2024 Used Boat Buyers Guide - Part 1

Using the data available for the 230+ used bass boats with 250 hp or larger motors listed for sale in the last 80'ish days we take a really deep dive into what sets boat prices apart. We will answer what boat holds its value the best, what is average hours for used boats 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years old. How do your price a boat to sell, or how do you get a good deal no boats, What is additional warranty worth, what do you deduct for high hours, or add for low hours. What are used electronics worth and what is typical set up on a used boat, is Forward Facing Sonar a luxury, or standard feature on used boats, all of this and much, much more in this series of videos.
#2024usedboatbuyersguide #buyingausedboat #boatbuyersguide
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See also Shopping for a New Bass boat, Bass boat shopping, Shopping for a new bass boat 2020, which bass boat is right for me, what to know before you buy a bass boat, thinking about buying a new bass boat, buying your first bass boat, buying a new bass boat, best bass boat for the money, what to look for in a bass boat, bass boat walk through, what to look for in a new bass boat, bass boat comparisons, bass boat champion, Ranger walk through, buying a new bass boat tips and tricks, consumer digest bass boat, best value bass boat, best bass boat 2020, best bass boat 2021, top 5 bass boats.
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My camera, mount and wind mic for dash footage:
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Still looking for Bigfoot, dude hollar at me at my email address is KenSmithFishing@outlook

[@bobdoshier1608]

Appreciate your hard work. Good info

[@KenSmithFishing]

I appreciate that!

[@jeffporter100]

Really enjoying the new series already!!!

[@KenSmithFishing]

Thanks!

[@prestonbonner2456]

Great video! In my research... I believe the FXR is still one of, if not the best, packages on the water.

[@bobbysloneakathefishwhispe1300]

Thinking of buying a 2021 Cougar with 320 hours and it has warranty to 2025 had a warped on it

[@derekhierholzer7289]

Thanks Ken for the video. The 2022 Ranger Z520r I just traded in for my Bass Cat had dual consoles. Very easy to remove with just two big screws that can be removed by hand.

[@KenSmithFishing]

Good to know!

[@user-eb8dk7qw8u]

Hey Ken. This is a great series. I wish you had run it a year ago when I was looking for a new used boat. I did buy a 2019 Ranger 520L from an individual and was able to transfer the hull warranty for $100.00 once inspected by an authorized Ranger dealer. Unfortunately the Mercury warranty which is good until Aug 2024 couldn't be extended. Luckily the motor only had 170 hours. I fallowed much the same process you are. I chose this boat because it was close enough that I could drive to pick it up as well as having all of the features I wanted. I will be fallowing this series to see the rest of your data.

[@KenSmithFishing]

Why couldn’t you extend motor warranty?

[@Pete-from-Tn]

Bought a new boat in 2008. Lifetime warranty, had to use that warranty in Sept 2020. I can say it was a nightmare to get it fixed. Was told no one ran a boat that long. Only had 300 hours on the engine. Boat had a few thousand, as I fish not run. The boat company is owned by Mercury. Left a bad taste in my mouth. Also took 1 year to the date to get my boat back.

[@user-eb8dk7qw8u]

Hey all I just bought a used 2019 Ranger 520L from and individual which came with engine warranty until august 2024 and unfortunately Mercury wouldn't let me extend it. The hours were at 170 when I bought it so I didn't feel too bad. The Ranger hull warranty was transferable for $100.00 to 10 years if inspected by an authorized Ranger dealer. This is a great series and wish you had done it when I was looking over the last year. I did the exact calculations and had the same opinions when looking on BBC. I even looked at having a boat shipped across country or picking it up and driving to California. At the end I found a 2019 that was in great shape with all of the features I was looking for and colors I liked in Arizona which saved shipping or travel costs. Again great series and will be fallowing to see how your values fallowed mine.

[@KenSmithFishing]

Interesting, I had a guy in Wisconsin that wanted the Lynx, but it was $1200+ to ship and while he was trying to figure out if it was worth it got sold, but that extra $$ throws a wrench in the calculations

[@RedXCross1]

I just sold a Ranger 2017 Z521c with a SHO in one day, had an extended warranty, it went, and I am still getting calls, sold to a great local guy.

