Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

[Ron G]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

its just the opposite here ive never seen a motor over a 90 without a transomesaver/guess different parts of the country different pref.

 

[sergioy]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

When I used to go fishing with my buddy in North Carolina, I noticed that everyone there with an outboardwith say 70+ hp had one also. And that used to be at times hundreds of boats. Lakes like Shearon Harris, Falls lake... But now that I am in Texas I don't see as many. Course I have not been at any real fishing lakes at real fishing times, say 4 am.<br />I am still making the transition from pleasure boater to fishing boater.

 

[umblecumbuz]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

Popularity doesn't necessarily prove effectiveness. <br /><br />It might just prove good marketing tehniques by the makers. <br /><br />Driving around Europe and observing trailered boats, I very rarely see one with any kind of motor support.

 

[txswinner]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

I think it looks real cool on my motor and reminds me to put my plug in as that is the step before removing it. Other than that I am clueless.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

Most of the damage I've seen came from poor maintenance. Either one of the rubber pucks came off and gouged the crap out of the gearhousing, or on the ones with rubber forks held on by one bolt eventually get cut by the sharp leading edge of the gearcase exposing the bolt to the leading edge. The aluminum gearhousing doesn't have a prayer against a hardened steel bolt.<br /><br />Other more seious damage included blown motor mounts to cracked transoms. Trailers do flex running down the road. The hydraulics lock-in and don't allow the motor to respond to the stress. Something has to give or something is going to break.<br /><br />I have no problem with transom savers on motors without hydraulics. If yours has hydraulics, there are two options. Release the manual valve when trailering. It just takes a few twists with a common screwdriver. There are also transom savers that have shock absorbing features. Those are much better than the rigid types. But then, they're more expensive, too. But what's more expensive? A higher-end shock absorbing transom saver, or a transom?

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

One thing to remember, a boat is not moving through the water freely. In fact, that water is causing massive resistance. The faster you go, the more resistance, even on plane. Then you factor in cyclical stress caused by running a boat through rough water where the force on the transom goes from a whole bunch to not much, over and over as the boat is pushing through swells, cresting waves, etc. To even think that the minor bouncing on a trailer can even come close to comparing to the forces involved in propulsing a boat through water is a clear demonstration of a lack of understanding. <br /><br />The only arguement I can think of that favors the transom savor is the fact that it keeps the lower unit up in the even of the tilt lock failing (which does happen). If someone told me they were using a saver because of that, I would be all for it. Otherwise, it does nothing for the transom itself. Subject officially beaten to death...

 

[Pony]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

I agree a lot with what jason j just said. Personally i think using a transom saver has little or nothing to do with how much hp you have. I think its how low your boat sits on the trailer/ how low the motor sits in relation to the ground.<br /><br />I never used one with my 60hp, as it had lots of ground clearance....my 25hp is very low, where i feel it may bottom out, so i use one. i attempted to trail with it up once, but never felt confident enough in the tilt lock. I guess the use of the transom saver is prolly more a situatuion to situation thing. sometimes it makes sense sometimes it doesnt.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

To even think that the minor bouncing on a trailer can even come close to comparing to the forces involved in propulsing a boat through water is a clear demonstration of a lack of understanding.

Jason, that's a very aggresive opinion and an insult to boot.<br />As I said before, apply modern physics to this question and it's an easy answer.

 

[dtherrien]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

I think the confusing phrase is "transom saver". In reality it may or may not save your transom. I like to think of it as a brace, to keep your motor up and support it in all directions when trailering.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

