New wood hauler !!

[brenndatomu]

That's great if it works out that way... but my neighbor's experience is the exact opposite.
Unless you personally know what, and from whom, you're buying used it's always a gamble... you have no inkling what you're buying. For all you know the previous owner didn't change oil for 5 years, or maybe the thing was under water once, or like my neighbors purchase... the tires are full of stop-leak snot and they still go flat in a couple days, and the carb has screws stripped-out and put back together with super glue and self-tapping screws, and the auto-clutch went out in less than a month. Have you priced four new tires, a new carburetor, and clutch parts for a Jap ATV?? And all this on top of what he knew he would spend (torn seat, broken brake lever, and a couple other things). Before he was done that first year he had nearly the price of new invested in a used one... and now it's low on compression!

At least buying "new"... even cheap Chinese "new"... I know exactly what I have.

I assume this is a 80 or 100cc shaft drive Yamaha kids size 4 wheeler? Tell him to check the valve clearance. Those things were famous for the valves going tight causing low compression (hard to start) Also, take the vent hose off the ring and pinion housing and dump a cup of Hypoid type gear oil in there. Most of them (some of the newer ones had/have oil) only had grease for lube, it drys dry out. It costs almost as much to rebuild that little rear end as a Dana 60! :msp_scared:

Edit: I always set the valves .001" or so looser than Yamaha calls for, that way it lasts longer before you need to do it again.

 

[Whitespider]

I’ll give you another example of buying used…

A few years ago my brother wanted a rear-engine, John Deere riding-mower with hydro drive… but he didn’t want to spend the $5k-plus for the model he liked. He started looking for used… I tried telling him that that may not be a good idea; maybe he should look at something “new” in a color other than green. He wasn’t listening, had his heart set on “green” paint.

So we’re working out in South Dakota and had a trailer behind us because we’d hauled a tower out there. Sitting at the end of this driveway, with a “For Sale” sign, is the exact model he wanted. Oh man did it look nice… all shined up, it hardly looked used at all. The darn thing starts right up, runs perfectly, and my brother drives it around the yard a bit. Man, he couldn’t peel out the $2500.oo fast enough and we load it up. Guess what?? The half way through the first mowing it started making noise, quit moving, and blowing engine oil all over the grass… see the hydro unit was bad, causing it to pump all its oil into the engine, and when it went dry the hydro burned-up.

The estimate for repair?? $3800.00!!
My brother is still mowing with a walk-behind L-O-L!

More times than not, buying used will bite you unless you personally know the item, and the person doing the selling.

 

[Whitespider]

Tell him to check the valve clearance.

It's an oil-injected 2-cycle... (maybe it's a Suzuki, not Yamaha... don't remember for sure now).

 

[brenndatomu]

It's an oil-injected 2-cycle... (maybe it's a Suzuki, not Yamaha... don't remember for sure now).

Ah, that makes sense, I think the lil Suzys were 2 strokers, never mind then.
Well then, I guess my previous post is a lil FYI for any ya'lls that have the little Yamaha 80/100cc shaft drive 4 stroke quads.

 

[Whitespider]

Yeah, I did a Google image search.
I don't know what year it is, but the neighbor's is definitely a Suzuki LT80 exactly as these pictures... even the color is identical.
As you can see it's a chain drive.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Turn your keyboard/notebook over and check where it's made......

WS, looks like the kid's going to have some fun! I've got a little 4 wheeler waiting for mine to get old enough to ride it (5 May 1st). Maybe this summer. We'll see how well she reacts.

 

[Whitespider]

Turn your keyboard/notebook over and check where it's made......

Too damn funny... I just flipped my keyboard, mouse and monitor over (all three are HP products, with the big HP logo on them) and all three are labeled "Product of China"!!
Isn't Hewlett-Packard an American Company based in California ??
I'm LMAO here right now !!