1984 Johnson Seahorse 15 hp..a good buy?

ol sarge · Nov 19, 2012

I am in the market for an outboard for my 14 ft Smokercraft. it is rated for a 35 hp. I have found a very clean 1984 Johnson Seahorse 15 hp for $750 at a marine repair shop. They will guarantee the motor for 30 days. He told me that if I bought it now, he would store it until spring and the warranty would start the day I picked it up. I asked about the history of the motor and he said a guy brought it to the shop for a lower unit issue and was unwilling to spend the money to make the repairs. He said that they bought the motor and made the repairs and are now selling it. This guy does alot of small engine and outboard work. Do you think it is worth it and does the warranty made the deal? He also had a sweet 1964 Evinrude 9.5 for $275 but I think the 15 is a better bet. What are your thoughts? ( he is willing to dicker on the price since it is going into the winter season:Minnesota)

Recon · Nov 19, 2012

I have a 87 Johnson 15 on my 14 duck boat and it runs great. Keep it at 50-1 oil and add ethanol treatment and you should be good to go.

JMichael · Nov 19, 2012

Prices vary by location but that price for the 15hp would be considered a little high for my area. Of course buying a motor from a shop vs an individual selling one, I'd expect the price to be high. That's not much of a guarantee from a shop. That's not much more than saying it's going to run when you take it out the door and go on your first few fishing trips. I'd expect at least a 90 day warranty from a shop.

jasper60103 · Nov 19, 2012

ol sarge said:
I am in the market for an outboard for my 14 ft Smokercraft. it is rated for a 35 hp. I have found a very clean 1984 Johnson Seahorse 15 hp for $750 at a marine repair shop. They will guarantee the motor for 30 days. He told me that if I bought it now, he would store it until spring and the warranty would start the day I picked it up. I asked about the history of the motor and he said a guy brought it to the shop for a lower unit issue and was unwilling to spend the money to make the repairs. He said that they bought the motor and made the repairs and are now selling it. This guy does alot of small engine and outboard work. Do you think it is worth it and does the warranty made the deal? He also had a sweet 1964 Evinrude 9.5 for $275 but I think the 15 is a better bet. What are your thoughts? ( he is willing to dicker on the price since it is going into the winter season:Minnesota)

I see mid 80s 15hp on C/L for around $500 in our area (MN./WI) from private sellers. So I guess it depends how much the warranty is worth to you.
I have a decent motor that I've bought off C/L. But the bottom line is, if you don't want to work on outboards, I would buy new. Good luck.

ol sarge · Nov 19, 2012

Wouldnt any problems show up pretty quickly? I mean, if I bought it and took it out and put 10-15 hours on it wouldnt anything that was wrong show up? If I would go with a private seller, I could get a boat anchor. This is my first outboard and I just want to make sure that I get something decent.

rickybobbybend · Nov 19, 2012

Good comments above. Prices do vary by location and you likely won't get consensus on the best course of action. IMHO this is better than many private party purchases. But I would talk him down to maybe $600 and see if he will extend coverage to 60 days, excluding abuse. The motor is doing him no good just sitting there. Good luck.

shawnfish · Nov 19, 2012

they are good motors no doubt about it unless it was not taken care of. price around here would be around 4-5 hundred. do you know what was done to the lower unit? im guessing they didnt dump a ton of money in it and got it cheap. id offer him 500 bucks and let him mull it over. i think you can get a better deal and with winter around the corner you have plenty of time to shop around and plus winter is the best time for a good deal IMO.....

jasper60103 · Nov 19, 2012

ol sarge said:
Wouldnt any problems show up pretty quickly? I mean, if I bought it and took it out and put 10-15 hours on it wouldnt anything that was wrong show up? If I would go with a private seller, I could get a boat anchor. This is my first outboard and I just want to make sure that I get something decent.

I agree. Stick with a dealer and warranty.

JMichael · Nov 19, 2012

Shawnfish brought up a very good point. Winter is on us and that means that it's prime time for a buyer to find some deals on boating items for the next few months. Take your time, shop around, and get the most for your money.

Motors are not hard to DIY if you're somewhat mechanically inclined and have a service manual. And You can always get help from others online if you get stumped. If you're not mechanical, I'd look in to buying something new because 30 days is trivial for a warranty. Boat ownership can be a lot more expensive than some think if you can't do a little of the mechanical for yourself.