You are absolutely right Walleye, apply physics to the scenario and the issue will be resolved. Sooooo lets see considerable amounts of thrust leveraging a transom in a cyclical manner, or a semi-ballanced load bearing straight down on that same transom with minor movement at best. I think this could be argued all day long, but just look around. There are thousands of boats of all ages out there that have been trailered for decades. The number one reason for transom degradation is moisture related rot. Transom savers are a recent invention, created by someone who felt there was a market for such a device. Maybe that person had a rotted transom and was just trying to get one more season and thought that this was the solution, Maybe he saw a jiggling outboard and said "man that looks bad", who knows. <br /><br />What I do know is that the marketplace is littered with products that appeal to those who are worried about their investment, and these products prey on those worries. Like I said before, a transom saver does not cost enough to be a bad investment, so nothing is lost or hurt by using it.<br /><br />Maybe my statement seems insulting, but that is not the intent. I do not sugarcoat or placate. This topic is being argued without an understanding of all that is involved. An outboard would have to weigh a ton to generate the same force bobbing on a trailer as an average outboard generates against the transom during use, especially in holeshot. Can you even imagine how many hundreds of pounds of thrust a large outboard is placing, through leverage, on the transom when the throttle is mashed at takeoff? Do you honestly truely believe that that same or greater force is being placed on the transom when any bobbing while trailering is a matter of a few inches or less? There isn't even enough velocity generated in such a small amount of movement. Just saying the word "physics" does not trump reality. The reality is, transoms are not damaged by minor outboard movement while trailering, they are damaged by moisture and neglect from the owner. <br /><br />But I am a reasonable man, and I am always willing to concede a point. You show me, with physics, (and not some made up junk, I know the difference) the forces applied to a transom with a 150 hp outboard of average weight, and the forces applied to the same transom with the same outboard at holeshot. If you can show me that, and it shows that the trailering position creates more force than holeshot, I will concede and never post in regards to this subject again. Hard data is all I want, not supposition. <br /><br />And be careful when you assume the education level of others on this board, you would be surprised what some of us know compared to what we choose to do as a profession. Take care...

 

[mallardjusted]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

Here is a direct quote from my Yamaha 50 4-stroke manual:<br /><br />"The motor should be trailered and stored in the normal running position. If there is insufficient road clearance in this position, then trailer the motor in the tilt position using a motor support device such as a transom saver bar."<br /><br />I'm not sure if they say this because of stress or something else, though.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

I guess a person could argue that a transom saver eleviates unnecessary strain on the transom. The theory being that removing the stress of trailering will prolong the life of the transom saving the integrity for what matters most, boating. However you probably would not see the benefits of this theory for decades, and may only provide a year of two of extra structural integrity for boating. This is of course considering that you could provide optimal conditions for such an experiment. More than likely a transom will fall to the clutches of rot and moisture long before anybody under normal use could justify such a theory as well.<br /><br />I guess physics could prove this, and I'm sure the manufacturers have the data at hand if so requested... but some common sense has to be exercised to realize any value of a transom saver.<br /><br />If you don't trust the hydraulics AND/OR the motor lock on your setup, use one. If your reasoning is something like mine where you could potentially damage customization work due to a miscalculation, use one. Otherwise, I would say there is no need at all, and the reasoning behind this is justified by JasonJ's posts.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

And be careful when you assume the education level of others on this board, you would be surprised what some of us know compared to what we choose to do as a profession.

Keep that in mind...you're not the only "sleeper" on this board.<br />Having a Masters in any particular field doesn't overcome common sense either..<br />Hell, I've flown AH-1 Cobras, UH-1's OH-58's, flown a Hawker Sea fury solo, 2 trips in an F-16C-AT the controls, and 1 of the few in the U.S that has flown a Mig-29 as a civilian...I'm also a Turbine engine tech...so what!!!<br />My understanding of physics goes deeper than you must think, and if you truely believe an outboard hanging on the transom, tilted up at a moderate degree does nothing to the transom with no support, I can't help ya, and you don't understand it as much as you want to believe you do...<br />A boat on the water has much less resistance to forces applied due to the fact it CAN move in any direction the torque or load puts it...the boat also has more "give" on the water than it does on the trailer. Trailers flex, yes...the BOAT is what makes it rigid if it fits the trailer properly. I don't believe in a tilt lock, because they were intended for short haul situations and pressure relief for the hyd.system when not in use such as at the bank or in a slip to keep the lower "mostly" out of the water. The tilt lock is also so close to the pivot point, it's nothing but a lever when trailering and the arm of the lower unit is much longer, where-as if a transom saver is used, all of that moment is GONE.<br />If the transom is not properly supported by the trailer, it's going to sag either way, BUT, when in the water, displacement keeps the load more uniform.<br />As for "mashing" the throttle, only inexperienced, careless operators would do that, with the exception of racing, where the boat is built for that.<br />You are very right, this could go on forever, but we've been using transom savers since about 1975 on our own boats, and those we've sold through the years that didn't use them tell all the story I need to know, just by taking a quick look at the transom....nicely curved in most..

