How many hours are too many hours too look for on a Jet ski?

Question

I am looking to buy a new Jet Ski, hopefully one from about 1999-2003, I am trying to stay with $5,000 and was wondering how many hrs on a jet ski is probably too many.

Answer 1

The baseline for a two stroke engine life is considered 300 hours before a rebuild is needed. Anything below 50 hours is considered low hours.  However, going by just hours alone is somewhat misleading, an engine that is operated at maximum rpms will have more wear than one that was idled or operated at part throttle, even if both have the same amount of hours on them.  A more accurate way to gage the condition of the engine is to do a compression check between the cylinders, and if possible, have a cylinder bleed down test performed as well.  Some people can destroy an engine with as little as 10 hours on it, while others have gone up to a thousand hours before needing an overhaul.  you shouldn't have much problem finding a very good ski in that price range and those years.

Answer 2

I would'nt buy a used one, think about it, nobody just cruises on them, everyone I see beats the Monkey snot out of the thing. I am a "Boater", I don't hate jet ski's, i just wish people would be more careful with them, I had to rescue a kid that hit a bouey once, it was very traumatic, as he had a broken hip, and would scream every time I tried to pull him onto my boat, I was holding him to the side of my boat, I had to tie him off to the rail to get to the radio to call the coast guard, he lived, they could'nt get him on the CG boat, they used my little Boston Whaler, because, it was closer to the water to slide the back board on. That God d**n kid scared the sh*t out of me, covered my boat in blood too, his mother called me the next day to thank me for saving her son's life, a really nice kid too.