Used Verado 250 - good/bad investment?

pele · 28 October 2009, 16:30

I can purchase a used set of Verado 250s for a price of a brand new single unit.

They both have about 500h each.

According to the owner they are well maintained with all previous maintenance history on record.

Is this is a good investment considering I will be doing about 350h per season (commercial RIB).

Dirk Diggler · 28 October 2009, 17:56

No

Downhilldai · 28 October 2009, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

No

Buying used, or buying Veradon'ts in general?

Dirk Diggler · 28 October 2009, 18:12

Nothing wrong with a Verado, but why would you want to buy a pair of 500hr anythings to go commercial?

pele · 28 October 2009, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

Nothing wrong with a Verado, but why would you want to buy a pair of 500hr anythings to go commercial?

Getting new Verados is my first option. However $43k vs $16k is a huge price difference. Even if they require more extensive service.

In general I would like to know why "no" to used Verados. I can put 500hrs in one season.

Does this mean that if I get new pair they will be useless after 500hrs?

I am more familiar with motorcycle and car engines. If they are properly maintained they can run for a long long time.

pele · 28 October 2009, 18:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Buying used, or buying Veradon'ts in general?

Buying used Verados.

Dirk Diggler · 28 October 2009, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by pele

Does this mean that if I get new pair they will be useless after 500hrs?

.

After one year your s/h pair will have 1000 hrs and no value at all.

Surely it's better to buy new, have the benefit of a warranty, then replace them whilst they still have a value, and possibly some warranty remaining.

pele · 28 October 2009, 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

After one year your s/h pair will have 1000 hrs and no value at all.

Are E-tecs any better after 1000hrs? Surely they are cheaper to maintain.

Chris · 28 October 2009, 23:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by pele

Are E-tecs any better after 1000hrs? Surely they are cheaper to maintain.

cheaper to maintain, yes. as to remaining lifespan this is an interesting article to read about a teardown on a 1000 hour 2005 E-tec 250 in Brazil.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/5679...MY?vhost=rides

at 1000 hours I would certainly be looking to have a full check up done.

bear in mind they run E20 fuel in Brazil and lots of salt!

Downhilldai · 28 October 2009, 23:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

...this is an interesting article ..

Where?

Tony Barber · 28 October 2009, 23:46

Hi,

There was no link in your previous post re 1000 hour etecs. I'd be interested to have a look.

Thanks,

Tony.

Chris · 28 October 2009, 23:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Barber

Hi,

There was no link in your previous post re 1000 hour etecs. I'd be interested to have a look.

Thanks,

Tony.

sorry its there now.

Tim M · 29 October 2009, 10:51

I look at this slightly differently. If the price difference you mention is as much as you say it is, buying a pair of used ones would be very attractive certainly to me. Whilst you don't benefit from a warranty, the savings are enormous. Providing the engines have indeed been well looked after and you get them checked over first you should be fine providing nothings amiss. The guys on the Thames get around 3000 hours out of their engines (etecs) before replacing them so I personally wouldn't have any worries.

9D280 · 29 October 2009, 16:29

I guess it;s a balance of cost versus time versus usage.

The capital outlay will be substantially less. There's an argument for the "but no warranty", but then if there was going to be a warranty issue, the previous owner will probnably have found it already....... You don't say how old they are in "real time".

What will the resale value be after 1000, 1500, 2000, etc hrs? If it's anthing like a car it will level out pretty quickly, so you may find the time - value drop may not be a steep as the poor bloke that bought them new, and your "capital cost per hour's running" isnlt so bad.......

There is also an argument that says if it's a commercial motor & running day in, day out, it will survive better as it will spend less of a proportion of it's time running cold.......

Bigmuz7 · 07 November 2009, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim M

The guys on the Thames get around 3000 hours out of their engines (etecs) before replacing them

I know I'm making comparisons with other products in my mind, but what goes wrong with an etec at 3000 hours ?

Locozodiac · 07 November 2009, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

I know I'm making comparisons with other products in my mind, but what goes wrong with an etec at 3000 hours ?

Won't see big or dramatical wear issue after 1000 worked hours in any good quality brand engine correctly serviced and maintained, Don't know if a six cylinder engine wear is same as 2 cylinder wear for same 1k worked metered hours.

As an example have 2 Tohatsus's 30 HP, 2 strokes with more than 1,500 metered worked hours, are at a remote location working at sea, client has not changed even water pump, impeller, gas diaphgram since taken out of the box, and still peeing excellent through tail tale. These engines works 7/8 hours a day, 7 days a week, are water flushed for 5 minutes at days end work. Both starts next day at first pull from cold. Maybe their long parts longevity is because of it's constant use, scheduled maintenance and plugs/oil change.

So long, but correct worked hours is a relative wear issue as has proven the Brazilian boaters on that special South American environment.

Happy Boating

Mennojsh · 27 December 2009, 12:37

the 250 verado`s of 2005 are gen 1 verado engines
they are very thirsty compared too gen 2 verado`s after 2007

i am checking out an mercury 250xs opti of 2004 at the moment with 996 hours
used on salt water( hard offshore use)

offshore bracket need some new bushings
and an bolt of the steering arm that broke loose (steering arm is also rusty )
compression is very good and even on all cilinders
opened air compressor no wear on cilinder only some rubber dust of the belt on the reeds inside the compressor
removed the heads of the engine everything seems fine you can still see the oil path on all cilinders only at exhaust side where engine get hottest the oil path looks thinner
and very clean,only little black at the center of the bowl in the piston where the injectors spray in the fuel (mercury premium plus oil always used)
)
checked the reeds (rubber reed blocks with carbon reeds where still in perfect condition)

replaced impellor, t-stats, poppetvalve,all plastic bushings in bracket
,replace rod bearing kit inside compressor (because they have a bad reputation),steering arm with an other used one i had because it was very rusty (the steering arm was not used because the engine had outside mayfair steeringsystem)

replaced all rubber O rings of compressor and head gasket rubber rings
2 oil filters,fuel filter
plan too send out fuel and air injectors too brucato for cleaning/checking

everything was very easy too dismantle not what i expected of an engine that runs in salt water for 5 years
everything looks very good (headbolts only a little rusty and the steering arm)

inside of engine looks brand new no corrosion at all in the waterways behind the heads or in the poppet valve and exhaust plate

do you think i need too open up the engine (split the powerhead)too check the crankshaft bearings at this many hours
and replace the piston rings ?

376 hours 500-1000 rpm
63 hours 1000-2000 rpm
82 hours between 3000-4000 rpm
402 hours between 4000-5000 rpm
73 hours 5000-5800 rpm