High Hours

B

B.matt

Member
Jul 15, 2009
125
NJ
Boat Info
2000 260 da
Engines
7.4l mpi
How many hours would you consider high? For a motor and a hull. A dealer told me 300 hours was high for an motor I always thought a 1000 hours was.
 
I have over 1.200hrs on my girls and their still going strong :smt038. Tell that dealer he doesn't know jacksh*t. :smt021
 
I have 300 hours on my 5 year old boat and she is going strong. A lot has to do with how you take care of your boat like anything else, you trash it, it dies early. Take care of it and it lasts a long time. :thumbsup:
 
300 Hrs? Hell that's practically new!
 
I think it is all relative. What type of engine? Raw water cooling?age of boat? Length of boating season? Etc.

For example, 300 hours on a 08 would be 'high', on a 02 it could be viewed as low in relation to other 02s in the neighborhood.

Henry
 
We have 1600 hours on both engines and they work well. Starboard burns slightly less than 1/2 quart in 100 hours. Port 1/10 of a quart. It depends on how hard you run I feel will determin how many hours you will get on an engine. We run between 1200 and 1600 RPM, but go to 3200 when the weather gets bad and we need to get out of bad weather.
 
Maintenance and cooling system are the key. A block with saltwater running through it just won't last as long as one with water/antifreeze mix. If you flush it once in a while, it will still last more than 300 hrs even with saltwater cooling.
 
I put 900+ hours on a pair of sea water cooled (Gulf Coast) 7.4's before selling it. We maintained the engines properly and both had factory new spec compression when the surveyor checked them. We did replace a number of thermostat housings, risers and manifolds and the engines we sound when we sold the boat. Had we kept that boat, there is no telling how long the engine would have lasted.

The new owner didn't listen well and figured he didn't need to check the risers if the engines started and ran. The boat was re-powered with 1100 hours due to salt water ingestion thru risers.

Pleasure boaters generally run from 75 to 100 hours per year on engines. Extremely higher or lower time than that may indicate a boat that has been fished and idled for long periods or one that wasn't used.......neither is a good indicator of a long remaining useful engine life. The key is figuring out how well the previous owner maintained the boat. Be careful of any sea water cooled boat with a missing or vague service record, and be sure to have a qualified technician do an engine survey that includes a compressions check and removing and checking the risers/elbows.
 
300 hours is just broken in on a well maintained motor. Change the oil frequently, don't beat on it, and most importantly keep an eye on your manifolds and risers and you will get many years of service from your motors.
 
The dealer may be saying that 300 hours is high relative to the average trade that they have in their used boat inventory. Some dealers are selective about that.
 
You can wear them out in five hundred hours in an overpropped, big cruiser or they can last for thousands in a smaller, properly propped boat where they've been well maintained. Hours alone are a poor indicator of an engine's health.
 
I have been told that if the ignition switches and the keys are in the On position, the hours keep ticking.

So if you are anchored and do not turn them off, this can account for higher than realistic hours. I always turn mine off, some may not.

My dock neighboor has an 01 340 with about 300 hours on it. He told me his mechanic put some sort of computer device to read the actual hours on the engines and it was around 135.
 
300 hours should be brand new. The dealer only wants to sell you a new boat rather than a previously owned one. Make sure you have a survey done before you but.
 
Mark & Lindsay Paterson said:
My 2007 260 Sundancer had 900 hrs on it when I bought it and it runs like a dream. Like everyone has said - maintenance is the key.
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Damn, how did you get 900 hours in two maybe three seasons? That maybe some sort of record there.

320 hours on mine now and she looks great and runs the same. Although she does get pampered, but I did not buy her to sit on the dock and look at her.
 
Last edited:
Bill,

320 on a 2006 is not extreme. It is in the 100ish range per year, which I gather is average. Our 02 has 345, but only because the PO had a job change that left him in one state and the boat in storage in another for a couple years. We've been averaging 70ish hours a year and our season is much shorter than yours.

Henry
 
Henry Boyd said:
Bill,

320 on a 2006 is not extreme. It is in the 100ish range per year, which I gather is average. Our 02 has 345, but only because the PO had a job change that left him in one state and the boat in storage in another for a couple years. We've been averaging 70ish hours a year and our season is much shorter than yours.

Henry
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Henry,

At first I was a little worried about racking up the hours so fast, but with a little assurance from all the good people on CSR I am not worried about it.
 
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