# What to look for in used jet ski



## 4 Ever-Fish N (Jun 10, 2006)

I have bought many boats over the years but never owned a jet ski. Which models are most dependable? What year models or number of hours would be best? I'm sure it would be better to find one stored indoors, look for corrosion in engine compartment, and things like that. I don't want anything super fast, just reliable. I'd be using it to fish and maybe a little cruising around for the wife and I. Ideas?


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## BayouBonsaiMan (Apr 14, 2009)

I follow craigslist boats in Houston and I see plenty jetskis for sale!
Cant help any more than that


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## Bustin Chops (Feb 3, 2008)

I have a Yamaha FX Cruiser. Its the largest ski Yamaha makes. I ski in a jet ski club and most skis are either Yamaha or Sea Doo. I perfer Yamaha but there both good. The cruisers will go near 60 mph and have a range over 100 miles if your just cruising. You probably dont want a super charged or turbo charged ski because they cost more and need more maintenance but they do go faster. You can find good used skis but i'm sure there are bad ones out there too. I have about 200 hours on mine and its a 2013. But thats not bad cuz I use it every week or so and thats better than one that never gets used. I cant tell you everything here on this post but if you have any specific questions you can pm me or post them here and someone will chime in.


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## 4 Ever-Fish N (Jun 10, 2006)

Bustin Chops said:


> I have a Yamaha FX Cruiser. Its the largest ski Yamaha makes. I ski in a jet ski club and most skis are either Yamaha or Sea Doo. I perfer Yamaha but there both good. The cruisers will go near 60 mph and have a range over 100 miles if your just cruising. You probably dont want a super charged or turbo charged ski because they cost more and need more maintenance but they do go faster. You can find good used skis but i'm sure there are bad ones out there too. I have about 200 hours on mine and its a 2013. But thats not bad cuz I use it every week or so and thats better than one that never gets used. I cant tell you everything here on this post but if you have any specific questions you can pm me or post them here and someone will chime in.


Thanks Bustin Chops. Exactly what I was looking for. This will give me a starting point. How long have you lived in Palacios? I worked at the Seagull Energy gas plant in the mid 80's for a few years.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Jets*

On any inline jet your performance is based on tolerances between the impeller and the jet stator - WEAR occurs as a result of CAVITATION, each time the pump cavitates (wave jumping etc) you depose metal off the IMPELLER , (as opposed to the stator) any (stator wear is usually an indication of sand and gravel sucked thru the jet) - your tolerances between the impeller and the stator are published by manufacturer, your WOT performance, and overall performance (thrust) is dependent on close tolerances - SO you ALWAYS need to check with a feeler gauge to find the current wear status in any used jet - the distance between the impeller tips and the stator should be in the range of .020 and .060 (tighter is better) and wear outside this range affects performance - wear is an indicator of how hard any jet has been used or abused - and will help determine what the used ski is worth and whether you will need to bust out a couple of thousand to get the jet back in good shape --


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## 71 Fish (Dec 21, 2005)

If you want to insure it, check with your insurance company on their age limitations for jet ski insurance.

I have several skis where the impellers were hitting the stators due to a deformed stator sleeve caused by oxidation between it and its aluminum outer shell. If you turn the pump by hand and can feel or hear it scraping it is a good chance that is what the problem is. Never looked into it but it's probably new pump time. Mine are not worth the cost of a new pump so I ground and polished on it till it cleared and went on my way. I am sure I lost performance but I wouldn't know the difference.


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## 4 Ever-Fish N (Jun 10, 2006)

Thanks everyone. All good information. I hadn't really considered checking tolerances on the impeller or thought at about insurance at this point. I will need to check with my insurance agent to get a ball park estimate.


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

Look for signs of corrosion. Pull the plugs and take a look and maybe even a compression test. You will want to know if water ever in the oil. It should be pretty easy to tell if they have been cared for properly. The 4 strokes are nice these days but if your looking for performance you will want the turbo. It make s a huge difference in throttle response. 

Yami's tend to be heavy in the hull compared to Seadoo or at least when I was into them. Both are top notch boats and reliable. I loved the Rotax motors in the Seadoo's. They can be a ton of fun.


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## Billygoat (Feb 1, 2013)

The wear ring is about $30 to replace, plus countless amounts of elbow grease, if you have the right tools. That translates into about $600 in dealership numbers.

I have a seadoo and love it, it has a closed loop cooling system which is a better system overall (especially for salt water), but they are all good. I've got a GTR 215 that I've been looking to sell if you plan to go that route. Pretty sure my 2cool ad expired/got lost in the dealership posts.


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## 4 Ever-Fish N (Jun 10, 2006)

More good info. Not positive I'd use it in saltwater but maybe. Send me a pm with details on your jet ski. Thanks.



Billygoat said:


> The wear ring is about $30 to replace, plus countless amounts of elbow grease, if you have the right tools. That translates into about $600 in dealership numbers.
> 
> I have a seadoo and love it, it has a closed loop cooling system which is a better system overall (especially for salt water), but they are all good. I've got a GTR 215 that I've been looking to sell if you plan to go that route. Pretty sure my 2cool ad expired/got lost in the dealership posts.


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## Bustin Chops (Feb 3, 2008)

"Yami's tend to be heavy in the hull compared to Seadoo or at least when I was into them. Both are top notch boats and reliable. I loved the Rotax motors in the Seadoo's. They can be a ton of fun."[/QUOTE]

Actually the newer yamaha's have a nano cell hull that is lighter than sea doo's fiberglass hull.


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