How many hours is too little or too much?

[ddlaz]

Looking at purchasing a boat with an outboard that's 12 yrs old, with 300 hours. Most of those hours are idling (I'm reading that as carbon buildup and clogging).
That age and hour means 25 hours per year. That seems pretty low, even for Minnesota standards. I'd have it surveyed after I tested the compression and riding in it but should i even take the time to get it surveyed if it's got such low hours?
I've read that 50 hours per year is another opinion of too low of hours. What does everyone else think?

 

[redneck joe]

Re: How many hours is too little or too much?

what kind of boat?

 

[ddlaz]

Re: How many hours is too little or too much?

what kind of boat?

Ranger fisherman 619

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: How many hours is too little or too much?

Unless you live on the water, most people put less than 12 hours a year on a boat as a recreational hobby. In fact, Brunswick quit putting hour meters in Bayliners because people were shocked at how little they actually used their boats.

300 hours is barely broke in.

Doesnt Minnesota have water that is froze 9 months out of the year?

 

[ddlaz]

Re: How many hours is too little or too much?

Unless you live on the water, most people put less than 12 hours a year on a boat as a recreational hobby. In fact, Brunswick quit putting hour meters in Bayliners because people were shocked at how little they actually used their boats.

300 hours is barely broke in.

Doesnt Minnesota have water that is froze 9 months out of the year?

Haha...very funny! I am recreational as well, but I put on at least 30 minutes on each boating with 10 minutes of full throttle at a minimum. Last summer probably put 50 hours on my outboard and I didn't even fish as much as I wanted to.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: How many hours is too little or too much?

My dad lives on a river and probably puts 4 hours on a year, a friend of mine lives on a lake and puts 100+ hours a year. I keep my boat on a trailer in my back yard and put on about 75 hours a year, however I can boat 12 mounts a year.

the hours dont mean squat. the maintenance is what matters. How was the motor maintained?

 

[ddlaz]

Re: How many hours is too little or too much?

My dad lives on a river and probably puts 4 hours on a year, a friend of mine lives on a lake and puts 100+ hours a year. I keep my boat on a trailer in my back yard and put on about 75 hours a year, however I can boat 12 mounts a year.

the hours dont mean squat. the maintenance is what matters. How was the motor maintained?

how it was maintained is the question -- the seller's answer may be embellished a bit so I usually take their answer with a grain of salt.

To me, the hours -- low or high are like miles on a car. Low hours and alot of idling on an old engine means that it was barely used, sat more than it ran, and possible hard carbon buildup on the inside due to incomplete combustion and low temps. A long going debate is how to break in a car engine - drive it like you stole it or baby it for the first x miles. I personally thing babying an engine just allows for a bunch of carbon buildup.