Madhouse27 Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 Hi guys I was hoping I could run a boat deal I am looking at by you and get some feedback. I am looking at a 1993 Skeeter 17 1/2 foot bass boat with a low hours 1985 Mercury 115 hp. The boat has SS140 on the side of it but was described as a ZX180. The boat and motor are in what I can only describe as immaculate condition. The purchase would be from the boats original owner who bought it and had the merc put on it that had been on his fathers pontoon boat and was given to him. The thing really has a showroom shine to it and the motor runs strong. Carpets are good and there are no issues. There is a 45lb thrust 24v motorguide on the front and Lowrance electronics front and back. Trailer tires etc all excellent as well. The guys is asking $5500 and I am looking at probably getting it for around $4700-$4800 range. I'm not that familar with Skeeter boats and don't really know any common potential problems with them. Up here in Maine quality used bass boats are somewhat few and far between. I've been looking on Ebay etc but the price to have one shipped in or going to pick it up certainly factor in to up the final price. Any help or guidance would be appreciated. My main concern is with the age of the Mercury, although the merc I have on my current ride is a 1968 and had been fantastic up until last weekends horror show (that's another story) thanks again for any help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamblerOH Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 I would find out for sure how big it is first. If it has a 140 on the side it is a 14 foot boat. if it has a 180 it is an 18 ft. boat, most boats are stickered this way although some companies(Ranger) do not do it that way. Skeeter makes a great boat so I dont think you'll go wrong there but I dont like those old Mercury 115's They are inline six cylinders and have a lot of problems with the upper 2 cylinders getting hot. They require a new water pump at least a couple times a year to make sure they always have enough water pressure. Those older 115's are a little less than reliable in my opinion :-/ they are well known for being hard to start which creates a lot of starter wear which turns into being stranded with a bad starter. I know of several guys this has happened to. Be sure to take a test drive, check compression, check lower unit oil for shavings and be sure it goes into gear smoothly. If it grinds going into gear then the clutch in the lower unit is going. With an engine of that year I would pay a NUETRAL person to check it out and give you their opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhouse27 Posted September 18, 2005 Author Share Posted September 18, 2005 Thanks for the input Gambler. I'm not sure what the SS140 designation is all about but the boat is definately in the 18 foot range. I appreciate your comments about the Merc 115. There's something about that motor that just makes me wince even though it is in such pristine condition. I'm torn because the boat itself is such an awesome ride....certainly one of the best I've looked at and at a fraction of the price of some. I'm doing some research online about the mid 80's Merc 115s and there are certainly some concerns there as well as the ones you posted. This is one of those times that I wish I lived further south so there would be more of a selection of used bass boats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoExcuses Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 Madhouse, The Skeeter #'ing system usually indicates the HP size of the motor that was on the boat originally, not necessary the length of the boat. For example, we've owned a 1991 SD200 Skeeter which was 19'+ with a Yamaha ProV 200. Our current boat is a 2004 ZX225 Skeeter 20'+ with a Yamaha V-Max 225 HPDI. I would imagine that the 1993 SS140 you're looking at came originally with some sort of 140HP motor. Also another thing to consider -- if you're planning to fish tourney's -- you may not want to run a 18' boat with only a 115HP. We used to have a 1993 Nitro 180FS (18') with a 115 on it and when we started fishing tourney's we found it just couldn't keep up -- that's when we switched over to our first Skeeter ;D Hope this info helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamblerOH Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 Noexcuses is right about skeeters numbering system, I should have remembered that since I just looked at new skeeters last winter. :-[ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hydrillagorilla Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 I am always hawking used boats and it sounds like that is more than fair on price and condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowjunkie35 Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Noexcuses is right about skeeters numbering system, I should have remembered that since I just looked at new skeeters last winter. :-[ He's right. My Skeeter has a 175 designation as the model number, is 18 1/2 ft. long and has a maximum HP rating of, you guessed it, 175! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowjunkie35 Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 My main concern is with the age of the Mercury, although the merc I have on my current ride is a 1968 and had been fantastic up until last weekends horror show (that's another story) thanks again for any help Just curious to hear the horrors of the 68' Merc. Let us know in a seperate post if you need to. Sounds, uh, interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhouse27 Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 Thanks for all the replies. I am still considering the deal and learning as much as I can about the mid 80's Merc 115's. It will be somewhat tough to let this one go with my boat out of commissioin and the extreme shortage of available used bass boats around. Those few that I have seen have been grotesquely overpriced like the 1989 Skeeter fish and ski style boat that I happened upon today with an asking price of $7000. Lord have mercy. I'm on the coast of Maine so everything is either really big for the ocean, a center console Boston Whaler style like the boat I currently have or is a 16 foot open aluminum with a 9.9 outboard for salmon/touge trolling. I'll keep my eyes peeled on ebay while I'm trying to make up my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowjunkie35 Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 If you can hold out until winter, you will get a much better deal than during the boating season. As the days grow shorter, the prices get better. Patience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hydrillagorilla Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 I think it is pretty close to winter where MadHouse is....lol ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhouse27 Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 Good one Hydrillagorilla, we'll be shoveling snow and fishing through the ice in no time. My friends think there is something wrong with me. They are all looking at new snowsleds and here I am driving everyone crazy searching for bass boats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hydrillagorilla Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 Good luck Madhouse, I bought a new/used boat last year. It is a scary situation because so much is riding on that used engine! Get it checked out! Compression was one thing I learned from this forum to check into. I love it though! Mine would be considered a project boat by most folks standards. I just run her, everything is cosmetic, the systems and everything work great! Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayhc2 Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 I will be honest I think that is too much with that motor on the back. If the motor was the same year I would say good deal. But I think that is to high. Sorry just my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhouse27 Posted September 26, 2005 Author Share Posted September 26, 2005 I agree with you JayHC2. I'm learning as I go and my budget and patience have both gone up. One thing about the forum, sometimes the posted question outlives the situation. I've tried to take bowjunkie's advice on taking my time and waiting for the cooler weather. He was right because I am already seeing the prices softening as we head toward winter. In the meantime, I've narrowed my search to a specific size range, ideal horsepower and desired age. I've got three or four boat manufactures that I would be interested in and certainly have a top two in the outboard department. It's been fun getting into the process. This will be one of the more important purchases of my life so far so I don't want to screw it up. I certainly appreciate everyones input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassResource.com Administrator Glenn Posted September 26, 2005 BassResource.com Administrator Share Posted September 26, 2005 He's right... SHE's right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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