Yamaha Jet Outboard for Sale: Proven 40, 60 & 90 HP Jet Drives From $4,075

Looking for a Yamaha jet outboard for sale? We have Yamaha jet drives in stock from the small 40 HP powerhead models right up to the F90JB, with tiller and remote versions, starting at $4,075. They come new in the factory crate, they’re checked before they ship, and we deliver worldwide.

We’re an outboard dealer in Fresno, California, and jets are a bit of a specialty for us. Our jet customers are mostly river people: hunters, fishing guides, outfitters, survey and rescue crews, and families who live on rivers where a propeller just doesn’t last. This page lists every Yamaha jet outboard for sale we carry, explains how jet ratings work (which confuses a lot of people), gives the specs, and shows you how to buy one from us.

What Is a Jet Outboard?

A jet outboard is a normal four stroke powerhead with the propeller and gearcase taken off and a jet pump fitted in their place. Under the boat there’s a flat intake grate instead of a skeg and prop. Water is sucked in through the grate, an impeller inside the pump throws it out the back at high speed, and that pushes the boat. To go into reverse, a gate drops down behind the nozzle and turns the water forward.

The big advantage of any Yamaha jet outboard for sale is that nothing sticks down below the hull. On a light, flat bottom boat, once you’re up on the plane, you can run over gravel bars, rocky riffles, sand flats and weed beds in water a prop motor couldn’t even float in. If you hit something, you’re far less likely to wreck a lower unit.

How Yamaha Jet Ratings Work

This is the part that trips people up. A jet pump isn’t as efficient as a propeller. You lose roughly a quarter to a third of the power through the pump. So Yamaha builds its jets on a bigger powerhead and quotes two numbers: the power at the powerhead and the power at the pump.

• A 40 HP jet uses the 747 cc three cylinder powerhead and gives about 30 HP at the pump.
• A 60 HP jet uses the four cylinder 60 HP powerhead.
• The F90JB uses the 1.8 liter four cylinder and gives about 65 HP at the pump.

When you see a listing called a 30 HP jet, that’s usually the 40 HP powerhead with the pump on, and you get about 30 HP of push. When you shop for a Yamaha jet outboard for sale, always ask which number the seller is quoting. On our product pages we give both.

Yamaha Jet Outboard for Sale: Current Stock

We sometimes hold more than one batch of the same Yamaha jet outboard for sale, so you may see a model listed twice at different prices. It’s the same motor. Buy whichever one shows in stock, or ask us which batch ships soonest.

Yamaha F40 Jet Specs

The F40 jet is the most popular Yamaha jet outboard for sale we ship. It’s light enough for a 14 to 16 foot jet sled and has enough push for two people and gear.

You can pick the F40 as a tiller (F40JEHA) or as a remote (F40JEA). Tiller is the classic river sled setup: you sit or stand at the back with a clear view of the water ahead. Remote suits console sleds and work boats.

Yamaha F60 Jet Tiller Specs

Our F60 Yamaha jet outboard for sale comes with the jet pump and an extra long tiller already fitted, so it’s ready to bolt on. It suits 16 to 18 foot sleds that carry more weight, like guide boats and hunting boats loaded with gear.

See the full details on the Yamaha F60 jet tiller page.

Yamaha F90JB Specs

The F90JB is the big Yamaha jet outboard for sale in our range, for heavier sleds and work boats from about 18 to 21 feet.

More on the Yamaha F90JB jet outboard page.

Which Yamaha Jet Is Right for Your Boat?

Before you pick a Yamaha jet outboard for sale, start with the boat’s capacity plate and remember that jets are rated on the powerhead. A boat rated for 40 HP can take the F40 jet. Then think about weight. A jet needs the boat to get up on the plane to show what it can do in shallow water, and the lighter the boat, the shallower it runs.

• 14 to 16 foot flat bottom sled, one or two people: F40 jet.
• 16 to 18 foot sled, two or three people and gear: F60 jet.
• 18 to 21 foot sled, guide boat or work boat with a load: F90JB.

If you’re torn between two sizes, go bigger. Jets need the extra power more than prop motors do, because of the pump losses. A Yamaha jet outboard for sale that’s slightly too big will plane easily with a load. One that’s too small will struggle and you’ll run it flat out all day.

What Boat Works With a Jet?

Jets work best on light, flat bottom or shallow V aluminum boats, the kind people call jet sleds or river boats. A few things matter:

• A clean bottom in front of the intake. Keels, strakes or rivets right in front of the grate disturb the water flowing into the pump and cause cavitation.
• The right transom height. Most jets need a 20 inch transom, because the pump sits where a long shaft lower unit would be.
• Light weight. Every pound you save lets you run shallower.
• A strong transom. River running is hard on a boat. Make sure the transom is solid.

