Buying New vs Used

[Big Kahunaz]

What are the benefits/recommendations of buying New vs Used and vice versa? Are most warranties transferable for boat and motor? Looking at purchasing new for warranty purposes. Just a lil insight fellas would be appreciated.

[Ray]

One of my brother in laws is looking to buy a new boat.
I talked to him about a used one, but he wanted new.
I would only buy a very low hour used boat, or a boat
from someone I know very well.

[wtretrievers]

If the boat & motor still has warranty it follows it to who ever buys it.

Now days it's hard to hide any "unseens" on the newer motors, with the computers in the motor tell you the life history, ex...hours at which the motor was running at what rpms, if the motor has been run hot etc.... The seller can't say anymore that "Oh.....I've never run it above 5500 rpm & 90% of driving was at 3500 rpm" or "It's never run hot" the computer tells it all!

If you're looking at used, make em hook it up at a shop.

[all star rod]

Used is a good deal if you can find one with low hours & well maintained. Also, helps if someone is in a bad situation (divorce, lost job, etc....) this is when you can make a great deal. However, I know when I was looking at boats a lot the used ones people wanted just as much for it as a new one. Hell if a new boat is 35K and someone has the same used one for 32 -30K I am getting the new one.......

[Nasty]

If you can find a the right used boat with low hours and little abuse, that is the way to go! I was set on new... but, I found a used boat that was perfect for me. Buying used saved me $12,000 after savings on initial price, taxes and financing. If you can't find that right used boat, go new!

[fishinpox]

im still undecided on if im gonna get a new boat or not . im waiting for the perfect deal to come along so i will wait it out there are tons of good deals on used boats right now due to the economny i found that shearwater for mikethe tiger . the only way i will buy new is if i get to impatient or if i find a smokin deal on a new one . i used to be scared to buy used because you never know how the boat ws ran but you can have the motor hooked up to the computer . my used boat situation would be:
-1-2 years old

-NORMAL rec. use hours not to loww where the boat sat up and had time to rot hoses ect.. not to high where it was used more than the rec. user-

-clean hull no chips gouges i will accept a little dock "rub" on the rub rails

-warranty left on motor and lifetime tranferable warr. on hull

-find the right seller someone who is not gonna be upside down in their loan , that has to sell for a certian number. ( basiclly someone i can haggle on the price with)

- boat MUST HAVE BEEN KEPT COVERED !!!!!!!!

- look in the storage compartments this is a dead give away if they are full of clutter and trash have mildew in em most likely the person only washed the outside of the boat cuz you were comin over to look at it

[B-Stealth]

If you buy new think about how the boat will "Sell" in a few years. I would also rig the boat out well, power pole, max hp, nice gps ect. This will make your boat sell faster IMO. Buy somehting like a Pathfinder, Haynie, or Triton, boats that you know will keep their value.

In other words dont buy the Chevy Tahoe of bay boats, too many on the road and have little resale value.

Good Luck

[catch.and.fillet]

After owning 4 boats, new and used, agree with you totally Pox.

They say the second happiest day of a boat owner's life is the day he gets his boat. The happiest day is.....when he sells it.

A boat is like a car - a depreciating asset. IMO, if you're under 60 and an experienced boat owner, you know it will NOT be your last boat. You're liable to want to own a boat for at least another 20 years and you will change your mind on what you need and want. Therefore, like cars, you will want to trade it in or sell it - and usually in a hurry.

Therefore, buy used and be patient - the deals are out there. I like to buy from dealers and I like to buy good, popular in demand names. Like someone said, the other good option is to buy from someone you know very well.

I bought new - once. A Cape Horn. Bought it in the Fla panhandle and LouRagu's #1 fan will tell you, back in the 90's a Cape Horn was the thing to have in Pensacola. I brought it back to LA, no one had ever heard it before... had many guys that told me "let me know when you sell it.. I'll buy it". Paid $20k for it new w/o electronics and much of anything else. Two years and another $5000 later, I moved and had to sell. I was desperate and had a note to float. I finally had to haul it to Fla and dump it for $16k. That was the happiest day in my life with that boat.