 

[dingbat]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

From someone that understands the physics (structural engineer) your assumptions are somewhat on target but the reasoning behind it is a bit off base.<br /><br />If the center of gravity of the motor is over the center of the transom (motor perpendicular to the transom) the load is considered balanced. As you move the center of gravity of the motor away from the center of the transom (trimming down) you start to generate torque as you are moving the CG away from the CL of the transom. As you continue to lower the motor the center of gravity will once again move back toward the CL of the transom and the load will come back into balance.<br /><br />The formula for torque ifs F X L = torque <br />Where F = force<br /> L= distance from centerline of transom to the point where the force is applied<br /><br />We are a bit off base on the issue of the force to push the boat forward. Since the motor is in the down position when the force is applied there is minimal torque induced into the transom. <br /><br />I certainly have to take issue with the statement “when a transom saver is used all of that moment is GONE. Unless the frequencies of both components (i.e. boat and transom saver) are identical, the harmonics will introduce rotation which may, if at the right magnitude, be even more detrimental than rotation alone.

 

[rg33]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

There are those that are for and against the validity of transom savers. There also appears that there is no final answer, except in ones confidence when pulling their boat. There has been no definitive statement as to the need or lack of need for the equipment. Just ones confidence.

 

[umblecumbuz]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

Dingbat:Since the motor is in the down position when the force is applied there is minimal torque induced into the transom.

Not quite sure what you mean here, Dingbat. Maybe you're thinking of a dead motor in the full down position.<br /><br />The torque when a motor is running and in the water is huge! It comes from the power applied through the prop by the motor itself, and this is SOME torque! - Maybe a 200hp motor trying to screw a prop at up to 3,000 revs through a non-compressible medium! That generates a real twisting moment, with the leverage being equal to the length of the leg and the fulcrum being at or near the top of the transom, which is also the point on the transom that is least well supported. <br /><br />I didn't want to start a war here, but these varying views have provided plenty of food for thought. Makes me wonder how any piece of plywood stands up to it all.

 

[sergioy]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

<br />Las Night when I was getting ready to leave the boat ramp, I thought to myself "you dont need that transom saver." .00001 seconds later I thought "oh yes I do." And I had a happy trip home, knowing that my transom saver was in place.<br /><br />Transom saver $35, used bass boat $3400, piece of mind pricele$$<br /><br />Victim of clever marketing, maybe, but $35 is not enough to make me feel bad.

 

[rg33]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

Originally posted by rg33:<br /> There are those that are for and against the validity of transom savers. There also appears that there is no final answer, except in ones confidence when pulling their boat. There has been no definitive statement as to the need or lack of need for the equipment. Just ones confidence.

For the record, I use one, also.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

Ding, It is not true that there is minimal torque applied by thrust when in the running position. The motor is attached to the upper portion of the transom. The thrust is being applied at the propeller level of what is essentially a lever. Not only do you have this thrust working to pull the top of the transom out, but it is trying to push the transom in at the lowest point of the bracket that holds the motor onto the transom. Combine this with the fact that, when at rest, the weight of the entire motor is outside the transom, there is that leverage as well. When the motor is in the tilted position, it is relatively balanced. Even though the leg is longer, the powerhead weighs more, so it is mostly balanced. <br /><br />The only reason I am arguing this subject (besides the fact that I am sort of bored and can't wait to get crackin' on my next project) is that a motor in the trailering position does not generate enough movement to have enough inertia to apply significant force to the transom. If the leg jumps up, the powerhead goes down. When the leg is comeing back down, gravity is fighting the powerhead going back up, which reduces the energy of momentum the leg may have developed. <br /><br />When the boat is in the water, at a standstill, and you apply throttle to get it on plane, there is little dampening the energy that is applied to twist the transom due to thrust from the motor. Yes, the boat moves, but all that weight is still being forced into motion by the thrust from the motor, which is applying that force to the transom in a twisting action. Yeah, using the term "mash" was a poor choice of words, but we all know that the proper way to drive a boat is to apply enough throttle to get the boat up on plane in the shortest time and distance, to save fuel and reduce the lenght of time the boat is being stressed. For a lot of boats, that means WOT or near WOT, and basically that translates to "mash". If you are slowly bringing a boat on plane, you are wasting gas and hurting the engine by not getting it into its powerband.<br /><br />Its too bad we just can't get "Mythbusters" to do a segment on this. If anyone could prove it through instrumentation, they could. I don't really want to argue about it any more, I still insist that it isn't hurting anything to use a saver, I just hate the way it is marketed, because it is not truth in advertising.<br /><br />I think the best we can do is to agree that everyone has voiced good points, and that none of this thread is going to change anyones decision as to whether they use a saver or not.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Transom Savers Are A Waste Of Money - Yes or No?

I'll go with that...'nuff said.