A deep V fiberglass boat isn’t a good match for a Yamaha jet outboard for sale. The pump will suck air in rough water and the hull won’t run shallow anyway.

Setting the Mounting Height

Getting the height right is the single biggest thing for performance on any Yamaha jet outboard for sale. As a starting point, set the motor so the front edge of the intake grate sits about level with the bottom of the hull. Then test on the water. If the pump cavitates (the motor revs and the boat slows), lower it a little. If the boat feels draggy and slow, try it up a little. Move it in small steps.

Do this with the boat loaded the way you normally run it. A guide boat with three clients sits lower than it does empty. We can help with this over the phone or on WhatsApp when your Yamaha jet outboard for sale arrives.

Running a Jet: What to Expect

If you’ve only run prop motors, your first Yamaha jet outboard for sale will feel different. Here’s what new owners notice.

Steering at low speed is weaker. A jet steers by pointing the water stream. At idle there’s not much water moving, so the boat doesn’t turn as sharply as you’d expect. Give it a little throttle to steer.

No steering with the throttle off. If you chop the throttle in a corner, the boat keeps going straight. Learn to steer with a bit of power on.

You use more fuel. Because of the pump losses, a jet burns more fuel for the same speed than a prop motor. It’s the price you pay for running shallow.

Top speed is lower. Same reason. A 40 jet won’t be as fast as a 40 prop motor on the same boat.

Shallow water is where it shines. Once you’re on the plane, you can cross water you’d never risk with a prop. Come off the plane in shallow water, though, and the boat sinks back down and the pump starts sucking up gravel. Keep the speed up through the skinny bits.

Looking After a Yamaha Jet

A Yamaha jet outboard for sale needs a bit more attention than a prop motor, but none of it is difficult.

• Grease the pump bearing often. There’s a grease fitting on the pump. Many owners grease it after every trip, and the owner’s manual gives the interval. Pump in grease until clean grease comes out.
• Check the intake grate. Clear sticks, weed and plastic after every run. A blocked grate kills performance.
• Check the impeller clearance. Gravel wears the impeller edges and the liner. When the gap opens up, the boat loses top speed. The clearance can be reset with shims. Many river runners check it every season.
• Flush after salt or muddy water.
• Change the engine oil on schedule. There’s no gear oil to change, which is one less job.
• Look after the anode. Replace sacrificial anodes when they’re half gone.

Yamaha’s own site has owner resources and manuals. You can find them on the Yamaha Outboards website.

Yamaha Jet vs Mercury and Tohatsu Jets

We sell jets from other makers too, so here’s an honest comparison.

Mercury offers jets in the 25 to 40 HP range, including the 25ELHGA jet, the 35ELPT jet and the 40ELPT jet. They’re well priced and parts are easy to find in a lot of countries. See our Mercury 35 HP jet outboards and the Mercury 40ELPT jet.

Tohatsu makes a 25 HP jet, the Tohatsu MFS25AJETETL, which suits small light boats.

Yamaha covers more sizes than the others, up to the F90JB, and has a strong name for reliability on rivers. If you need anything bigger than 40 HP, Yamaha is usually where you end up. That’s the main reason people come to us for a Yamaha jet outboard for sale rather than another brand.

Who Buys a Yamaha Jet Outboard for Sale From Us

River guides and outfitters. They run shallow rivers with clients all season and need a motor that won’t let them down.

Hunters. Duck hunters and big game hunters use jets to reach marshes, backwaters and remote river camps.

Anglers. Steelhead, salmon, trout and bass fishers use jets to get up rivers that prop boats can’t reach.

Rescue and flood crews. Jets are safer around people in the water than an open propeller, and they run in floodwater full of debris.

Survey and environmental teams. Biologists, river engineers and land managers need to reach shallow sites.

River communities. In many parts of the world, families and small businesses travel and move goods on shallow rivers. A Yamaha jet outboard for sale from us is often the only practical way to get one where they live.

Tiller or Remote Jet?

Every Yamaha jet outboard for sale in our range comes either as a tiller or a remote, and the choice changes how the boat feels.

Tiller jets are the traditional river setup. You stand or sit at the back with the handle in your hand, and you can see the water right in front of the bow. Reading a river is easier from there, and the rigging is simple: no cables, no helm, no control box. Tiller jets are lighter, cheaper to rig and easy to fix. Most guides on small sleds run tillers. The F40JEHA and our F60 jet tiller are the ones to look at.

