what is considered a lot of hours

[amphibious drew]

There seems to be a lot of "bargains" out there that turn out not to be bargains. Any machine is susceptible to abuse, and usually these machines are not discounted near enough.
On the up side: Once you replace everything, you basically have a brand new machine.
An eight hour drive is a whole other drawback.....A long drive would make me feel like I needed to buy it just to justify the drive. Are you prepared to walk away from it if it turns out to be a P.O.S.?
adairargosales - Pre-Owned

Several good points are made. Personally, I like to find the cheapest machine with the features I am looking for and just assume I am going to do a lot of work. A lot of times the only features I am looking for is a t-20 and some good rubber. Anything else is a bonus if you buy it cheap enough. My first machine I purchased I had to borrow an SUV and a trailer, drive 2 hours to check it out and negotiate for it. I did feel a little pot committed, but I didn't really care nor know any better at the time. I talked the guy down a few bucks and felt I got a deal. Got the thing home and broke an axle, and another, and another, and then the t-20 seemed to internally explode. Crazy right? Especially considering it was "just rebuilt." I even purchased it from a dealer of sorts, just not an aatv dealer. I am not sure if the guy didn't know he half assed the transmission, or if he even knew the rear sprocket assembly had been patched using what looked to be a aluminum rake handle. So buyer be ware when it comes to buying used machines. I would go cheap and rebuild, or buy from a reputable dealer or forum member. It seems too often turn key machines turn out to have hidden issues.