Hello,

  im looking for some advice in a boat I’m interested in purchasing. It’s a 1996 Skeeter ZX300c. It had a Merc 225EFI 2 stroke. Has signature series 10’ power poles and a minn Kota Fortrex. Motor has 800 hours. Are these high hours? Seller is asking for $9k. Boat is in excellent condition. 

Well I would check the boat out carefully and ask if the owner would get a compression test done on it. I would offer to pay for it to be looked at by a Merc mechanic, but only if I was really interested in the boat. Skeeter made good boats and those were good engines. I had a 1998 Procraft with a 200 EFI Merc and loved that motor.  If the motor has good compression and the mechanic says it is good I guess I would get the boat.

Seems a bit pricey for a 24 year old boat that probably sold for not much more than that when it was new

With 2 power poles and a Fortrex, those cost almost half of what he's asking. If the boat is in as good a shape as you say, It seems worth it to me.

The compression was checked last fall on cylinders 2,4 and 6 it is 105 and on 1,3 and 5 it’s 110. 

The specs I found online showed that motor to have factory specs for compression of 105 to 110 and now cylinder should be more than 15 pounds off. So that motor seems in very good shape.

 

I would get his money together and tell him you have it and all you would like is to meet him, splash the boat, and go for a demo run.  Make sure he shows you the power poles, go for a drive and if trim and all works well pay him and bring home your new boat.

The quick answers are; 800 hours without overhaul on the powerhead is a life time for that engine.

Original owner?

Garaged?

Why the home made cavitation aid?

I would pass.

Tom