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| Do you all use transom savers? Are they really needed? Have you used a My-Wedge in place of a transom saver? |
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Posts: 3504
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | I use one since when the motor is tilted up, you create torque on the transom. When you go down the road, the road is never perfectly smooth, so the trailer bounces a little, causing the motor to bounce a little. All that bouncing goes right to the transom, and to your hydraulics for tilting (if equipped)
With the boat tied down, the back of the boat stays with the trailer, so by using the saver, the bouncing of the rig is transferred directly to the springs on the trailer...not on your boat.
The wedge-type models, I feel do nothing more than take the pressure off your hydraulics. The bouncing still occurrs, but spreads it out on the transom more...which is better than nothing.
For the 35 bucks or so, I feel it's well worth it to get the saver that goes to the trailer.
Some will argue otherwise, and they will have good points too. What matters most is what you choose.
Steve
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Posts: 138
| I use one on my kicker and my main motor has one built into it so I don't use one there.
On my last boat I had them for both motors.
Good hunting,Jeff<*))))))>< |
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Posts: 177
Location: Cohasset, MN | The jackplate on mine compounds the problem even more. I've got 380 pounds of motor trying to see-saw on the jackplate/transom while bouncing down the road. I definitely use a transom saver. |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | I look at it this way, a transom saver is cheap transom insurance as VMS stated there is a lot of tourqe on your transom also if your hydrolics spring a leak while traveling a transom saver will keep your Prop & Skeg off the road
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Posts: 27
Location: North Branch, Minnesota | I like the My-Wedge and by all means, your boat takes way more abuse going down the road than it ever will in the water. The nice things about a My-Wedge are that it can't rattle loose, the bar type transom savers for aluminum boats (excluding Eagle Trailers) are a joke. They only have one little screw holding the trailer bracket in place and it's 90° to the stress. You don't scratch your lower unit up, you can throw the My-Wedge right in your boat rather than making another trip to the truck. If you run a jackplate, you don't need to crawl under your transom to see where that end of the transom saver goes or worry about having your jackplate set at the right height to run your transom saver.
I know of two guys with 20' and 22' Ranger Bass boats that were rear-ended and hit right on the motor and it didn't break the My-Wedge.
Oh yeah, they're cheaper than an aluminum transom saver too.
Joe Carlson |
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| Thanks for the advise. |
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Posts: 1189
Location: Bagley,MN 56621 | I have to against the grain here and say I do not care for transom savers.
I used to use them religiously but have not since about last August or so.
My thinking (actually it was pointed out to me and it makes sense) is that when you hit a bump in the road, all the force goes through the trailer, up through the transom saver and jolts the motor. I have seen my motor get jolted good more than once in the rear view motor.
All motors have a traveling lock on them(folding legs on my Rude H.O., a flip deal thinger on Yammies and Merc's)).....that is what I use to keep it pinned up. My Transom is tough enough that I am not concerned about it being weakened by the motor hanging on it, even going down the road.
Most motors have the motor positioned so it is locked in traveling positon so most of the weight is above or directly forced down on top of the transom and not "hanging/twisting".
Now if the boat/transom is quite old (built un-like modern day transoms) a transom saver might benefit there if their is already transom fatigue..but if the transom is that bad, think there are bigger issues.......
The jackplate scenario is interesting though......that one I might think you would want one. No matter how high and horizontal you carry the motor, it still wont be directly over the transom...hmm, will have to think on that one as I am pretty sure my next Ranger Bass (ski) buggy with have a jackplate.
good topic....I think it comes down to your comfort level. |
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Posts: 5874
| Greg, that would imply that the boat is somehow moving on the trailer. I doubt that happens, especially if it is buckled down. Only way any force would be transferred to the motor through the saver is if the boat moves. Sorry, but I gotta go with the transom saver. |
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Posts: 1185
Location: Wishin I Was Fishin' | I agree with Shep, but I don't use flimsy straps on the back of my boat either. I use a 2" Monster Edge trucking strap. I also beefed up my transom saver by welding a heavy one piece aluminum tube to both ends. My motor doesn't bounce. My boat is an old 88' Stratos Pro201 which needs all the help it can get for the transom. If had a new Ranger I would probably still use one but it wouldn't be as crucial. I scaled my rig with just the trailer tires on the scale and it went 4,300 lbs.  |
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