Purchasing Seadoo's

[Valleyacres]

Hi, everyone, I am new to the site,and am currently in the process of purchasing 2 used skis,I have owned 1 years ago it was a 1991 GTX.
My son is interested in getting 2, 1 2008 RXT-X 255 , and myself I am looking at a 2009 RXTis.(I have a bad back and not willing to stop yet)
The question I have is The"is" has 212 hours on it,is this to many and when purchasing what should I look for, and how many hours should I try to stay within,so we do not have to spend a great deal on right away
Thanks for your advice in advance,I am sure the machines have changed a little since 1991 LOL..
Valleyacres

 

[dlowings]

That's kind of a loaded question if you think about it... I myself would not think twice about getting a machine with 200 hours on it.. The question you need to know is, was it 200 brutal hours where the owner never changed the fluids or was it a easy 200 hours... My baseline for any machine I buy is a compression test... I believe in it so much that I have my own compression test kit... I love ATV's and when you buy a few you know what to look for... Ask the person if you can do a compression test... Twice I declined to buy based on the persons reaction... This hobby isn't cheap, do yourself a favor and learn to be picky... Last, the newer machines present a big black question mark with their supercharges.... I myself have not came up with a good way to test this on the fly... If you can test ride the ski and hit close to top speed then the supercharger is most likely OK.. With 200 hours The first thing I would spend money on is having the supercharger checked to see that it has the latest clutch washer kit in it... I think on an 09 there has been 3 clutchwasher revisions, maybe two... You do that and you will save a LOT of headache down the road..

IMO

 

[Andrew_lbreman]

I 100% back the supercharger issue. They can cause problems. The first thing to do would be to check compression and the supercharger. Ask for documentation of fluid changes and charger rebuilds. The charger should have been done 2 x by now so just be aware that if one fails it can ruin a motor and cause a 2500-3500 bill. If they say they did service themselves ask to see the oil pump (they used to cyphon the oil out for the changes) and check the fluids yourself. What condition are they in. How dirty is the engine compartment. Run them on the water hose for bout five minutes and see if you hear anything or notice any issue. I think that seadoo makes a great motor but you have to perform preventative mainenance or they aren't worth anything. I wouldn't be worried about hours as much as the care. Read the person u are buying from and decide if they are rough on the skis. Also run the ski with the seat off and watch the motor for rattle if it is alot of movement push and pull on it to check the motor mounts. If alot of jumping on waves was done some of those mounts can break and be a good indicator. Also when you flush these, you must start the ski and then turn the water on. Then turn water off and then ski off. And if you live in jc let me know and I can refer you to a great mechanic that doesn't ever rip anybody off.

 

[Valleyacres]

Wow apparently I joined a great site...Thanks
I do have a compression test kit I use for snowmobiles, what kind of compression should I be looking for 120-140psi??
The ski's are at a dealer which says it does rigorous testing on there used machines(but would like to do as you guys stated) they are looking for $10900, says oil changed every 40hrs ,does this seem about right, also the other we are looking at, same dealer is a 2008 RXT X 100hrs $9000
Thanks again guys
VA