what is considered high hours on a boat motor? I have seen some with 450 hours.. Is that considered a lot?? I am looking to get a used boat and was just wondering. My boat right is 18'8 and I want to get a 19.5 to 20.5 boat..

80 hours a year is about average use.
My experience with a lot of trade in motors is hours don’t mean much if it’s been properly maintained. Lot more trouble out of a five year old motor with sixty hours than same motor with five hundred.

I just swapped out my scooter motor with almost 6,000.

How it was operated is more important then hours. Problem with a lot of bass fisherman is the start it and immediately go balls to the walls to their spot then shut down and drop the tm. Repeat every time they move to another spot. Then wonder why it blew in only 2-300 hours. Salt water guys start it, idle out then cruse at moderate rpms. They usually get 3-5000 hours problem free.

hours are not as important as how it was serviced since side imaging boats get more hours on them if it has 400 hrs on them 250 to 300 will be under 1000 rpm if hour are a big thing the other option is to buy new.

I have almost 700 on my pro xs, hoping I can get 1k and maybe the shortage of new motors will be over by then. I sure wouldn’t pay much for a used motor with over 500 hours. I know they all blow, but it’s only natural to assume that an older one will blow before a newer one.


The scary part about used boats now, is thinking about paying $30k-$40 and having to drop a new motor on it.

I just sold my 2007 Tracker 4 stroke and it had under 200 hours and I had it out probably fished over 500 times over the 14 years...Changed oil regularly...had the the impeller, pump,etc done once..not because it needed them done..just to make sure my buddy who purchased wont have to have it serviced.....Replaced prop 3 times because of not paying attention.

Never smoked, died, not cranked.....she was taken care of garage kept....good luck...good ones are out there

thanks for all the answers