I bought a 2008 Ranger last year from a dealer with 50 hours on the motor. He had the bumper to bumper warranty transferred to my name (Ranger limits it to the second owner only). I brought it to the Beaumont dealer in January and they had it for three weeks fixing everything I found in the previous 6 months, including loose taillights. Didn't cost me a penny. I got a great deal on the boat and I know I didn't pay for the first year's depreciation. No Buyer's Regret. When I'm ready, I'll be happy to buy that next boat - probably Ranger again - and probably used.

[B-Stealth]

Good post. It looks like those Rangers have a very high re-sale value. Dont see many on the market.

[Big Kahunaz]

Anyone had any problems w/ certain makes and their warranty? boat or motor?

[simplepeddler]

I have no problems with used.
trust your judgement. If it looks like junk, smells like junk, it's junk no matter what brand it is.

A well used boat may very well be in great shape, a hardly used boat stored under the oak tree out back will not be in great shape.

Also look to some local guides that are changing of moving to a new hull.

Guides use their boats for sure, but a good guide also keeps everything in working order.

A boat that was barely used could have all sorts bugs not worked out yet.

And lastly, the used boats I have bought and then resold were in much better shape when I let them go. I don't like ANYTHING out of order.

Scratches are no big deal to me, mechanically sound is what to look for.

There are many very nice used hulls out there.

[Big Kahunaz]

Thx! Just wanted to get a few other opinions b/c i've never purchased a "NEW" boat b4 and a lil skeptical bout the instant depreciation. Also...don't want to end up w/ a used boat in great condition...(w/ no previous problems)...to go pahhhtoooweee w/in the first 3 months and have no warranty.

[fishinpox]

Originally Posted by Big Kahunaz

Thx! Just wanted to get a few other opinions b/c i've never purchased a "NEW" boat b4 and a lil skeptical bout the instant depreciation. Also...don't want to end up w/ a used boat in great condition...(w/ no previous problems)...to go pahhhtoooweee w/in the first 3 months and have no warranty.

ding ding ding!!! let someone else take the hit . its a buyers market

[Dink]

Do not go thru a broker when buying a used boat!!!! If you can not talk to the owner, walk away!!!!

[Big Kahunaz]

Originally Posted by Dink

Do not go thru a broker when buying a used boat!!!! If you can not talk to the owner, walk away!!!!

10/4

[Big Kahunaz]

Originally Posted by fishinpox

ding ding ding!!! let someone else take the hit . its a buyers market

'
I will however walk away w/ a brand new boat if i can run across the right boat for the right price....say a boat that has come from a bankrupt dealer sent to factory and then sent to another dealer and selling for lil or no profit. I just missed one that had it been a few months from now....would be hooked on the ball of my truck.

[Ray]

If you know what you want, and gonna keep it for at least 10 years, buy new.
If you don't know, or might not keep it till you get the footitis and want a bigger
boat, then buy used.

[jpeff31787]

if its a bay boat your looking for.. don't buy anything under 21ft.

We bought a used 19ft nautic star, which is an awesome boat and everything but now we want bigger. We thought 19ft would be sufficient for what we were doing. Now it was sufficient, but then you notice that you can go into even bigger water such as the gulf. So you end up wanting something a little bit bigger for those rougher days, which is what is happening to us. My next boat will be no smaller than a 21ft. I'd really like a 22 or 24ft nautic star.

And listen to the guys about max hp. Don't do anything less than the maximum. That extra power helps every where, especially on cutting through a good chop and putting her on the trailer.

[LaAngler]

the depreciation curve starts to level off depending on type/brand/age of each boat, do your homework.

Let someone else take the big hit (the first year or two)

that will almost always be higher than a couple trips to the shop

boat & auto long term financing is a sham

[Big Kahunaz]

Footitis....lol