what you are talking about but with some type of ski in place of the wheels???

http://powersports.honda.com/watercraft/

Dave M · 08-21-2007, 10:13 AM

Don't know if this fits this catagory but if your buying any PWC you should buy a 3 seater. Its considered a boat. You then can use it on Squam Lake. They don't like it but they can't stop you. They do check. FYI, 40mph speed limit.

Dave M

AC2717 · 08-21-2007, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave M

Don't know if this fits this category but if your buying any PWC you should buy a 3 seater. Its considered a boat. You then can use it on Squam Lake. They don't like it but they can't stop you. They do check. FYI, 40mph speed limit.

Dave M

I am looking for a 3 seater only, nothing smaller nothing bigger.
I was into HK the other day was looking at the 2007 Sea.doo 130hp SE, same as gte just has the mirrors and the black hull and more on the dash for system monitors.

Spoke the owner of HK, he was there, I think his name was mike real nice guy, tall short hair, he was at the tilton store real nice guy, I think I will purchase maybe if I can persuade my wife, after all it is really for her.

codeman671 · 08-20-2007, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHKathy

No one mentioned Polaris -should I take that as not very popular, too pricey, or not a good machine??
Any one have opinions on Polaris??

We had an 04 Polaris MSX140 and loved it. Polaris extended everyones warranty by a year when they cancelled the line. They also pledged that there would be no issue on getting parts in the future through any Polaris dealer. I would buy a used MSX again in a heartbeat for the right deal. I talked to someone on Craigslist a few months back but they wanted stupid money for theirs. I think they were under the assumption that it was a collectors item now that Polaris does not build them any more....

NHKathy · 08-13-2007, 08:46 PM

Thanks again to everyone...
I will be checking out Dasilva's next time we're up there...

WeirsBeachBoater · 08-13-2007, 09:48 PM

Its a buyers market out there right now on pwc's. Its approaching the end of the season, so hold out on the deals, there will be if there isn't already big rebates and such on new. Even the used prices will be dropping. I have an older one for sale, and I am even contemplating taking a snowmobile in trade, at least I know I can sell that this fall, and not sit on this jetski all winter long!

EricP · 08-11-2007, 09:29 AM

SeaDoo, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Honda all make very good products. It's all about how well it was maintained. I personally like SeaDoo and Honda. Yamahas tend to be bulky and heavy. You won't find a cheap 4 stroke out there that's in good condition. A good running 3 seat 2 smoker can still fetch 3 grand even as far back as Model Year 1997. I bought a used 1997 SeaDoo GTX from DaSilva in Moultonborough, they are good people there. I think about a week after I bought it the coil went and likely my fault. They honored the 50/50 warranty even though a case could have been made that I should pay for it. I have also purchased a snowmobile from them. So I second DaSilva Motorsports as someone to buy from. They usually have a few reasonable priced used SeaDoos there.

jetskier · 08-10-2007, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

Here's another vote for Yamaha.I'm on my second Yamy waverunner,this one a 4-stroke,and have never had 1 problem.Love my new one!

I have a SeaDoo GTX-4Tec and it has been quite reliable; I bought it from Freedom...now H&K in Tilton. In addition, I purchased my Kawasaki 750SX years back from Steve Whalley; H&K Laconia. Between the two dealerships they cover the complete portfolio of PWC.

I am taking a mini-vacation in Bermuda this week and went down to the dock to look at the rental PWCs. They are all Yamaha VX 4 strokes. The hulls are completely beat up but they all run. I think that is probably the best validation of reliability.

Since you are new to PWC, it would be best to ride several of them to see which one you like. If it is a private sale, it is not a bad idea to have a mechanic check the PWC prior to purchase. If you purchase from a dealer, they should offer you a warranty.

Jetskier

08-10-2007, 12:10 PM	#1
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Here's another vote for Yamaha.I'm on my second Yamy waverunner,this one a 4-stroke,and have never had 1 problem.Love my new one! __________________ SIKSUKR

08-10-2007, 04:13 PM	#2
WeirsBeachBoater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 709 Blog Entries: 9 Thanks: 39 Thanked 148 Times in 65 Posts	Well I will put my opinion in here. My vote goes to Dasilva's in Moultonborough. This of course if you like Seadoo. Yamaha also is an excellent machine, but I find that seadoo is a little more performance minded. Also the service that I have experienced with these guys is always been A+.