[@thomasdistefano5473]

Finally found the infamous BBC spreadsheet

[@Hawk-iy2iz]

Great video by the way, and looking forward to the series. But I also argue sometime to your point about time on the water and engine being used. I still say is better than one that sits. You like most old-school bass fisherman that are worried about hours on an engine And I would almost say ask mechanics they’ve been doing this for a long time and motors last forever on boats but people worry about hours all the time. If a boat has a platinum warranty, I still stand that hours are a moot point, unless the engine can be proved that it was absolutely ragged out. That said these boats, unlike cars are designed to run at higher RPM, so it’s hard to say you’re ragging out a boat with a lot of hours when that’s how they’re manufactured. If you show maintenance and you’re doing proper maintenance that’s per the manufacturer recommendation. A car doesn’t say you can only drive 10,000 miles a year or 100,000 miles as long as you do proper maintenance.the car with 100,000 miles if I find out it’s all highway miles. I’m more apt to go ahead and get that vehicle because in town driving tend to be more wear and tear. Just keep some of that and thought maybe chew on it.

[@KenSmithFishing]

Funny I leave the black truck at the lake and anybody that stays there I ask them to drive it for that very reason. I wouldn’t say I “worry” about hours, but all combustion engines have an expiration date, just like we do!

[@Hawk-iy2iz]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/baWWh2iiermkiKcsi=hqEN-4-YGkINBMq6

[@Hawk-iy2iz]

I don’t know why bass Fishman worries so much these days about ours. If the boat has platinum warranty on it, it doesn’t matter if you use it one hour or 400 hours in a year it’s still covered. So that boat in your example that had warranty until 31. If it has platinum, it doesn’t matter the hours on it, run it until it breaks and they have to fix it.

[@devinwillis7787]

Warranty doesn’t mean free repairs for normal use. It’s free of defects. If you use a motor 1500 hours and the rod bearings are wore out and it blows they aren’t required to fix it for you.

[@Hawk-iy2iz]

@@devinwillis7787 No kidding devin, the same goes for any motor. But Maintenace and how the engine is used is more important. My tacoma has 250k and with all maintenance records that is valuable. But implying x hours = bad is crazy. What kind of oil was used in that motor. How many vehicles do you know only having one oil change in a year? Most motors on the water hardly ever run and I would say that even Mercury would say that good runs are better than always cold start uses. Honest mechanics will tell you that these if well taken care of will last a long time. To your point, my boat can only have 50 hours but those bearings are not in a good shape. I will ALWAYS take maintenance and warranty over low hours. Dude you need to read what platium covers, but using rod bearings is not the example someone should pick.

[@devinwillis7787]

@@Hawk-iy2iz I would have a hard time calling something with over 1000 hours of use a manufacturer defect but if mercury is going to cover all repairs regardless of hours then great. More hours is always worse than less hours with the same maintenance. Boats with under 50 hours there isn’t really any maintenance to talk about anyway. I’m always going to tend toward the lower hour boat just because of how much I use it. It’s fairly normal for me to run 50 miles one way for local tournaments and I spend large amounts of time side scanning so I add a lot of hours to my rig. Running a motor at max rpm for an house straight doesn’t give you the same wear that you get from cold starts but it certainly isn’t good for the internals

[@skippeel4219]

Thanks, Ken. Your attention to detail is appreciated and I look forward to the rest of this series. Not to nit pic but just wished to point out that your title on the graphic at 2:08 is Data Compiled form Bass Boat Central instead of from Bass Boat Central. I mention it as I think it is easy for you to correct. Your proof reader, Skip

[@KenSmithFishing]

Skip you just said the same thing twice!

[@mikethetoolman8776]

you must be off work for a week or two and very bored!!! isn't texas warm enough to fish this time of year or is it just not worth the effort to fish in dec-jan? great video and thanks for making the time to create it!

[@KenSmithFishing]

I don’t have a boat!!!

[@mikethetoolman8776]

@@KenSmithFishing new one being built? puma sts?

[@aj06bolt12r]

If it wont run 80 with a fishing load its not worth buying.

[@KenSmithFishing]

They’ll all run 89

[@KenSmithFishing]

Behind the truck

[@aj06bolt12r]

@@KenSmithFishing Fair enough :)