Thread: Mini jetboats with Jetski engines

Originally Posted by mohawk

My mate built the two stacked on the trailer .
Top ones 8 ft 550 pole ski engine and unit . Weighs about 180kg and good for about 60 kmph
Bottom ones a 9 footer , 750 Kawasaki ski engine and unit . Weighs about 200 kg and good for 65-70 kmph depending on how rooted the unit is at the time .
Like a few guys now he prefers smaller 4 stoke car engines (Suzuki m15a /Toyota 1nzfe ) for reliability and noise .
If your set on using jetski engines plan on rebuilding a few of them .

Here they are in action from page 2 of this thread

Originally Posted by Spanners

I was set on a 1100cc 11" boat... The old boy thinks we need 14"...
Will do some more research
I like the 4st idea as less maint, but also like the 2st ski motors as less weight and have rebuild a few and like the kawasakis

Not going to build as dont have the time so will buy finished boat

Your old boys on to it and so are you , Ive got a 14 and a 10 and DONT want any more lol.

Looks like every man and his dog are fabricating the mini jetboats


U groove rollers, teflon liner and oversize tip. 3m lead better than 4m. Smaller MIGs are fine but a bit harder to setup as they don't have 1/2 volts increments.
Pulse MIGs rock

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I do 90% of our alloy mig welding with a cheap 180?amp single phase mig welder. got to be a wee bit carfull to keep the lead straightish not having a pull hand peice but its all good, only get the miller pulse pushmepullyou big clumsy prick of a thing out when I have to.

I just got a little 150 amp mig from repco. Its got a plastic liner and says ok for 1.6 too 3mm ali so i will hav a wack at it and report back.

No one beats this dude. He is in a class of his own.

Goats small 3.0m jetboat for sale

Cos he has a tube channel?

Originally Posted by TeRei

No one beats this dude. He is in a class of his own.

Goats small 3.0m jetboat for sale

He makes a great film , but the class is way more crowded than you realise , and has been for over 50 years mate.

Originally Posted by mohawk

I just got a little 150 amp mig from repco. Its got a plastic liner and says ok for 1.6 too 3mm ali so i will hav a wack at it and report back.

Ali is soft. Using the V groove rollers will put "ears" along the wire and will constantly jam. Knurled rollers are for gasless wire. Straight Argon, not mixed or CO2. S/S wire brush, not mild steel as it will contaminate the ali with iron oxides
I used to sell the gear. VC will tell you the realities of the processs

Originally Posted by mohawk

He makes a great film , but the class is way more crowded than you realise , and has been for over 50 years mate.

Tongue in cheek.

Originally Posted by sako75

Looks like every man and his dog are fabricating the mini jetboats


U groove rollers, teflon liner and oversize tip. 3m lead better than 4m. Smaller MIGs are fine but a bit harder to setup as they don't have 1/2 volts increments.
Pulse MIGs rock

Mint . Repco welder came witb plastic liner and all i did was run a file aroun the roller to smooth off tbe groove. We had no feedin issues at all and my boat builder said no worries basting 3 too 5 mm with it. He was quite surrprised actually.

what about these.... 1500cc Plastic jetboat

Tuffjets.co.nz - Home of the world's southern most plastic jetboat - Tuff Jets Southland - The home of the best plastic jet boat that takes you where other boats won't

Ive been told they are pretty wet too ride in , and Ive never liked how much they seem too sell for either.
My little boat is 40 kg lighter , has more room inside and probably a lot cheaper too build .

Looks like I have sorted a hull... around 3.6m, might end up being 3.4 yet
Its a hull a guys down sth designed in cad and built, and is now scaling up. 1.5 at the chine.
Hes going to build his soon and if all ok I'll buy the plans and get a mates old man to lazer it out and will find someone local to weld it up.
Basically pic below scaled up 20%

Umming and arrring engine wise.
Was going to use a 1100 Kawasaki but speaking to a mate down sth thats done a couple of wireups in the, he seems to think the Suzuki M15A is the way to go.
Would be quieter, more fuel efficient, but heavier 100kg vs 70kg which I dont think makes that much difference, and would need to be marinised

looks mint. keep us up to date with build pics!

Going M15a Suzuki
Can't argue with $250 and 30,000km on the clock
They are worth nothing to the wreckers apparently as they never die
Bloody computer and map is worth 5 times the engine!!