dkonrai · Nov 19, 2012

i just sold my 88 15hp evinrude. the motor had low hours, was in mint condition. i sold it for 600.00
condition was 9.5 out of 10
new power pack
kill switch
rebuilt carb/new idle valve, idle needle valve
carb cover (it was warped or cracked)
new fuel pump/hoses from fuel connector to the carb
new plugs
new impeller water pump was in new condition (just like the motor)
tested lu @ 10 pounds for 15 minutes
new lower unit oil
i sold this with no warrenty however it was in mint condition, and it started one pull when cold.
so if the johnson you are looking at is in the same mechanical and asthetic condition i say go for it. these are some of the best motors ever made, period.
dino

shawnfish · Nov 20, 2012

dkonrai said:
i just sold my 88 15hp evinrude. the motor had low hours, was in mint condition. i sold it for 600.00
condition was 9.5 out of 10
new power pack
kill switch
rebuilt carb/new idle valve, idle needle valve
carb cover (it was warped or cracked)
new fuel pump/hoses from fuel connector to the carb
new plugs
new impeller water pump was in new condition (just like the motor)
tested lu @ 10 pounds for 15 minutes
new lower unit oil
i sold this with no warrenty however it was in mint condition, and it started one pull when cold.
so if the johnson you are looking at is in the same mechanical and asthetic condition i say go for it. these are some of the best motors ever made, period.
dino

X2 on some of the best ever made!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charger25 · Nov 20, 2012

Like whats been said already, I'd make a reasonable offer on it and let him think it over. Christmas is upon us and he might need some cash.
Those 80's to 90's 15 hp Rudes are hard to beat. They're fairly light weight and generate a lot of power for its size. Ask for a compression check to make sure the power head is ok and try to witness him doing it.
Appearances can be deceiving. It can LOOK very good but have poor compression with worn out rings or scored cylinder walls.

outboard geek · Mar 7, 2023

ol sarge said:
Wouldnt any problems show up pretty quickly? I mean, if I bought it and took it out and put 10-15 hours on it wouldnt anything that was wrong show up? If I would go with a private seller, I could get a boat anchor. This is my first outboard and I just want to make sure that I get something decent.

Yes you should get the dealer 15, im sure its a safer bet.

Pappy · Mar 7, 2023

I can tell you that around here that is a deal !
When I go through them they bring a LOT more than that. Of course I do a lot more than most ever will before offering it.
That particular engine platform is just about bulletproof. With common sense and routing maint. the engine should be able to be handed down to the next generation! BTW.....the 9.5 was powerhead rated horsepower wise and nowhere near what the 15 will do for you.

blufrog1 · Mar 8, 2023

ol sarge said:
I am in the market for an outboard for my 14 ft Smokercraft. it is rated for a 35 hp. I have found a very clean 1984 Johnson Seahorse 15 hp for $750 at a marine repair shop. They will guarantee the motor for 30 days. He told me that if I bought it now, he would store it until spring and the warranty would start the day I picked it up. I asked about the history of the motor and he said a guy brought it to the shop for a lower unit issue and was unwilling to spend the money to make the repairs. He said that they bought the motor and made the repairs and are now selling it. This guy does alot of small engine and outboard work. Do you think it is worth it and does the warranty made the deal? He also had a sweet 1964 Evinrude 9.5 for $275 but I think the 15 is a better bet. What are your thoughts? ( he is willing to dicker on the price since it is going into the winter season:Minnesota)

I recently purchased an. 1987 johnson 15 that looked great, started first pull and idled wel. First time out it started acting funny, slowed down while at wot, wouldn’t rev properly. Found a cracked cam roller and suspect a. Bad fuel pump. Both repairs are easy and inexpensive. I paid 750 and with the issues still feel the deal wasn’t too bad. When it runs well it will push my 14 sea nymph over 20 mph with just me in it.

airshot · Mar 8, 2023

You guys realize this is a 10 yr old thread ??

LDUBS · Mar 9, 2023

Blast from the past!

Pappy · Mar 9, 2023

RaisedByWolves · Mar 9, 2023

ol sarge said:
I am in the market for an outboard for my 14 ft Smokercraft. it is rated for a 35 hp. I have found a very clean 1984 Johnson Seahorse 15 hp for $750 at a marine repair shop. They will guarantee the motor for 30 days. He told me that if I bought it now, he would store it until spring and the warranty would start the day I picked it up. I asked about the history of the motor and he said a guy brought it to the shop for a lower unit issue and was unwilling to spend the money to make the repairs. He said that they bought the motor and made the repairs and are now selling it. This guy does alot of small engine and outboard work. Do you think it is worth it and does the warranty made the deal? He also had a sweet 1964 Evinrude 9.5 for $275 but I think the 15 is a better bet. What are your thoughts? ( he is willing to dicker on the price since it is going into the winter season:Minnesota)

My thoughts are this, the motor was abandoned by the owner when he got a bill higher than he was expecting and the shop only needs to cover the cost of the parts/labor.

Kant think of a situation short of an impending tornado that would cause me to drop a motor and run off empty handed over hearing the repair cost otherwise.

I’d offer $500 and see how it goes.

You need to feel out your local market, but around here that is 25hp Evinrude money.

1984 Johnson Seahorse 15 hp..a good buy?

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