08-11-2007, 09:27 AM	#4
NHKathy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moultonborough when I can / RI Posts: 699 Thanks: 180 Thanked 38 Times in 22 Posts	Well, I thank you for all the replies.... I will take everything into consideration, thanks! I'm just worried about the 4-stroke / 2 cycle part - does anyone else also think this will be banned here eventually? I don't want to buy one that's older and not 4 stroke, only to not be able to use it next summer! Any thoughts? Also what's the oldest year that I should go back to when buying used??

08-13-2007, 09:09 AM	#7
AC2717 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Maynard, MA & Paugus Bay Posts: 2,574 Thanks: 753 Thanked 354 Times in 266 Posts	thank you Veyr much for all the info, and please if there is any more info please send it along I was HK in Laconia over the week last week, I finally was able to get up there for a week, saw a beautiful demo Yamy for sale 4 stroke 150 horse (or cc;s) I am not sure on that one as I was just starring at it, only had 1 hour on it was a 2007, 3 seater. they wanted $8,800 for it. reasonable price or could I do a lot better on that price given the time of year and that technically it is used? had reverse, all digital dash, tow hook, no trailer though

08-19-2007, 10:45 AM	#11
NHKathy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moultonborough when I can / RI Posts: 699 Thanks: 180 Thanked 38 Times in 22 Posts	How about Polaris ?? No one mentioned Polaris -should I take that as not very popular, too pricey, or not a good machine?? Any one have opinions on Polaris??

08-17-2007, 06:25 PM	#10
NHKathy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moultonborough when I can / RI Posts: 699 Thanks: 180 Thanked 38 Times in 22 Posts	Thanks again ...

08-19-2007, 08:52 PM	#13
WeirsBeachBoater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 709 Blog Entries: 9 Thanks: 39 Thanked 148 Times in 65 Posts	I will take this question. Stay away from Polaris!!! For one simple reason if no other, They no longer are in the watercraft business. Same is true for Tigershark, It could become and is a parts and service nightmare. Also their value has tanked due to being extinct. Most dealers won't take them in trade or if they do its for pennies on the dollar. With that said, there are many Polaris owners that have had great machines, I have a friend that just sold 2 Polaris' with over 350hrs on each, all original parts... But as I said, stay away. Seadoo or yamaha, thats the safe bet!

08-21-2007, 10:13 AM	#17
Dave M Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 395 Thanks: 4 Thanked 26 Times in 24 Posts	PWC - 3 seater Don't know if this fits this catagory but if your buying any PWC you should buy a 3 seater. Its considered a boat. You then can use it on Squam Lake. They don't like it but they can't stop you. They do check. FYI, 40mph speed limit. Dave M

08-13-2007, 08:46 PM	#20
NHKathy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moultonborough when I can / RI Posts: 699 Thanks: 180 Thanked 38 Times in 22 Posts	Thanks! Thanks again to everyone... I will be checking out Dasilva's next time we're up there...

08-13-2007, 09:48 PM	#21
WeirsBeachBoater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 709 Blog Entries: 9 Thanks: 39 Thanked 148 Times in 65 Posts	well I cringe to even say this but.. Its a buyers market out there right now on pwc's. Its approaching the end of the season, so hold out on the deals, there will be if there isn't already big rebates and such on new. Even the used prices will be dropping. I have an older one for sale, and I am even contemplating taking a snowmobile in trade, at least I know I can sell that this fall, and not sit on this jetski all winter long!

08-11-2007, 09:29 AM	#22
EricP Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 329 Thanks: 28 Thanked 11 Times in 7 Posts	Look at a few different models SeaDoo, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Honda all make very good products. It's all about how well it was maintained. I personally like SeaDoo and Honda. Yamahas tend to be bulky and heavy. You won't find a cheap 4 stroke out there that's in good condition. A good running 3 seat 2 smoker can still fetch 3 grand even as far back as Model Year 1997. I bought a used 1997 SeaDoo GTX from DaSilva in Moultonborough, they are good people there. I think about a week after I bought it the coil went and likely my fault. They honored the 50/50 warranty even though a case could have been made that I should pay for it. I have also purchased a snowmobile from them. So I second DaSilva Motorsports as someone to buy from. They usually have a few reasonable priced used SeaDoos there.