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  1. #1
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    Used boat buying question

    Would new batteries improve the chances you would buy a used boat or used ones that work a couple of years old? Going to sell a boat and wondering if it would make a difference to possible buyer.
    Praying for a Cure

  2. Member
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    #2
    Ive bought a couple used boats the last 2 years and honestly batteries never had any bearing on my decision to buy. If it was the right boat and priced right i bought it
    They aint got hands, set the hook

  3. Banned
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    #3
    As long as it will start for the test ride I never thought twice about them.

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    #4
    New guy might want lithium.

  5. Moderator Fishysam's Avatar
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    #5
    same as above, no clue if you will put good money into batteries someone doesnt want...
    Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089

  6. Moderator Fishysam's Avatar
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    #6
    or just hates your brand
    Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089

  7. Member
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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by jarhead175 View Post
    As long as it will start for the test ride I never thought twice about them.
    this. If the boat starts and the trolling motor/electronics work as they should, the batteries wouldn’t even cross my mind. I have replaced them right after I noticed they wouldn’t hold a charge. But for $300 worth of batteries it wouldn’t be a deal breaker
    1995 Ranger 481v
    1995 Johnson Fast Strike 175hp

  8. Banned
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    #8
    no ROI for the seller on it. as long as you got enough juice to test everything it should be good. Guy I bought boat from had a "new" starting battery....and I still went and bought a new one cuz I didnt wanna risk it lol

  9. Member
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    #9
    New stuff scares me off. Like, zero hours on new power head or brand new tires on trailer normally means hiding alignment issue. Or perfect new lower unit oil means you just pulled out the milky stuff etc. Or bought two $3000 graphs by mistake, don't need both.

  10. Banned
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    #10
    If I were buying a used boat, I'd change out the batteries UNLESS they were brand spanking .

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    #11
    Never been one to spend a great deal on something I wanna sell.
    2017 Phoenix 618Pro

  12. Member Meadows's Avatar
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    #12
    It depends I guess... I've got almost $700 in 3 batteries on my boat. I wouldn't necessarily ask more for the boat because of the batteries... but if I'm the buyer and I notice he's got that kind of cash in batteries I go ahead and assume he's the kind of guy that takes boat maintenance somewhat seriously.
    2022 Skeeter ZXR20
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  13. Member
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    #13
    batteries in the boat would be about my last concern if I was buying a boat

  14. Ranger Boats Moderator jc2bg's Avatar
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    #14
    This is a Catch-22, or 50/50 proposition in my mind. And how the buyer perceives it depends entirely on the buyer. Personally, I look at 3 or 4 batteries as one of several expensive components on a boat, and would price or value the used boat accordingly. Absolutely would I take them into account as a factor, but a lot of people on more stringent budgets just want batteries that work...or seem to. Another way of looking at it is, if you [the seller] want a quick sale, without haggling, you can’t afford to have too many obvious flaws in the boat. Batteries being one such flaw, or a badly damaged prop, or outdated/weak trolling motors or electronics. I haven’t hesitated to sell boats of mine with well-used but still usefully strong batteries, but I wouldn’t dream of selling one with batteries that were definitely showing signs of slowing down, unless I happened to know that an interested buyer wanted to keep the out-the-door price as low as humanly possible, in which case I would subtract the cost of new batteries from the selling price. Bottom line, if both seller and buyer are on the up and up, it’s all a matter of valuing what is there.
    John Clark — Findlay, Ohio

  15. Member FES313's Avatar
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    #15
    Be up front about the condition of the batteries. If they are 5 years old and wont last 3 hours on the water, let the buyer know this and there wont be any problems. When I bought my Champ, the seller told me exactly this and when I took it out with the seller for a test run and the batteries were dead in 3 hours I couldn't say a thing and I didn't expect anything more. We made the deal at the ramp and on the way home I stopped and put 3 new batteries in it.
    2014 X19
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  16. Banned
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    #16
    Quote Originally Posted by spcrangle View Post
    New guy might want lithium.
    ... Dan

  17. Member
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    #17
    I'm with FES on this one. Be upfront on the condition of the batteries. If it needs new ones replace them. If they are OK be upfront about how old they are and the condition. If the buyer can't afford new batteries they can't afford the boat.

  18. Member
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    #18
    I’m thinking of taking the older batteries out of the boat I’m keeping and replace them with new. The boat I an thinking of selling needs batteries just didn’t know if it would make a difference if they are new or just good used ones. Thanks for all the insight. I knew I would get good information.
    Praying for a Cure

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    #19
    nope

  20. Member lpugh's Avatar
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    #20
    Batteries in the boat give me an idea of how the owner has taken care of every thing else, cheap low capacity batteries and I walk away from the deal, as they probably do not maintain the motor properly either. The fact that they me be 3 or 4 years old would not be of much concern
    Thank You Leon Pugh