Remote jets are run from a console with a wheel, a control box and a key. They suit bigger sleds, boats that carry passengers, and work boats where the driver needs to sit forward for weight balance or a better view over a load. The F40JEA and the F90JB are remote models. Budget for steering, cables and controls if your boat isn’t already set up.

Weight balance matters more on a jet than on a prop boat. If all the weight is at the stern, the bow lifts, the boat runs lower at the back, and it won’t run as shallow. Remote steering lets you move the driver forward, which helps a lot on longer boats.

What Comes in the Crate

A new Yamaha jet outboard for sale from us ships in the factory crate with the powerhead, the jet pump fitted, and the standard parts Yamaha packs with that model. Tiller models come with the handle. Remote models need a control box, cables and a key switch harness, which may or may not be included depending on the listing. Read the listing or ask us.

The fuel tank, battery and boat rigging are usually separate. If you need a remote control kit, a fuel tank or a battery, tell us when you order and we’ll quote it together so it ships in one go. That saves you a second freight bill.

Planning Fuel and Range

Jets use more fuel than prop motors, and river trips often go a long way from the nearest fuel. Plan for it.

As a rough guide, assume a jet burns about a third more fuel than a prop motor of the same powerhead size at the same speed. Fill up before every trip, carry a spare tank if you’re going far, and keep an eye on the gauge on the way out. Running out of fuel halfway up a shallow river isn’t fun, because you can’t drift a jet sled home through gravel.

Fuel injection on every modern Yamaha jet outboard for sale helps here. It gives easier starts, smoother running at low speed and better economy than the old carbureted jets.

What to Carry on a Jet Boat

River running has its own risks. Here’s a short kit list from our river customers.

• Life jackets for everyone, worn, not stowed.
• A paddle or push pole for when you come off the plane in shallow water.
• A grease gun and a tube of the right marine grease for the pump.
• A tool to clear the intake grate. Many owners carry a short hooked rod for sticks and weed.
• A spare kill switch lanyard.
• A tow rope, an anchor suited to the river bottom, and a throw bag.
• A charged phone in a dry bag, and a radio if there’s no signal on the river.

The BoatUS Foundation has free safety courses that are worth doing if you’re new to running rivers.

New or Used?

Every Yamaha jet outboard for sale on this page is listed new, in the crate. If you’re after a used jet, ask us, as we sometimes get them in. With any used jet, check the impeller and liner for wear, ask how many hours it has, and look for signs that it’s been run hard in gravel. A worn pump can be rebuilt, but you should know about it before you buy.

Converting a Prop Motor to a Jet

Aftermarket jet pump kits exist for many motors. They work, and plenty of people run them. But you need the right powerhead, the right kit, and some mechanical skill to fit it and set it up. A factory Yamaha jet outboard for sale comes ready to go with the pump matched to the motor, which saves a lot of time and guesswork.

How to Buy a Yamaha Jet From Us

1. Check your boat’s capacity plate and transom height.
2. Choose your Yamaha jet outboard for sale from the table above.
3. Order on the product page or message us on WhatsApp at +1 209 690 5983.
4. We confirm stock and the delivery details for your country.
5. The motor ships in its crate, and you get tracking.

A Yamaha jet outboard for sale is bigger and heavier than a small outboard, so most go by sea freight. If you’ve never bought a motor online, our guide on how to buy outboard motor online explains the process, and our outboard motor with free shipping page covers delivery.

Questions About Buying a Yamaha Jet Outboard for Sale

How shallow can a Yamaha jet run?

On a light flat bottom boat on the plane, very shallow, often just a few inches more than the hull itself draws. Off the plane you need more water, because the boat sits lower.

Why is the Yamaha 40 jet only 30 HP?

The 40 is the powerhead rating. The jet pump loses some power, so you get about 30 HP of push. That’s normal for every jet.

Is a jet faster than a prop motor?

No. On the same boat a jet is usually slower and uses more fuel. You buy a jet for shallow water, not speed.

Can I use a jet in salt water?

Yes, but flush it well after every trip and keep up with the anodes and grease. Most jets are used on rivers, but they work in shallow coastal water too.

Do you have Yamaha jet skis too?

If you meant a personal watercraft rather than a jet outboard, see our Yamaha WaveRunner for sale page.

Do you ship worldwide?

Yes. Tell us your country and we’ll confirm delivery details before you pay.

Final Word

A jet opens up water a prop boat can’t touch. Pick the size by the powerhead rating and the weight you carry, set the mounting height carefully, keep the pump greased, and a Yamaha jet will run for years. Every Yamaha jet outboard for sale on this page links straight to its product page with the price and full details. Call or WhatsApp us on +1 209 690 5983, use our contact page, or browse all Yamaha outboards for sale. If you’re new to boating, Discover Boating has good free guides.